HELP! gagging!??

[DallasDelight]

Please respond asap!!

I heard this weird squeak sound and noticed Duncan made it, he keeps making gagging type of motions, he looks like he feels like crap, he’s not eating and he is trying to hide

my dad is leaving for a meeting in an hour and a half to be 5 hours away. we won’t have a car, meaning no way to the vets if something happens.

what can I do? is he choking or what??

[wendyzski]

Vet NOW!

[Sarita]

Yes, based on what you are saying it sounds urgent and if he’s not eating and gagging, it doesn’t’ sound good. Yes to Vet NOW.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Vet now!! {{VIBES}}

[Beka27]

is there a friend or family member who lives nearby who could pick you up and take you to the vet? the vets will be closing very soon. he needs to be seen today!

[xParadise]

Oh no! I hope Duncan is alright. Like everyone else said, he really should see a vet. Keep us posted!

[bunnytowne]

OH noo what timing.  I really hope you can get him to the vet ASAP. 

[DallasDelight]

oh my gosh, WHAT a day!! I’ll start out by saying that Duncan is alright now! Now for what all happened(I’ll warn you now, this will be long!).

After I got those first few replies, I called our vet. I was put on hold real quick and then told that our normal doctor was out of state and Dr. Taylor, who was in, didn’t do rabbits. She gave me the number to a clinic that was 30+ miles away(but the next closest). I called them immediately, and they let me know that Dr Allen doesn’t see rabbits. They direct me to Dr Taylor, saying he saw rabbits. I told them they told me that he didn’t, and asked if there were any other vets around..they said no. I get off the phone with them and am trying not to start crying because now I’m stuck with NO vet and NO medical care for poor Duncan. I told my mom and we looked things up online. I came across how to give a bunny the heimlich maneuver. I was terrified to try it because of how fragile they are, but we really didn’t have any other options and he was only getting worse(heavier gags, trying to throw up and grinding his teeth). My mom is a retired labor and delivery nurse, and she has done the same maneuver that you do for rabbits on infants many many times(including me, I almost choked to death on a barbie shoe when I was an infant!). I told her about it and she was willing to do it..not to say she wasn’t nervous..she was so scared she’d hurt him herself. We wrapped him up snug and secure in a bunritto and she did it. The first time there was no sound, the next times though you could hear SOMEthing being tossed out. We let him go back in his cage and at first he was even worse, he couldn’t swallow normally without severe pain, he had his eyes squinted so hard that they were nearly closed and he was gagging without a break.
I was panicking and called the local animal shelter to see if they had ANYBODY who could help. Well apparently there was another vet 30+ miles away!!!! I called and they told me to bring him in right away…I could have cried I was so happy! except shame on the other vet, I can’t believe they didn’t tell me about them!!!

When I put Duncan in the carrier, he stopped gagging and grinding his teeth. He was still a little squinty-eyed, but a lot better.
The vet was a lady named Mary and she was AWESOME!! I’d never met her before so I was worried at first, but she was really great with Duncan. She told me flat out that she did not know a lot about exotics and she’d do what she could, but for anything serious, she referred me to the A to Z Vet clinic in Midland(3 1/2 hours away from us, unfortunately). She used a tool that I don’t know the name of and looked down Duncan’s throat, or rather as far back as she could with that(it wasn’t an endoscope) and didn’t see anything. Said his teeth and gums looked good. His temperature was normal, too. He hadn’t gagged since he was put in his carrier either. She was going to give him an anti-inflammatory shot but then she called the A to Z veterinary clinic’s vet to get a consult(I am super impressed. I didn’t ask her to do that and I didn’t expect her to do it on her own) and the vet there said to give him an injection of Medicam(a painkiller) and send us home with 3 days worth(1 dose a day) of medicam to give him orally. Mary said because he wasn’t eating/drinking/pottying, she’d just give us enough for tomorrow’s dose, but if he was still not eating/drinking/pottying, to take him to the A to Z clinic instead of waiting 3 days for painkillers to fix him. She did say that if he was in pain the day after tomorrow and he WAS eating/drinking,etc then to come pick up the rest of the medicam. As long as he wasn’t gagging.

