March/April 2007

March 22, 2007
We were at the vet yesterday. I haven't noticed over the last few days how swollen half of Cinnamon's head was, so I was surprised at how bad he looked when I got him to the vet. And his eye was no longer goopy because it was popping out of his head. Turns out that he has 3 abscesses in his face. 1 in his cheek, 1 on his chin and 1 behind his eye. Had x-rays done to be sure it wasn’t a tooth abscess, which it wasn't. Anyway Cinnamon had to spend the night so the doc could open and drain 2 abscesses, he was not able to get the one behind the eye. Guess Cinnamon couldn't close his eye this morning either because he is so swollen. So he is going to be on a antibiotic and pain med, for a month, and he as to be separated from the others because they can get infected with it too. If the antibiotic doesn't take care of the abscess behind the eye they will have to try other options. Doc called it snuffles or Pasteurella. That visit cost me $400.
I was up until midnight getting the cage ready for him today. My husband just picked him up and said Cinnamon is moving around and eating but didn't look good because of the incisions (doc doesn't close them, he just leaves them! Yuck). I almost fainted in the office yesterday when the doc got all the instruments out (to look in Cinnamon's mouth) and then got a needle out! I had to sit down and put my head between my legs or I would have just lost it.

The reason I brought Cinnamon in was because he wasn't eating all of his pellets over the last few days, he was eating slower, and wasn't moving around as much as he usually did. I also wanted the doc to look at his genitals, which were fine. I didn't notice how swollen his face was because there is not much light in the rabbitat.

April 3, 2007
I took Cinnamon to the vet yesterday to have his eye looked at. All week he has had this film on his eye where he couldn't close his eye all the way. I was afraid it was doing damage to the eye. And I could tell he couldn't see out of that eye because he ran into it on Saturday night, causing some bleeding.

The vet looked at his eye, pulled his eyelid down and saw a small pocket of pus. So Cinnamon spent the night last night and the vet put him out and drain the pus. Vet called me about an hour later and said lots of pus came out (all the crap that was behind his eye). Said all the swelling is now gone and his eye is almost back to normal.

I still have to keep him on antibiotics, because it's not completely gone and it could come back. I feel so bad that Cinnamon is still there because I can't get him until I am done with work. So I called and asked if they would please feed him something besides dandelions, and if they would give him a blanket (they already gave him one) and if they would give him a bowl of water because he doesn't drink from bottles. They can think I'm crazy, I don't care. They said he didn't seem stressed, so I think he will be okay for the day.

I went to get Cinnamon yesterday and the vet says good news his eye is better, bad news, I have to flush the 2 holes because they can fill up with pus again. It's bad news because I can't stomach it, as the vet was showing me how to do it I got all hot, light headed and nauseous; I had to sit down. It makes me sick just thinking about it! Vet said I could bring Cinnamon in everyday and have one of the gals do it. My husband can handle it a little better than me, so he is going to try tonight, but he didn't see how the vet did it. I have a nurse friend that lives near me that may be willing to help, but she has a lot of back pain right now and I don't think I can ask for a favor when she is so miserable. I don't mind bringing Cinnamon into the vet everyday; but I can't afford it if they charge, I will have to call and ask.

Vet also said to keep putting eyedrops in his eye, even though he can close his eye now. So I did this morning, and Cinnamon made it very difficult. When I finally got the drop in his eye he started scratching it. That is not going to help matters!

I asked a bit more about how Cinnamon could have gotten this. And the vet said it is something he could have had for months and it could have been a puncture wound or scratch that set it off. He said it is very common in rabbits and that many of them carry Pasturella, but usually their immune systems keep it from coming out.

I spoke with some of my friends at work (medical clinic) and I have 2 nurse friends that live nearby that have volunteered to help. Yippee.

April 12, 2007
Well my husband picked up Cinnamon at the vet yesterday and they cleaned out more pus. The vet showed my husband how to clean the wounds (better) and give injections.

We decided to keep Cinnamon separated from the others because of his open wounds. But now that Cinnamon has gotten out he keeps standing up on his hind legs and bites and scratches at the chicken wire. He was obviously frustrated last night. I felt so bad for him. I gave him a stuffed bunny about 2 weeks ago, but it doesn’t seem to help. I'm sure he is also tired of being handled. He thumped at me the other night before I put a drop in his eye.

