Winston Is A Champ

Original Post

Following is Update #2 - About 2 weeks ago 

You know what one of the biggest lessons I've learnt since beginning treatment for PTSD? Not everyone is an arsehole! Most people seem to be wonderful and kind. I say seem because this is a generalisation and I haven't met everyone in the world. I'm also still messed up by years of trauma and my go-to trauma brain thinks everyone is a prick and untrustworthy.

I say this because it amazes me every day and I'm so grateful now. Ridiculously so. If it wasn't pandemic times I think I might hug people when before I could barely make eye contact. Crazy!

So the original vet hospital I took Winston to were amazing. Even though I was triggered and losing my shit for not being able to administer an injection, they were amazing. So professional, sympathetic, and all-round wonderful.

Then my local vet, not an exotics vet by the way, have been wonderful too. I was able to arrange with them to bring Winston over for his daily injection without a consultation which would have really f'ed me up financially (what finances though? LOL). Even better is they are a block away and within my 5km radius (I'm in a covid-19 red zone at the moment).

Yes the rabbits have the shits with us for my SO and I loading them into the car and taking them to the vet daily, but I could care less. Winston is getting his shots! And he has so much energy now. I thought he had less energy because he was just getting old. Turns out, there was a health issue. He still ran around, did binkies every now and then, humped Hazel, ate well, grunted for his food, got excited when there was new hay, but now? It's like he has reclaimed his youth and he is so funny. 

Present Update

At the moment Winston is being a bunny burrito with a teddy bear and an Oma blanket I made. He was great for about two weeks after the initial emergency vet visit. Then we had to rush him to the vet hospital in the middle of the night as he had laboured breathing all of a sudden. 

Since then we've just been waiting for him to get better. Anything that looks like an improvement we latch onto and see it as gradual improvement. Evidence he is getting better, but this is going on so long I'm starting to wonder if any improvement we see is actually wishful thinking. Is it really there?

I am exhausted.

So a 24 hour vet stay and $1200 bill later Winston came back home and we began a new regime of treatment. The initial mass had increased, but given Winston had begun sneezing the vet had decided to treat aggressively for infection.

He seemed to be in better spirits, with breathing at least, but he wasn't really eating as usual and wasn't as excited to have fresh hay. He has also not been wanting alone time, like he did before, and go so far as to bring hay into the lounge room to eat. During siesta time in the middle of the day he can't seem to get comfortable unless either my SO or I am cuddling him or placing him in a burrito. I've made blanket forts, brought out plush toys for him to cuddle, just accepted he is going to pee in random places because he has developed incontinence, and his nose has become even more congested.

His treatment regime, now, involves oral antibiotics after breakfast (pellets). Followed by a session of Ventolin and then Flixotide inhalers. He has a break, cuddles with Hazel, and then I put him into a nebulisation box which he sits in for 20-30 mins.

During the day it's mostly my SO and I observing him to make sure he is still breathing, and trying to help him get comfortable. When his nose gets really bad I waft some vicks under it which helps. Eventually he sleeps and snorts until the afternoon arrives.

At 5pm I take him for a short walk over to the local vet for a penicillin shot, bring him home and then give him dinner (veggies). After dinner is another session of Ventolin and Flixotide. He has a break and then it's the nebulisation box for another 20-30 mins.

By bed time it's fresh hay, a treat, and making sure he is comfortable and breathing enough for me to feel at ease enough to go to sleep. 

Rinse, repeat!

It's exhausting with just that, but his breathing is so congested it's beginning to interfere with his eating and has lost a little weight. I'm keeping a very close eye on him. While he hasn't declined, this all sounds scary and horrible, but he also runs out in excitement from his bedroom in the morning and gets excited when it's time for dinner. Even though he has to have breaks to be able to breath when he is eating, he is still excited to eat.

He still humps Hazel!

Which is why we haven't considered taking further steps and are continuing on with the current treatment. The usual length of time to administer antibiotics to start with rabbits is 3 weeks. It's only been 2 since this new regime began.

I have my fingers crossed. I'm hoping. I'm not wishing as I don't believe in it, but I do have hope. Just waiting...