June 11, 2008
Lucy Update
As you may recall, Lucy, the mother of our beloved babies, has suffered some health setbacks recently. It appeared that both of her tympanic membranes had ruptured and our fear was that her ears were filled with pus.
She was back at OSU today where she was evaluated by a neurologist. It now appears that her tympanic membranes are not currently ruptured, although they may have been in the past. The neurologist and Dr. Herrli are beginning to think that the cause of her wobbliness is some kind of protozoan infection, such as e cunniculi. The progressive wobbliness may be due to neurological inflammation.
I know this sounds really scary but...
The plan is to put her on a large dose of prednisone to try to reduce the inflammation. If inflammation is what is going on and if the prednisone is effective, the prognosis is good.
The plan is to start her on the prednisone next week.
What a rollercoaster ride! And major kudos to Sarah, who is looking after Lucy!
Posted by Sue at 5:46 PM
May 15, 2008
What Does Forever Mean?
I got a typical email from Karalee today. Typical in that it consisted of the usual combination of good and bad news. The good: the remaining three babies were successfully spayed yesterday. A tremendous relief for us all. The bad: a second barn bunny is coming back.
To refresh your memory, back in late 2005/early 2006, 17 rabbits were rescued from a barn in Cardington. No surprise, Karalee was instrumental in getting them placed.
Maggie was returned a few weeks ago. I met her last Saturday and my first reaction was a gasp. She is a gorgeous black and white mini-lop, which immediately made me think of my beloved Oreo, who left this world several years ago. Not only is she gorgeous but she is very sweet and was residing quite happily in the Curry home while foster mom Eileen is out of town.
I have yet to meet Teddy but he has been described as very sweet and highly adoptable.
The timing on this latest bad news is not great. I have to admit to being in a bit of a funk when it comes to people and animals. I did not watch the Kentucky Derby but still managed to experience a profound sadness over Eight Belles's demise. Two compound fractures is extraordinary even by horse racing standards. A week earlier, two other horses were euthanized after falling during the cross-country phase of the Rolex Three-Day Event. And polar bears have now been classified as endangered.
So, with all this bad news, I was prepared for a full-blown rant on the topic of whether people are worthy of being in the same world as rabbits, horses, and polar bears.
As I was washing greens tonight, I got to thinking about our chapter. It's hard to ignore the fact that CHRS is nothing more than a group of people united in our love for long-eared hoppers. Our volunteers manage to make room in their overly busy lives for activities that unquestionably improve the lives of Central Ohio rabbits. We spend endless hours caring for the lagomorph members of our families, socializing our fosters, and trying to regain the trust of rabbits who have been dumped at Capital Area Humane Society.
We rescue, we educate. Most of all, we are always there to greet returnees with open homes and open hearts. Like Maggie, we remain optimistic that a forever home is out there for every rabbit that passes through our lives.
So what does "forever" mean? For me, it means that all of our chapter rabbits have a safety net. Should that forever home be short-lived, these rabbits will always have a safe sanctuary with a chapter volunteer. Maggie is right to be confident that she will always have a home in our chapter, until her real forever home is finally found.
Which makes me feel very proud to be a part of this group of people called the Columbus House Rabbit Society.
Posted by Sue at 5:22 PM
April 27, 2008
The Search Continues
Unfortunately, the bonding between Jonesy and Blackberry did not end as hoped. Although Blackberry was very interested in Jonesy, Jonesy's high-energy personality does not work as a friend for a bunny that is wobbly and has balance issues. So, the search continues for a friend for Blackberry who has a mellow and laid-back personality, one who is able to handle her balance problems.
I got to spend some quality time with her today. Blackberry is definitely one of the sweetest bunnies I have ever met. She loves having her head rubbed and licks my hand. Everyone who visits is quickly charmed by this darling little girl.
This little one definitely deserves a friend and a forever home.
Posted by Sue at 11:14 AM
April 23, 2008
Lucy Update
My apologies for taking so long to provide an update on our beloved Lucy.
It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride with her. If you know Lucy, you also know that she, like Blackberry, has been a bit wobbly for as long as we've known her. Neither girl seems to mind in the least. They are both charming, adventurous young ladies.
Lucy had started dating a handsome fellow named Eddie. Things were progressing really well and Lucy left the Curry home to stay with Eddie.
Sadly, Lucy suffered a medical setback and appeared to have developed head tilt. Needless to say, our hearts were broken. She has been through so much and was finally on the brink of a wonderful life with Eddie. It just seemed so unfair.
Lucy, of course, chose not to let it get her down. Being the fighter that she is, she is bouncing back. With a vengence. Her most recent vet check was excellent.
So.... Keep your fingers crossed that Lucy and Eddie will be BFF. For those, who don't follow the younger generation's lingo, that means Best Friends Forever.
You go, girl!
Posted by Sue at 6:11 PM
April 13, 2008
Other News
Life continues to be busy on the CHRS front. For me, the big news is Blackberry and Jonesy may be a match!
I have been fortunate to spend some serious quality time with both on Karalee's porch.
Jonesy is quite the little pistol, and gives new meaning to the word "binky." An amazing athlete and quite the flirt. Blackberry is absolutely charming. She is one of the sweetest rabbits I have ever met, which is even more amazing given how poorly she has been treated in the past.
Keep your fingers crossed that this works out.