April 20, 2007
OK, since the buns are outside and in a large area we cover the entire rabbitat in straw, which is cleaned out every week. I buy 1 bale of straw at a time and it last for about 2-3 months. The last bale we got was just full of dirt. It looks like the straw was pulled from its roots, instead of cut, so there are these dirt balls at the ends of the straw. Along with that bale of straw we got a free half bale, just because he wanted to get rid of it. Well I was pulling it apart last week and spreading it around the rabbitat and there were dead mice in the straw! You know, I just don't need this crap right now. I am so not having outdoor rabbits ever again.

Then last week I noticed that Clint is fat. When did this happen?! And how?! Was it a gradual weight gain (so I wouldn't have noticed if it was), or did it happen suddenly and I noticed it when it did happen. When I first got them I thought I wasn't feeding them enough fresh food, now maybe it is too much. So I started cutting back on his pellets (I never give them more than recommended anyway). Is it possible to gain weight on greens??!! The only new thing I have been doing is giving them apple tree twigs (2-3 times a week) and papaya treats every night so they don't get hairballs.

I also find myself going to the store way too much, 2-3 times a week. Either going to the pet store for timothy hay (since I don't get the 1/2 bale at the farmer supply store) or getting fresh greens. I go through a bag of timothy hay in 2-3 days. (I don't remember what size the bags are, but I have seen bags that are smaller than what I get).
OK, that is my rant for the week.

April 30, 2007
I let Cinnamon out to be with his friends for the first time in almost 2 months yesterday and the second him and Clint touched noses Clint freaked out and we had a fight. Never seen rabbits fight before, and I don't want to see it again. I'm surprised I didn't get injured separating them. I put Clint in a kennel since we still had to clean the rabbitat. The other 3 did fine.

Injuries are minimal. Cinnamon has a small cut above his good eye and a scratch and small cut under his neck. Didn't look like any of his healing wounds were affected. I didn't see anything on Clint, but I didn't look too hard, I was a bit mad at him.

Bambi and Cinnamon were cleaning each other, so I put them together, and Clint and Gerald are together. Bambi seems a bit confused. I feel bad because Bambi was the one that got along with everyone and cleaned their heads.

I really don't want to keep them separated. Having the rabbitat divided is inconvenient in so many ways, and we can't sit with them like we used to, so we really have no enjoyment with them.

Don't they recognize each others scent?? Bambi and Gerald were fine with Cinnamon, why did Clint get all upset? Pretty sure there is no way I can get them together again, I can't risk injury.

June 4, 2007
Sunday morning drama: When I went to feed everyone on Sunday morning all of Bambi and Cinnamon's straw was GONE. It was the freakiest thing I have ever seen. Only a few small bits left behind. I was freaking out, was someone so stressed that they ate it all?? Where did it go??!!
Afternoon drama: Not sure if I told you about the huge hole Bambi dug, it was about a week ago. She dug up 2 buckets full of dirt, I managed to get only one bucket full back into the hole. She dug again this weekend, which I saw Sunday morning, and figured I would fill it back up again when I cleaned. I go out Sunday afternoon to clean and Bambi is no where in sight. I could only assume that she was in the hole. My entire arm was in the hole and I still couldn't feel or see her. She eventually came out (I didn't see her go in or out), and I filled the hole again. Now I think all the straw is in the hole. Oh, and Bambi has a bad eye, actually missing a part of her eyelid, we got her that way. It is fine, until she gets lots of dirt in it and her eye can't get the dirt out on it's own, so I have to do it.

More afternoon drama: It was 90 degrees in the rabbitat yesterday. I drove past a bank sign yesterday afternoon and it said 80. Bambi was breathing pretty hard (she was the only one). I put a fan in the rabbitat for her. I'm going to be in trouble if the rabbitat is going to be 10 degrees hotter than the outside temp. What am I going to do on days that it hits 90??!! I put out a frozen bottle of water, but Bambi didn't seem smart enough to lay against it.

Monday morning drama: They are all digging (except Cinnamon), I had to fill up holes this morning! Clint and Gerald don't do the damage that Bambi does. But they are all driving me nuts!!

Oh, and I can't believe how great Cinnamon is doing. He is not getting shots anymore or any kind of medication. All his fur has grown back where it was shaved. He looks good; I think he may have gained another ounce or two.