Post by Andrea on Apr 1, 2010 18:20:43 GMT -4
I thought i would share with you a story of my bunny Bo, and what a wild ride we went through recently with his health.
November last year Bo wasn't feeling well, as a rex he was usually a food hound and a 'bit' over weight. Pellets were being left in his dish, and he was not himself, when i picked him up to examin him, he peed, and his bum was wet. Off to the vet we went.
The dignosis was either bowel cancer or a tumor of sorts, or an infection, so we went with infection and treated him with antibiotics first.
Thing improved, and he was good again, but not the Bo I knew. He was eating, poops looked fine, but he just wasn't as active, and he left more food then usual. We kinda came to the conclusion Bo was older, and age was affecting him.
Two months later, Bo again is not well. His eating is minimal, he's hardly taking treats, when i see him 'adjusting' over and over trying to get comfortable i knew we had a problem, and off to the Vet we go.
Diasnosis was a large mass in his abdomen. We decided to start off with a super high fibre diet for a week to see if it's an impaction. Bo get's fresh pinapple, papaya, pumpkin, plus papaya enzymes (4x a day), and of course hay.
Back to the Vet for a check-up. Diagnosis... the mass is still there and has not changed in size, Bo has lost more weight. We decide it's time to X-Ray and it shows us a mass the size on my palm in the area of his intestines. We also do bloodwork, we want to make sure Bo is otherwise healthy and see if his blood will give us any clues to what this is.
Bloodwork comes back fine, he's a perfectly healthy bunny with a large growing mass in his abdomen that we believe will eventually kill him.
Surgery. We can do surgery and biopsy, see what it is and if it can be removed, it could be a few things, none that great, but for a positive note Bo is well enough to do surgery, even at his age of 7. Surgery is not cheap, i've already spent over $600 just that month on just Bo, I don't make a lot of money.
I go home and talk it over with my spouse, family and some freinds. I get told I am an idiot, it's "just a rabbit" and a good time to put him down.
But I know that if i do nothing, for the rest of my life i will hate myself for not doing all I could for my bunny who I love and promised i would take care of his whole life. I decide I will pay for the surgery, though it means I cannot go to my cousins wedding on a cruise in Sept. My family is critizies me, including the cousin who owned Bo b/4 i was sorta fornced to take him.
I book the surgery that Tuesday, My Vet is away at a conference but when she comes back on the next Tuesday we will do it. I am invited to be there during the Surgery and observe, i say yes and take the day off work.
Thursday Bo is BAD, he looks stasis bound, he's not eating/pooping and is misrable... my vet is not there and we have a locum in. I am FREAKING out. I have him dropped off while I am at work (This is a BRAND new job and I am still on probabtion) The Vet calls me and we go over everything, i am very happy with her Rabbit knowledge and we go over all that we can, why she doesn't want to use certain drugs nore gut mobility drugs for this case. We need to get him better otherwise we won't make surgery on Tuesday.
The prescription is pain meds, force feedings and Sub-q fluids. I get them to give him his first round there, and I would take care of the rest. I have to cancel our movie date night so i can care for my bunny, Force feedings were painful for both of us, Bo who's the happiest bunny always was actually attacking the syringe I made up a little 'hospital' in my livingroom for Bo (away from his girlfriend now) the hospital included my geriatric degu Bruce who had a tumor in his head and a blocked tear duct gland, and an older gerbil who was on his way out.
By Sunday night he is eating a bit, poops are better, still funny shaped. Monday he is peeing and pooping everywhere, he does NOT want to be in here anymore, and is eating well. I now think those pain meds are doing the trick! So i put him back with Ani (his girlfriend) untill Tuesday morning.
Tuesday, "The Big Day". We head in good and early, Bo's been eating so i am happy. I hand him over to my Vet, she takes him back to give him a once over, while i go to reception to sign my life away. As I am given the papers i hear my Vet yell "We're Not doing Surgery!" ... I think "Oh no! he's not well enough for surgery" and run to the back. When i see her she's holging a needle filled with urine, and she says "it's gone".
I respond with "are you ^%*% me?" , and then everyone in the office is now back there wondering whats going on. We're all poking and proding there is NO mass to be felt, she put a needled into the only 'round' in him and pulled urine... so he had to pee LOL
One of the Vet Techs askes me "Is this the same Bunny from Thursday? ... Wow, i honestly didn't think he would make it". Really no one in that clinic though Bo was going to make it through the weekend nevermind make it to Surgery.
We decided what had happened was, Back in November it has started, and there was an infection. Bo stopped eating as much back then b/c he was still unfomfortable (or maybe full feeling depending on where the mass was then, it would have been smaller as we never felt it). So it was a impaction (fur/food etc.) and a bad one. And because of the force feedings that weekend when things went super downhill, we were able to help Bo get it moving, the pain killers took away the extreme pain he would have been in (6lbs Bunny, palm sized mass in his INTESTINES) while this body worked on breaking it down, and of course the Sub-Q kept him hydrated.
Since then everytime i go to my vet (which is often, with 'all' my critters lol ) i am asked how "Miracle Bunny" is doing
Bo is now 100% back to his super happy-go-lucky, dancing, silly and now fat little self again Age won't hold this bunny back, and thanks to him I have learned more once again about these incredible animals!
So, if you can come away with anything from this, Never give Up, listen to your gut, only you know your bunny and never let even those you love persuade you to do something if your not 100% with it, especially if it means the life of your dear pet.
