Poorly Freja :-(

[dollyanna]

Freja stopped eating yesterday, drooling and clearly uncomfortable in her mouth. She would eat teeny tiny amounts of certain things if we hand fed, but not enough, so they dosed her up with gut and pain meds and a fluid boost last night and then she went in this morning to investigate.
It's a bit weird, no sharp bits but a big sore on the side of her tongue. They've levelled off her teeth anyway so they are nice and rounded and smooth, but it looks like she's maybe bitten her tongue, or got food caught or something and hurt it trying to get it loose? I'm relieved she's not got sharp teeth though, so we've got her diet right at least.
She's just waking up so I'll go and collect shortly and we've got lots of goodies to help her get eating again. She's dropped quite a bit of weight quite quickly but I have no doubt she'll be making up for lost time soon enough!!
I'm so not used to her being poorly, she's my big fiesty tough one!!

 

[InspectorMorse]

Poor girl Did the Vet run a full blood profile ? Unexplained mouth ulcers can be indicative of renal problems, as can unexplained weight loss.

Sending Lots of vibes for her x

 

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

Sending millions of vibes. X

 

[Pets mum]

Sending lots of vibes for lovely Freja xx

 

[KCG]

I'm so sorry, I'm sending a lot of vibes for Freja xx

 

[dollyanna]

Poor girl Did the Vet run a full blood profile ? Unexplained mouth ulcers can be indicative of renal problems, as can unexplained weight loss.

Sending Lots of vibes for her x

Thank you - no they didn't, I read that the other week and should have asked, I think the weight loss is from the not eating but if she doesn't recover very quickly then I'll question it as soon as they are open again. I think it was more of a sore than an ulcer though from what they said, as if it had rubbed on something. I'll watch her closely and see if there's anything else.

 

[Zoobec]

Sending lots of vibes xx

 

[dollyanna]

She's had a tiny nibble of banana, but still very dopey and not interested in anything else. Not sure she's ever going to forgive me for this one lol.

 

[Omi]

Sending lots of vibes for Freja. I hope she feels a lot better soon.

 

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

Hopefully eating better soon.

 

[Craig 1965]

Sending loads of vibes for Freja. Xx

 

[joey&boo]

Topping up the vibes for your girl. I hope she is soon feeling much better x

 

[bunny momma]

Sending vibes for your feisty girl. I hope her sore heals soon and she eats enough to return to her ideal weight.

 

[dollyanna]

Well, hubby stayed home with her today while I was out, and was trying to get her to eat every hour or two. She's still not taking much, a small chunk of banana, a grape, a raspberry, a small amount of fruit puree, one pellet. But it's a steady trickle, and she is producing and ingesting caecals at least, if nothing else. She's grooming both herself and Odin, and she's bouncing around - she actually came up to the fence and jumped up before she took the grape, just like she normally would, but she'll never take a second. It seems that small amount is just enough before it gets too sore :-(
We've got emeprid injections to cover us for the next 3 days while the vets are shut, and metacam, so hopefully we can just keep her nibbling away without a crisis. She is better than she was, but not nearly good enough.
I will speak to the vets about blood tests after Christmas though, just as a precaution if nothing else.
I've bought every baby pouch that a rabbit could possibly eat to work through, but I think she eats something once but then realises it hurts and then won't touch it. I'm hoping having enough variety will just get us through long enough. Banana is the staple diet just now which is far from ideal but better than nothing.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Is she drinking? If not I would suggest fluid therapy ( fluids given subcutaneously or IV ) as if there is any doubt about her renal function then the use of meloxicam needs to be done with extreme caution as it is very harsh on the kidneys. Fluid therapy will support renal function. It will also help to keep the gut contents hydrated.

For syringe feeds I have now found Emeraid to be very good, both the ‘Intensive Care’ and the ‘Sustain’

EmerAid Intensive Care Herbivore - EmerAidVet

Emeraid Intensive Care Herbivore is a high fiber, semi-elemental diet designed for rabbits, rodents and reptiles like iguanas, all tortoises, and some turtles.

emeraid.com

EmerAid Herbivore Sustain - EmerAidVet

Where to Buy EmerAid Sustain Herbivore® EmerAid ® Sustain ™ Herbivore is a therapeutic diet scientifically designed to support herbivorous mammals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas, and herbivorous reptiles, such as adult iguanas, all tortoises, and some turtles, recovering from...

emeraid.com

i hope that her eating improves soon x

 

[dollyanna]

I'm pretty sure she's drinking. She's just taken the equivalent of an entire sachet of baby food in 3-4 flavours, but her favourite was apple/banana/oats which at least has a bit more fibre. She also took a whole raspberry, a small chunk of melon, came begging and "stole" a piece of apple and took it away but then just bit pieces off and spat them out, but she did eat a tiny bit of dill by herself too. She's trying, and that's a huge change.
She had fluids yesterday and the day before too.
She was also an absolute star for her emeprid shot tonight, just did it when she was in her litter tray no bother. And she took her metacam by herself too, starting it off with a bit of banana puree.
I can't get any other foods for the next 3 days at least, nowhere sells it here. I've got 4 sachets of recovery, not that she'll take it but I'll keep trying. But I can get more of her favourite pouch so if she just lives on that she'll survive, but I think if she carries on she'll be eating by this time tomorrow. I can try soaking the pellets I have which are just herbs and grasses too, though she has eaten the odd tiny bit of them.
Oh, she is also nibbling hay and readigrass, spitting it out but she's at least nibbling at it.

 

[InspectorMorse]

I hope that the sore area is healing now. It’s good that she is showing interest in eating. Sending lots more vibes for her x

 

[Pets mum]

Sending lots more vibes for Freja, it's good that she wants to eat, and hope she keeps nibbling xx

 

[bunny momma]

Sending your beautiful girl lots of positive vibes.

 

[dollyanna]

3 more whole rapsberries straight off for breakfast, a bit of banana puree and the oaty puree, and a piece of dill. She's coming to us to see what we've got, even if she doesn't eat it. And a few poos this morning too. She's still clearly eating her caecals as well. And she's trying to eat our pellets.
I am glad she had headed a bit towards the podgy side a few weeks ago because it's given her a decent buffer against this weight loss.
Just off for a last shop for raspberries and her favourite purees before the shops shut.
Most reassuring is her level of brightness and curiosity, she's wanting to try whatever food we're giving Odin, wanting to be in on everything, and at some point she stole the plastic scoop out the straw pellet bin last night and threw it across the room!