Terry and Maggie
- Thread starter Orenoko
- Start date
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
Sending lots of positive vibes that Terry makes a quick and full recovery.
Orenoko
Mama Doe
Thanks all - sorry to change the story of this thread as it was meant to be about long-term bonding. Terry has been admitted again, his temp is low and glucose high, the same level it was when he had stasis a few weeks ago. The vets are going to try and make him comfortable and x ray him again, even just to compare with his previous x ray. He has put some weight on, I was hoping we could get him strong enough to get his teeth done in a few weeks so this is a massive setback. He was in such good spirits last night, doing tiny binkies when I went to feed him. So atm it's a waiting game to see how he goes, I did also have a conversation with the vet about how fair it is if we are stuck in a possible stasis cycle, so we will have to wait.
If the vets are unable to find anything which could have caused both this and the previous episode, I would suggest, once he's better and home again, that you start to keep records. In particular, I would want to see whether there was a pattern emerging to connect certain foods with the onset of stasis. As you say, he was in good spirits last night and then he wasn't this morning. He was having pain relief wasn't he?
But first the vets need to get him stable again and I hope they can do that quickly.
But first the vets need to get him stable again and I hope they can do that quickly.
Orenoko
Mama Doe
Thanks all. Just had an update that he's taking syringe feeds and is on pain relief as well. I had him on a lowish maintenance dose of calpol beforehand. I gave him his usual food last night before bed, pellets and critical care mixed with a little water and then a little bit of forage that he's had previously. Nothing different, he'd eaten the pellets before I even got to bed but left the forage which was my first clue this morning that something wasn't right. They're going to update me later, I think if we're looking at another overnight stay I might make a decision, not because of cost (even though it's very expensive) but more out of what is fair to him. I'm hoping we can bring him home later this afternoon.
Ironically I took today and tomorrow off work to go to a uni conference and was meant to be away so had to cancel all my plans! But am just glad I was here.
Ironically I took today and tomorrow off work to go to a uni conference and was meant to be away so had to cancel all my plans! But am just glad I was here.
Orenoko
Mama Doe
Thanks. I think realistically we can't keep going through this cycle, it's not in his best interests, so I will see how he recovers today and what the vets say later re prognosis. I'm glad he's comfortable for now, thats the main thing.
Orenoko
Mama Doe
Unfortunately he's not really improving. His temp is still low, he's not eating on his own and isn't that interested in the syringe feeds, and isn't passing faeces. The main positive is that his glucose level has come down slightly but I'm honestly pretty worried. The vet said he's very fragile atm. They're going to call me once they do evening rounds and then I think we will make a decision 
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
Sending lots of positive vibes for you and Terry. He may need to be on a higher dose of pain meds and a long term maintenance dose of motility meds.
If vet has him on very strong pain reliever it can make his gut slower.
I hope he can recover to give you more binkies or zoomies.
If vet has him on very strong pain reliever it can make his gut slower.
I hope he can recover to give you more binkies or zoomies.
Orenoko
Mama Doe
Sorry for not updating last night. We decided to let him go, we went to see him and spent an hour agonising over the decision at the vets but felt it was the fairest thing to do. Maggie came with us and although they weren't bonded we let her spend time with his body so that she could understand what happened, she was ever so calm bless her. I will do a proper tribute to Terry and his little friend Gracie when I feel able to do so.
Orenoko
Mama Doe
Thank you both. I'm still in tears, crazy how much of an impact these little angels can have on us in such a short space of time. It was such an agonising decision, if he'd improved more I probably would've tried to push through, and I'm still wondering if it was the right thing to have done. I try to remember the phrase "better a week to soon than a day too late" but it's never as straightforward when they're in front of you and you just don't know. Even if we had got him through, he wasn't well enough to try a dental, and there was no guarantee that it was definitely his teeth causing the stasis, so I just felt like we could be in a repeat cycle and that was what made me make the decision in the end. Thank you to everyone who offered advice and good wishes for him.
SarahP
Wise Old Thumper
Yes, there are so many decisions like this that are just not simple. I am one of those sorts of people who always wants to fix fix fix and doesn't want to ever give up, so I really agonise over this sort of thing.
I can totally understand why you feel the way you do. But the truth is that we can do only do what seems right, and we can't keep trying if there is nothing that can reasonably be done.
I can totally understand why you feel the way you do. But the truth is that we can do only do what seems right, and we can't keep trying if there is nothing that can reasonably be done.
Orenoko
Mama Doe
This is exactly it, I wish there was a way we could just keep going and know they'd be fixed, but I had to weigh it up and felt that it might be too much for him. Now I'm sitting here thinking maybe he could've pulled through, but he was such a stressy boy (even the closed door incident showed that!) that I just felt it was unfair. It was all very peaceful, we stayed with him throughout the preparation for and the procedure itself and he was ever so calm.
SarahP
Wise Old Thumper
Yes, I definitely think the personality and resilience of the individual animal has to be taken account of. And as the owner we are always best placed to decide that, rather than the vet. It's not as though we can explain everything to them, and reason with them. I can totally understand you feeling the way you do, but I think in time you'll fully come to peace with it.
