Well we've been home for a bit now. I've had to tend the other pets, walk dogs, feed cats, etc. Jenna will not leave me alone and is currently giving my arm it's fourth wash. :roll:
I know everyone over there is probably abed (or you should be) but I'll update as much as I can. We're still awaiting some results.
I have to say, I am gobsmacked. (I hope I don't throw that term around too much, but truly, I am.)
Overall, the vet seems to think he is in good health for his age. :shock: Personally he looks terrible to me but that is because I know how he used to be and I compare that to how he is now. I can see the difference but perhaps my vet does not.
But as far as his professional opinion; he is concerned about Mimzy's kidneys as he's been on daily metacam for 6 years. He actually got a clean catch of urine (well done, Mimzy, you almost aimed for that vial! :lol: ) but sadly they didn't have the little plates necessary for a culture so it's going to sit in the refrigerator over the weekend. In the meantime they'll do what's called a 'free' culture, in house, and see if anything starts growing. He is suspicious of at least a bladder infection which we could clear up with abx. (That in itself was such a relief to hear!) He'll be doing other tests I presume to evaluate kidney function, as he took bloods and said Mimzy was excellent about that and his xray. My usually wildly flailing bun sat perfectly still for both. (I know that means he was too terrified to move, but still...at least no frantic bounds off the table.)
Vet checked his eyes and the cataracts are starting to look 'fractured.' No response to the pupils. Vet said that is sometimes the case with a frightened rabbit, but I am not convinced there. Mimzy is just too easily startled and I know it's because he cannot see. Maybe a dim light gets through but that's about all. He knows day and night, basically. I am sad because I hate to think of my little man being blinded by something that if he were younger I would have removed, but I have to keep my focus on the big picture.
The one thing that really took me aback was the films. His vet says his bones look like that of a young bunny! I was shocked because he's had EOA since he was 3 years old, his earlier vet found a hip spur and he is so twisted sideways I was imagining that his spondylosis was calcifying his spine and pulling it to the left. Now we are thinking it is simply due to his tilt. Still no idea why he's favoring his rear left leg (that should be the hip spur) and really leaning on the right (it is rather misshapen) but his long bones look beautiful. They seem totally normal. The spine from a side view is immaculate. I have seen what my OH's spine looks like (he has had lifelong problems with his) and Mimzy's is textbook perfect. No chunks of bone hanging off or crushed under other vertebrae. Quite extraordinary considering how long he's had issues.
As I am typing this though I realize I did not get his nails trimmed as I wanted. *foreheadslap* Argh! What an idiot! I guess I was just so relieved that the vet didn't think he was not long for this world that I clean forgot about asking for that. But I can trim them, I'll just need help sighting the quicks, and there's always the possibility that he'll need further diagnostics by next week so I can always take him back then.
As usual, he was indignant that we had hauled him all the way to town and back and was furiously chewing his bedding, wee'd all over it in the first five minutes, and was tossing his freezer pod about in disgust. I guess I can be glad of bunnitude, he has plenty to spare yet and that tells me he may not be too far gone barring something tragic showing up in his labs.
He has lost a little weight though. That and his smaller poos seem to indicate dental time to me, and if there's nothing untoward in his blood panel, I may ask the vet to trim his molars up because that's the only reason I can think of for him not really being that hungry and drinking all that water. His bladder was so full it looked like a water balloon and that was after giving his sample too! :shock: I think he's keeping it all in his wooden leg!
I just went out in our yard and picked the only 4 wild strawberries I could find in our patch for him. Normally he turns his nose up, but today he ate them!
I feel like I have made up a bit for dragging him about today.
So...yeah...I don't know when I'll hear back on the labs. Dr. is relatively good about phoning, but I have seen them overbooking that poor man so much lately and the parking lot was packed when I got there this morning, and that is with the Golden Days celebration starting up today in town. He is in tomorrow and Monday so I know he'll get back to me when he can. Fingers crossed that Mimzy just has an infection because there was no sign of a stone, thank God.
Thank you all so very much for your kind thoughts and vibes. Had it been a different kind of day today I would've been hard to console, but knowing you all are here makes things so very much better. Bless you all. xxxxx
