 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Pet Forum / Mammals / Rabbits / July 2008Usagi Goes to Camp Vet
Usually when we travel we have someone come to the house to take care of Usagi and Salem. Salem's still no problem, but Usagi is grumpy and frail at 9 years old, and has a chronic problem with poopy butt. Last year, despite living inside, he got fly strike so he needs careful supervision at all times, more than he can get from a daily visit from a caregiver. (Notes on poopy butt--yes, the vet's looked at him, no, he won't eat hay--anything other than timothy pellets, craisins, oatmeal and dried banana is Bunny Poison in the Grumpy Senior Bun's mind. Vet looked at him, did a fecal scan, and suggested that the most likely causes were either a lack of fiber or else some neurological issues resulting from the occasional seizures Usagi's had. I've only seen one of those in progress, but he's shown comparable post-seizure behavior twice this spring. His hind legs are slightly affected by it--primarily the left hind. We started sneaking Metamucil into him on the vet's recommendation and it slowed down but did not eliminate the poopy butt problem--so it's probably a combination of both causes) The vet recommended boarding Usagi at the vet hospital while we were gone to Amsterdam. So we did. I figured either he'd be sulky and grouchy or--the more likely scenario--he'd go right into ex-showbunny mode and make a party of it. Needless to say, he made a party of it. Mr. Finicky Eater was stationed in the section of the boarding area with cats, on a smooth floored cage with a towel over it. He apparently ate in mass quantities, managing to mooch craisins out of the vet techs. He got lots of hugs and carries around the vet hospital, and got to explore and hop around a little bit. The vet tech on duty when I got there told me that they love to have bunnies around, and it sounds like he didn't lack for attention. Of course, when I left him, he deliberately turned his back to me, and when I came to pick him up, he made a big show of turning his back to me again. Silly bunny. He appeared to have a very good time, and seems to have gained even more fans at the vet's. Now he's eaten breakfast, and has taken a couple of naps. He's gotten very good at napping in his cranky senior age. But he doesn't seem as tired as he was after a rabbit show when he was younger, so I guess it all worked out for him. jrw You went to Amsterdam? Amsterdam, The Netherlands? And didn't come and see me? Oh well, what a pity... I would have loved to introduce my threesome to you. I hope you had a good time. Great to hear about your senior-grouch! It's the personality of these buns that non-rabbit people will never understand, I think. Are you able to go out and find some fresh grass for him? He might enjoy it and it does have a lot of fiber. Els (from Amsterdam!) > Usually when we travel we have someone come to the house to take care > of Usagi and Salem. Salem's still no problem, but Usagi is grumpy and [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > jrw >You went to Amsterdam? Amsterdam, The Netherlands? And didn't come and see >me? Oh well, what a pity... I would have loved to introduce my threesome to >you. I hope you had a good time. I wasn't sure I could pull it together. We only had five days, but it was a busy and packed five days (and we were staying at the Hilton on Apollolaan--lovely place, didn't even realize what a big deal the World Bank meeting was on Saturday until we got back). I had two other people I could have met, but couldn't pull it together for them, either--sigh. Good news is that we will probably visit again, and at the very least go through Schiphol (there's a direct Portland-Amsterdam flight) and then take trains for any further EU travels. >Great to hear about your senior-grouch! It's the personality of these buns >that non-rabbit people will never understand, I think. >Are you able to go out and find some fresh grass for him? He might enjoy it >and it does have a lot of fiber. Unfortunately, fresh grass and dandelion leaves are now Bunny Poison. He used to love it. Same for apple branches and leaves. On our flight out, we spotted two bunnies in a greenspace between runways! They were very calm, looked at the airplanes as if to say "Oh yes, noisy humans are moving big things around again." jrw Bless his little head! Hope all goes well! Professor, The Jump, Zolo, Wizard, & Magic Brenda >Usually when we travel we have someone come to the house to take care >of Usagi and Salem. Salem's still no problem, but Usagi is grumpy and [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >jrw > The show must go on for your veteran show bunny. He knows how to work th crowd still. That will teach you to leave him anywhere won't it, lol Carla Liza and Jodie - Message posted using http://www.talkaboutpets.com/group/alt.pets.rabbits More information at http://www.talkaboutpets.com/faq.htm Well, that's all good Joyce! Glad Usagi had a perky time. Say, have you tried giving him fresh grass?  