We got home about an hour ago and he’s doing a lot better. Bright eyed and hoppy again! he’s really tired though. BUT! I put him in his cage and he hopped into his litterbox and went pee! He also nibbled at some of the alfalfa and a little bit ago he laid down on his belly with his legs stretched out behind and in front of him – definitely not a sign of pain! anndd, he hasn’t gagged at ALL, YAY! Right now he’s asleep laying with his legs under him(but not hunched up like he’s hurting). I just have to keep a very close eye on him for the next 24 hours to make sure he stays okay. I really think my mom’s heimlich manuever dislodged whatever was there..thank god! Poor boy is probably pretty traumatized though, it got a little hectic lol!
I am so emotionally exhausted now, but I am so happy he’s alright.

PLEASE continue sending vibes that he will heal quickly and he won’t need anymore vet intervention!

[Cassi&Charlie]

Oh my goodness, poor Duncan! Sending healing vibes his way, although he sounds like he’s in amazing hands.
(((Duncan)))

[jerseygirl]

Hope Duncan continue to improve! You poor, poor thing, how scary! Glad you found someone who was willing to help. Being directed back and forth between unhelpful clinics is not what you needed at a time like that! How frustrating! ((Duncan))

[BinkyBunny]

OH my gosh!! I didn’t realize I was holding my breath the whole time I was reading your last post until I took a deep breath at the end. What a stressful time for you all! But I’ll tell you what, your bunny couldn’t have asked for a better family to care for him. You have done an AMAZING job to try and get the right care for him. Your persistence along with the last vets care really is to be commended! Even though she wasn’t experienced with exotics, I too am impressed by her willingness to help and do and learn what she could.

Good for you for all you have done, and I am sending peace vibes to you and your mom, and health vibes to your sweet bunny.

OH, how did you end up getting to the vets?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

{{VIBES}}

It sort of sounds like your mom dislodged whatever it was!! That vet you went to sounds great! Continued healing vibes but I bet he’s already on the mend

BB is right, he couldn’t have asked for a better family!

[DallasDelight]

Thank you all!! BB, my dad had to come home before he left to ho to Lubbock, I told him what was going on and he stayed home and drove us to the vets. He left afterwards for Lubbock, but almost 4 hours late!

Duncan is doing great this morning! He has a few runny poo’s, but quite a few normal ones. He didn’t eat any pellets and I don’t think he ate much hay, but he did eat all his celery. I don’t think he drank last night, unless it was just a sip. But because he ate the celery, which I soaked in water, I decided I was gonna give him until about 12pm to start drinking. No need for that now though, he is drinking!

Thank you all for the healing vibes and very nice compliments!

[wendyzski]

I logged on here right away this morning to find out how Duncan was.  What a day!  I’m glad it looks like he’s going to be okay.

I thank my lucky stars that I have a local exotics vet that has an in-house 24-hr emergency clinic!

[xParadise]

I’m so glad to hear Duncan’s okay and that your dad was able to take you to the vet! Duncan is very lucky to have you, and your brave mom too! I would be so afraid to give my bunny the heimlich! You must be so relieved..

[bunnytowne]

What good quick thinking about the bunny heimlick.  We did have a post about that previously and am sorry I never thought to mention it to you.

Glad you picked it up on your own somehow. Excellent.  Whew what a situation. Glad it Duncan is better now.  Poor fellow. He must be relieved.

[RachelF]

We need a “how-to” video for the bunny heimlick So glad little Duncan is okay. They can go downhill so quickly, I can’t even imagine how scared you were.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I also breathed a big sigh of relief at the end of your post. Poor Duncan and how scary that must have been. I think there is NOTHING worse than seeing my buns in pain and not knowing what to do to help, especially when there is no vet help around. So glad to hear everything turned out okay.

 

[RabbitPam]

I’m just reading this now – what an ordeal, but I agree, your family is fantastic. Especially your mom, who probably did save him.
Just wondering, did you look in the burrito at all to see if there was a little something that popped out of his mouth? Or around where he was being heimliched?

Maybe something a little less stringy than celery until he is healed. Just some green leaf lettuce or romaine possibly.

[MimzMum]

Hogeeze, I’m just coming to this post now. I am so glad Duncan is okay! I hope he continues to improve and that you will be okay too! ((((((DD))))))))))
*shakes head* I don’t know if it’s just the Holland/Mini lop breed or what, but they seem to have a lot of breathing difficulties/episodes. Mimzy had been making strange noises again recently through his nose and I was glad to find that, after cleaning out ALL traces of hay dust, he is doing much better. But the last time that happened, I was running to my not-so-exotic vet 30 minutes away at top speed and my bun suddenly got better in the carrier on the way also. I think you and I would both give our eyeteeth to get closer, more experienced vets!

