# How/ When to Wean off of Critical Care?



## Jenk (May 26, 2008)

As my Emma is working through GI stasis, I have another question regarding this recuperation stage.

Emma came home from the hospital on Sat. (5/24) andproduced many poops (dark and _very_ tiny) that day (likely from the sub-Q fluids she received that morning). Since then,she's been passing the same dark, tiny fecals but at a much slower rate. 

She's tired of being syringe-fed (Critical Care, water and three med's/ twice per day) andputs up a fight. Yesterday, we got only 40 cc's of Critical Care into her (the minimum recommended by the vet; 90 cc's being the max.). She atea little green-leaf lettuce and a few mint leaves. Today, she's eatena little more green-leaf lettuce. 

As she's been eating hay since coming home (but nowhere near a normal amount) and isnow eating _some_ veggies, I don't knowhow much Critical Care to give her. She's normally 3 lbs. but is more waifish since her ordeal. If she's eating somewhat on her own,wouldthemin. amount of Critical Care (40 cc's) be okay for her?

Again, Emma seems to be slowly pooping out what's going into her (in terms of Critical Care); I don't want to overstuff her with her and cause her more problems. 

Thank you,

Jenk


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## Jenk (May 26, 2008)

Since Emma's overcoming stasis and isn'tpooping normally/frequently, is it okay to continuefeeding her the recommended amount of Critical Care? (I'm afraid that if what's going into her isn't coming out fast enough, then it's just sitting in her digestive tract.)

Emmawas a_BIG _water drinker; nowshe barely touches the three water dishes I've set out for her.We've been syringe-feeding her water (between 40 and 60 cc's)since her returnhome. (The amount that we get into her depends upon the level of fight she puts up after being force-fed Critical Care and other med's. ) I've even added a Tbs. of unsweetened apple juice to8-oz. of water and tried syringe-feeding it to her (without having to restrain her). No go. 

Jenk


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## Pipp (May 26, 2008)

Sorry for the delay, we're still very short staffed, two of our Infirmary Mods haven't been able to access the site at all in weeks. 

Have you tried canned pumpkin? Maybe she'll like that. It's nice wetfiber. 

The minimum is fine. You actually want her to be hungry so she'll willingly eat more veggies. I'd suggest trying all kinds of herbs to see if anything is more popular with her. I usually end up waving a piece of parsley, dill, blade of grassor a carrot top in a bunny's face until they get mad and grab it to throw it away. More often than not, when they bite down on it they decide they like it and eat it instead. 

Pipp at the moment is only nibbling on veggies,she's eating a few pellets. I'm grating carrot for her, that seems to be going over well. And of course she'd eat a few flakes of oats even if she was on her last leg. 

Just offerher a variety of everything. 

Willshe drink the juice if it's maybe not quite so diluted? I put about 1/4 parts juice to 3/4 water as a max. As long as you're not suddenly overloading her with sugars and carbs, she should be okay.

If the Critical Care is well soaked, her water intake isn't a huge issue, but more would be better. If the poops are hard, you can try a thinner mix. 



sas :clover:

PS: It usually takes a good week or two for the GI tract to return to normal, and you do have to be diligent -- which you are!


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## Jenk (May 26, 2008)

*Pipp wrote: *


> Have you tried canned pumpkin? Maybe she'll like that. It's nice wetfiber.


I tried it starting two days before she wound up hospitalized. Now that she's being syringe-fed Critical Care, though, I'd prefer to keep her on that and wean her onto her normal diet.


> The minimum is fine. You actually want her to be hungry so she'll willingly eat more veggies. I'd suggest trying all kinds of herbs to see if anything is more popular with her. I usually end up waving a piece of parsley, dill, blade of grassor a carrot top in a bunny's face until they get mad and grab it to throw it away. More often than not, when they bite down on it they decide they like it and eat it instead.


She started eating greens (a little mint and green-leaf lettuce) last night. Today, she ate quite a bit more of both. My concern, though, is that her gut's not moving quickly, yet we've loaded her up on Critical Care, greens and water. When I feel her tummy, it feels pretty darn filled out. (She's on Reglan for a few days' time to keep the food moving along, but it still seems to be happening _so slowly_.)


> Pipp at the moment is only nibbling on veggies,she's eating a few pellets. I'm grating carrot for her, that seems to be going over well. And of course she'd eat a few flakes of oats even if she was on her last leg.


So Pipp is also undergoing stasis issues right now? Poor girl... 



> Willshe drink the juice if it's maybe not quite so diluted? I put about 1/4 parts juice to 3/4 water as a max. As long as you're not suddenly overloading her with sugars and carbs, she should be okay.



Luckily, Icaught her drinking water a bit more today than she has in days (on top of the water she received by syringe). I may try the stronger juice mix, but I'm still leery about adding sugar to her diet when her gut's moving so abnormally. (She's on antibiotics as it is to help ward off any problems from her gut slowdown.)




> If the Critical Care is well soaked, her water intake isn't a huge issue, but more would be better. If the poops are hard, you can try a thinner mix.


I will thin out her dose of C.C. tonight;most of her poops are still dark and hard (though I saw a few tiny, grassy-looking ones earlier today ). I fed her 10 cc's of C.C. this morning and plan togive her 5-10 cc's of it tonight. But since she's showing more interest in her hay and veggies, I'll leave it at that amount and see what she eats on her own tomorrow.


> PS: It usually takes a good week or two for the GI tract to return to normal, and you do have to be diligent -- which you are!


I'm learning that it's essentially a matter of holding your breath, hoping, praying and trying to do the right things for your dear bun--all at the same time. I thought I knew stress before living with bunnies. But what did I really know? :?

I will do my best to remain both vigilent and patient with Emma's GI tract. She's only been home from the vet's for two full days, so there's time yet. It's the slowness of producing poops--and dark, tiny ones--that has me holding my breath still a bit.


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