[pets] mixed day
Mar. 12th, 2010 06:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inulroEarlier this week, Florence, our very elderly rabbit, stopped eating the solid rabbit food but continued to drink and eat her greens. As experienced rabbit owners, we knew that this meant she'd developed a problem with her teeth.
Fixing the problems with rabbits' back teeth (definitely one of evolution's less-glorious moments) involves a general anaesthetic, which can be dangerous for rabbits.
Thankfully I have just collected a live but somewhat spaced-out rabbit from the vet.
The news is less good on the gerbil front. From the day we got them, Polly was less active than Sylvia. Last Tuesday I noticed that Polly was definitely Not Well (it's a non-specific thing in small animals but unmistakeable when you know the signs). She finally passed away yesterday. :-(
Which leaves me with two possible scenarios - either they're a lot older than we were told, or there was just something wrong with her. Option A has implications for the surviving critter (who is still the most energetic gerbil we've ever had, which is saying something!)
Fixing the problems with rabbits' back teeth (definitely one of evolution's less-glorious moments) involves a general anaesthetic, which can be dangerous for rabbits.
Thankfully I have just collected a live but somewhat spaced-out rabbit from the vet.
The news is less good on the gerbil front. From the day we got them, Polly was less active than Sylvia. Last Tuesday I noticed that Polly was definitely Not Well (it's a non-specific thing in small animals but unmistakeable when you know the signs). She finally passed away yesterday. :-(
Which leaves me with two possible scenarios - either they're a lot older than we were told, or there was just something wrong with her. Option A has implications for the surviving critter (who is still the most energetic gerbil we've ever had, which is saying something!)
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no subject
Date: 2010-03-12 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-12 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-13 05:38 pm (UTC)I thought wild rabbits didn't live very long? Evolution wouldn't have any cause to kick in if they're usually dead before they're old enough to develop teeth problems... Still, it's good that she came through the treatment ok.