Post spay PANIC

[eri_mizawa]

My rabbit, London, got her big-girl surgery today, and I am, of course, frazzled. Especially because, since dropping her off at 8 this morning, then getting her back around 3:30 in the afternoon, all I have managed to get her to eat is a strand or two of hay, about 6 timothy pellets, a single dried bananna slice/chip/thing, and about a square inch of lettuce, and litterally 2 drops of water and has not dropped any new poo. It’s now 11 at night, which makes 15 hours, so I’m pretty “comfortable” calling this an emergency. Her vet gave me a syringe and some pain medicine, and I’m wondering if I should grind up some pellets, add water to make a paste, and give her some makeshift CriticalCare with the syringe, and go ask the vet for a new one as soon as they open up again in the morning. Or at least use it to give her some water (but I don’t want to choke her!) I’ve heard of this being done before, but hearing something on the internet that worked in one person’s situation isn’t necessarily the right thing to do. Besides, I’m not sure how much to give her, or what factors that depends on. She’s not improving since I brought her home, she still seems pretty dazed and uncomfortable and a bit grumpy, and I had to move her (in cage) to the computer room with all it’s running electronics to get her warmed up. She also had her teeth ground down today, she broke one near the gum, so that discomfort may be adding to the whole general mess, and she’s also licking her incision a bit roughly and I can’t tell if she’s biting at it or not, there is a slightly bloody-scabby area near the middle of it, like a cat scratch. I’ve only been able to check it the once so I don’t know how it’s progressing exactly and I don’t want to stress her out or move her around more than necessary. All the poor little dear seems to want is to be gently pet. It brings me to tears how simple and sweet and sad that is.

*Edit: spelling and typos

[Deleted User]

Have you tried wetting some really fragrant greens (dill, mint, cilantro) and running it across her lips to get her to eat? And is she drinking? I don’t see how it could hurt to make a watery pellet mush. That way she gets some fluids for her.

Spay recovery varies from bun to bun. And if you are really worried about your little girl, it doesn’t hurt to call your vet back and request if you can bring her in. They will most likely give her some SubQ fluids if you bring her in. And you can always ask them to syringe feed her a thing of Critical Care.

I was a massive worry wort with my little girl when she got her spay done. But that was because she has a history of stomach issues. So after a night of not eating or drinking. Which was so not like her (she’s a total miss piggy with her veggies and hay) I called my vet and brought her in. They gave her some SubQ fluids which really helped. They were really nice, since I brought her the day after her spay, the vet didn’t charge me for the appointment or the SubQ fluids. The bf and I were, also, inexperience with syringe feeding and our little girl is such a fighter that the vet was kind of enough to feed her a fat syringe of Critical Care.

[jerseygirl]

It really isn’t unusual for them not to want to eat that first 24hrs after the surgery. She likely just needs some more time. If she ate as normal right up to the time of surgery, she should have food in her tract as normal.

What pain med were you given and how often can it be given?

[eri_mizawa]

It’s metacam 10ml oral suspension, 0.13ml once daily starting morning 3/13/13.  Also, an update, Just typical of my life that as soon ass I post, I try her again, and she’s starting to eat romaine lettuce (one of her 3 most favorite greens) if I tear it up for her and hand feed it. She’s taken about a leaf of it now, and is just aying down staring at nothing. She tooth purrs a little bit and closes her eyes If I start petting her, but then she just sort of gets still, not really limp or tense, just, like she’s trying not to feel anything, so I’m mostly leaving her be for about half an hour (while watching) to let things settle.

If her vet were open right now, I would definately call, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. I have an emergency vet number to call from her clinic/animal hospital, but I’m worried they won’t know what to do with a rabbit. She’s pretty much the only rabbit trained exotic vet in the Florida Panhandle. I’m hoping, after hearing from you guys, that I can just ask for SubQ and hope they know what CriticalCare is, and that she’ll be ok ’till I can take her where she needs to go. I’m to nervous to sleep, and too tired to drive out across state in search of help in what would likely be just as much time as waiting here, and I definately don’t want to have to drag London around the southeast in the middle of the night even normally, let alone in such a condition.

I’m really glad I got some replies so quickly, even late at night. It’s a real relief.

[jerseygirl]

Oh good. That’s the maintenance dose for metacam so she likely still has pain meds in her system from the op today. The anaesthetic will still have her feeling dopey also. All normal. : )

That’s good she had some romaine. Try and relax a bit if possible. She probably just needs more time.

[Stickerbunny]

My bunny girl didn’t eat much more than a bite or two the first day. As long as she is eating something she is ok, she should feel a little better tomorrow.

[Beka27]

I would not worry just yet. It can take a full 24 hours for them to start eating anything, and a few days to get a “normal” appetite back. If you want to call the vet who did the surgery this morning, then please do, just for your peace of mind. I’m iffy on force feeding so soon after surgery. That can be stressful and she really just needs to be left alone for now.

[eri_mizawa]

I really want to thank everyone for being so comforting nd for their advice. London is doing much better today, though not yet out of the “scaring me to death” phase. She’s been munching hay and greens at a reduced rate all morning, and sort of hopping about, and is now taking her noon nap. She even tried to hop out and play, which, while she is certainly not ready for that yet, is a comforting improvement in her overall state. She’s been tossing a toilet paper tube a little bit too. She’s still not really getting any water though, which is less concerning now that she’s consistently nibbling fresh vegetation, but I’m still uneasy about it. And her poo is… weird… I would expect some of the changes, small, dark, hard, hardly any visible bits of plant fiber, but one thing is so strange that I’m really worrying and confused. A few of them are… oily. She’s never had anything oily. She shouldn’t be producing anything oily. I’ve never heard of anything causing a rabbit’s poo to be oily. And it’s just a few of them. And it’s only really evident if you squeeze (as I do with a sampling when I check, to check texture/consistency). It’s not just a bit freaky, it’s deeply puzzling. Could something be wrong with her liver? Is this some strange reaction to the strawberry (fresh) or the banana slice (dried) I gave her to try to tempt her appetite? Could it be that she did manage to pee a little, but it’s just so concentrated it seems like oil? Could they have put something in her in surgery for some obscure surgical reason that I am totally oblivious to?

[Beka27]

Her poo will be strange for a little while (maybe a week) while her system regulates itself and the anesthesia works its way out.

I’m glad she is doing better today. Within a week, she’ll be back to her old self.

[eri_mizawa]

Just found cecal poo. Not surprising, as she’s eating a lot more pellets and not much hay right now. Wiped her back end with a damp tissue and gave her a long pet. Her ears are a little irritated as well, they’re a little red at the back edge and she’s scratching and shaking more than normal. other than that, not much change so far, still half napping and half back to normal, and DEMANDING another strawberry! That”s really cute! She”s going to get spoiled.

[Deleted User]

I’m glad to hear she is doing better! Continued positive healing vibes. =]

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad your bunny is feeling better.

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