Casper updates
January 16, 2023
When we received Casper, he was in bad medical shape. His incisors were removed a few years ago, his molars do not meet properly (malocclusion), a possible tooth root/mandibular abscess, nasal cavity has infection. Because of all of this, he was anorexic & losing weight. Just too painful to eat. Poor little man.
Without pain meds, antibiotics & syringe feeding, he probably would have not survived.
Todays vet bill is $560.93. This does not include the cost of any of the meds, Critical Care, Sherwood recovery food, digestive support tablets, etc.
Ways to help Casper:
1-Donate at our website savesomebunny. org even if it is a small amount. Every little bit adds up.
2-Buy a shirt or hoodie (details below)
3-Share this post
4-Add Save SomeBunny to your Smile Amazon as your charity of choice (you shop, Amazon donates)
January 17, 2023
Casper is doing ok a day after dental surgery. His poor little mouth is a mess. We are giving Casper pain meds, antibiotics, penicillin, digestive support tablets and syringe feeding. He is not out of the woods but this brave little boy has spirit. We would love this little guy to start eating on his own. All he went for is the water.
January 18, 2023
Been a couple of tough days after his molar trim, molar fell out, nasal flush (infection) and mandibular tooth (root) abscess.
Very labor intensive to syringe feed him often to try and keep his gut moving normally, give meds, subcutaneous fluids, etc. He is not eating on his own regardless what we put on the plate.
We tried:
Minced herbs and veggies
Pellet mush
Canned pumpkin
Choppa banana
Applesauce
Ground hay mixed with water, oats, banana
Critical care/Sherwood restore food mush
Sherwood appetite restore
Digestive support tablet mush
His little mouth hurts. Don't worry, we are giving him pain meds. It is a balancing act of syringe feeding too much and he isn't hungry or not enough and he loses weight and his system slows down or stops.
Please keep sending positive vibes to little Caspie (Casper).
Positive note: He is spunky and spirited
Thank YOU for all your support! Your kind words, donations and sharing our posts allow us to continue helping the sanctuary bunnies. They deserve a second chance!
By the way... Dental issues are difficult. Please take your bunny in for regular checkups so a dental problem does not turn into a painful abscess.
January 20, 2023
He is a spunky little dude but the very concerning thing is he is not eating on his own no matter what is provided to him. We are syringe feeding him along with appetite restore, probiotics (bene-bac). Most rabbits that need teeth trims bounce back by eating a "mush", chopped veggies, etc. Casper is showing no signs of wanting to eat on his own even though he is hungry so that is why we have to continue to help him. Some bunnies with dental disease do not make it.
Casper has a follow up check up appointment next week. Please continue to send positive vibes.
January 22, 2023
Casper is still not eating on his own & there are a few theories about it. He doesn't have front teeth & his back teeth were recently trimmed in addition to having a jaw abscess on his right side. It may be difficult to grab the food without the front teeth & chew with the recently trimmed back teeth? We have tried several things including making a mush of veggies, a mush of critical care & Sherwood recovery food, canned pumpkin, Sherwood appetite restore, finally graded carrots, a variety of baby food, minced banana, finely ground varieties of hay (creating a powder) mixed with water & banana, etc.
We even reduced the syringe feeding to see if that would make a difference in his appetite. Unfortunately, he did not eat so we went back to syringe feeding to maintain his weight, energy and digestive system. He is also getting probiotics to keep his gut balanced. Antibiotics can change the flora in a rabbit's digestive tract.
His little mouth is crooked. This could be a result of the incisors being removed years ago or the abscess on that side.
He does not seem to be in pain but we continue with the pain meds & antibiotics.
Casper's behavior (except for his eating) seems normal. He sleeps, digs, licks me, gets mad when trying to syringe feed him, relaxes on the couch, lets me hold him, etc. It is such a shame his mouth is a mess. He has a check up appointment on Tuesday so hopefully we can get some answers on next steps. Syringe feeding is labor intensive but we know it is life saving for him. Please keep sending good vibes. Maybe those back teeth just need to grow a little after his trim? It is doubtful the jaw/bone abscess will go away & surgery may not be an option.
