Sunday 28 December 2008

It never rains but it pours

Firstly, thank you so much for all the lovely messages and emails for Hugo and Miss Eve...they worked very well! However, just when I was thinking that everything was going back to normal, and a day after I finished giving the antibiotics injections to Hugo (I think I can give these with more confidence now!), Hugo gets something else. After the playing time yesterday evening, he went back to the cage but did not want any food. He sat hunched at a corner, then stretched flat in the same corner, but wouldn't move and eat.
I thought he was sulking because I put him back in the crate, but no...after half an hour he moved and noticed liquid at the very back of the cage...I thought he peed there to show me, but when I went to wipe it off I noticed that it was diarrhoea :( He then hopped off to leave smeared on the floor of the cage a large dark mass of mushy poo, some very liquid. He was in distress and I did not want to stress him more, so I opted not to wash his backside and feet but wipe them in the cage with a towel, as long as he cooperated. He accepted some water but refused food, so gave him a sprinkle of probiotics in the water. I did a search on Frances Harcourt-Brown's book for possible reasons for the diarrhoea, and while I cannot say if it is really the case, Hugo's symptoms look very similar to those of enterotoxaemia. Whilst it says that it occurs in rabbits kept in colonies, it also says that occasionally it will affect pet bunnies. Sadly, the prognosis given in the book is not very good. The emergency vet is not a specialist for exotics and under the circumstances and previous disastrous esperiences I decided to keep him here and watch him closely.
I picked him up and wrapped in a towel (and it was very easy, which shows that he's really feeling poorly as otherwise he would have put quite a fight), and with the help of Mr D I gave him some metacam to help with the pain, then probiotics and water siringed, as well as a mush of pellets also siringed, as he won't eat by himself. He is showing a bit more activity since the metacam, but he is still having no proper poos. I am hoping he will make it through the night so that he can see Dani first thing tomorrow morning. Please keep my lovely bunny boy in your thoughts and send some healing vibes over the pond! And hopefully I haven't put anyone off their dinner now with my graphic description...if so, I apologise.

6 comments:

Süßstoff said...

Ach, Herrje! Das tut mir wirklich sehr leid! Ich wünsche gute Besserung und denke ganz doll an den armen Hugo!

YowlYY said...

Dankeschön Nicole, ich hoffe die Tierärztin kann wieder einer ihrer Wunder wirken lassen!

Friend of the Animals said...

Good job with the metacam. Poor thing, hope things get better. Your a good bunny mom.

The Bunns said...

Hugo, Hugo ... come ON boy! Oh gosh good luck. We are sending lots of good thoughts ...

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Oh, no! Come on Hugo! Hang in there, buddy!

Anonymous said...

Be strong, Hugo!! We know you can kick this thing in the bum!! We'll be thinking of you *hugs* keep us updated!