Sounds like everything turned out for the best. I do hope all is well with you today.

[jerseygirl]

Interesting point MM, about the breed.  Maybe it’s to do with their face shape. From what I’ve been reading, dental probs, mainly molar spurs are the cause of many seemingly respiratory issues. Coughing, gagging…who would have thought!  So I guess a good rule of thumb is – when at the vet, always get the molars checked.

[Beka27]

that’s great that he’s better now! how wonderful of both your mom and dad to help you with his care. i wish more parents were like that in regards to their teenager’s pets. that’s why it is SO IMPORTANT to have the support of parents, even if you take care of the day to day cleaning, feeding, and care. you just never know when something might go wrong.

*hugs to you!*

continued “feel better” vibes, Duncan!

[bunnytowne]

Beka is right it is so wonderful when parents can help especially in emergencies.  You have terrific parents.  They need a congrats too and a peck on the cheek and a big hug.

[rabbitsmba]

Holy cow – just reading this now. SO GLAD to hear Duncan is doing better – I hope he continues to improve! You have wonderful parents for sticking by you and helping like that.

But just out of curiosity – what is the bunny heimlich maneuver? Methinks I should know how to do that in case of an emergency!

[DallasDelight]

Yeah, I love my parents! They aren’t real rabbit-savvy but they trust me enough to take my word for things and they love animals as much as I do, so my pets are always important to them too!

I’m sorry to report that Duncan is NOT doing well anymore. He started going downhill again yesterday, what sucks though is that a few hours before that he actually did the bunny 500 around his cage and binkied a little! But now he’s not pottying nearly enough, not drinking enough water at ALL and he’s not eating enough either. He’s not eating much/any timothy but he’s eating alfalfa leaves and some softer stems. He has not touched his pellets. I picked up some Pedialyte at the store today and this afternoon I gave him 1cc of Simethicone in case he was having a case of GI Stasis from the stress of his choking incident. The simethicone didn’t seem to do much of anything.
He’s squinting his eyes again and looking/acting in more pain. He’s also now sneezing a few times a day and has a runny nose from only one nostril. I’m so worried about him I could cry! I feel so bad because he’s not yet formed a great bond with me since I’ve only had him a bit over 2 weeks, and now I’m doing all this nasty medication/vet visit stuff to him and he feels like crap..my poor little dude

It looks like my dad will be taking the day off work asap and we’ll be travelling the 3 1/2 hours to take him to the A to Z vet clinic to get looked at by a very rabbit savvy vet.
I have a question – do I syringe feed the Pedialyte straight or diluted with water? How often should I feed it to him? If I dilute it with water, how much of each?

 

edit: rabbitsmba; sorry I forgot to explain the bunny heimlich maneuver! here it is:
1. Put bun in a very secure(you don’t want them falling out onto the floor!) bunny burrito
2. Hold them at about a 45 degree angle from your chest/stomach with your arms running like poles down their back, with their back feet feet(at least where their feet would be if they weren’t wrapped up) touching your stomach
3. Swing them towards the floor, NOT TOO FAST! but not too slow either! just in a smooth downward motion.
basically when you swing them, pretend like your arms are on hinges at your elbows, so you stay with your elbows touching your stomach the whole time. Don’t swing them so they are 100% upside down with the floor, just enough to dislodge something stubborn!

That is the best I can describe it. That’s what my mom did. In case the holding them thing is confusing, I mean hold them so that your hands could cup the backs of their heads easily.
I hope that is understandable…maybe I should make my mom make a video to post here lol

[Cassi&Charlie]

Oh no….poor Duncan. I’m so sorry to hear he’s going downhill again but I’m really pleased that your parents care so much & your getting to the vet asap.

(((Duncan)))

[RabbitPam]

{{{{{{{{{{{{Healing vibes, Dncan}}}}}}}}}}}}

I was going to suggest syringe feeding him water to keep him hydrated, but I don’t have experience with symethicone.

I’m also wondering if he has some sort of tooth infection.

Let us know what the vet reports.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m so sorry to hear that he is not doing well. I know how hard it is to look after a sick bun. Hang in there!