Also, the CHRS picnic will be held on June 7. This is a particularly special event: We will be celebrating six years of official existence as a chapter and many more years prior to that as HRS volunteers.
To make this a truly successful celebration, we need your help! Go here to see how you can help.
Posted by Sue at 2:55 PM
March 16, 2008
Babies No More & More Blackberry
I had another visit with the babies yesterday. They don't look like babies anymore, having grown into beautiful young adults, now nine weeks old. How quickly the time has passed!
Karalee had separated them into two groups of two and one group of three, in preparation for their transition to their foster homes. The split into smaller groups has gone very well as shown by white bunny Lacy and best friend Brie. While I was there, they spent some time grooming each other. They are very happy together.
It was good to see momma Lucy again. She looks fabulous and is clearly enjoying life as a single rabbit.
And last but certainly not least, I finally got to meet Blackberry, who had been dumped outside with Lucy and was rescued by Karalee and Wendy Marschner a couple of weeks ago. Although still recovering from her spay, Blackberry was in fine spirits. She is one of the most curious rabbits I have met. Having some doubts as to my intentions, she would come up to me, head bobbing up and down, then retreat to her box. But we became fast friends as soon as I started rubbing her head and ears.
Blackberry is such a sweet little rabbit. She is also still very much a young rabbit, anxious to explore every corner of her world. She is also smaller than I expected based on the photographs I had seen. Some lucky person is going to have a lot of fun with this little girl!
Posted by Sue at 10:08 AM
March 12, 2008
Excellent Blackberry Spay News
Today was spay day and Blackberry came through like the trooper we know her to be. Like her friend Lucy, Blackberry was munching on hay on her way home from the vet.
Although spays are routine, we always breathe a sigh of relief when everything goes as planned. Especially when the rabbit has been through as much as Blackberry and Lucy have. But all is well and we're delighted.
Blackberry is really settling into her new digs. In spite of her lousy treatment by humans, she is a lovely, sweet rabbit who absolutely adores attention and pets. This little lady is definitely ready for a forever home full of love. May her wish come soon!!!
Posted by Sue at 6:13 PM
March 9, 2008
Introducing Blackberry!
Now that I've talked up the rescuers, it is with great pleasure that I introduce the rescued, Ms. Blackberry. Looking at her picture, it's hard to believe she spent so much time outside. Her paws are dark but her coat is in reasonably good shape with no sign of fleas or mites. However, like Lucy, she is wobbly. And like Lucy, she takes it all in stride, spending her time re-decorating her pen. Karalee says that Blackberry has quite the personality, turning boxes upside down and otherwise making it very clear that she is not totally appreciative of her new surroundings. My hope is that she ends up with a friend to keep her company.
Although Blackberry is wobbly, she otherwise looked good at her vet visit. She is due to be spayed on Wednesday, which should settle her down a bit. Time with Karalee and Chuck will also help her to adjust to life as a house rabbit. It's quite possible that she really doesn't know what that means. We know she lived in a hutch and also lived outside. But she is a smart and gentle soul who awaits her forever home.
We are really glad you are here, Blackberry!
Posted by Sue at 2:58 PM
February 26, 2008
Recovering Lucy
Lucy continues to do very well recovering from her spay yesterday.
This sweet gal seems to take everything in stride and is just happy to be here safe and warm with plenty of food!
Posted by Karalee at 1:58 PM
February 25, 2008
Excellent Lucy News!!!
Lucy was spayed today and came through with flying colors. She was chowing down on hay on the way home.
Whoo hoo!!! You go, girl!
Posted by Sue at 10:00 PM
February 15, 2008
Good News for Lucy
Lucy had a vet recheck yesterday and we were thrilled with the news! Though both of her eardrums did rupture, the good news is that it appears to have been just fluid that drained, not infection! Lucy has been doing so much better since the day she started on antibiotics. So much so that you would never know she had been sick if you did not notice her wobble. She will stay on antibiotics a bit longer and then we will see when we can pull her off the meds. Way to go Lucy!
And Happy Birthday to the babies, they are 5 weeks old today!!!
Posted by Karalee at 3:45 PM
February 5, 2008
Lucy Goes to the Vet
A quick update on Lucy. Even though no visible sign of an ear infection in either ear, the vet suspects a middle or inner ear infection since she thought the eardrums seemed to look slightly bulging. She remains wobbly but no sign yet of head tilt. This little lady is tough! She's still eating well and, as the picture below shows, she handled her trip to the vet with great decorum. Keep those prayers coming!
Posted by Sue at 10:39 PM
February 4, 2008
Lucy
A week ago, I had the opportunity to meet Lucy and her babies. Although the babies were clearly the stars, I also fell immediately in love with momma Lucy. That she had been through hard times was obvious as she ate and drank incessantly, a characteristic of animals who have suffered serious food deprivation. In spite of that, she managed to deliver seven healthy babies and has proved to be an excellent mother.
It's never fair for any animal to get sick. But it's especially unfair that Lucy faces yet another hurdle. An email from Karalee late this afternoon brought the terrible news that Lucy appears wobbly. This is often the first indication of an impending head tilt. After all she has been through, the only thought that comes to mind is "This is so unfair."
But things are different this time. Lucy is no longer alone and abandoned. She has Karalee, Chuck, and Dr. Herrli on her side, as well as a host of friends and well wishers. So please send your prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Posted by Sue at 7:30 PM