Junior is going to the vet tomorrow.

Thanks guys

2 days of metacam and he’s still peeing everywhere I don’t know what to make of this. When I went to see them a wee while ago I gave them a couple of pellets* and he peed at my feet. Is it because he was eating and sore? Do I need to try giving him metacam at a different time of day? Is it because he was excited and his bladder is just getting weak?



* I’m giving them a pellet every time I go visit just in case he was choking when he got spooked. Trying to retrain his brain to think “food” when he hears a noise rather than panic!

Is he getting the metacam twice a day?

Is it possible that the peeing everywhere is unrelated to the choking? :/

Has he had any choking episodes since the metacam?

I was beginning to think the same maybe the peeing isn't related to the choking.

Xxx

He’s getting 0.6ml once a day. He’s somewhere between 2 & 2.5kg (I cant remember right now ) You think this is enough?

He hasn’t had a choking episode since 5th November.

It is entirely possible the peeing and choking are unrelated. This is something I question myself over daily! It seemed so like they were related but I can’t be sure. It has me on edge tho

One time I had him at the vet Ian managed to squeeze a pee out of him far too easily. He’s an experienced vet and said he’s *never* got a pee out of a rabbit that easily. He can’t feel anything a miss in that area other than that. No bladder stones/growths etc.

Philip is on .25ml twice a day and he's 1.3kg, so might be worth speaking to the vet about increasing the dose?

Theres a bit of info on dosage here: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/pain-management-rabbits/drug-focus-meloxicam/

I should think starting at a low(ish) dose is the best way to go. It can be gradually increased until the right dose is found. As for the peeing .... well, if he is in discomfort from an arthritic jaw that could account for it, an animal in pain may scent mark more frequently OR he may also have a touch of arthritis in his spine that is causing it.

iiisecondcreep wrote:Philip is on .25ml twice a day and he's 1.3kg, so might be worth speaking to the vet about increasing the dose?

Theres a bit of info on dosage here: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/pain-management-rabbits/drug-focus-meloxicam/

Thanks for this

I remembered I was copied in on his records when it was sent to a vet in England so just had a look and I’m full of rubbish! He is 1.9kg so going by the link they have erred on the side of caution but not ridiculously so.

The thing is, he seems quite dopey already

woodwench wrote:I should think starting at a low(ish) dose is the best way to go. It can be gradually increased until the right dose is found. As for the peeing .... well, if he is in discomfort from an arthritic jaw that could account for it, an animal in pain may scent mark more frequently OR he may also have a touch of arthritis in his spine that is causing it.

I’m thinking all of these things too.

Oh how I wish he could talk!!!

Is it worth trying splitting the metacam in two doses? In case it is wearing off quicker.

Has he been on antibiotics at all during these episodes?
I am wondering whether it a bladder infection????

Could be stress related but down to being sore with the jaw and now he got himself into a vicious circle, he's peed so brain kicks in the thirst and he drink which causes excess pee and he pee's again etc etc....

Can't get over the weight of your bunnies thought thundercracker was small but he 3.03kg ( he is on diet he to come down to 2.9kg)

Xxx

iiisecondcreep wrote:Is it worth trying splitting the metacam in two doses? In case it is wearing off quicker.

I missed this! Sorry.

Hmm... that might just be a good idea! Thanks

gemma997 wrote:Has he been on antibiotics at all during these episodes?
I am wondering whether it a bladder infection????

Could be stress related but down to being sore with the jaw and now he got himself into a vicious circle, he's peed so brain kicks in the thirst and he drink which causes excess pee and he pee's again etc etc....

Can't get over the weight of your bunnies thought thundercracker was small but he 3.03kg ( he is on diet he to come down to 2.9kg)

Xxx

I should have said, he had a course of loxicom not long after the peeing started. He had bacteria in his sample.

I am open to all and any suggestions!

I never realised thundercracker is such a big bun! It’s hard to tell in pics isn’t it haha. I looked at all Junior’s weights on his record and he’s really fluctuated over the years! I think the lightest he’s been (apart from the baby records) was 1.85 and that was the end of summer when all this was on going. So I’m glad to have him back up to 1.9. We were hoping and praying for weight gain after the 1.85 as would have really worried something sinister was going on if he’d lost more.

If on ABs maybe a change... is he reacting to one of the drugs? Splitting the pain relief would interfere with finding out if he needs more (or less) of it. Maybe talk over with vet about different ABs or a spell off drugs completely.
Your stress/worry will be being picked up by him and not necessarily helping.

They can loss weight through stress even though they eat, I had that with Thundercracker.

Have you tried spraying pet remedy on his and Molly's bum to see if that maybe calm him down if it is stress related.

Blitzwing is 3.5kg and she is round about the ideal mark.
No wonder I had to by a pet carrier with wheels, I thought I was a weaklin

Xxx

Thanks guys, I’m taking it all on board.

Gemma, you’re not weak. My two are circa 4kg combined and they kill me!

How is Junior doing?

Junior unfortunately had another choke on 4th January One day away from 2 months choke free. The really bad news is it wasn’t hay he choked on, he was eating pellets It was a relatively mild choke by his usual standards.

He’s been fine since but he is such a mystery.

I need to go back to work in April and I don’t know what to do about them while I’m out all day. Their hay is taken away at night so I can’t leave them without it all day too

Did you notice if there was anything happening to stress him around the time he choked? We often concentrate on the "happening" and miss the influences. I'm thinking it could be stress related if no physical symptoms are obvious.

This is something I have put *a lot* of though into because I *know* I spooked him two of the times. But some of the others I can’t think of anything that has stressed/spooked him.

Especially the very first time it happened. Before I realised he was choking. It was just your average night. I was lying in my bed and BOOM I heard him thrashing around in the panic stage.

He’s has a major moult is the last few weeks and he empties his bladder when I touch him with the zoom groom

I think all sorts of things. Is it all in his head? Is molly doing something to him? Is he a complete nervous wreck, and if he is, is it fair on him to let him live like this?

Then I go see him and he’s all bright eyed and begging for food.

I so wish he could talk

When you Zoom him is there a particular part of his body that, when touched, makes him react? A nerve in his spine might be trapped .... maybe arthritis there?
On another tack, is there a new dog in the neighbourhood that he might hear barking? Or new children out playing?
Are his teeth ok? Maybe something like we get.... thin enamel causing nerve pain that might make him react.
I will ask Anne McBride if there is a chance this could be "in his head". If it is there must be a way of reassuring him and working through it.
There is something in humans called a gag-reflex ... I don't know if there's similar in rabbits, might be worth checking out.
Another idea: have the vets looked up his nose, in his airways? Could there be a fragment of hay up his nose that is occasionally blocking his airway?