{{{{{{{{{{Get better Vibes}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[rabbitsmba]

I’m sorry Duncan is not feeling well. Please let us know how he is doing. Poor boy – we are all thinking of him.

Thank you for the description of the heimlich manoeuver – good to know in case of an emergency!

[DallasDelight]

Thank you all for keeping Duncan in your thoughts!!

My dad is taking the day off work tomorrow and my mom is driving me and Duncan to the A to Z vet clinic. I called there this morning and got him an appointment with them at 2:00pm tomorrow, so we’ll leave here sometime around 10:00 – 10:30am.
Wish us luck!! It’s going to be nervewracking!

[KatnipCrzy]

Please keep us posted after Duncan’s visit tomorrow- I will be thinking about him.  For the Pedialyte- I would suggest trying to get him to drink a little not diluted- to see if the sweetness interests him- and if it does then try giving it diluted with water.  The more you can get him to drink on his own the better- and the pedialyte might entice him to do just that.  

My bunnies seem to have a sweet tooth and can smell “sugary” things like craisins, raisins, papaya tablets- and they start looking around for it.  So maybe you can see if the smell or taste of Pedialyte intersts him at all.

[Sarita]

Healing vibes to little Duncan. You are a very attentive bunny slave. Do keep us updated.

[sweetbluebun]

I just read Duncan’s story, poor little guy. Just know that you’re doing the very best you can for him and I really hope he feels better soon.

[xParadise]

Oh no, poor Duncan. Just when you thought it was all over with.. Good luck at the vet tomorrow, and let us know what happens!

[MimzMum]

You and dear Duncan have my most sincere wishes and prayers for a quick recovery from this issue. My little loppy has been having a few sinus problems this week too and it seems like the lops do have quite a time with these things. Bless you both! (((((((((((DD and Duncan))))))))))

[skunklionshow]

How awful!  I was going to suggest making pellet slurry w/ the pedialyte.  I’ve tried many a yummy force feedings:

critical care

Critical care mixed w/ applesauce, pediasure, or fruit baby food

or even straight up fruit or veggie baby food (i.e. bananas always go over well).  Just in case these still time to try something b/f your appt time.  Usually that’s enough to get them back to eating/ hydrating until I can get the vet to take over.  I’m sending healing bunny vibes on out to you.

[DallasDelight]

Thanks everybody, it looks like your healing vibes have worked!!! I am thrilled to say that I have cancelled Duncan’s appointment with the vet in midland, because he is back to normal now! no runny nose, no sneezing. I saw him drink water for 3 minutes straight last night, and then he started eating his pellets and I suspected that he may not need to go to the vet today. I woke up this morning and saw he had a TON(well actually just a normal amount, finally!) of poo in his litterbox, almost all his water was gone, his hay was almost gone and he is still eating his pellets!!

He did binkies around his pen for 5 or so minutes earlier! I am soo happy to see him feeling well. If he has any sneezing/runny nose problems, the vet here can treat that. Wooo!

It’s funny, I thought all of this scary stuff I’ve had to do with him would make him wary of me, but it’s had a completely opposite effect..now he is in LOVE with me. He chins on my knees when I sit in his pen with him, he is always begging me to come into his pen and he’ll hop onto my lap and lay there for a good half hour while he sleeps and I pet him! Overall, everything has turned out well..I just hope he doesn’t do anything like this again

[BunnyMuffin]

Oh good! Yay for Duncan! I’m glad he’s feeling like himself again – and that you don’t have to worry anymore! 🙂

[bunnyluvr]

So happy that he’s doing better. He is such an adorable little one (so is little Dallas by the way). You probably already know this but keep an eye on him for a awhile just to make sure he’s really okay.

[xParadise]

That’s great news! I bet you (and Duncan too!) are relieved that you don’t have to make that 3 hour trip now. I’m glad to hear he’s feeling better

[RabbitPam]

I’m so glad he’s better. He knows his mother takes good care of him. *snuggle bun*

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad to hear he’s okay!

[skunklionshow]

YEAH!  Great news.

[MimzMum]

Oh that’s much better news! ^_^ SO glad to hear he’s back to normal! Shame on you, Duncan, scaring your mum like that! ~_~

Isn’t it funny how illness can bring you and your pets closer together? It’s a wonderful feeling though. (the closeness, not the illness)

[Author]

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