MJ's eye :(

c.bolduan wrote:Poor MJ, how high we're his blood sugar levels? At the conference we learnt that bunnies have a raised Levels when unwell I have to find the paperwork but seem to remember that diabetes is rare in bunnies.

She said it was 10.1, she did say that because their machine/meter/whatever was calibrated was dogs and cats it was hard to say how accurate that would be. She did also say that diabetes in rabbits was extremely rare.

Update: appointment at Vet school 9am tomorrow

I agree with Claudia. Glucose levels can indicate illness, esp when in stasis, or the GI tract is involved. A bun with a full blockage for example, may have a glucose level over 20, indicating a need for surgery. Glucose levels can also increase with stress.

Lots of vibes for MJ, xx

More top up vibes for tommorow. Hope they can help!

I hope everything goes well hun.

Hugs
JO xx

Me too

 Judy

How is he today?

Appointment at vet school went well, the vet we saw did say that the blood sugar level my vet recorded could well have been down to stress and for a stressed rabbit is what she would consider normal. She also believes that the sudden weightloss is most likely to having lost his sight so quickly, which will be frightening for him

we left them there and they are doing bloodwork, EC tests and opthalmology exam today and we'll be collecting them either tonight or tomorrow.

Re the surgery she has advised getting it only done on one side partly due to cost (this is not an issue and it was best for him we'd still elect for surgery on both eyes), the fact that she believes he'd be fine with vision in one eye (which he was) but also because she thinks the eye that got the cataract first but not be operable (not sure why, damage from cataract?) :/ in which case it would only be the eye with the recent cataract they'd operate on.

Expecting a phone call soon with an update on some of the tests.

Lots of vibes for him, fingers & paws crossed

 Judy

Hope all is well sweets, please let us know.

Hugs
JO xx

Sending positive vibes MJ's way

Home now, with bunnies.

Bloods were fine, white blood cells very slightly high but that can be attributed to the recent cataract, we'll get the EC results next week. The opthalmology exam showed that both his retinas responded to light which means that both eyes are operable, which is good because if possible I would prefer to get both eyes done as I want him to have the best quality of life possible. However, the practice that do the surgery (the vet school don't do this particular surgery but collaborate with this other practice) won't do both eyes in one go. So I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. It'll be a couple of weeks yet anyway because we need to wait on the EC results. He's also come home with 5 days of metacam and zantac to give him a boost.

They did notice when he was in that hes very attached to T and is unsettled when she is not nearby (I have noticed this recently, hes spending most of his time just sitting in front of the TV while she's running around biting our ankles, ripping the carpet and generally having a great old time), but I am not sure what I can do to encourage her to stay with him when they're out :/

One final thing is I was reading on another forum about a bunny with a rescue that was blind from cataracts, that bunny is being treated at the RCVS which i think is in London (way too far for us to travel) and they are the only place in the UK doing this new type of cataract surgery on rabbits which I think they both eyes at once, and the cost for both eyes is less than half of what we've been quoted for MJ (the cost isn't prohibitive). I don't know if its worth mentioning this to the vet school? Does anyone have experience of this sort of a thing eg talking to the vet about something another practice does?

Its absolutely worth mentioning it to them. They are likely to be open to new ideas and practices and almost certainly will be happy to look into you.

These better vets don't get to where they are without having been willing to go the extra mile to look into alternatives in the first place.

Very worst case is they'll be miffed but look into it anyway and learn something new.

I agree hun, it may make them review their own charges. Good luck.

Hugs
JO xx

Vet school called today, EC result is 'strongly positive' so he has to start a course of treatment immediately, and Temperance as well. We're away for a few days at the start of April and our pet sitter isn't keen to medicate rabbits (and MJ is very difficult and struggles a lot, T isn't quite as bad) so the treatment will be stopped for a week and then continued for 28days after. Because the test was so strongly positive she doesn't want to delay starting the treatment, hence having to have the break.

The vet that does the cataract surgery is on holiday atm, surgery will be arranged for in a few weeks time.

There is a lot going on for you at the moment hun isn't there? Lots of prayers being said for his treatment and his surgery in a little while. Thank you for keep us updated.

Hugs
JO xx

Oh dear

Sending lots of vibes their way

Sending vibes for the bunnies and hugs for you.

Loads of vibes coming your way for both bunnies and to you too

Sending hugs to you all x x

sending lots of vibes your way xx

Top up vibes for you both love.

Hugs
JO xx

Update, collected the panacur last weekend, we're off on holiday this week but as MJs EC result was so strongly positive the vet wanted to start treatment ASAP, so they've both had 7 days treatment and the 28days required for EC will start when we get back next weekend.

It musn't taste as bad as other meds (either that or its because they only get one mouthful of drugs, usually there is anywhere between 2 and 5!), as they are forgiving us straight after instead of the usual sulks. Or maybe its because I've been giving them a sprig of mint immediately after medicating? Either way, its not been too awful. MJ has been quite difficult a few times, he jerks his whole body to try and get away so you need to have a very firm grip and its definitely not a one person task.

His second eye is now pretty much as bad as the first one, his pupils are now mostly white. Hes still getting about surprisingly well (our light coloured carpet and black sofa probably helps as the vet says he might be able to see shadows), he does sometimes bump into things though He's much slower as well, although we do still get the occasional binky. Temperance is looking after him well, when she's not tearing about, binkying all over the place and biting toes/ripping the sofa footrest as she is apparently full of spring fever!

Oh bless him and bless you to. I am glad he is able to get around though love and still binkies. Temperance sounds as if she is looking after him, please give them both a nose rub from their auntie Jo.

Hugs
Jo xx

Update: still continuing with the panacur. MJ is doing OK. He's not very happy, he has always been a very active and inquisitive bun but these days he mostly just sits. He isn't eating very well, I think this is due to not being able to see as he eats much better when Temperance is next to him (we had been trying to feed them seperately to stop her from eating his share, but he often won't eat at all if she's not there).

He's now booked in for a consultation with the vet that does the surgery (Batchelor, Davidson & Watson, Edinburgh) on 5th May at 5pm.