I love Bo so much, and am so happy we get more time to spend together
November last year Bo wasn't feeling well, as a rex he was usually a food hound and a 'bit' over weight. Pellets were being left in his dish, and he was not himself, when i picked him up to examin him, he peed, and his bum was wet. Off to the vet we went.
The dignosis was either bowel cancer or a tumor of sorts, or an infection, so we went with infection and treated him with antibiotics first.
Thing improved, and he was good again, but not the Bo I knew. He was eating, poops looked fine, but he just wasn't as active, and he left more food then usual. We kinda came to the conclusion Bo was older, and age was affecting him.
Two months later, Bo again is not well. His eating is minimal, he's hardly taking treats, when i see him 'adjusting' over and over trying to get comfortable i knew we had a problem, and off to the Vet we go.
Diasnosis was a large mass in his abdomen. We decided to start off with a super high fibre diet for a week to see if it's an impaction. Bo get's fresh pinapple, papaya, pumpkin, plus papaya enzymes (4x a day), and of course hay.
Back to the Vet for a check-up. Diagnosis... the mass is still there and has not changed in size, Bo has lost more weight. We decide it's time to X-Ray and it shows us a mass the size on my palm in the area of his intestines. We also do bloodwork, we want to make sure Bo is otherwise healthy and see if his blood will give us any clues to what this is.
Bloodwork comes back fine, he's a perfectly healthy bunny with a large growing mass in his abdomen that we believe will eventually kill him.
Surgery. We can do surgery and biopsy, see what it is and if it can be removed, it could be a few things, none that great, but for a positive note Bo is well enough to do surgery, even at his age of 7. Surgery is not cheap, i've already spent over $600 just that month on just Bo, I don't make a lot of money.
I go home and talk it over with my spouse, family and some freinds. I get told I am an idiot, it's "just a rabbit" and a good time to put him down.
But I know that if i do nothing, for the rest of my life i will hate myself for not doing all I could for my bunny who I love and promised i would take care of his whole life. I decide I will pay for the surgery, though it means I cannot go to my cousins wedding on a cruise in Sept. My family is critizies me, including the cousin who owned Bo b/4 i was sorta fornced to take him.
I book the surgery that Tuesday, My Vet is away at a conference but when she comes back on the next Tuesday we will do it. I am invited to be there during the Surgery and observe, i say yes and take the day off work.
Thursday Bo is BAD, he looks stasis bound, he's not eating/pooping and is misrable... my vet is not there and we have a locum in. I am FREAKING out. I have him dropped off while I am at work (This is a BRAND new job and I am still on probabtion) The Vet calls me and we go over everything, i am very happy with her Rabbit knowledge and we go over all that we can, why she doesn't want to use certain drugs nore gut mobility drugs for this case. We need to get him better otherwise we won't make surgery on Tuesday.
The prescription is pain meds, force feedings and Sub-q fluids. I get them to give him his first round there, and I would take care of the rest. I have to cancel our movie date night so i can care for my bunny, Force feedings were painful for both of us, Bo who's the happiest bunny always was actually attacking the syringe I made up a little 'hospital' in my livingroom for Bo (away from his girlfriend now) the hospital included my geriatric degu Bruce who had a tumor in his head and a blocked tear duct gland, and an older gerbil who was on his way out.
By Sunday night he is eating a bit, poops are better, still funny shaped. Monday he is peeing and pooping everywhere, he does NOT want to be in here anymore, and is eating well. I now think those pain meds are doing the trick! So i put him back with Ani (his girlfriend) untill Tuesday morning.
Tuesday, "The Big Day". We head in good and early, Bo's been eating so i am happy. I hand him over to my Vet, she takes him back to give him a once over, while i go to reception to sign my life away. As I am given the papers i hear my Vet yell "We're Not doing Surgery!" ... I think "Oh no! he's not well enough for surgery" and run to the back. When i see her she's holging a needle filled with urine, and she says "it's gone".
I respond with "are you ^%*% me?" , and then everyone in the office is now back there wondering whats going on. We're all poking and proding there is NO mass to be felt, she put a needled into the only 'round' in him and pulled urine... so he had to pee LOL
One of the Vet Techs askes me "Is this the same Bunny from Thursday? ... Wow, i honestly didn't think he would make it". Really no one in that clinic though Bo was going to make it through the weekend nevermind make it to Surgery.
We decided what had happened was, Back in November it has started, and there was an infection. Bo stopped eating as much back then b/c he was still unfomfortable (or maybe full feeling depending on where the mass was then, it would have been smaller as we never felt it). So it was a impaction (fur/food etc.) and a bad one. And because of the force feedings that weekend when things went super downhill, we were able to help Bo get it moving, the pain killers took away the extreme pain he would have been in (6lbs Bunny, palm sized mass in his INTESTINES) while this body worked on breaking it down, and of course the Sub-Q kept him hydrated.
Since then everytime i go to my vet (which is often, with 'all' my critters lol ) i am asked how "Miracle Bunny" is doing
Bo is now 100% back to his super happy-go-lucky, dancing, silly and now fat little self again Age won't hold this bunny back, and thanks to him I have learned more once again about these incredible animals!
So, if you can come away with anything from this, Never give Up, listen to your gut, only you know your bunny and never let even those you love persuade you to do something if your not 100% with it, especially if it means the life of your dear pet.
I love Bo so much, and am so happy we get more time to spend together
After what happened with Poppy last year I was exhausted mentally and physically. My birthday was the worst EVER, for reasons described in the posts.
Nightmare.