Bunny's Spinal Surgery
Donation protected
On November 30th, we all woke up & Bunny crawled out from under the blankets, did her normal morning roll over on her back & wiggled in an attempt to get Indigo to play with her. During her wiggles, Bunny yelped & everyone froze. We got up to go potty & Bunny was limping on her front right paw. I thought maybe she rolled on it funny when she woke up & just tweaked it a little. Throughout the day, she continue to not play like normal & wasn't acting her true self, but I thought her paw was just sore.
That night, Bunny started to whine if she laid certain ways. I felt up & down her body but could not replicate the pain she was feeling. We went to bed hoping it would get better after sleep, but throughout the night I could tell she could not get comfortable.
The next day Bunny was stiff, she couldn't balance on her front paws & would tip tap when she walked. I realized it was her neck & made an appointment. She went in that evening & I was told it was a pinched nerve & she was given a steroidal shot & more steroids to take. We got back home & Bunny did not look good. She was stumbling & barely able to hold her head up. I figured she was just in more pain & discomfort from the vet manipulating her body to make sure he knew exactly where the pain was stemming from. Hopefully another nights sleep & the medication would kick in.
Bunny slept that night on her side, which she hadn't been doing. She did not move, she did not wake up to whine so I thought she was feeling better. When we woke up, Bunny still didn't move. I realized that she wasn't better, she was completely paralyzed with her arms & legs shot straight out stiff as a board. She was rushed to Pet Specialist in Monterey & given pain medications & then they told us that she needed to be rushed to San Jose for an MRI.
At MedVet in San Jose, Bunny received her MRI & went into immediate spinal surgery. Her case was severe & there was significant bleeding & swelling. The injury was between her C5 & C6 but her C7 needed to be operated on as well due to the bleeding. We do not know how this happened, as it is usually an accident from acute trauma but she did not jump off the bed or play tug or any of the things that would usually cause it. We believe that this was inevitable & her wiggles pushed her over the edge.
I started fostering Bunny about a month ago to help her with her separation anxiety. Within the day I realized Bunny's case was more significant than we perceived. I was her fourth home in three years & we don't have information about the previous three years of her life. She had the worst case of separation anxiety & abandonment issues that I have seen. Her previous owners dealt with this by locking her in a closet, so this also led to confinement issues. All of the said, I needed to keep Bunny & not add to the problem & I wouldn't of had it any other way. She is an angel.
With all of that, Bunny needs to be completely confined for 4-8 weeks which is her biggest trigger. There is a lot that is going to go into this recovery & that is a huge added factor that we need to understand & deal with appropriately. Bunny already has slight movement to her left front paw & surprising is able to curl her hind toes. The paw that she was limping on, I am not seeing movement in & that is something I will need to discuss with the vet.
She will not be able to bear weight for weeks. I have to manually express her bladder & rotate her hips every four hours. She needs PT 2-3 times day & standing exercises five times a day.
This surgery came out of the blue & has totaled over $10,000. This year has been exceptionally challenging for everyone & now we are at the holidays. Brandon & I do not expect any donations, but if you feel it in you to donate to Bunny, we would be unforgettably appreciative.
Thank you so much & I will continue to give progress updates on my Facebook.
That night, Bunny started to whine if she laid certain ways. I felt up & down her body but could not replicate the pain she was feeling. We went to bed hoping it would get better after sleep, but throughout the night I could tell she could not get comfortable.
The next day Bunny was stiff, she couldn't balance on her front paws & would tip tap when she walked. I realized it was her neck & made an appointment. She went in that evening & I was told it was a pinched nerve & she was given a steroidal shot & more steroids to take. We got back home & Bunny did not look good. She was stumbling & barely able to hold her head up. I figured she was just in more pain & discomfort from the vet manipulating her body to make sure he knew exactly where the pain was stemming from. Hopefully another nights sleep & the medication would kick in.
Bunny slept that night on her side, which she hadn't been doing. She did not move, she did not wake up to whine so I thought she was feeling better. When we woke up, Bunny still didn't move. I realized that she wasn't better, she was completely paralyzed with her arms & legs shot straight out stiff as a board. She was rushed to Pet Specialist in Monterey & given pain medications & then they told us that she needed to be rushed to San Jose for an MRI.
At MedVet in San Jose, Bunny received her MRI & went into immediate spinal surgery. Her case was severe & there was significant bleeding & swelling. The injury was between her C5 & C6 but her C7 needed to be operated on as well due to the bleeding. We do not know how this happened, as it is usually an accident from acute trauma but she did not jump off the bed or play tug or any of the things that would usually cause it. We believe that this was inevitable & her wiggles pushed her over the edge.
I started fostering Bunny about a month ago to help her with her separation anxiety. Within the day I realized Bunny's case was more significant than we perceived. I was her fourth home in three years & we don't have information about the previous three years of her life. She had the worst case of separation anxiety & abandonment issues that I have seen. Her previous owners dealt with this by locking her in a closet, so this also led to confinement issues. All of the said, I needed to keep Bunny & not add to the problem & I wouldn't of had it any other way. She is an angel.
With all of that, Bunny needs to be completely confined for 4-8 weeks which is her biggest trigger. There is a lot that is going to go into this recovery & that is a huge added factor that we need to understand & deal with appropriately. Bunny already has slight movement to her left front paw & surprising is able to curl her hind toes. The paw that she was limping on, I am not seeing movement in & that is something I will need to discuss with the vet.
She will not be able to bear weight for weeks. I have to manually express her bladder & rotate her hips every four hours. She needs PT 2-3 times day & standing exercises five times a day.
This surgery came out of the blue & has totaled over $10,000. This year has been exceptionally challenging for everyone & now we are at the holidays. Brandon & I do not expect any donations, but if you feel it in you to donate to Bunny, we would be unforgettably appreciative.
Thank you so much & I will continue to give progress updates on my Facebook.
Organizer
Alyssa Licata
Organizer
Salinas, CA
