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Gemini stasis dental bunny update 10/11 after dental

He is moulting less and stable so I was able to stop motility edrugs and sub q fluids.
He is eating what is normal for him. Tomorrow he will be weighed .

I hope he will remain stable now. It can be so stressful to care for a Bunny with ongoing tummy problems. I hope that he has managed to maintain a good weight xx
 
I hope he will remain stable now. It can be so stressful to care for a Bunny with ongoing tummy problems. I hope that he has managed to maintain a good weight xx

Hi Jane,
I worry about him if he is off even a little after the monumental effort it took for weeks after I began this thread to get him to where he is today.
That is why any change to his eating/drinking/pooing causes me to question if I should wait (and chance a recurrence) or start fluids/motility meds (which may be premature to give).
He lost just a very small amount of weight which probably equals the weight of all the excess fur I removed recently. However, his poos were a mix of lovely ones and some smaller ones so I gave him fluids and motility drugs (which he tolerates well) to make sure things stay moving. Last night he got a dose of Metocloprimide and this morning he ate all the greens and pellets he got last night (he only gets a tablespoon at a time which I replenish once they are depleted so they are fresh). He got more pellets and greens (and fresh hay because his was trampled).
 
Hi Jane,
I worry about him if he is off even a little after the monumental effort it took for weeks after I began this thread to get him to where he is today.
That is why any change to his eating/drinking/pooing causes me to question if I should wait (and chance a recurrence) or start fluids/motility meds (which may be premature to give).
He lost just a very small amount of weight which probably equals the weight of all the excess fur I removed recently. However, his poos were a mix of lovely ones and some smaller ones so I gave him fluids and motility drugs (which he tolerates well) to make sure things stay moving. Last night he got a dose of Metocloprimide and this morning he ate all the greens and pellets he got last night (he only gets a tablespoon at a time which I replenish once they are depleted so they are fresh). He got more pellets and greens (and fresh hay because his was trampled).

When a Rabbit has a chronic GI tract motility problem it can sometimes be necessary to start treatment sooner than may otherwise be the case. I find it useful to get to know what feels 'normal' when palpating the abdomen of a 'chronic issues' Rabbit and also to have a good stethoscope to enable me to listen to gut sounds. That way I have a base line to compare with, if you see what I mean.

Obviously my Vet is always consulted too, but as you know managing Rabbits with a chronic gut problem can become a full time job. Short of moving my Vet in there is no option other than for some of the monitoring to be done by me.

Hopefully your prompt action will mean that he continues to remain stable. He's a lucky boy to have such a vigilant care giver xx
 
Hi Jane,
I worry about him if he is off even a little after the monumental effort it took for weeks after I began this thread to get him to where he is today.
That is why any change to his eating/drinking/pooing causes me to question if I should wait (and chance a recurrence) or start fluids/motility meds (which may be premature to give).
He lost just a very small amount of weight which probably equals the weight of all the excess fur I removed recently. However, his poos were a mix of lovely ones and some smaller ones so I gave him fluids and motility drugs (which he tolerates well) to make sure things stay moving. Last night he got a dose of Metocloprimide and this morning he ate all the greens and pellets he got last night (he only gets a tablespoon at a time which I replenish once they are depleted so they are fresh). He got more pellets and greens (and fresh hay because his was trampled).


I'm sorry he's still proving a bit of a worry for you.

I totally agree with you in starting the treatment, even though it's possibly premature. I think to avert disaster is easier than trying to cope with it, and the main thing is you don't want him to lose any more weight.
 
When a Rabbit has a chronic GI tract motility problem it can sometimes be necessary to start treatment sooner than may otherwise be the case. I find it useful to get to know what feels 'normal' when palpating the abdomen of a 'chronic issues' Rabbit and also to have a good stethoscope to enable me to listen to gut sounds. That way I have a base line to compare with, if you see what I mean.

Obviously my Vet is always consulted too, but as you know managing Rabbits with a chronic gut problem can become a full time job. Short of moving my Vet in there is no option other than for some of the monitoring to be done by me.

Hopefully your prompt action will mean that he continues to remain stable. He's a lucky boy to have such a vigilant care giver xx

Dear Jane,

Thank you for sending such a thorough and thoughtful reply.

You are so right about the importance of handing bunnies every day to feel their condition.

He lost a slight amount of weight when I weighed him yesterday so he lost about 4% of his weight in the past few weeks. Even thought he is still not considered thin for his bone structure, I need to make sure this does not become a pattern. His tummy feels less full than it did, so maybe he was holding some extra material/fur prior to my giving him the recent round of meds.

As long as treating with fluids/meds is well tolerated and will not cause any harm; I would rather treat sooner rather than having regrets later.



Even though I have a high quality stethoscope from when a family member attended nursing school; I find it difficult to listen to gut sounds without hearing lung and heart sounds too. I am not sure if this is because of my hearing or because I am not using it right on such a little bunny.
 
I'm sorry he's still proving a bit of a worry for you.

I totally agree with you in starting the treatment, even though it's possibly premature. I think to avert disaster is easier than trying to cope with it, and the main thing is you don't want him to lose any more weight.

MM.

Thank you for your empathy.

He lost slightly more as of yesterday's weigh so he continues to worry me.
It was so hard to get his GI tract moving again when I first began this thread and I am so afraid I will not be as fortunate in the future if I wait for more evidence before starting treatment. Not being able to get a rabbit vet when Dash had an emergency in March also makes me fearful that Gemini could go downhill during emergency hours when a rabbit vet may not be available; so I am sure that fear causes me to take action rather than waiting for him to turn around on his own.
 
MM.

Thank you for your empathy.

