clarelorraine
New Kit
Hi all,
*content note: having to say goodbye to a rabbit*
This is my first post, I have used this site for years as a reference guide for years but never posted. So first thanks to Tamsin and everyone who contributes it has helped me on many occasions.
I am disabled and have an Msc in public health. Whenever I or family members need treatment I always consult resources like the Cohrane library, which pools studies that have been done on various interventions so you can see statistically what the best option is.
I had to make a difficult decision on Saturday night and heart breakingly the outcome was not good. We have had Sammy (ginger dutch) since we adopted her in 2012. She has always been a "runt of the litter" type though very big personality, and I frequently have had to give her tummy rubs for gas. But on Sat pm she was hiding as obvs in a lot of pain. Her tummy was very bloated and she was completely uninterested in even her favourite treat (banana). After syringing her some mushed up at advice of vets and seeing no improvement, I took her in to emergency vets and they did a glucose test which was 18.5 (unsure of units). They made a disparaging remark about the fact her tummy was so bloated "even I, her owner, had noticed" (grrr, I know her tummy better than mine!) and said she probably had a blockage but hoped that with IV fluids, pain relief and syringe feeding they could stimulate her gut to pass it. 2 hours later I got a call saying she was even more bloated (hard and distressing to believe) and as her glucose was now over 2 they protocol was surgery. My partner and I had to make a decision whether to go ahead, given that she was 8 and with all the risks of surgery, not knowing where the blockage was (she said no point in xray as it could be fur in which case wouldn't show up? which seemed odd as surely it would be apparent from surrounding tissue), and the concerns of general anaesthetic and bunnies. She said she had only known 1 rabbit survive with that level of glucose without surgery.
We decided to go ahead, thinking of her other half Lily (8 yr old American sable) and that she too would want us to do everything to save her. Sammy survived surgery, blockage was pushed manually towards end of intestine so it could be passed, small amount of blood was found it her stomach probably due to pressure. But died while coming to, of a cardiac arrest they couldn't bring her back from (Thank you for others' threads on how to manage death in a bonded pair, we let Lily spend a few hours where she could come and go next to her body. Lily seems remarkably ok. She was visibly creeped out after investigating Sammy a few times, perhaps when she realised who the dead bunny was).
We are devastated and I'm left feeling that I made the biggest medical decision - which hopefully was the right one despite outcome - without any of the stats that I normally am armed with when I even decide which cold remedy to take.
So my question is: how can we rabbit lovers find firm information about treatments ie not just recommendations but the statistics to back it up? Is it just that the knowledge isn't out there due to lack of funding?
Any pointers hugely appreciated.
(I am also a bit stunned by the £2300 bill. It was out of hours but still, much more than similar ops for other pets we have had. Maybe London prices?!)
Lots of love,
Clare xx
and Matt the human and Lily the rabbit xxx
*content note: having to say goodbye to a rabbit*
This is my first post, I have used this site for years as a reference guide for years but never posted. So first thanks to Tamsin and everyone who contributes it has helped me on many occasions.
I am disabled and have an Msc in public health. Whenever I or family members need treatment I always consult resources like the Cohrane library, which pools studies that have been done on various interventions so you can see statistically what the best option is.
I had to make a difficult decision on Saturday night and heart breakingly the outcome was not good. We have had Sammy (ginger dutch) since we adopted her in 2012. She has always been a "runt of the litter" type though very big personality, and I frequently have had to give her tummy rubs for gas. But on Sat pm she was hiding as obvs in a lot of pain. Her tummy was very bloated and she was completely uninterested in even her favourite treat (banana). After syringing her some mushed up at advice of vets and seeing no improvement, I took her in to emergency vets and they did a glucose test which was 18.5 (unsure of units). They made a disparaging remark about the fact her tummy was so bloated "even I, her owner, had noticed" (grrr, I know her tummy better than mine!) and said she probably had a blockage but hoped that with IV fluids, pain relief and syringe feeding they could stimulate her gut to pass it. 2 hours later I got a call saying she was even more bloated (hard and distressing to believe) and as her glucose was now over 2 they protocol was surgery. My partner and I had to make a decision whether to go ahead, given that she was 8 and with all the risks of surgery, not knowing where the blockage was (she said no point in xray as it could be fur in which case wouldn't show up? which seemed odd as surely it would be apparent from surrounding tissue), and the concerns of general anaesthetic and bunnies. She said she had only known 1 rabbit survive with that level of glucose without surgery.
We decided to go ahead, thinking of her other half Lily (8 yr old American sable) and that she too would want us to do everything to save her. Sammy survived surgery, blockage was pushed manually towards end of intestine so it could be passed, small amount of blood was found it her stomach probably due to pressure. But died while coming to, of a cardiac arrest they couldn't bring her back from (Thank you for others' threads on how to manage death in a bonded pair, we let Lily spend a few hours where she could come and go next to her body. Lily seems remarkably ok. She was visibly creeped out after investigating Sammy a few times, perhaps when she realised who the dead bunny was).
We are devastated and I'm left feeling that I made the biggest medical decision - which hopefully was the right one despite outcome - without any of the stats that I normally am armed with when I even decide which cold remedy to take.
So my question is: how can we rabbit lovers find firm information about treatments ie not just recommendations but the statistics to back it up? Is it just that the knowledge isn't out there due to lack of funding?
Any pointers hugely appreciated.
(I am also a bit stunned by the £2300 bill. It was out of hours but still, much more than similar ops for other pets we have had. Maybe London prices?!)
Lots of love,
Clare xx
and Matt the human and Lily the rabbit xxx