Lillian at vets- again - U/D 7:15pm 26th

Aww, glad she's home back where she belongs

I have always tried to take a companion to the vet with the patient, although when I had a six I just chose the bun the patient seemed closest to. I think it helps both buns to have somebun to talk to in a scary, non familiar place and stops the bun being left at home wondering where their friend has gone.

I know that this is not always practical though - especially when it is important to measure what a bun is eating and what is coming out of the other end. I usually leave it up to the vet to decide if it is OK or not.

Your description of Henry's sadness was so poignant Craig that it brought a lump to my throat which is why I asked the question. I wasn't intending to criticise you in any way as I know some vets don't allow bonded buns to stay together.

Am really glad the two are reunited

I hope that Lillian has had a comfortable night and that she will be hopping along the road to a full recovery xx

Quick update - and maybe you can help with some pointers for me. Lillian has been back 24 hours (or so). She is on metacam (once/day), Ranitidine (twicw daily) and metaclopromide (twice day). She is eating - but not like she usually does. Usually she's first at the food bowl but this morning she was just laying out, really not interested. She is pecking/nibbling. I've put a small handful of corriander down about half an hour ago and she and Henry cleared that off. But she's not really showing an appetite. She is also allowing me to get right up to her, stroke her and as pleasing as this is, Lillian is not a bunny who willingly lets you get up and personal to her.
She is dry underneath and there is some output - not masses but at least some poop.
Now, it could be the meds that are causing her to behave this way - and if anyone can confirm this one way or another I wo
uld be grateful.
Lillian is not as active as she usually is - I would say that this morning, she presented as perhaps a rabbit who was really tired - maybe she was and this is just a reaction to the stress she has had at the vets.
Am I worried? Yes - I would be concerned if I wasn't. Am I wondering about taking her back to the vets? Yup - I am, but I'm also wary about almost becomming a resident at the vets and as Lillian is eating (sort of) then I'm holding back just for now.
Any bun please can you throw me something to go on here. I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

I would call the vets and see what they suggest. I’m glad she is eating but as you say if she isn’t acting normally then I think she may need further treatment. Is she eating hay? Are you syringe feeding her?

Zoobec said:

I would call the vets and see what they suggest. I’m glad she is eating but as you say if she isn’t acting normally then I think she may need further treatment. Is she eating hay? Are you syringe feeding her?

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She is nibbling hay (never really had an appetite for hay) and we are syringe feeding critical care - but madam isn't a fan of that.
Thank you Zoobec for the advice - it does help.

It's a really difficult one. I've found that sometimes my buns take a few days to fully bounce back from a stasis episode. Usually if they're eating a bit for themselves (even if they need to be topped up with syringe feeds) and there is output I hold off taking them back to the vet. If the recovery is starting to take too long or they seem to be going backwards then I would take them back.

However I think you need to trust your gut with bunnies. If you're concerned then I agree with Zoobec that it would be a good idea to phone the vet for advice.

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I agree it's a difficult call to make. Perhaps see if she's still the same tomorrow morning. Is she not on abx as well as the gut meds?

When / if you call vets maybe see if ok to give her metacam every 12 hours as they metabolise it quickly so you know her pain is covered 24/7. I agree recovery can take a while & its difficult to know when to return to the vets. was the cause of her pain attributed to the possible lesions or does she have UTI / something else. If its a UTI I expect the antibiotics will take a while so she may be feeling off til then. If you fancy trying her on some dual care recovery food I cold send her some in the post

joey&boo said:

When / if you call vets maybe see if ok to give her metacam every 12 hours as they metabolise it quickly so you know her pain is covered 24/7. I agree recovery can take a while & its difficult to know when to return to the vets. was the cause of her pain attributed to the possible lesions or does she have UTI / some
thing else. If its a UTI I expect the antibiotics will take a while so she may be feeling off til then. If you fancy trying her on some dual care recovery food I cold send her some in the post

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Thank you joey&boo. This is sort of comforting- as are all the replies above. In our own ways, each and every one of us here knows the intense stress and strain on our feelings with this. It is a deep tugging ache all the time- a feeling of helplessness at times because we just don’t know what is going on inside bunnies. The metacam boost is a good shout to be fair- and from past experience Lillian does benefit from increased pain meds. I didn’t know they metabolised it quickly. So I am tearfully grateful for your guidance with that. And the reassurance that it can take time to recover. She is definitely not herself but we’ve dosed her with meds now and got critical care into her and she had quite a big pee on me which I think was cause I was massaging her tummy. But that’s better out than in. There’s a bunch of fresh parsley and dill chopped up for her to eat and I’ve left it near her as she is in the bun en suite toilet area with hay and straw.
I’ll see how things are in the morning and phone the vet and hope I can get some few hours of sleep. I just worry so much that I’m getting all this wrong.
So thank you each and all for your advice and support. It means so much xx

Craig 1965 said:

I’ll see how things are in the morning and phone the vet and hope I can get some few hours of sleep. I just worry so much that I’m getting all this wrong.
So thank you each and all for your advice and support. It means so much xx

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Craig you are far too hard on yourself. You are doing a wonderful job and your bunnies are lucky to have you.
It's a hard decision to make and I'm facing the same one with Phillip right now. Whatever you decide to do, I know you will have Lillian's best interests at heart xx

There is no right or wrong decision here. You can only do your best based on the facts and knowledge you have at the time. And you do your very best for Lillian

Zoobec said:

There is no right or wrong decision here. You can only do your best based on the facts and knowledge you have at the time. And you do your very best for Lillian

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Ditto. 'Our best' is all any of us can do xx

Thank you - and thank you JJ.
Lillian presented as slightly brighter this morning at 6am. Her 'routine' has always been that when I go onto the kitchen/diner, she runs into the sleeping box and pokes her head through the hole where the dried food plate usually goes. But she hasn't done that the last couple of days. This morning though, she did. She's saying"food?"
So down went a pile of fresh parsley and she hoovered that up.
So, slight positive sign there. Will giver her meds in a few minutes and see how she is later today when we get back from work.

Glad Lillian has resumed her morning routine.

That sounds positive Craig, really hope she's turned a corner now on the road to full recovery x hope you can relax a bit now too. Lillian, and Henry too, are always in very safe hands x

I’m glad she is seeming much more like her usual self

Lillian is still damp underneath - discovered when we gave her her meds. All the overnight fresh greens had also been eaten which usually means Lillian has been having midnight munchies. So it seems positive with the return of some elements of her appetite, but she still has an apparent lack of energy and this damp area underneath so not sure how well she is peeing.

Pleased to see news of a munching Lillian this morning! xx