RUPERT'S TREATMENT
Rupert came to the rescue on January 4, 2007 in a horrific state. He was found at the side of the road at Bank and Leitrim in Ottawa and taken to the nearest all-night veterinary clinic. A kind staff member there cared for him overnight and met Regan and Marg at the rescue veterinarian's clinic the following morning. When the veterinarian placed Rupert on the floor, she thought for sure he would need to be euthanized. He was so weak, he could barely move and appeared to have back injuries. However, when she attempted to scope his molars, Rupert bucked up like a regular bronco and showed her who was boss. Rupert had life in him yet.
His hock sores were horrific (see the pictures below for their condition upon arrival and their progression) on all four paws. His ears were infested with mites, leaving the charateristic yellow crust and scabs dotting both ears. His teeth had interesting wear patterns, with the top incisors longer than normal, jagged and slanting diagonally, although they were definitely occluding normally. Rupert's odour was noxious - a mixture of urine, feces, infection and general filth that even caused some of his caregivers to break out in hives. The heat coming from his festering wounds seemed almost enough to burn skin. He was emaciated, weighing a mere 3.96 lbs. and had a heart murmur, which was later attributed to anaemia. He also had swollen testicles due to mild urine scald caused by his immobility. No one was sure if Rupert would make it.
He was treated for the ear mites that day and the rescue began treatment on his hock sores with Vitamin E capsules. He was put on a diet of 90cc of Critical Care per day, unlimited alfalfa pellets, lots of leafy greens and, like all rabbits, unlimited hay. He ate everything in sight and started to gain weight rapidly. His stool and urine looked normal.
Rupert was in very high spirits throughout his treatment and would "slither" across the couch with great difficulty just to say hello. He often exerted all his energy to reach up and give a kiss on the mouth or nose to his caregivers. Everyone knew Rupert was special.
On January 13, Rupert began to sit up on his own and took his first tentative steps. It was a few weeks before he moved with less difficulty.
On January 23, Rupert was taken for a follow-up appointment. The heart murmur had gone. The veterinarian was pleased with his progress and prescribed Baytril to clear up a pocket of infection on one of his front paws. It swiftly improved with the antibiotics and ongoing Vitamin E treatments. He was still gaining weight and moving better every day.
Over the following six months, Rupert recovered to the point that he was almost an ideal weight and could move around almost like any other rabbit, although he was sometimes unbalanced or sat oddly as though he had misshapen bones (which he continues to do today). He could binky and play and became strong enough to fight against any treatment he needed. The rescue discovered at this time that Rupert has a severe phobia of cages and moved Rupert from his exercise pen to a full room in the rescue.
On June 7, 2007 Rupert had his neuter surgery. Due to his phobia, Rupert stayed with his caregivers up until the surgeons were ready and returned when he came to. Not only did the surgery and recovery go smoothly, but his bloodwork was normal. Rupert became a resident of the rescue and is constantly injuring himself while grooming, due to unknown causes. These injuries usually cause small pockets of pus, which can easily be manually drained. Due to his ear mite infestation, there is concern that he may have suffered hearing loss (and is prone to eczema). His hock sores are still healing to this day and will most likely continue to do so for the rest of his life.
On July 11, 2007, Rupert injured his eye by unknown means (likely grooming as stated above) and was taken to the veterinarian. No treatment was necessary, as the sore on his eyelid was external and not yet infected. A few days later, it became a tiny pus pocket and it was succesfully drained at the rescue. It is now completely healed. A similar such incident occurred on August 20, with a sore on his left paw.
UPDATE APRIL 20, 2009: Rupert continues to develop small abscesses that require draining. Although he is beginning to show his age, he is a happy boy as always and enjoys life!
Rupert's First Day at the Rescue January 4, 2007
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January 11, 2007
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January 19, 2007
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January 29, 2007
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February 8, 2007
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March 11, 2007
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