Lizzie ill, Lizzie better!

Hi everyone, sorry it took such a long time to post a new page, but my little Lizzie fell ill!

I took her to the vet shortly before the Lowlands festival and it turned out she had Coccidiosis. This is a microscopic parasite that 80% of all bunnies carry in their intestines. Typically, healthy adult animals will be asymptomatic because of their developed immune systems. However, undeveloped immune systems make young bunnies more susceptible. So for small bunnies it can be a deadly illness.

Luckily we caught it very soon, so I got medication for her and thought she would be all right. My neighbour took care of her (and of giving her the medication) while I was at Lowlands, but when I came back, I noticed she was quieter than usual and eating less. During the rest of her 10 day treatment she started eating less and less until I had to force feed her to make sure she would not not develop gastrointestinal stasis, which happens when bunnies stop eating and which can also be deadly. We added another type of medication, but her appetite didn't get any better.

I thought she would start eating again after the medication treatment was done, which was a week ago on Sunday. But she didn't eat on Monday or Tuesday, so I took her to the vet, but he could not find anything and sent me home again. I called him again on Wednesday when she still wasn't eating and said I was exhausted from force-feeding her for a full week and I wanted him to check her teeth (which , if you read my comic, you now know has to be done under general anaesthesia).

He offered to take her into his care to see if he could get her to eat again and said he would check her teeth the next day. But when I called the vet on Thursday he said she started eating again. He kept her until Friday just to be sure, but she got her appetite back and I was able to pick her up again Friday afternoon.

She is eating well and her bowels are healing well too. So it was a bit of a scare and an unwanted trip down memory lane after everything that happened with Zoë the last year of her life, but at least Lizzie got better again.

She is not back yet on the weight she started on two and a half weeks ago, and she still has to make up for two weeks of growth as well, but she is all back to her old self again, running and jumping and peeing on my couch... which I don't mind so much any more at the moment.. and which I covered with a textile shower curtain yesterday so I can just wipe it clean now. ;-)

So that's what I was busy with the past few weeks. Hopefully I will get a little more productive again soon. If not, just start harassing me for new pages in here ;-)

Lizzie eating again!


Back between her toys


Playing on my legs!