Throat Inflamation - UD Seen specialist infected jaw

Hi All,

Thanks very much for your advice on Daisy. There seems to be a general opinion that this could be his ears. Ive seen 3 different vets and not one of them has looked at his lugs!

Hes now off the Bayril (was on this for 10 days) and im reducing his pain killer each day, and he seems happy enough but is still shaking his little head.

So ive made an appointment to see the most senior vet tomorrow and am going to stage a sit in until some explanations can be offered!

Daisy's Mixy Jab was also due last week but I put it off until this problem was sorted out.....do you think I should continue to put it off or get it done anyway. Im concerned that im going to be working at a bunny sanctuary on xmas day where Im going to be in contact with lots of bunnies and want to make sure he is protected just in case. (just in case I cant resist and bring home a car full of bunnies!!)

Thanks again everyone for all your advice.

Katie

You should never vaccinate a rabbit that isn't in full health, the vaccine may not take properly as the immune system is already stretched (so enough antibodies may not be produced) or it could push his immune system away from defending against his current health issues and cause them to get worse.

I would wait until he has recovered, especially at this time of year when the risk posed by myxomatosis vectors is lowering.

Thanks Sooz - ill postpone.

Not taking any chances with my boy.

Katieb wrote:Thanks Sooz - ill postpone.

Not taking any chances with my boy.

Hope everything goes well at your appointment today.

Further Update.

Daisy has been referred to see a bunny specialist on friday 18th. A chap Called John Chitty - Has anyone heard of him at all? Its in Andover so a bit of a drive but we need to get my little boy better. All Get well Vibes for my little man on friday will be greatly appreciated. Ive already stopped sleeping.........and just want to cry. Please please please will it not be anything serious.

Jay and Bertie have met John! They sorted out Bertie fantastically. Your little Fella is going to be in fantastic hands x

Hi Katie,
A couple of us have taken buns to see John, Bertie went after lots of misdiagnosis for a tummy problem. John found that he actually had arthrisits in his spine. Clicky - It's fairly long post - but details the saga!

John is a no-messing vet, he gets on with the job and is extremely knowledgeable, and finds things that no-one else does

I took Foxy to John Chitty - she had a malformed skull and lots of problems which he diagnosed.

ps he was also great at advising and helping my vets.

Thanks everyone - thats really put my mind at rest, its good to know he is going to be in good hands.

The stress we suffer on behalf of our hoppies eh! Wouldnt be without them for a single second though!

Its really made a difference to me getting advice and re-assurance from everyone on this site.....dont know how I managed before!!!

Hope John manages to come up with some answers for you and Daisy.

If anyone has any positive vibes going spare - daisy and i would love to have some for our appointment tomorrow. Getting a bit nervous about what we might find out. Fingers crossed its just a little infection that a course of proper anti-biotics can sort out. Im sure it would be less worrying to have children!!

Safe journey Katie and I hope you get the answers you both need

Hope today goes well for you both, good luck.

Mr Chitty said that daisy has an infection in his jaw... its not going to be a quick fix but we feel happier at least we know what it is. His pain meds have been drastically increased (which worries me a bit as its sooo different from what my vet said) but he is the man in the know after all.
Daisy weighs 1.5 kg and was on a 3kg dose once a day - thats now been increased to a 5kg dose twice a day!!!! daisy was eating and seemed quite happy on the original dose - and this is an increase of 3 times!! (but john is the expert after all). Begs a question about how far wrong my vet got it though dont you think????? He is still on baytril (which i was told was pretty ineffective) but the dose has been increase from .3 ml twice a day to .8 once a day. Got to call him back on monday. Its all a bit odd. He did seem very professional though and definately knew what to do! And we feel like someone has taken control of the situation at last.

Katie x x

I'm glad you got there and back safely and you now have a diagnosis, it's a relief to know what you're dealing with.

A couple of things in relation to what you've said, and someone please correct me if this is wrong..

It was only last year (or maybe the year before) at the RWA vets conference that it was proposed and agrred that the recommended doses of Metacam were too low for rabbits and they needed to be increased. It is likely that your vet hasn't got this info yet, although they really should have by now. This is why it's important to get a bunny savvy vet. Mine were the same, he was prescribed 3 drops of the cat one, which is even more dilute than the doggy one.

I would raise this with your vet, if you feel Ok to do that. The conference notes are available to vets, so they will be able to get hold of them. The thing to remeber is that vets don't get much training in 'exotics', if they are open minded and happy to learn from John and you, the rabbit owner, then they are worth hanging on to. My vets were delighted I took Bertie there, and it opened up a dialogue about their treatment of buns re: Pain relief, and they've changed their approach to it now. So I'm pleased my vets have taken it on board, as he wasn't a referral, I just took him without telling them, which isn't proper form, but I was very frustrated by it all!

Secondly, and I can't say for this for sure, but in Bertie's case, he started off on a 10kg dose (he's 2.2 kg) and then John gradually brought it down. presently he's on a 4kg dose, and still lowering slowly. So don't be alarmed too much by the dosage.

John doesn't believe in over-medication, so it's likely (but not certian, it is a different condition and bun) that he will want to reduce it. His primary concern is getting the rabbit comfortable and pain free, asap.

You or your vet will probably be in touch with him every week for a while (all part of that extravagant consultancy fee...) and he'll write to your vets and give them a report on his findings and perhaps instruct them as to what to do.

It's all a bit odd

- I completely understand what you mean. It took me a while to understand how he works, it being so different to what I was used to, but I know do have faith in him, and how he's treated Bertie, and actually I've learnt a lot from John.

As Jay said the recommended 'safe' dose for rabbits with Metacam was drastically increased last year after research suggested a lot of fears relating to it's impact on both liver & renal function and also the GI tract were exaggerated, but what was clear was that many rabbits with painful conditions were being drastically under-medicated when it came to pain relief, with cautious vets offering sub-therepeautic levels.

The lower levels are generally better for longer-term pain management and taking the edge off fractures where some sensation needs to be maintained to stop the rabbit over-exerting itself.

Did John mention osteomyelitis or abcessation at all....

Hi guys,

Thank you so much for above both of you - its made me feel loads better. I do feel better that john has taken daisy under his wing, I feel like we are on the right road now thats for sure, he is obviously the best thing that could happen for my boy.

No specific diseases were mentioned but bloods were taken too and I have to call him on monday. Ive got a few questions that i didnt ask at our consultation so im going to write them down so I dont forget.

Thank you again x x x x

Any news from yesterday Katie?

Hiya -

I spoke to john yesterday morning and he asked how daisy was doing, and i said that daisy was a bit mopey on sat but perked up sunday and that he mopes about a bit for the first couple of hours after medication but after that seems fine. John said to keep giving him the medication in the same doses and give him a call on Thursday morning. He said two of daisy's bloods have come back and were both okay. One was a blood count and the other was a kidney function. He is still waiting on a Protien (?) check. I didnt really get the chance to ask anything but Im quite happy he is looking after things - and i figured that if he starts giving me names of suspected diseases im only going to look them up on the net and worry myself half to death!! And I think daisy really picks up on when im worrying (sounds silly I know). So im just going to let John do his thing. I feel like he is in the best hands. So just going to wait and see what he says thurs.

The monkey seems fine in himself though - he was up to taking a chunk of doorframe out yesterday when i wasnt looking so I think he's okay for now.

I finish work tomorrow until the 4th so its going to be good to be able to keep an eye on him more closely while im off.

Thanks for asking.

If I dont speak to you again before xmas HAVE A BRILLIANT CHRISTMAS!!!!

Glad to hear it! Happy Christmas to you too