Treating stasis would involve fluid therapy and motility drugs
The increased fluid would then increase the volume the heart would have to pump, as the rabbit already has GI stasis this is not ideal. CHF will cause a fluid back up leading to pulomary oedema that may potentially kill the rabbit
Manage: very slow fluid therapy IV or small frequent oral doses, more reliant on prokinetics (cisapride, metaclopramide) in hope the stomach and intestines can contract to move it along, rabbit may be given pimobendan to improve heart pumping and low dose diuretic (furosemide) to keep fluid out of the lungs.
Establish IV access in the ear when sedated for radiograph to be able to administer furosemide quickly if the rabbit requires it, rather than trying to establish it once the animal is awake.
To treat egg binding that failed medical management, the animal requires a surgical spay. To prevent the egg rupturing inside.
However many captive reptile suffer metabolic bone disease due to suboptimal husbandry (lack UVB or dietary calcium). This results in weak bones and low blood calcium. Low blood calcium is necessary to heart function and therefore putting such animal under general anaesthesia will have a high likelihood of the animal dying from cardiac arrest.
Manage: administer calcium (gluconate) and fluids to help stabilise the heart and treat the low calcium, correct the husbandry by providing appropriate UVB lighting/thermal gradients/diet to be able to utilise the calcium, then once blood tests confirm ionized calcium levels are in a safe range the animal can undergo surgery
DO NOT do intraosseous catherter to push in fluids and calcium in a patient with MBD, risk of shattering bones, try use jugular instead if necessary
E.Cuniculi is a common parasite in rabbits; leads to head tilt and death roll when they lose balance. A rabbit that refuses to eat could also have dental disease.
To diagnose dental disease the rabbit is typically lay down and take the radiograph, when rabbit wakes up they are disorientated and will thrash around.
Insulinoma is commonly treated with prednisolone to raise the blood sugar levels
In adrenal gland disease it results in over production of hormones that lead to hair loss and progressive muscle wastage.
The long term use of prednisolone also leads to this increased muscle wastage and therefore accelarate the decline resultant from the adrenal disease
Management: deslorelin implant to treat the adrenal disease reducing the muscle wastage experienced, this allows then to maintain the prednisolone (and or diazoxide) therapy to manage the blood sugar, encourage high quality protein diet to maintain muscle mass.
Trap: if iso is used for the desorelin implant and it is wanted to collect blood to check the insulinoma, it should be done before the gas is turned on otherwise it will spike the glucose.
Lymphoma is typically addressed with prednisolone at a immunomodulatory dose. GI foreign body and intestinal lymphoma may present similarly; severe weight loss, lethargy vomit, diarrhoea.
However, steroids can suppress the bodies healing ability.
Therefore, before the ferret recevies the prednisolone an US must be done to rule out FB. As this will complicate surgical healing should it be required for the FB, leading to breakdown and possibly fatal peritonitis. The vet should use GI protectants and fluids until they are certain