Craig 1965
Warren Veteran
It's been a very roller coaster 12 hours (is that all) since last night and it all started because of the rain!
Flo was sitting in the doorway between our kitchen and outside last night. She likes to sit there as it allows her to chose to go out or come in and just watch life float by. Bertie on the other hand likes to go out. And unbeknown to me he had gone out in the garden at 8pm just as the clouds were gathering. Then the heavens opened. Flo sat in the doorway watching nature and Bertie was somewhere out in the monsoon downpour so I had to go and get him. I grabbed my brolley and walked outside. Bertie was sitting to the left next to the hutch in partial cover. The second he saw me, he flipped big time and went into super scared mode. He belted off towards the sanctuary of the kitchen at MACH 2. He literally didn't see Flo sitting there minding her own business when 2.5kg of MACH 2 fur hit her. In the ensuing scramble, Bertie lept over the now sideways Flo and hid in the kitchen stomping his feet. Flo being Flo just got on with it.
At 10pm I was making ready for bed. One last treato for each bun and lock them in the kitchen. I don't know why but I decided to check Flo - give her a cuddle. Call it 6th sense. She'd been fine all night. Eating, sitting as she usually does, dancing round the snuffle mat. I gave her a cuddle and some gentle strokies along her back down to her tail when I noticed what felt like a flappy bit of skin. Funny, I thought. Then as I parted the fur, there was a massive wound. The top layer of fur and skin had been peeled away - de-gloved if you will. Underneath was white flesh. No blood. I felt sick. Really sick. Had she been attacked without me noticing? Then I realised what had happened. Bertie had caught her skin with his claws and ripped away this chunk of skin - about the size of a satsuma.
I rang the out of hours vet. I felt awful and sick to the stomach. I rushed her to the vet and she assessed Flo. Yes it would require a minor procedure to reattach the skin flap meaning anaesthetic and admission. I got a call just after 1am - I wasn't asleep, saying all had gone well and that the slap was removed as there was evidence of necrosis starting. But as it was on her leg/hip area, there was flexibility in the area to draw the wound close. The vet was happy it had gone well. At 2am I got a call to come and collect her and I handed over just shy of a grand for cost of the procedure as it was out of hours. Flo is insured but I didn't have the docs with me so my bank account took a major hit and it's beans on toast for me for the next week.
When I got home, things went downhill but for a reason. Flo came out of the carrier and was literally paralysed from the nack back. She shuffled/slithered onto the vet bed mat and lay there. I felt awfully sick and panicked. But I realised this was just the after effects of the anaesthetic. I grabbed some cusions and a blanket and settled down to sit/lie next to her all night.
By 6am Flo was still very unsteady and not eating and very tired. Turns out she had keratin and opiates during anaesthetic and I know from experience this absolutely knocks my bunnies for 6. I rang the vet and arranged to go back with Flo as I was not confident to get critical care down her without hurting her. The vet got some critical care into flo, gave her a metaclopromide jab and I got another 30 quid bill. I came back with Flo and tried to get her to eat. She refused. The vet said it was early sign of stasis - hence the metaclopromide. I stayed with flo all morning - trying to get food into her but she was just uber sleepy an not interested. Any yummy food I put out was swiftly gobbled up by Bertie - whcih frustrated me.
By 10am I was getting mega stressed and was considering taking Flo back to the vet. I went outside to put the washing out and Bertie decided to go out so I put some nommy treats and fresh herbs for flo in the living room. She began to pick at them - which was positive. When I'd finished putting the washing out, I went to the kitchen and Flo is standing by the living room door wanting to come into the kitchen. I opened the door and she ran outside into the garden. Literally ran out. She sat in a shady spot at the start of the garden and began to pick at some of the triffids that were left. I didn't want to bring her in - I rang the vet and spoke to the nurse and had a long chat. The nurse was over the moon that Flo has regained her movement. She'salso overjoyed that Flo is chosing to eat when she likes and what she wants. I'm to give her metacam (in a few minutes) for pain management. Shes still outside now - sitting snoozing still but certianly an improvement from 6 hours ago. I'll update the thread later but this was purely a complete freak accident and had I not given her a cuddle last night, I'd have been none the wiser and in all likelyhood had a much more serious problem and sick bunny.
