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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Frank Jr is sick… update! he’s feeling better!!

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    • LeahM
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        My bunny (Frank Jr) seems to be feeling very unwell tonight.    I’m really, really worried.

        On Saturday morning he was hopping around my bed with me while I was snoozing and I felt something wet.  I looked and there was quite a bit of blood and I found a toenail sitting on the blanket.  There was really nothing that it could have gotten caught on, it was just laying there and then I saw his toe was bloody.  I cleaned it off with chlorahexidine wash and rinsed it really well.  It didn’t seem to be bothering him but it’s really hard to see how it looks because it’s covered in fuzz.  This could be totally unrelated but it’s the only thing I can think of.  

         

        Last night he was perky and flying around the house.  I have him a handful of dandelions this afternoon and then I had to leave but they are gone now, so I assume he ate them.  

        I was getting ready for bed and I noticed he was just sitting in his litter box and he usually hops out when I come in, and runs over to me.  I picked him up and snuggled him, then put him in his cage so I could give him his treats.  I left the room and he was still sitting there looking uncomfortable and hadn’t hopped over to his treats.  I picked him up and there was some normal looking poop under him, which is unusual because he has been 100% using his litter box since he’s been fixed (about a month).  Now that I think about it though, this week he was peeing on the towel right by his litter box, so that was different too.

         

        Anyway, he seems really weak to me.  He’s not interested in his treats.  His muscle tone seems low (he feels unusually relaxed when I hold him) and he just sat on my chest until I moved him.  He is closing his eyes a lot, usually anything wakes him up.  He’s laying next to me right now with his legs stretched out behind him, which is his normal lounging position, but he usually only graces me with his cuddles for 2 minutes and he’s been here an hour.  He just seems so weak to me, and it seems very sudden.  I’m terrified I’ll find him dead in the morning.  I love this bunny so much! 

         

        Unless he is 100% better in the morning, I am planning on taking him to the vet.  However, I want to know if there is anything I can do now.  Is there anything I should be looking for?  I have some antibiotics on-hand… should I see if he has a fever?  Please help me help frank Jr!


      • KytKattin
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          Do NOT give him the antibiotics. Since you don’t know what is wrong, you don’t know what you are trying to treat.

          DO take him to the vet tonight if you can. If not you will just have to hope he makes it until the morning. If he is still eating and pooping that is a good sign. Offer him some more greens (as many as he wants). Fresh hay and pellets would also be good.

          ((((vibes that he feels better soon!))))


        • LeahM
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            i was really only considering the abx for the toe (when I was thinking that was the problem)… so don’t worry, I won’t.  I know there are major risks.  I’m really thinking that it is gas now.  I’m trying to keep him warm and massage his tummy.  Should I go get him some Phazyme (pediatric simethicone) before the morning?  I think I can find somewhere that is open….  There are no vets available right now


          • LeahM
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              and thank you for the reply!!!

               also, I forgot to say, he has hay and pellets available to him 100% of the time.   He’s really not interested in eating right now though   But I am sleeping with greens in the bed, just in case.


            • KytKattin
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                If you think it is gas, I don’t think there should be a problem with giving him the simethicone. Some might advise against it, but it has always helped my girl when she gets gassy. Do gentle massage. Massage can cause more problems if it is an actually blockage and not just gas. If you have had a few bouts of gas then you will know, but if you haven’t then you can’t tell for sure if that is his problem. But again, I think that simethicone might be a good idea if you can get some. Does his belly feel tight or it it making gurgling noises?

                Best of luck to you! I am off for tonight and won’t be back until late tomorrow. Hopefully someone with more bunny knowledge will be on soon!


              • Beka27
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                  Poor bun. Please update us as soon as you can.


                • Sarita
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                    How’s Frankie Jr this morning?


                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                      Any update on your bunny.

                      Simethicone cant hurt and it may help, if he is having gas issues. I use Ovol brand and it has helped many a gassy bunny tummy. The dosage I go with is 1cc every hour for the first 3 hours, then 1 cc every few hours after that . If it hasnt helped by 4 doses or so, it most likely wont.


                    • LeahM
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                        he is ok.  he’s not normal by any means.  I gave him two doses last night.  I couldn’t find the pediatric doses anywhere that was open, all I could find were gel caps.  I busted them open and gave him about half a dose by syringe, I did that twice, about an hour apart.  I put him in his cage so that he could use his litter box, I didn’t want him to be holding back… he had been cuddling with me in bed otherwise.  This morning I opened his door and normally he comes FLYING out but he’s just sitting in there. He is drinking water and I hear very loud gurgling from his tummy.  I was going to massage his tummy but I didn’t want to interrupt his drinking.  So that’s where we are now.


                      • Sarita
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                          I would try to get him to eat some grass hay – that would be much better than simethicone.


                        • LeahM
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                            all I can do is offer it to him.   He’s really not interested in eating still.  I do have some critical care… would that help with the long fiber issue?  I gave him another dose.  He had hopped out of his cage and was hiding in one of his favorite spots.  He has been drinking frequently this morning.


                          • Sarita
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                              I think I would get a vet appt and have him seen.


