Wednesday 1 April 2015

Poor Sammy

Eleanor's bunny, Sammy, isn't very well at the moment. Mick went out to his hutch to feed him last week and noticed that he'd got some hay caught around his back leg, acting like a tourniquet and making it swell up. This has happened to him before. I don't know how the hay manages to wind itself round so tightly.

We managed to get the hay off, no mean feat I can tell you. The leg was so swollen that the hay was nearly cutting in to him. We took him to the vets to have his leg checked out and was told that it was warm and he was using it, which was a good sign. The vet gave him an anti inflammatory injection and we were told to keep an eye on him. He'd bitten his leg trying to get the hay off and the following day, we noticed that he was still biting so we rang the vet and asked for his advice. Sammy is now the proud owner of a lampshade collar, one of those contraptions usually used on dogs to stop them licking at wounds or stitches.


He's actually managing really well with it, it doesn't seem to bother him at all. We're making sure that he gets plenty of supervised time where he can have a run around without the collar on. We have to watch him all the time though to make sure that he doesn't bite at his leg, which seems to be healing well now that he can't get to it.


This photo was taken last week, you can just see where he's been biting at his back leg.


I'm hoping that the leg is completely better soon so that we can take the collar off him. It can't be much fun for him.

52 comments:

  1. Hope Sammy will soon be a happy Easter Bunny.
    Lisa x

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    1. Thank you. His leg looks to be healing so I suppose it's just a matter of giving it time.

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  2. Sammy is a cute bunny! I hope his legs heals up quickly now that he can't bite it any longer. x

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    1. The collar seems to be doing the trick so I'm sure he'll be as good as new again soon.

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  3. Poor bunny, I hope Sammy's leg is better soon. xx

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    1. Thank you. It's awful to see him with the collar on but it really doesn't seem to bother him, poor little thing.

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  4. Poor Sammy. One or two of the four paws have needed to wear one of these collars at one time and they really don't like them at all do they. Hope Sammy is better soon.

    Mitzi

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    1. Archie had a collar after he went for the chop and didn't like it at all so i was expecting Sammy to put up more of a fight than he has at having to wear it. I'm glad he hasn't though, it doesn't seem to stress him out at all.

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  5. Oh dear, I hate hearing about pets not being well, so glad he seems to be on the mend. Those Elizabethan collars are not much fun for them, but they seem to work. Our late cat Tabitha had to wear one once and she kept getting stuck in small spaces as she forgot she had it on. Get better Sammy and you take care Jo.

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    1. I remember our late cat banging in to things when he had to wear a collar, it would have been quite comical if it wasn't for the fact that I felt so sorry for him. Sammy is on the mend now so they definitely work.

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  6. Small daughter calls it a "collar of shame" after seeing the dog in the film "Up!" wearing one! Hope Sammy doesn't need his for much longer xx

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    1. I shall have to remind Eleanor of that, she loves that film. I'm hoping that Sammy's leg will soon be better and that the collar can come off.

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  7. Poor Sammy, I hope that he's better soon. I always have a great deal of sympathy for any pets wearing one of those as I can imagine just how annoying it must be. Flighty xx

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    1. It's not as though you can explain it to them either, they don't understand that they're wearing a collar for their own good. I'm sure it won't be long now until we can take it off.

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  8. Oh that is so cute! I hope he heals soon. Andrea

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    1. He does look cute with the collar on. I'm amazed that he's tolerating it so well, bless him.

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  9. How very strange. Glad he's doing better.

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    1. He's doing much better now, if only he'd leave his leg alone.

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  10. Awww, poor Sammy. I hope his leg heals quickly so he can get rid of the collar!

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    1. I do too. I keep going outside just to check on him, but he seems perfectly happy enough in the collar.

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  11. One of my favourite Famous Five stories was the one where Timmy had the collar on! Poor Sammy, he does look like a character!

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    1. I don't remember that Famous Five story. Our other bunny, Monty, who recently died was a mischievous little thing, I could totally understand him having to wear a collar, whereas Sammy is so placid, it's had to imagine him needing one.

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  12. Oh my goodness... poor thing! It's horrible when our pets cause us worry. I hope that Sammy is soon on the mend. Jx

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    1. It is horrible when our pets are unwell, they cause me no end of worry, but they're worth it. I'm sure he'll be well again soon.

