Wooly’s sinuses (again)

[LBJ10]

For those of you who don’t know, Wooly has chronic “ear/nose/throat” issues. He’s always a little stuffy, but he hasn’t been doing too bad lately.

Well, today, I noticed he was chewing and snorting. I don’t know if he has a monster lugy in there or what. He hasn’t done this before. I offered him a treat earlier today and he was genuinely interested, but he was too busy chewing that he wouldn’t take it. Then I found a GIANT pile of mushy poop on the floor just now. I’m assuming it’s cecals that are smashed together. I didn’t check his rear. He wanted nothing to do with me. I did offer him a treat just now and he did take it, but he was still chewing on whatever this “imaginary” thing is.

It looks like he’s going to need to go to the vet. I was hoping he could wait until Monday because I have that day off. But that’s a long way off. I guess I’ll see how well he eats tonight when I give them their pellets and go from there. If it isn’t interfering with him eating, then maybe it would be OK to wait. I really don’t want to miss anymore work. This doesn’t count as “sick”, so I’d have to use vacation and I’m not going to have enough as it is for our trip in March.

Anyway, I imagine the vet will want to do antibiotics again. But someone one here uses a nebulizer for their bun. What is everyone’s thoughts on that? Do you think it would be good for long-term care? I’m worried because this is going to become more and more difficult the older he gets. He’s already 6.5. I just want him to be happy and a little bit of stuffiness doesn’t seem to bother him too much. I just worry about the long-term consequences.

[Q8bunny]

Aww… poor darling
Please give him a rub for me and lots of ((((((vibes)))))) from us so he’ll get better soon
And hugs to you, since you haven’t really been getting a break lately (((HUUUG)))

[LBJ10]

Thanks Q8! I tend to worry a lot. He’s always had kind of a rough time.

[LBJ10]

Ok, the poor thing was so eager to eat, but he’d get his face in the bowl and come up empty handed. I’m suspecting it’s his teeth now. He has an appointment this afternoon.

[Luna]

Hope everything goes well! ((((Wooly))))

[LBJ10]

Just gave Wooly a quick combing. Nothing worse than a shabby looking rabbit at the vet. His bottom is dirty, so I’m going to ask the vet to do a sanitary shave again. He won’t let me touch the area, but that isn’t usual. I’ll just have them do it, since it’s easier. He’s still alert and he was grooming himself while I was combing. I’m not sure what’s wrong, but at this point I can’t imagine the problem isn’t his teeth. Like I said, he was very eager to eat, but then I don’t think he ended up eating much. =\

Oh well, vet appointment is in less than an hour. I’ll let you guys know how it goes.

[Vienna Blue in France]

((((((( vibes for Wooly. )))))) xx

[Gina.Jenny]

(((Wooly)))

[LittlePuffyTail]

Poor little Wooly. He’s very much like my little Bindi who also has chronic face problems. Never got a 100% diagnosis on what the cause is for Bindi but head Xrays have showed that he has thickened nasal bones which cause sinus issues from time to time. I’m actually a bit worried about B right now because he’s doing a lot of snoring when he sleeps. Only when he sleeps, otherwise his breathing is fine.

And B is also having problems with extra cecals but I think I found the culprit in our case. I tried reducing his veg and it seems to have helped so far. He gets the same amount he always has but maybe because of his age or weight loss it’s just too much.

I’m hoping your vet will check Wooly’s teeth as weird poos always make me worry about dental issues. Sometimes when B’s molars are due he will start leaving little cow patties.

Anyways, sorry to make this post mostly about Bindi. Just they are so similar. Hoping the vet will have helped you figure things out.

((((Wooly)))))

[LBJ10]

OMG!

You guys are not going to believe this!

[LBJ10]

Okay, I have good news and bad news.

 

The good news…

Wooly’s teeth are absolutely perfect. Nothing wrong with them.

[LBJ10]

The bad news is someone won’t be getting any willow anymore.

 

 

 Yep, Wooly had a piece of willow lodged in the back of his mouth. It was forming a “bridge” over his tongue. The poor thing! This also explains the weird gurgling sounds and “chewing”. He probably had a bunch of saliva in the back of this throat. The vet said there was just a small cut on his cheek. She gave me some pain meds and antibiotics just in case. I just got done ridding their room of every trace of willow. And Wooly is happily eating hay as we speak.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Wow!!! So glad you got him in when you did! That must have been so uncomfortable! He must feel so relieved.

[Wascally Wabbits]

Poor baby! That must have hurt. Sorry but this is also hilarious (in hindsight now that you know he’s ok) that he got a piece that big all the way back there without chewing! Is he back to eating normally now? I shall remove all huge willow things from my bun’s area now, the horror you must have felt when they pulled that out of this mouth.

[LBJ10]

I’m not ready to laugh quite yet. I just keep envisioning what could have happened and it would have been much much worse (willow stuck further down his throat, etc.). Sadly, this isn’t the first willow incident in our house, but the first time was kind of funny. I found a willow ring stuck around Leopold’s middle. He was unharmed, but he looked rather embarrassed because he couldn’t figure out how to get it off.

Anyway, yes, he is eating normally as far as I can tell. He was munching on hay almost immediately after I returned him to his room. I did give him a dose of Metacam just in case his mouth was still feeling sore (I wanted him to feel like eating ASAP).

