Trying to Weigh Quincy the Rabbit
A few weeks ago, after a visit to the vet… we learned that Quincy has something called E cuniculi. He had been pooping a lot more than usual, going so far as to leave small pellets around the house (and sometimes even peeing on carpeting).
Up until now, he had always been a pretty ideal bunny. At first, we didn’t know if this was a territorial thing, or if he was upset in some way. It was hard to tell if it was intentional. After the vet visit, we learned that rabbits with the disease oftentimes have difficulty with their bowels, and also have difficulty keeping/maintaining food.
In addition to him going to the bathroom frequently, his weigh has also been an issue (you can feel his ribs, which are disturbingly pronounced). We tried to slip him some additional food in the evenings, but it didn’t seem to make much difference.
After returning from the vet, we put Quincy on some additional medication. Thankfully all the medication involves open-tip syringes, and require no actual needles.
With a lot of Quincy’s prior health problems (liver levels, heart disease), he’s on a whole host of medication. It’s embarrassing, but I’ve lost track of specifically all the different things we’re trying to combat. A few of these meds are temporary, and a few are for life.
The collection of six syringes on the right is all the stuff for Quincy; the two on the left are for Baxter.
Additionally, we also put Quincy on Critical Care. We first learned of this stuff after Baxter had an incident of gastro-intestinal statis. Critical Care is a high-nutrition formula, meant to be easily absorbed into the rabbits’ systems.
Normally, you’re only supposed to give a set amount to rabbits – but we were told to give Quincy as much as he wanted. So twice a day (once in the AM, once in the evenings), he gets a healthy amount of the stuff.
Interesting side note: Critical Care actually smells pretty good. It’s got a slight fruity, strawberry kind of tinge to it.
Trying to feed both rabbits eleven different syringes simultaneously is a tricky feat. Usually, I end up slowly feeding/distracting Baxter while Liz gets Quincy through his regimen. It requires a lot of swapping and hand coordination, for sure.
Looking over the notes from our vet, we wanted to see if Quincy had gained any weight recently. To do this, we figured the best way would be to use our kitchen’s digital scale. Additionally, we sprinkled a bit of dry food inside as enticement.
Liz, trying to get Quincy in the frying pan.
Baxter, suddenly curious why Quincy is getting all the attention.
With the food on the stove and knives on the wall, I realize this doesn’t look good.
Aaaand, this doesn’t look very good either. Though I think he looks pretty darn cute. No hasenpfeffer jokes, please.
Despite the odd choice of tools, we were able to determine Quincy’s weight. Compared to what the vet reported… Quincy’s current weight is lower, which surprised us (he was 1.85 kilos at the vet, and a little lower at home). Liz and I both feel he’s gotten better and gained a bit of weight, so we’re going to try to weigh him again in the future. Now that we have a control, it’ll be interesting to see if he’s put on any pounds.
Related:
Baxter And Quincy: Laid Back Bunny Rabbits
Giving Medication To The Bunny Rabbits
Quincy and the Needle
Baxter and the Bunny Burrito
Bunny Burritos!
Liz Makes Apple, Gruyere And Sage Muffins
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I believe 2 meds are for his heart disease, 1 is a probiotic, 1 is for the E cuniculi, 1 is for his anemia and I forget what the last is for. Aaaand Felix forgot to include another one; it’s a powder that we incorporate into his critical care that’s supposed to help him break down his food so his body can absorb it (and then put on some weight).
Baxter has 1 bunny-ibuprofen and the other is her treatment for E cuniculi.
Liz (November 9, 2011 at 10:35 am)Poor baby! You are doing an amazing job, though! The last photo of him in the pan with the knives in the background is pretty funny and disturbing! Hope he gains weight soon.
Layla (November 10, 2011 at 11:16 am)Hey my bunny was the same!!! The panacur has cleared the e cuniculi but he is still pooing everywhere… And still not happy with him… How’s your bunny?
Claire (January 10, 2012 at 4:10 pm)Quincy’s better with the e cuniculi (the last vet results were very positive), but yes – still a small, cute little pooping machine. It’s hard to believe that so much can come out of something so small.
avoision (January 11, 2012 at 9:14 pm)Hiya- my bunny is just getting over ecuniculi … The panache has got it out of his system and he is now testing negative for it which is good… But he is still pooping everywhere! Do you have this problem? U hope your bunnies are okay!
Claire (January 26, 2012 at 1:07 pm)*panacur!!
Claire (January 26, 2012 at 1:08 pm)Did they say if he will ever just go back to pooping in his cage? :)
Claire (January 26, 2012 at 1:09 pm)Quincy is much improved, but still pooping a good deal. It’s mostly contained within the sun room (where they stay). He still leaves a few surprises around the apartment, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be. But yeah – still a little popping machine. Not sure if that will ever quite go away.
avoision (January 26, 2012 at 2:09 pm)