So, now that we seem to be safely removed from Ruby's health emergency, I thought I'd explain to those of you who are interested what happened.
On Sunday, Feb. 12, I poked my head in Ruby's room to see how she was doing and was alarmed to see that she was sitting in kind of an unnatural position. She has a few different positions that she likes, and this wasn't one of them. Adam and I took her into the living room and we tried petting her a little, but she wouldn't let us. She wouldn't lick us, and she didn't even try to play and jump off the couch and run around the room, which is normally one of her favorite things to do. She also was making a clicking noise with her teeth--and while a quiet clicking noise means she's happy, a loud one means that she's in pain. So, we took her to Pet Urgent care, where the vet took x-rays, which showed Ruby had a GIANT gas bubble in her abdomen, which you could actually SEE distending her poor little abdomen. She wouldn't eat, drink, or go to the bathroom, so she was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stasis...which is really bad for rabbits because if their GI tracts freeze up, it can quickly lead to death. The vet gave Ruby some pain medication and a couple of shots to keep her hydrated. The vet sent us home with her, with instructions to get some follow-up care the next day.
Sunday night was miserable; I got up every hour or so to check on Ruby, and every hour, she broke my heart. She was obviously in pain, and she kept pushing and pushing, trying to get that stupid gas bubble out but she couldn't, and then she would flop down on the ground, completely exhausted. By morning, I could tell she was completely worn out, and I was really, really worried that when we took her to the vet, we were going to be told that she'd have to be put down.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were up and down. We took Ruby to the Family Pet Hospital, and everyone there was very nice, but Ruby still wasn't eating or drinking or going to the bathroom. In addition to the GI stasis, the vet added anorexia and hypothermia to Ruby's diagnosis. Adam and I would go in to be with her periodically and hold her and try to get her to eat, Dr. Madsen actually decided that she might do better at home with us overnight, since she seemed to perk up a little when we were there. The vet gave her enough meds and tube feeding to get her through the night, and she actually did well at home Monday night, but she didn't seem so good on Tuesday, so we took her back in. Again, we got to take her home that evening, and she did well for awhile but then wasn't doing so well again, so I took her back to the vet Wednesday morning. Luckily, with some more treatment, she did somewhat better, and we got to take her home again. The vet actually told us to try taking her out into the yard, since she normally loves that. Adam took her out while I went to work, and he said she was definitely slower and more tired than she normally is but that she enjoyed being there, and she did seem better Wednesday night, although definitely not back to normal. Thursday morning, she was doing okay but still did some of her pain-indicating teeth-clicking. Calling the vet, he said she might still have some discomfort and they could give us an oral medication for her pain if she kept up the clicking. She actually didn't keep it up, and over the next few days, she gained strength--and a gigantic appetite! I couldn't believe how much she ate! We don't know if she was trying to make up for lost time or what, but she turned into a little piggy rabbit and ate voraciously. Since then, her appetite has slowed down slightly (back to normal), and she seems pretty energetic and happy--and she's even gotten a little extra affectionate with me. I guess maybe with all of the babying and holding and checking on her that I did while she was sick, she decided I deserved a little extra love in return :)
Since this ordeal, Ruby has become an indoor rabbit, and one fun side effect of that is that, since I apparently have a small bladder and wake up every night to use the bathroom, I get to see Ruby and take a few minutes to play with her. (Turns out that Ruby really likes midnight to one-ish.) I'm trying not to freak out every time she does something that seems slightly off to me, but I guess that it to be expected. We nearly lost her, and I am not ready for my baby to leave me.
I truly think that the prayers and support we received from family and friends made the difference here. Monday morning, I was certain she was in too much pain to make it, but she pulled through like a champ. So, thank you to all of you who prayed for us. Adam and I are very happy our little baby is doing well and will be able to celebrate her first birthday in a couple weeks.