January 25, 2023
We changed his antibiotics and he's having some stomach issues which are causing mushy poops. We are continuing the regimen of critical care, fluids, antibiotics, pain meds, appetite restore and probiotics in hopes of stabilizing his digestive system.
We have also offered him a pellet mush, baby food, pumpkin and chopped up veggies on a plate. He does not eat any of those items.
To my amazement I saw him nibbling on pellets. To say the least I was overjoyed. Don't get excited yet because he's just nibbling on a little bit but it is encouraging to see him trying to eat the pellets. We have to continue the syringe feeding because he cannot lose any more weight. He still has the jaw abscess on his right side which might be throwing off his bite. Of course he recently had the molar trim and a broken tooth which may have been giving him pain as well. That is why we are continuing to give him pain medication. His poor little mouth is a mess but he has a fighting spirit.
We are very guarded because each day gives us new challenges
January 29, 2023
*Poops are finally shaped nicely. A bit wet and dark but not mushy like the last few days. Antibiotics may be messing up his gut so we are giving him probiotics (bene-bac).
*Drinking water on his own!
*Eating pellets!!! We think his trimmed molars are growing a little to meet properly to chew.
*Ate banana from my hand. And a mushy oxbow digestive support tablet.
*Still syringe feeding to keep his weight up. He is offered many items and does not eat them. We have tried baby food, critical care mush (three different flavors- apple/banana, anise, papaya), pellet mush, minced veggies and herbs, pumpkin, finely shredded carrots, applesauce, oats, mixed items pureed, blueberry, strawberry, etc... He is only eating pellets and water on his own but that is a step in the right direction!
*His face is a little messy here after a syringe feeding "dance". His behavior is normal as he cleans his face, grooms himself, hops onto the IKEA bed, sleeps (and snores), grooms me, has REM sleep, etc. Spunky little guy with a funny personality. He loves couch time!
*His crooked face. His front teeth were removed a few years ago. You can see his little gums that look like tiny teeth. He may have some nerve damage from that or the jaw abscess on his right side. The abscess is still in the bone but does seem to be growing. This also plays a role in his uneven bite prohibiting him from eating normally. It is too soon/dangerous to put him under anesthesia so we continue to keep up the routine.
Thank you for all your support. Casper deserves a chance at a "normal" life.
January 30, 2023
In Casper's words:
My molars are growing back and I can now chew pellets. No hay or veggies for me at this time even if it is chopped up. I love eating bananas, especially if foster mom cuts it up and feeds it to me. My butt twitched when I eat something I like and it really twitches when I eat banana My poops are back to (almost) normal Those probiotics help my gut health and are needed because I am on antibiotics.
My mouth is crooked and I think it is cute. I still have an abscess in my right jaw. It doesn't hurt. I am on some pain meds just in case.
I like couch time ALOT! It makes me feel so comfy that I fall asleep right away. They say I snore but I really don't believe it.
Thank you for all your support.
I am not fully healthy but am feeling a little better each day.
February 05, 2023
Some good news, some setbacks
Setbacks:
Casper's left eye (not shown) is bulgy. We took him for another vet appointment to make sure it was not a thymoma (tumor in chest cavity).
Good news:
It is not a thymoma!
Setbacks:
The eye may be bulgy because of infection/abscess in that side too or his molar roots are putting pressure on the back of the eye.
Good news:
We have scheduled an appointment under anesthesia early March to get a better look. Also Casper continues to be on pain meds & antibiotics.
Setbacks:
Casper is losing weight and had some mushy poops. Mushy poops may be related to introducing alfalfa pellets in hopes of gaining weight. Unfortunately, it is too rich creating more cecal poops.
Good news:
We continue to syringe feed, he is eating pellets my mush, pellets and drinking water on his own. He loves bits of banana on the end of a syringe before he is fed critical care. We are adding oat flour to the mixture to see if that can add calories for weight gain. His behavior is normal. Super affectionate, sits on the couch, in your arms or lap. He loves to groom me and my robe! Casper falls asleep easily & snores a little. When fed banana, he makes a squeaky noise & his butt twitches because he loves it so much. He is on @oxbowanimalhealth
digestive and urinary tract support tablets. If broken up & soaked in water, he will eat those on his own.