Two Trips to the Vet - On Being a Good Pet Momma

I want to start off by saying that I hope this post doesn't come across preachy - that is not my goal at all. I just feel like I had a bit of a wake-up call these past few days and would like to share it with my blog-audience. Maybe some other people are in need of a wake-up call too...

Let me start by introducing you to my two sweetie-buns,

    

 

 

  

 Happy and

Lucille
(Baby Lu or Lulu for short) 

I was first introduced to the love of buns when I was just a kid out in Hagerstown. Our family went through a number of bunnies as family pets, with such varied names as Gloria, Bill, Ruben, Gus-Gus, Snuggles, Big Butt (he was a hefty boy) and Al. And those were just the ones while I was living at home!

 

So in 2005, newly out of college, living on my own and facing some serious, bracing health issues - I was looking for a little animal companionship and it was only natural to seek that in the form of a beautiful, or in Happy's case, handsome, bun. I adopted the Hapster from the Pennysaver, where a family had placed an ad to cut back on their pet population. He was a scraggly little guy, with one 'crying eye' and long, never-been-cut nails, but his handsome coat won me over. Within weeks, we were BFF's. He hopped around the room while I sat on the floor grading mountains of papers and he laid on the couch with me and lounged as we watched TV. About two years later when I started working an evening job, I realized that without me there to keep him company he might want to have a buddy and so I adopted Lulu from the Baltimore Humane Society.

 

Warning: Here is where I might get a little preachy:

I believe that when you get a pet, it is your responsibility to that animal and to society to do a little research and be sure you are adequately prepared for what you are undertaking. For example: I get the question all the time that 'Well, if Happy's a boy and Lulu's a girl, how come they don't have babies?!' Um...because I got them neutered and spayed respectively. When I decided to get a partner for the old Hapster, I wanted to make sure that I would not end up with a whole litter of baby buns, so I did some research and paid the money to make sure that wouldn't happen. I also took on the responsibility of my buns knowing that this was a lifelong commitment - meaning to the end of those buns natural lives! Bunnies live to be about 10-12 years old on average, and they were about 2 when I adopted them. That means for the better part of their lives I have paid for food, treats, vet visits and grooming. It adds up!! I even developed an allergy to them around year four and was advised to rehome them. Now, I want to clarify that I have no qualms against rehoming an animal if it is the absolute last resort for you - but for me, meds fixed the allergy issue. I couldn't get rid of these babies - they are a part of my family now! So on this note - I strongly encourage everyone to inform themselves completely about any animal they are thinking of adopting because being a bunny's honey or a kitty's momma or a doggy's daddy should be a lifelong commitment! /rant

 

Anyway, these past two days have been a bit tough for me. Happy and Lu are now what we call 'seniors' - at 8 years old, they are getting up there. So when Happy became lethargic and stopped eating, I immediately worried. Took him to Chadwell Animal Hospital, the premier bunny vet in the area, and he was diagnosed with a bit of a belly ache and sent home with some medicines and a syringe-feed diet to get him back on track. 

 

The next day, I noticed that he seemed to lose his balance as he hopped around the cage. He would fall on his side and kick a bit before righting himself, shaking his head and continuing along his way. My first thought was seizures and Yhadird suggested maybe the meds had side effects. Again I called the vet and we went in for a second day emergency visit.

 

Here is what the doctor noticed: 

Do you see how the bun's head is tilted slightly to the side in that pic? (Not my pic, btw...big thanks to Google Image Search for this adorable baby!)

 

That, my friends, is called 'Head Tilt' and in buns it can be caused by a variety of issues. According to the House Rabbit Society, some of the causes of head tilt include:

 

Middle/inner ear infection (otitis media /interna)

Stroke (cerebrovascular accidents)

Trauma

Cancer (neoplasia)

Cervical muscle contraction

Encephalitozoonosis

Cerebral larva migrans

Intoxication

Our vet guessed that it might be an inner ear infection that caused Haps to lose his balance and stumble around like a little borrachito. She prescribed some long term antibiotics and that I watch him carefully. She also said that his lack of appetite could have been a precursor to this illness, since it's hard to feel hungry when the room is spinning!

All in all, he is doing okay. The vet said he doesn't feel pain from this illness, more a sense of disorientation. But this was a big time reminder to me of the following facts:

• Our pets won't be with us forever - we have to cherish them while we have them around! AND
• It's important to monitor your pets' behavior - behavior changes are the only way they can communicate to us about their health.

So to sum this up - I plan to make sure to take lots of pics and make lots of great memories with these two beautiful bun buns - and spoil them like crazy so that the time I have left with them is worth it! Meanwhile, I'll keep you posted on Happy's progress! Thanks for reading!