LPT – I think so! He looked so much better when I picked him up, so I’m sure he felt better immediately. I’m glad it wasn’t his teeth. I was pretty convinced going in there that that was what it was. I never in a million years would have thought it was a giant piece of willow stuck back there.

[Q8bunny]

Holy rabbit! That’s HUGE! Poor bunbun….

[LBJ10]

I know Q8! Isn’t that insane?

[Sr. Melangell]

Aww Wolly, me and Olly hope you are OK, what no more willow? I think your Mummy is going to spoil you with nice non willow treats from now on, can you give Wooly a hug from me and Olly please LBJ10?

[LittlePuffyTail]

What type of willow toy was this from?

[Luna]

OMG! Poor Wooly. I’m glad he’s ok now. How far back was it in his mouth?

[LBJ10]

CA and Olly – of course!

LPT – I’m not positive. They had a willow tent and a big willow ring in their room. They had a basket, but it was already demolished at the time of the incident. They also had a willow ring with leaves on it on Christmas, but they demolished that in a matter of minutes and the willow twigs were not as thick. So yep, either the tent or the big willow ring would be my guess.

Luna – it was locked behind his back molars, forming a bridge over his tongue right in front of the opening to his throat.

[Azerane]

Wow, it’s amazing that it managed to get that far back, that’s very scary. One in a million chance of that happening if you ask me, just very bad luck but I’m glad that it was an easy fix. It’s amazing the sort of trouble that pets can get themselves into.

[LBJ10]

Azerane – The vet was shocked, so I’m guessing it isn’t something they see there very often. I don’t know what the chances are of that happening to a healthy bunny, I imagine it’s pretty low. Wooly isn’t normal by any means and I’m wondering now if his health issues played into it.

More shocking news: Wooly isn’t fighting as hard as usual with the meds. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Normally he is insanely difficult to medicate.

[Bam]

(((((Wooly)))))

[BinkyBunny]

How bizarre and terribly scary. And I am sorry he seems to now be lower energy..not fighting his meds. Was the vet concerned about Wooly asperating his saliva during the time the stick was stuck? It was good that she gave him a round of antibiotics to help prevent an abscess where it cut and also to help prevent pneumonia (post aspiration risk).

Sending healing vibes Wooly and hugs to you.

We demand you get better, Wooly, and stop scaring your human like this!

Keep us updated.

[Q8bunny]

(((Wooly bunbun)))

[LBJ10]

Thanks guys!

BB – She didn’t seem super concerned about aspiration. His lungs sounded clear at least. But yes, he has antibiotics just to be safe (both for the cut and pneumonia-risk). Plus he was sounding a bit congested in his sinuses, so we’re just killing a bunch of birds here.
I don’t know if he’s necessarily lower energy. He’s still eating and getting around just fine. He runs over for treats in the morning, etc. Both of my boys are pretty lazy anyway. He runs from me when he sees me coming with the syringe. He tries to bolt when I nab him. All normal things when it comes to medicating him. I set him on the floor and I “sit” on him. He resists for a moment and then lets me put the syringe in his mouth. Then he eats it and even bites at the syringe as if he’s looking for more. Weird. Just plain weird.

[LBJ10]

Well, surprise surprise, somebody doesn’t like his medicine.

[Bam]

If that means he’s fighting his meds, that’s a little bit of a yay! You go, Wooly! Fight your mama! (But not so hard she can’t get the meds in you.)

[LBJ10]

Oh he was fighting alright. I had medicine all over me. *sigh* Well, it was nice while it lasted. But I’m glad he’s feeling better.

[Sr. Melangell]

Posted By LBJ10 on 1/03/2017 11:49 PM

Well, surprise surprise, somebody doesn’t like his medicine.

He isn’t the only one, I don’t like mine.

Come on Wooly get well soon x

[jerseygirl]

Wowzer, Wooly doesnt do things by half measures, does he?! Glad the vet was able to sort it out. He must have felt so relieved after.

I wonder if because he has the sinus issues, he doesn’t chew things as much as he should?

Anyway, I imagine the vet will want to do antibiotics again. But someone one here uses a nebulizer for their bun. What is everyone’s thoughts on that? Do you think it would be good for long-term care? I’m worried because this is going to become more and more difficult the older he gets. He’s already 6.5. I just want him to be happy and a little bit of stuffiness doesn’t seem to bother him too much. I just worry about the long-term consequences.

I think it would be quite beneficial for him. You can just use saline. I hear most buns come to really like their nebuliser treatments. Dface does this for Sampras, if you want to PM her for more detail. A lot of buns with sinus issues fluctuate a bit with the weather. In the warmer months they can struggle some, but also in the cooler months when the home is being heated.

[LBJ10]

Jersey – I’m thinking he may not be able to manipulate things in his mouth well. He was literally eating the long pieces of willow, chewing as they slowly disappeared into his mouth. I think what may have happened is he got down to the end, tried to adjust it as he was eating and it somehow got turned around in there, eventually getting stuck.

As for the nebulizer, I did not get a chance to ask the vet. He was having some congestion right before this, so I was going to make an appointment anyway. It definitely gets worse and then better and then worse, but I don’t know if that’s correlated to the weather or not. I guess I never really thought about it. I do need to call them to give them a followup report, so I can ask them if it’s something we can try once I’m done traumatizing him each day, twice a day.

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