Craig x
Flo was sitting in the doorway between our kitchen and outside last night. She likes to sit there as it allows her to chose to go out or come in and just watch life float by. Bertie on the other hand likes to go out. And unbeknown to me he had gone out in the garden at 8pm just as the clouds were gathering. Then the heavens opened. Flo sat in the doorway watching nature and Bertie was somewhere out in the monsoon downpour so I had to go and get him. I grabbed my brolley and walked outside. Bertie was sitting to the left next to the hutch in partial cover. The second he saw me, he flipped big time and went into super scared mode. He belted off towards the sanctuary of the kitchen at MACH 2. He literally didn't see Flo sitting there minding her own business when 2.5kg of MACH 2 fur hit her. In the ensuing scramble, Bertie lept over the now sideways Flo and hid in the kitchen stomping his feet. Flo being Flo just got on with it.
At 10pm I was making ready for bed. One last treato for each bun and lock them in the kitchen. I don't know why but I decided to check Flo - give her a cuddle. Call it 6th sense. She'd been fine all night. Eating, sitting as she usually does, dancing round the snuffle mat. I gave her a cuddle and some gentle strokies along her back down to her tail when I noticed what felt like a flappy bit of skin. Funny, I thought. Then as I parted the fur, there was a massive wound. The top layer of fur and skin had been peeled away - de-gloved if you will. Underneath was white flesh. No blood. I felt sick. Really sick. Had she been attacked without me noticing? Then I realised what had happened. Bertie had caught her skin with his claws and ripped away this chunk of skin - about the size of a satsuma.
I rang the out of hours vet. I felt awful and sick to the stomach. I rushed her to the vet and she assessed Flo. Yes it would require a minor procedure to reattach the skin flap meaning anaesthetic and admission. I got a call just after 1am - I wasn't asleep, saying all had gone well and that the slap was removed as there was evidence of necrosis starting. But as it was on her leg/hip area, there was flexibility in the area to draw the wound close. The vet was happy it had gone well. At 2am I got a call to come and collect her and I handed over just shy of a grand for cost of the procedure as it was out of hours. Flo is insured but I didn't have the docs with me so my bank account took a major hit and it's beans on toast for me for the next week.
When I got home, things went downhill but for a reason. Flo came out of the carrier and was literally paralysed from the nack back. She shuffled/slithered onto the vet bed mat and lay there. I felt awfully sick and panicked. But I realised this was just the after effects of the anaesthetic. I grabbed some cusions and a blanket and settled down to sit/lie next to her all night.
By 6am Flo was still very unsteady and not eating and very tired. Turns out she had keratin and opiates during anaesthetic and I know from experience this absolutely knocks my bunnies for 6. I rang the vet and arranged to go back with Flo as I was not confident to get critical care down her without hurting her. The vet got some critical care into flo, gave her a metaclopromide jab and I got another 30 quid bill. I came back with Flo and tried to get her to eat. She refused. The vet said it was early sign of stasis - hence the metaclopromide. I stayed with flo all morning - trying to get food into her but she was just uber sleepy an not interested. Any yummy food I put out was swiftly gobbled up by Bertie - whcih frustrated me.
By 10am I was getting mega stressed and was considering taking Flo back to the vet. I went outside to put the washing out and Bertie decided to go out so I put some nommy treats and fresh herbs for flo in the living room. She began to pick at them - which was positive. When I'd finished putting the washing out, I went to the kitchen and Flo is standing by the living room door wanting to come into the kitchen. I opened the door and she ran outside into the garden. Literally ran out. She sat in a shady spot at the start of the garden and began to pick at some of the triffids that were left. I didn't want to bring her in - I rang the vet and spoke to the nurse and had a long chat. The nurse was over the moon that Flo has regained her movement. She'salso overjoyed that Flo is chosing to eat when she likes and what she wants. I'm to give her metacam (in a few minutes) for pain management. Shes still outside now - sitting snoozing still but certianly an improvement from 6 hours ago. I'll update the thread later but this was purely a complete freak accident and had I not given her a cuddle last night, I'd have been none the wiser and in all likelyhood had a much more serious problem and sick bunny.
Craig x
I hope that she will be OK now. It must have been quite painful and doesn't it just demonstrate how bunnies hide pain 