                            • LeahM
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                                Posted By Sarita on 05/15/2012 07:04 AM

                                I think I would get a vet appt and have him seen.

                                That’s my plan.  I don’t have a lot of hope (as far as the vet)… they haven’t proved themselves to be very competent.  I hope the surprise me!  Frank Jr doesn’t seem worse, which is a huge relief.  I will let you know what the vet says…

                                 


                              • LeahM
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                                  *


                                • LeahM
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                                    I’m in a hurry to get to work so I’ll say more later but Frank Jr is acting like his old self!  Thank you all! 


                                  • LBJ10
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                                      I love seeing pics of that sweet little bunny! I hope he’s okay!


                                    • LeahM
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                                        He’s 100% tonight!!  Phew!!  What a relief!!!  I didn’t sleep at all last night.  I was giving him his simethicone drops and massaging his tummy and trying to keep him warm.  I moved him between my bed and his cage because I didn’t want him trying not to poop in my bed and making things worse.  He was still weak this morning so I was going to take him to the vet.  I took him in and they said that they could seem him through urgent care (for extra $) or they had a 9:30 appt.  I decided to wait because he seemed stable.  I went to work for a bit and when we got into the car to go to his appointment he started hopping all over and EATING grass!!  So I called the vet and canceled the appointment and they said I could come in later if he didn’t seem better.  He’s been eating and drinking and being his crazy self all day.  I tried to take a nap because I was so tired from being awake with him all night, but this time I couldn’t sleep because he was hopping all around and licking me, etc. 

                                         

                                        I hadn’t given him grass in a couple of days and I’m wondering if that had anything to do with it.  He won’t touch his grass hay, and he’s only 5 months old, so he’s still on alfalfa.  I usually give him a handful of grass and dandelions but he hadn’t been eating much of the grass and there are so many nice dandelions right now that I had just been picking them.  I forgot to consider his long fiber needs.  

                                         

                                        I’ll never really know what caused it, but I’m so happy he’s better, and so glad to be able to get the information I needed to figure out what was wrong and what I could do to help him!


                                      • LeahM
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                                          I guess I don’t have any recent pictures of just Frank Jr!  My new baby cow has been taking up a lot of the attention around here.  Fern and Frank do seem to enjoy each other  … even though he looks like he’s trying to get away in this photo.

                                           

                                           

                                           

                                           


                                        • RabbitPam
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                                            OMG they’re adorable! That pix in the car is priceless.

                                            I am so glad he’s feeling better. It sounds like you did a bit of what my vet calls “car therapy”. Sometimes when you get them to move around, or they’re in a jiggling car ride, it jostles their gut and gets gas or other simple blockages to move enough to get things literally moving again. Just watch him carefully for a while to see if it doesn’t reoccur. If it does, have him checked in case it’s an illness that abated now but still needs to be treated.


                                          • Sarita
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                                              Pam is right about the car ride.

                                              Your baby cow is absolutely adorable! What breed is he/she? Not that I know a thing about cow breeds, but I love cows.


                                            • LeahM
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                                                Posted By RabbitPam on 05/16/2012 06:00 AM

                                                OMG they’re adorable! That pix in the car is priceless.

                                                I am so glad he’s feeling better. It sounds like you did a bit of what my vet calls “car therapy”. Sometimes when you get them to move around, or they’re in a jiggling car ride, it jostles their gut and gets gas or other simple blockages to move enough to get things literally moving again. Just watch him carefully for a while to see if it doesn’t reoccur. If it does, have him checked in case it’s an illness that abated now but still needs to be treated.

                                                Thank you   I love them!

                                                 It’s hard to say what helped.  I know that all animals can improve temporarily when you get to the vet, usually because of the rush of adrenaline.  But we hadn’t even gotten to the vet and Frank Jr is very accustom to riding in the car.  I do think that the movement probably helped, and time, and the gas drops.  It sure is great to see him flying around again.  But yes, I will be vigilant.  If this occurs again I will take him right in.


                                              • LeahM
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                                                  Posted By Sarita on 05/16/2012 06:05 AM

                                                  Pam is right about the car ride.

                                                  Your baby cow is absolutely adorable! What breed is he/she? Not that I know a thing about cow breeds, but I love cows.

                                                   ~~~~~~

                                                  I don’t know how I keep getting stuck in the quote box!  But this is me now…..

                                                  I had taken him with me in the car the night he was sick too, when I went out looking for the gas meds. He loves the car and I wanted to keep him warm and usually his favorite spot is on the floor with the heater blowing on him.  Who knows, maybe that ride helped too.  I’m just so glad he’s better!

                                                   

                                                  It’s a bit of a mystery (about the cow).  Her mom was a full Jersey.  She’s either full Jersey or a Watusi cross.  We thought she was Jersey but she’s showing some Watusi traits now. 


                                                • tobyluv
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                                                    I’m glad that Frank Jr. is back to his regular self now, and I hope that this problem doesn’t recur.

                                                    That is a great picture in the car!


                                                  • LBJ10
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                                                      Eeeeeeeeeeeeee! That is so freaking adorable! I love Frank Jr. and I love your little cow! Look at that, a cow sitting in the front seat! =D

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                                                  Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Frank Jr is sick… update! he’s feeling better!!