And when you father turns to stone, will you take care of me?

[austin_dern]

Let me give an update on our pet rabbit before moving on to the next big story, which would be Anthrohio. This will not be a merry post, but it isn't a grim one either.

Our pet rabbit had been moving more stiffly, especially since Christmas. We started giving him some painkiller medicine, which he loves, and some ``cold laser'' treatment, which he's come to accept. We're not positive that the ``cold laser'' --- shining a laser on his skin in the hopes of stimulating capillary action somehow --- is doing anything, but we do suspect the attention and the weekly trip is good for him.

In March we got an X-ray and learned his left hindleg had a much larger calcified deposit than we imagined. We knew he was getting arthritic but not how badly he was getting. His right hindleg had ... something ... on his knee. The vet suspected it might be bone cancer. To tell we'd have to wait two months and get new X-rays. If it was bone cancer, it would have grown dramatically. If not, then it would still be a shadowy weird shape.

Last weekend, when our rabbit was with bunny_hugger's parents --- we were taking a short trip to see my sister and her family, another story to come here --- he spent the weekend flopped out in their kitchen, not moving. Barely eating. He's always depressed when he's first away, but this was much more severe than usual. We followed reports of how he was and grew worried. I had gotten used to the idea this would probably be his last year. That this might be his last month I was not.

He perked up when we got back to him. He got much more alert. What he did not get was mobile. He could barely stand up and would rather not. We could stand him up but he would be wobbly and tip over. I was ready for the worst, that he's got bone cancer and it had grown to the point his right leg had given out altogether.

Based on the new X-ray, there is not evidence that he's got bone cancer. We don't have to make hard decisions about that.

We are trying him on a new joint medication. We hope that'll help his legs. We have also been trying him on some nutritional supplement, to help him regain some needed weight. His mood is still excellent, and he's been getting a bit closer to ambulatory again. He's still in rough shape.

We had left June free, as we never quite worked out a plan to do an amusement park trip. And that's fine now, as we would not want to put him to the stress of another separation from us. We do have some potentially stressful affairs planned, though. In July we plan to go with bunny_hugger's parents up to the Traverse City area. We had always planned to bring him along and we expect to bring him still. But we also have reservations to go to a pinball event in Pittsburgh, and that we are going to have to board him with bunny_hugger's parents. We hope.

Trivia: Louis Pasteur and Marie Laurent married on 29 May 1849, and had a honeymoon in Baden. Source: Louis Pasteur, Patrice Debré, Translated by Elborg Forster.

Currently Reading: Old Lansing Town, Editor Hazel Proctor.

Comments

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

*hugs* It's always a hard time when a loving furry friend is suffering, and worse when you can't do much about it.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

It is. Especially when you worry the treatment is just inflicting misery without actually helping. He's not fond of the baths he's had to take, for example, but we think that's controlling his ringworm ... but we did also have to shave a patch of his skin and there is something really unpleasant in a partly shorn, sopping wet, angry rabbit that's having trouble standing steady.

But the ringworm looks like it's getting under control, touch wood, and he's standing more steadily now. And he may be at an end of needing full baths soon.

[kevinjdog.livejournal.com]

I hope he gets better soon.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

There are a lot of hopeful signs. He's been getting more steady as the week's gone on, partly because of stuff we're treating him for, and probably partly because he's at home and where everything should be. And with the cancer scare passed we're feeling better about his activity.

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

I'm so pleased that he at least has you there for him, and that he has his ailments being monitored and cared for. I keep feeling so useless when I see myxomatosis afflicted buns (that wave locally might be over with), knowing there's nothing I can do for them at all. Life's tough enough for wild buns, without that insidious influence beckoning the Reaper so prematurely.

He may not be getting any younger, but, at least there was that good news about a lack of any cancerous evidence. And whatever happens, he has you both there for him.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

There's some fresh news as you'll see in ... ah ... six minutes from now. Generally good stuff.

Fortunately, there's no myxomatosis or anything that dangerous in the vicinity and we don't have to worry about that. It's more ordinary troubles for now.