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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE HELP! Foster bunny defies all preconceived notions of health and sickness

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    • Lindsay
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      3 posts Send Private Message

        Hello everyone!  Longtime listener, first time caller.

        #opalbunny for pictures

        Everyone, meet Opal, a 4 year old Netherland Dwarf lilac silver marten, as best I can tell.  He’s a foster for the local humane society who was supposed to be with me for only 5 days for a round of antibiotics.  Here we are on day 31.  Not to toot my own horn, but I swear this kid would have died about five times over without a foster home.

        I’m writing because I just can’t figure him out.  Been doing rabbit rescue since 2009 and I thought I’d seen it all, knew it all, could prevent/treat it all.  He’s killing me.  Here’s the shape he was in when I got him:

        • Overgrown nails
        • Sore hocks/open wounds on feet
        • Weepy eye
        • Not eating hay or veggies, only junk food pellets
        • Underweight

        Aaaaand here’s what we found when he stopped eating ANYTHING after his neuter:

        • Maloccluded teeth, one root almost up to the weepy eye
        • Lower tooth roots nearly puncturing jaw
        • Overgrown front teeth
        • Overgrown back teeth with no points that met and no grinding surfaces
        • One molar fractured below the gum line
        • Hemivertebrae
        • “Minimal gas” and no obvious sign of GI upset

        And here’s where we are now, after two weeks of Emerald Critical Care “bunny soup” and transitioning to pellets:

        • LOVES pellets — when he wants to eat
        • LOVES apple — usually will eat small bites, then zoom around because that’s a lot of sugar for a 2 lb rabbit
        • Just last week started eating some hay, but is usually uninterested in it, leading to me putting small piles of fresh hay in front of him many times a day
        • Still not interested in any veggies, including smelly herby things, and especially not cilantro
        • Ate 4 dandelion heads (from my untreated yard) a few days ago, ate 2 more yesterday

        So, that’s what’s going into him.  Here’s what’s coming out of him:

        • Pee, thankfully, looks good but is small in quantity and volume
        • Poops are tiny, dark, hard, teardrop shaped; telltale signs of something going wrong inside
        • Poops are infrequent and only like 6 at a time

        He will eat a couple pellets if I put them down in front of him.  He will eat a bit of apple if I put it down in front of him.  He will drink a couple laps if I put his water bowl in front of him (he has a bottle too that he does not prefer).  He has two litter boxes, 2 places to find pellets, and there’s hay literally everywhere in his room (oh yeah, he has a whole room to himself).  

        I worry about his hemivertebra causing pain — can’t do anything about that.  I worry about his broken tooth causing pain — can’t do metacam for too long without liver damage.  I worry about these tiny dark poops and lack of interest in food, especially when it’s been about a week of this.  I’ve sat with him for long periods giving him food, squishing his tummy, syringing pineapple juice, syringing water, more pellets one or two at a time, more bites of hay…  It’s just never enough to fix it.

        He’s already had x-rays and check-ups and the doc says he’s fine.  He bruxes and then flops, but the flop lasts about 3 seconds before he’s back in a hunched posture and I can’t tell if the tooth grinding is bruxing or pain.  He chins my finger and loves getting his head rubs in, but then “kicks dirt” whenever he moves through the room as though he hates me.

        Sick bunnies I can do.  Healthy bunnies I can do.  This kid…  I have no idea what to think.  I’d LOVE some input, advice, “have you tried this?” suggestions, anything is good because I’m about at wit’s end with this tiny guy.  Thank you so much!  You’re all such a great community!

        -Lindsay


      • LBJ10
        Moderator
        16870 posts Send Private Message

          Is there a reason you’re worried about liver damage with him? More recent studies suggest Metacam is safe for long term use in rabbits without liver or kidney problems.


        • Azerane
          Moderator
          4688 posts Send Private Message

            Were the teeth with the overgrown roots removed?

            I would suspect that the main cause of his poop size, shape and frequency would be lack of hay/indigestible fibre.


          • Lindsay
            Participant
            3 posts Send Private Message

              Re: Liver damage — perhaps my information on it comes from outdated science!  I was told, though it was many years ago, that prolonged Metacam use will damage the liver.  I’d be very pleased to know if this is not in fact true.


            • Lindsay
              Participant
              3 posts Send Private Message

                The teeth with the overgrown roots were not removed, they were trimmed though.  100% of his molars had overgrown roots.  They plan to continue trimming, but could apparently go so far each time?

                I’ll go with that theory of the small poops being from a lack of hay, I just wish I knew how to get him eating it, and veggies too.

                I actually wound up taking him to the vet yesterday as he became very lethargic, and they found a cut inside his mouth — the likely culprit for him stopping eating, just due to pain.  He’s back on Critical Care and Metacam for now, we’ll see how he does!


              • LBJ10
                Moderator
                16870 posts Send Private Message

                  There are some recent studies that suggest long term use is safe. How long that really is, I don’t know. But I do know there are a lot of bunnies that have been given Metacam for a long time with seemingly no ill effects.

                  Here’s one study (sorry, it’s just the abstract): http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.75.2.195

                  MediRabbit also states that long term use appears to cause little adverse effects: http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm

                  I agree with Azerane that the small poops may be diet related. It sounds like you may have found the cause of his low hay consumption.

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              Forum DIET & CARE HELP! Foster bunny defies all preconceived notions of health and sickness