Not Again!

I got home this afternoon at 4pm to find Henna complete flopped on the floor of the hutch. Coal was sitting next to her. She didn't look right. My heart stopped. It nearly didn't start again when I got a closer look, saw her eyes were open and there were ants crawling all over her eyes, in her ears and nose. But I could still see her breathing. I picked her completely floppy body up, put her in the cat box and raced right back out of the house and to the vet. I called their emergency number in advance. Wow can traffic suck when you are in a rush. I even had my hazzard lights on to no avail.

I got Henna there and explained as best I could about Bell (it was a different vet today, the one who'd originally spayed Bell tho) thru my gasped breathes. They gave her a few shots and I went to go and fetch Coal, in my panic I hadn't even thought to bring him along, just in case. Varen left work immediately.

For the record, Coal is still doing fine and running and jumping happily around the garden when given the opportunity. The photo on the left was taken a few days ago when Henna was clearly missing her buddy Bell.

By the time I got back to the vet, Henna had perked up a bit and was able to hold her head up. We were hopeful and Coal got another dose of the de-worming stuff that's supposed to help prevent the neurological parasite they now think is the cause, Encephalitozoonosis. Since Henna has been afflicted with the same symptoms as Bell (actually even worse than when we left Bell at the vet on Saturday morning!), we're now pretty sure Bell's death wasn't caused by the falling plank. But I'm terrified for Henna because I know Bell's prognosis wasn't good :( Henna feels pretty much paralysed. She doesn't react to touch and has no control over her arms and legs. If you pick her up her whole body just lolls in your hands. It's more than dreadful to see her that way.

Varen took Coal home, best to keep him away in case it's catchy. And I stayed with Henna for another hour or so. I couldn't leave, but eventually it was too heart breaking to stay.

I went thru an entire list of possible causes when seeing Henna like this, was it a plant in the garden they ate (took photo's of everything to the vet), was it the flour we'd been using to deter the ants (instead of poison that could be harmful to the bunnies), was it a wasp sting (we've recently found 3 nests we need to get rid of on the upstairs window) ... ? Nearly drove myself nuts trying to think of causes and how to prevent it happening ever again! When the vet mentioned the parasite, we realised it could be the water in a vase we're growing a lily in.

Unfortunately all 3 of the buns have drunk out of the vase. We thought it was quite cute them climbing up there at the time. Now not so much. Have thrown out the entire thing, just in case! Finger's crossed Coal won't be affected because he's had the drops (used more as a preventative measure against the parasite than a cure) on Saturday, before he learnt how to climb all the way up there! And he got some more this evening so we have high hopes he'll make it ... if in fact that was the cause.

Am devastated ... again.