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  13. Poor Sammy, it sounded very sore, lucky it was spotted when it was, our pets are so precious to us aren't they xx

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    1. I dread to think what could have happened if Mick hadn't noticed it, it doesn't bear thinking about. It just goes to show that we need to be vigilant where our pets are concerned, I'd have never forgiven myself if it got any worse than it had.

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  14. Aww Sammy! I hope that you are feeling much better again soon little chap and that you can dispense with the lampshade! xx

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    1. I'm sure he'll be as right as rain again soon. It is quite sad seeing him this way though.

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  15. Oh no Sammy, cone of shame. When Anni had to wear hers she made it clear she was not happy with us!!!!

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    1. Archie was the same but Sammy's tolerating it well. I'm sure it won't be long now until we can take it off.

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  16. Poor Sammy, indeed. I hate seeing animals in pain or distress, it's so upsetting to me. I hope he's much better very soon. This is his holiday coming up, he needs to be in top form to enjoy it. :)

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    1. I'm just the same, I'm a real animal lover and hate to see them suffering. His leg's much better so we'll be able to remove the collar soon.

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  17. Awww, poor lad, glad he's on the mend, hope he's back to full binky capability too. We returned home to a bunny refusing to eat last night - panic stations!

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    1. He's hopping around just fine so his leg's working perfectly well and the swelling's gone down, if only he'd stop biting at it. It's healing well though so I don't think he'll have to wear the collar much longer now, thank goodness. I hope you're bunny's ok, they're not often off their food.

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  18. Oh I hope he gets better soon. Always upsetting when a pet is unwell. I hope he stops the biting soon, its probably just feeling a bit different and he's not used to it. Sending bunny love xx

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    1. That's exactly what I thought. He won't understand that a piece of hay was caught round his leg, he just feels something different and because he's already started biting at it, it's still feeling different. I'm sure having this collar on will break the habit and once it's taken off again, his leg will back to normal.

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  19. Aww, hope Sammy heals soon xcx

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    1. His leg's looking much better but he was still trying to bite at it when we gave him some time out of his collar yesterday so it's staying put for the time being.

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  20. Oh, the poor thing! I hope he is better behaved with his collar than our spaniel was - she managed to get the collar off, the bandage off, and remove her stitches, after a minor op on her leg!!

    http://frayedattheedge.typepad.co.uk

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    1. Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. I think dogs and cats really struggle with these collars but Sammy seems to be doing ok, I'm so pleased that it isn't such a burden to him.

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  21. What a sweetie he is ... I do hope he's all healed soon x

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    1. He's such a lovely bunny, very placid. I'm sure he'll be as right as rain again soon.

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  22. Poor thing. :(
    Hope he gets better soon.

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    1. He's definitely on the mend now. I hope he doesn't have to wear the collar too much longer.

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  23. Do hope Sammy gets back to full health soon.

    Many years ago the family had a guinea pig called Snowy and a rabbit called Honey, they both gave us all much joy. Pets are special.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Pets are very special. We used to have have two guinea pigs before we got the rabbits, they're lovely little critters.

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  24. I'm sorry that Sammy is unwell. Hope the collar helps and he's feeling more comfortable and healed up soon. It's upsetting when our much loved pets are unwell. Wishing you a very happy Easter weekend.

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    1. The collar is definitely helping, his leg is healing nicely but he still won't leave it alone so the collar's staying put for the time being.

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  25. Ahh, hope Sammy starts to mend, you feel so bad for them when things aren't right. We have been lucky with Lulu our rabbit, she is coming up for 8 and hasn't had any problems. Those lampshades are not liked, we had another Newfie that had to wear one, he was not happy. Huge difference in size to your rabbit though! ;)

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    1. Ha ha, I can imagine the difference in size of those collars. Sammy is about seven and a half so he isn't doing too bad for a rabbit of his age, we just need to get this leg better.

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  26. Oh....poor Sammy! I'm so glad you spotted the problem quickly, it could have resulted in the poor guy losing his leg. My Herbie hog got hay twisted around his leg one night, the poor thing was in a right state.xxx

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    1. I was worried when he went to the vets as I knew it could be serious if the blood supply had been cut off. I wonder how this happens, I suppose they must turn around and the hay gets caught somehow.

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