His Story
His Status
His Gallery
[warning: graphic content]
His Plea
Pancakes Story
Pancakes, I'm guessing, is about 2 years old, and is an amazingly strong bunny. He manages to still frolick around and cuddle and lick you, he eats and drinks well. Aside from his abscess, he is the world's most adorable bunny. I was introduced to Pancakes after overhearing a conversation about someone recently receiving a sick bunny. I was told that Pancakes had a "bump" the size of a cadbury cream egg on the side of his face. This is particularly alarming since Pancakes is a Netherland Dwarf (a tiny bunny) to begin with. Sure enough, it wasn't an exageration, this "bump" was over half the size of Pancakes' head. It was very hard. Pancakes was also seeping pus from his eye (tear duct, I believe).
Despite his condition, he was very alert and affectionate. I fell in love with him instantly. All I could think about was a mixture of how wonderful he was and how much sorrow I felt for him being in his situation. That was only the beginning, I hadn't even noticed that underneath his mouth, his fur was gone and the skin there was raw. It was heartbreaking and looked very painful.
The flesh underneath his eye was also red and raw from the pus. We had scheduled a vet appointment even before I met Pancakes. It was then that I got to see for myself just how bad it was.
First Vet Visit
First of all, I absolutely LOVE my vet. He is very knowledgeable and caring. I knew with absolute confidence that if anyone was going to help this bunny, it was him. He examined the bunny, he tried to extract some of the puss from the bulge but he was unsuccessful. It had hardened up pretty good but he supplied us with some anti-biotics to help break it up. Even though Pancakes was poked and medicated, he remains a happy and otherwise unaffected bunny.
Things hadn't changed much over the next few days. He was back in the care of his new owner (the one who received him after the abscess was already there).
Later in the week, just as his anti-biotics were nearing an end, Pancakes seemed to be getting worse, the bulge had grown and got to the point where it was closing his eye completely. I knew his owner wasn't in a financial position to keep caring for the bunny and I requested that he let me have Pancakes for a while to get him back up to a healthy deposition. He agreed. This is when the bunny came into the care of my girlfriend and myself (but primarily my girlfriend as she is an amazing care-giver to animals and doesn't get grossed out easily like I do.)
She picked up the bunny that very day and took him to the vets (he had already had an appointment booked because we needed to get more anti-biotics anyway). The doctor looked at him and determined the reason the bulge "looked" worse was because the pus was loosening up. He saw this as a good sign and tried for the second time to extract the infection. He managed to get some but the ball itself was still big and hard. Poor Pancakes' face was swollen from all the tampering but he was blissfully happy and pain free at that moment in time.
Then it broke
Saturday night, my girlfriend noticed that the bunny was acting very strange. He acted as if something was happening to him and he was frightened at what it was. It wasn't long after that that she noticed pus coming out from his eye (tear-duct). This, in itself, wasn't unusual since that has always been happening. What surprised her was the amount. It just kept coming and coming. Instead of cleaning the bunny 5 or 6 times a day, she was with him constantly. Her entire SuperBowl Sunday was spent beside the bunny, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. I told her I would call the vet Monday morning and book an appointment.
Third Vet Visit:
OK, before bringing you to the latest visit. Let me publicly THANK MY VET for his help. I'm more than certain he has been severely lowering my bill because what this visit should've cost, didn't cost nearly as much. I am so very thankful because I wasn't there for the visit (I was at work) but when i heard about everything that happened, I was fearful it was going to be the absolute end of any financial help I could further give this bunny.
Now, onto the third visit. From what I am told, the doctor examined the bunny yet again. The ball, I am guessing, had burst (hence the increase in pus). I imagined that he was going to simply extract the infection as he had tried the other two times.
As it turns out, the bunny's blackened cheek was dead. It needed to be removed. I already feel sick thinking about it. I can handle every horror movie/slasher film in the world, but I can't stand the slightest real-life stuff.
The benefit (hard to find a bright side to losing a cheek) is that it meant getting rid of the ball of pus. (I am soooooo glad I didn't have to see ANY of that.)
The doctor removed Pancakes cheek and got the infection out. Pancakes was not infection-free though. He still needs his course of medication and anti-biotic treatments. (Later, I will give exact names of what he is getting, I don't have the papers on me at the moment). I just remember that we are supposed to squirt hydrogen peroxide into his cheek hole (yes, he has a big gaping hole...which is why I really really must warn you not to watch the videos or see the pictures if you cannot handle it. I don't even cope with it well.)
Then we have to put some medication in it, meanwhile giving him an anti-inflammatory/pain-reliever drug. Notice how I say
we
as though I am taking part in this. I'll be more than happy to give Pancakes the oral medication but cheek-hole, I can't handle that. My girlfriend is strong. I'm weak. End of that conversation.
Once the infection is completely gone, Pancakes will need to go back to have his cheek sewn up again.
This poor, poor bunny has just been through hell these last few weeks. Particularly today (Feb 8th, 2010). And yet, amazingly, he is still eating and drinking. He seems ok at the moment. He lets me pet him like usual. I wonder if he realizes that he doesn't have a huge ball on the side of his head anymore. Or a cheek for that matter.
Here's my problem though: All of this has taken place so fast that I fear I can't keep up. 3 vet visits in less than 2 weeks and a mandatory 4th visit (to sew his cheek back up) along with more medication I imagine. If there are no complications, that should be it. Unfortunately, I am not sure just how much there is left to go. My girlfriend and I already cancelled our valentine's day plans because it would just be horrible to find out we can't afford a medicine of some sort because we had a dinner. What I need, and what Pancakes needs, is a few good people who can help us cover the costs. Personally, I am hoping everything goes well and nothing more is needed but I can't bank on that. I can't predict that we are going to financially help him through his dark times and if I wait any longer to ask for help, I will find myself failing at saving Pancakes. He's come so far and he is doing so well. Let's not end it here. If you can help, please, please do. If you cannot help financially, you can help by spreading the word. Social networking is a powerful tool and it's free.
Please help.
