The Christmas tree is up and it has evidently provided additional enrichment for Flo and Tumble. I ended up shuffling the chocolate decorations a little higher up the tree after finding Flo standing on her hind legs nosing one. She would have had them all off given half a chance.
Another trip to the vets for a check up with Fudge. He seemed like he was doing great, all reflexes firing correctly, eye healing not perfectly but well enough. He was eating and doing the rest of the things that healthy rabbits should do and then bang! A seemingly normal check up turned into another monstrous affair.
A lump was found to the front of Fudges ear, about the size of a pea. The vet suspected either an abscess which rabbits are notorious for, or a tumour. Either way, they needed to see what it was quickly and have it taken out. From there either a culture of the bacteria or a histology would be performed on the tissue samples. It could have been put off till next week, but why wait another week when things may only get more severe. If it was an abscess they grow rather quickly and if a tumour, well you suspect cancer you don't walk to the Dr's, you run, slow growing or not!
Despite having promised him before we left the house that it was only going to be a short visit and we'd be back home soon, I had to leave him there. Heart breaking and worrying, he's already been through such a lot. An added stress was the ever increasing bill. I'd do anything for these little guys and I can't wait till I've finished my training in holistic animal care so that when I bring them home knowing that something is up, I can do more.
Well upon opening Fudge up, they discovered the abscess, they also discovered that it was draining into his left ear canal. In order to ensure all infection was removed, they said that they would have to also remove his ear canal. He was out for the count anyway and they knew what they were doing and they were confident that it would work. Like seeing a child suffer, you will always feel bad for their plight, but I also know what an amazing little fighter my little man is. He's made of stern stuff!
He was kept in overnight, after a call from the hospital to say that the operation had been a success. They were syringe feeding him and he was comfortable. By morning he was rejecting the syringe feed and helping himself to the hay and whatever else was on offer. If there is one thing that Fudge can do, it is eat! He will literally try anything, though I try to discourage his from Indian take away ;).
It was a shock to see him the next day, the left ear is entirely stitched up and he has been shaved around his head, but all things considered he's quite lively. He's still eating, we just have to make sure no gut stasis sets in.
I'm looking into natural ways I can keep his immune system boosted and keep any infections at bay. Colloidal silver is an amazing antibacterial which can be gargled and swabbed etc. People can use this too for bacterial infections, in particular of the upper respiratory tract and treating wounds. It aids healing wonderfully, though watch out for excessive ingestion of this or you may turn slightly grey, (gravis).
I qualified several years ago in aromatherapy and am currently making a transition into animal aromatherapy and animal care, where there are also a wealth of hydrosols and base oils that can be helpful in recuperation alongside conventional veterinary medicine. (Please always seek professional advice!) My friend is a qualified animal homeopathist who works alongside a veterinarian practicing western and complimentary medicine. I have experienced numerous times how effective complimentary commodities are with animals and I will be returning to them as much as I can.
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