The GI scare(s)

Its been a while since I did a blog post on this page. Its been a busy couple of months.  Literally right after I wrote that last post about bonding, my little Hazel girl got sick. One morning I woke up and she decided she wasn't eating. When I tried to give her one of her favorite treats, she refused. She wouldn't take critical care or eat any veggies. A fellow bunny friend came over and tried to help me give her some gas drops with not much luck. So I called the vet and she was diagnosed with a mild case of Gi stasis. I had to leave her at the hospital overnight. But the next day I got a call from the vet saying she was all better and could go home! I was relieved and cried when I heard the message.

Almost exactly a month later, the same thing happened with my Fiver boy.  But because he's a bit more skittish, it took him a little longer to recuperate and he ended up having to spend 2 nights at the hospital. Thankfully he pulled through and was back to his spunky sweet self in no time. But after 2 hospital stays in a month, I was taking all precautions.

Although I thought I was already being cautious with their diet, I decided to cut back on the amount of treats and veggies, and even their pellets anyway. This would force them to eat more hay. Though they've always been pretty good hay eaters, I figured more couldn't hurt.

The other aspect was fur. I've definitely seen them go through periods where they shed more than at other times. But they seem to be constantly shedding. And they are constantly grooming themselves and each other every chance they get. Its hard to keep up with controlling the fur. Especially when they really don't like any of the brushes I've tried to use. But the grooming must be done whether they like it or not.

I decided to set up more of a routine for them to get more used to being brushed. I usually let them out the play in the morning and at night. So every morning and every night they come out, they get groomed. Sometimes I will set them on my lap, try to snuggle them a bit, then use the soft brush to pull the already loose hair off. Then I use a fine comb to try to pull more out, especially around their little fuzzy bums, as it seems to collect there the most. Then I use the wet hands technique. This is the easiest and quickest method because to them its not much different than me petting them. And if they let me, I try to pluck any other loose tufts I see.

Sometimes instead of setting them on my lap, I put them on a small towel on top of my dresser. This seems to work the best. They are high enough up that they won't jump and I'm standing right in front of them should they get the notion they can jump. I don't have to hold them which they like, but they also can't move very far so its easier for me to get all the way around them.  It also makes them a little bit nervous up there. I think it maybe reminds them of being on the exam table at the vet! While I don't want them to be stressed, in this case it works to my advantage because they're more likely to let me do what I need to do and give them a more thorough grooming. Hazel even gives me hugs during the dresser grooming times. She stands up to put her front paws on my shoulder and sticks as close to me as she can get. Again, while I don't want them to be nervous, at least we get some snuggles out of it too!