I’m wondering if anybody can help me with a health issue I’m having with my rabbit. I adopted Louie about 5 1/2 years ago and the vet estimated that he was between 2 and 4 years old when I got him, so now he’s probably between 7 1/2 and 9 1/2. He’s had some medical issues in the past including an eye removed after an infection and had an ear infection both of which have contributed to a lasting minor head tilt. More recently is seems as though his top two teeth have been overgrowing and the vet has been clipping them when needed which is rarely. He easily gets poopy butt, so I’m really careful with which fresh veggies I give him. So, here’s what’s happened recently:
Two days ago, I noticed that there was a few tiny drops of blood in his cage that were dried, so I’m assuming they happened during the night. I checked him over very well and couldn’t find anywhere that it might’ve came from and check his paws and mouth to see if his fur was stained from licking a wound. His poop and urine looked normal in the litter box and he was eating and drinking fine that day and night. The only thing I noticed was that his gential/anus area look a little red. The next day (yesterday) he stayed in his litter box the entire morning and was not eating or drinking. I could hear some teeth grinding and he was looking pretty uncomfortable and hunched so I took him into the vet for a normal appointment to avoid the emergency vet. The vet gave me Novasal wipes and instructed me to clean his genital area by gently dabbing the area with a wipe twice a day. He also shaved him down there so it would be easier to clean. He told me if this doesn’t seem to be helping or if it gets worse, I can call back and he could prescribe an antibiotic to treat a potential urinary tract infection. The vet wanted to avoid antibiotics and so did I, if they weren’t needed to avoid potential diarrhea that could make the area worse.
Today, Louie seems to be doing a little better, but not much. He only pooped a few mishaped poops last night as well. He didn’t eat or drink anything yesterday and I tried offering him all of his favorite treats and putting a little bit of juice in his water along with his normal bottle of only water. This morning I syringe fed him some critical care, water, simethicone (gas medicine), and part of a chewable baby aspirin based on another rabbit person’s advice. He ate a tiny bit of parsley that I wet down on his own and a raisin. He’s not sitting in the litter box today and looks more comfortable. His gential area looks red still and swollen. I have no idea how I would get the vet a urine sample to try to diagnose a UTI.
I’m wondering how much Critical Care I should be giving him and water. He’s 4 pounds 6 ounces. I’m also wondering if I could put some ointment (I have zinc diaper rash ointment, non-petroleum ointment, normal petroleum jelly, and neosporin) on his genital area. It seems like that would help soothe or protect the area when he urinates throughout the day. Also if I give him half a baby aspirin (81 mg) and gas drops, how often would I give him this and is this necessary? He seems much perkier after I gave him the medication and syringe feeding. He’s still sitting in his cage in the same place, but he’s moving a little more. If I take him out of his cage, he’s still hoping around the floor and fighting me doing the syringe feedings. I’m trying to find a vet that has more experience with rabbits than my current vet at this point. Any help would be appreciated! I can take pictures or give more information if needed. Thank you!