He lost slightly more as of yesterday's weigh so he continues to worry me.
It was so hard to get his GI tract moving again when I first began this thread and I am so afraid I will not be as fortunate in the future if I wait for more evidence before starting treatment. Not being able to get a rabbit vet when Dash had an emergency in March also makes me fearful that Gemini could go downhill during emergency hours when a rabbit vet may not be available; so I am sure that fear causes me to take action rather than waiting for him to turn around on his own.


Oh dear, I really don't like it when our bunnies start to lose weight :(

You have to trust your own judgement on treatment/vets/capabilities etc.

I recently had to make a 'snap' decision about one of my rabbits as I didn't feel the situation could be left any longer. Yesterday, fortunately, I managed to get to the bottom of the issue. My relief is palpable :)
 
Dear Jane,

Thank you for sending such a thorough and thoughtful reply.

You are so right about the importance of handing bunnies every day to feel their condition.

He lost a slight amount of weight when I weighed him yesterday so he lost about 4% of his weight in the past few weeks. Even thought he is still not considered thin for his bone structure, I need to make sure this does not become a pattern. His tummy feels less full than it did, so maybe he was holding some extra material/fur prior to my giving him the recent round of meds.

As long as treating with fluids/meds is well tolerated and will not cause any harm; I would rather treat sooner rather than having regrets later.



Even though I have a high quality stethoscope from when a family member attended nursing school; I find it difficult to listen to gut sounds without hearing lung and heart sounds too. I am not sure if this is because of my hearing or because I am not using it right on such a little bunny.

That's OK T. I hope that the weightloss will stabilise, the good thing is that you are monitoring it so you will know straight away if the downward trend is ongoing. I have always found that monitoring all of my Rabbit's weight on a regular basis helps me to pick up on any potential problems. It was rather an epic task when I had over 35 Rabbits ! :shock:
 
Oh dear, I really don't like it when our bunnies start to lose weight :(

You have to trust your own judgement on treatment/vets/capabilities etc.

I recently had to make a 'snap' decision about one of my rabbits as I didn't feel the situation could be left any longer. Yesterday, fortunately, I managed to get to the bottom of the issue. My relief is palpable :)

I am glad you were able to sort out the issue with your bunny.
 
That's OK T. I hope that the weightloss will stabilise, the good thing is that you are monitoring it so you will know straight away if the downward trend is ongoing. I have always found that monitoring all of my Rabbit's weight on a regular basis helps me to pick up on any potential problems. It was rather an epic task when I had over 35 Rabbits ! :shock:
After I purchased the baby scale, I started to weigh all of them and record their weight. I make note of their weight and any additional facts that could be causing any changes. It does take time even with a few bunnies.

You must have obtained a lot of first hand experience with 35 rabbits at once, in addition to the knowledge your obtained from your vet and reading. Caring for 35 rabbits at once must have taken every second of every one of your days.
 
Yesterday afternoon Gemini went to the vet for a recheck. He has been more fussy with his eating and I wanted a professional opinion about getting another dental. The vet was happy with his overall condition and weight. He has good gut sounds. Even though the spurs on Gemini's molars are small, we decided to do another dental before he has stasis or other issues.
 
Yesterday afternoon Gemini went to the vet for a recheck. He has been more fussy with his eating and I wanted a professional opinion about getting another dental. The vet was happy with his overall condition and weight. He has good gut sounds. Even though the spurs on Gemini's molars are small, we decided to do another dental before he has stasis or other issues.

That sounds to be a wise decision. It's always better to do any ongoing Dental treatments before the Bunny stops eating and/or has a reduced gut motility. I hope his Dental goes well xx
 
Yesterday afternoon Gemini went to the vet for a recheck. He has been more fussy with his eating and I wanted a professional opinion about getting another dental. The vet was happy with his overall condition and weight. He has good gut sounds. Even though the spurs on Gemini's molars are small, we decided to do another dental before he has stasis or other issues.


I would do the same, rather than wait and see how things go at this stage. If it's only a matter of a short time, then it's not worth waiting.

I hope the dental goes well and Gemini is OK within himself :)
 
Jane, MM, Griffski,

Thank you for your concern and the good thoughts for Gemini. He is scheduled for Monday and I am hoping that doing the dental before we have stasis will mean he will have a quicker recovery time than we had for his first dental a few months ago. He is getting some syringe food (I grind up his pellets and mix with critical care which seems to bind it better when I add water) to supplement what he is nibbling so he retains his weight and strength prior to his GA/Dental.
 
Jane, MM, Griffski,

Thank you for your concern and the good thoughts for Gemini. He is scheduled for Monday and I am hoping that doing the dental before we have stasis will mean he will have a quicker recovery time than we had for his first dental a few months ago. He is getting some syringe food (I grind up his pellets and mix with critical care which seems to bind it better when I add water) to supplement what he is nibbling so he retains his weight and strength prior to his GA/Dental.


Yes it can be a thing, keeping their weight up prior to dentals. But so important!

Continued good thoughts :)
 
On Monday Gemini had his dental and I am so glad I did not wait until he went off his food entirely. The vet informed he had points on the tongue side of ten of his lower teeth (five on each side). Even though he did not have any ulcers, the vet saw some redness which explains why he was eating in slow motion even with Medicam.. He is on a hearty dose of Medicam. He has been given fluids and syringe feed to supplement his meager eating and drinking since he has been home. This has helped his poo and pee to be normal so I know everything is working as it should. He is starting to eat only a couple of greens and a few strands of hay; so I am looking forward to him improving each day as he gets accustomed to the change in his teeth. I do not want to think about his long term prognosis until time reveals more facts.

Gemini and I would appreciate any positive vibes you can spare.
 
Sending lots of vibes for Gemini. I hope his mouth heals well from his dental and that he starts to feel more like eating.
 
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