SignatureGod Bless, Arlette, Cocoa & Brownie in heaven (See us here) http://www.flickr.com/photos/11393346@N02/ Need a vet? Click here <http://www.rabbitvet.net> For Cocoa's body sling vids Click here <http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cocoa3c> >Well, that's all good Joyce! Glad Usagi had a perky time. >Say, have you tried giving him fresh grass? Yep. Fresh grass, dandelion leaves, apple leaves--all stuff he used to love, but now regards as poisonous. jrw Sometimes you have to keep retrying them with old foods they used to like. Rabbits have such a long memory about things that might have negative associations. Cocoa would stop eating his normal things, so I would give him new things. After some time had passed, I would reintroduce the old things and many he would reaccept. SignatureGod Bless, Arlette, Cocoa & Brownie in heaven (See us here) http://www.flickr.com/photos/11393346@N02/ Need a vet? Click here <http://www.rabbitvet.net> For Cocoa's body sling vids Click here <http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cocoa3c> >Sometimes you have to keep retrying them with old foods they used to like. >Rabbits have such a long memory about things that might have negative >associations. Cocoa would stop eating his normal things, so I would give him >new things. After some time had passed, I would reintroduce the old things >and many he would reaccept. Arlette--I have kept trying with some of these things, especially the apple leaves which he used to love so much. I have to force it down his face, and he won't start it up unless I'm constantly prodding him with the leaf. I'll keep trying, though. The hay and other stuff--his grass allergies are such that I'm reluctant to push it. jrw Ahh, I see. I didn't realize the hay bothered his wee nosy. SignatureGod Bless, Arlette, Cocoa & Brownie in heaven (See us here) http://www.flickr.com/photos/11393346@N02/ Need a vet? Click here <http://www.rabbitvet.net> For Cocoa's body sling vids Click here <http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cocoa3c> >Ahh, I see. I didn't realize the hay bothered his wee nosy. Yeah, poor guy. His nose and his eyes both...same for the grass (when grass is blooming he has horrible weepy eye, once the pollen season is over he clears up). jrw He wouldn't do very well as a wild bunny...LOL I can see him in his tunnel saying he won't come out and where is his Claritin! SignatureGod Bless, Arlette, Cocoa & Brownie in heaven (See us here) http://www.flickr.com/photos/11393346@N02/ Need a vet? Click here <http://www.rabbitvet.net> For Cocoa's body sling vids Click here <http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cocoa3c> Glad to hear Usagi is still ruling the roost. That bun knows how to keep his humans in line. You might consider surrounding him with sweet fragrant grass hay. The senior bun just might absent-mindedly start nibbling, and find out he likes it! IMO, the poopy butt is clearly diet-related, and it does concern me. How about fresh grass. Do you think he might eat that? All that sugar--eeks! Nona, the Strict (who has learned the hard way about bunny weaknesses) >Glad to hear Usagi is still ruling the roost. > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >All that sugar--eeks! Unfortunately, another factor is that the hay triggers his allergies (he's a frail boy, for certain). Allergies may be a factor in his food choices, and right now the vet has suggested that we focus on getting him to eat. When I cut out the craisins, and reined back on the oatmeal, not only did he cut back on eating but it didn't have any effect on the poopy butt. One reason I switched to timothy pellets was the hope that it would help. He always has been a very picky eater but since the first seizure, he's gone to being extremely picky. Because the diet manipulation isn't completely working in eliminating it, the vet is certain that the problem is in part neurological (we do have one known seizure and two suspected seizures based on comparable post-seizure behavior from the first one, plus whatever after effects he had from the fly strike--I caught it very quickly and he recovered well). It breaks my heart sometimes to see him hop--he cannot fully control his hind legs very well any more. I was very happy to hear that he responded well to the extra stimulus of the vet's boarding facility. He lives a fairly quiet life here, and I've been afraid to get too pushy with him as far as attention and the like are concerned. I'm thinking now that more stimulation and encouragement to use himself might be better, as left to his own devices (he lives in a Create-A-Cube cage with the door left open so that he can come and go as he wants), he basically does nothing but use his litter box, sleep, and eat (he does regularly dump his bowl but not all at once--he'll dump a little, eat a little, then dump some more). If anything, my being late with his food (especially the Craisin Anointed with Metamucil) will inspire him to greater activity. He doesn't do a lot with toys, unless I vacuum his cage area and he gets mad about it. Then he'll chew on his cardboard. He gets very nervous if the cage structure is removed. He just basically likes to lie on his carpet and stare out the back window. jrw Hi Joyce! Glad to hear Usagi charmed everyone at the vets and had a great time doing so. :-) He IS a performer. after all! :-) Picky eater. Hmmm - I wonder if a yummy slurry of Critical Care might give him the nutrients he needs and some solidity in his poops? Poor baby and poor you - ick - poopy butt is such a pain! Laurie >Usually when we travel we have someone come to the house to take care >of Usagi and Salem. Salem's still no problem, but Usagi is grumpy and >frail at 9 years old, and has a chronic problem with poopy butt. Last >year, despite living inside, he got fly strike so he needs careful >supervision at all times, more than he can get from a daily visit from >a caregiver. I would expect nothing less from Usagi to steal the show! Lisa, Hershey, Boo Boo, Louise & Sharkey (Thelma, Wendy & Cartman FTB) |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.