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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.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Worried bunny mum

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    • rosieannie
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      21 posts Send Private Message

        Hi – sorry to only post when I have a problem.

        Basically on Sunday (5th june) i noticed fifi was drinking far less water than normal (she normally drinks almost a full, small bowl a day), and whilst she was eating her hay, pellets and herbal forage (dried leaves etc from pets at home), she seemed to be eating at one side of her mouth and had a watery eye. I put some very diluted cranberry juice down for her and she drank most of that.
        I took her to the vets the next day correctly assuming she had a tooth spur. This was treated under anaesthetic along with a tear duct and nasal flush. Before taking her to vets I got some more fluid in her by tempting her with the diluted cranberry, but when drinking she was getting all her cheek wet from trying to favour one side of her mouth, which seemed to be irritating her as she would spend ages trying to lick it all off.

        That night, obviously she was fed up from the anaesthetic and vet visit, but she ate her pellets in the in the night and continued to pick at hay and forage that I put down – but still didn’t drink any discernible amount of water and stopped showing any interest in the diluted cranberry.

        Tuesday morning she ate her pellets, and I left her plenty of water and the diluted juice again. When I came back from work, she’d again eaten the pellets and forage and was picking at bay, but no water seemed to have been drunk. Obviously by this point I was really concerned about dehydration especially as it’s been so warm in the UK (she is a house bunny) and all she was consuming was dry.

        In the morning i tried mashing up her pellets with water and offering mint leaves but she refused them all. I took her to the vets Wednesday am, and saw a different vet who checked her stomach, teeth, eyes etc and couldn’t find anything wrong. She said she wasn’t really dehydrated as her mouth membranes were moist and she gave her a painkiller injection as she thought it must be pain from Monday.

        That night I got her all her her favourite veggies and some things to try and get moisture into her (kale, celery, carrot, pineapple, watermelon, vegetable juice) and made up a little salad of this and watered down juice again. Early evening she refused everything, then later on about 10pm she picked at some kale, which seemed to perk her up a bit and she had a hop round, a very small, very smelly wee and picked at her pellets overnight and finished them in morning. Still not drinking water.

        Thursday am I gave her her pellets, some washed still wet kale, small amount of celery and tiny bit of pineapple. She ate the kale and the dried forage but didn’t show interest in the pellets. When petting her I noticed she flinched when I went near her left side of head (where the op was). This morning she seemed a bit more fed up, not hunching but lying down and just looking a bit sorry for herself. She’d also made a bit of a mess of herself this morning with excess cetotrophes, which I assume is from the increase in veg – she’s quite sensitive.

        I went to work and made a 6pm vet appointment. Got home and she’d finished the pellets and kale and celery but still no water! Took her to vets again, saw a 3rd vet who again couldn’t find much wrong other than possible pain from monday. She felt all her stomach and said she could feel poo pellets forming there which was good, no bloating or blockages and she could feel her bladder was very small but again no obvious dehydration. She checked all her teeth again and eyes, and gave her a painkiller and a shot of fluids.

        That night (last night) fifi obviously was very disgruntled with me and hid under a chair all night. She refused her salad, pellets, everything and just sulked. This morning I’ve woken up and she’s awake and sat up; she’s again eaten her kale but not touched her pellets at all and still hasn’t drank anything.

        I’m really worrying about her as I know she could potentially get very seriously ill quickly, but I am worried that I am simply stressing her out more by taking her to the vets so often and it’s actually making her appetite worse. I’ve provisionally booked another 6pm appointment tonight, but I don’t know what to do for the best.

        Obviously today is Friday, so I’ll struggle to get her into a non emergency vets over the weekend.

        Any advice at all would be appreciated.

        As a side note- she’s difficult to handle, and I’m reluctant to force feed at this point at risk of simply stressing her out more, plus I wouldn’t want to do it wrongly and hurt her more. She allowed me to pet her this morning and has picked at a bit of the dried forage after I did so.

        Also the vets she goes to are rabbit welfare society approved (can’t remember name).

        Thanks in advance.


      • Bam
        Moderator
        16838 posts Send Private Message

          Since she’s eaten very little dry food, her need of fluids is less than normal – that said, this isn’t good (obviously).

          I think you need to go to the vet, but you should call them and ask of course. Some vets are willing to teach the rabbit-owner to distribute sub Q fluids, it’d be good if you could do that yourself at home of this keeps up. Have you syringe-fed her any pellet-slurry or Critical Care? Has your vet said anything about that? My bunny Yohio needed a pain-killer + syringe-feeding for about 5 days after his first molar burrs, so I don’t think it’s abnormal. But she needs foooood!

          Have she had any motility-drug (metclopramide, reglan, ranitidine?) She could have gas. It can be painful. Simethicone (baby gas drops can help with gas). It’s a bunny safe med that isn’t absorbed by the body, it can be given on suspicion of gas according to medirabbit.

          I hope you’ll get this sorted. I’ll be back in a couple of hours, I have to go now for a bit. Keep us posted.

          It sounds like she is getting a little bit better (allow you to pet her, nibble at dry food). But she needs more food in her obviously


        • rosieannie
          Participant
          21 posts Send Private Message

            Hi bam – thanks for the reply.
            At the beginning of the week she was eating dry food but not drinking anything which is what I find strange. She’s only gone off her pellets in the last day or so.

            No they’ve just given painkillers and only gave fluids yesterday because of her being back for the 3rd time. They’ve felt her for gas but couldn’t find any.

            When we go back I will push for the jab that gets her digestion going.

            She seems fairly bright this morning and is sitting on her back legs looking round – it’s really confusing and stressful.

            So is it normal for her to still have soreness after her treatment Monday?


          • LongEaredLions
            Participant
            4482 posts Send Private Message

              I can’t really say much but second everything Bam said. It sounds like you are doing a really good job with her, i do hope you can figure this out soon-keep us updated.
              Does she like bananas? I have been known to water down a bit of mashed banana in order to get some liquid in a bun.


            • Bam
              Moderator
              16838 posts Send Private Message

                Sitting up on her hind legs in plain view is good – poorly buns tend to hide and sit hunched up or lie with their tum pressed to the floor. A really poorly bun won’t bother to wash herself, so if she’s waging herself that’s god too.
                I do think you should ask your vet about syringe-feeding. Syringe-feeding is always stressful for a bun, but not having food in the tummy is worse. If you can get Critical Care that’s the best thing, but pellets soaked in water will do fine.
                Gas can only be seen on an x-Ray according to Molly Varga (well renowned British rabbit vet). When a bun has had trouble chewing, there can be gut irregularities for some time after, with gas, sticky poop, small size poop etc. So I don’t think it’s very odd that she an appetite/GI problem 5 days after her molar burr. But she needs help to start eating again, as you know, buns as a rule need that extra help, they’re not at all like dogs, adult dogs can fast for days. Bun’s shouldn’t fast more than 6 hours.


              • rosieannie
                Participant
                21 posts Send Private Message

                  Hey sorry for the delay. Just an update.
                  So ended up taking her back to vets on friday; they put her under anaesthetic again and did blood tests, gave her fluids, painkillers and a gut stimulant and also syringe fed her some critical care. The blood tests showed nothing wrong with her, and the vet said she hadnt lost weight but gave me metacam and the gut stimulant to syringe her 2 and 3 times daily, and also critical care to syringe her. She’s still not drinking water :/ but picking at hay and pellets. She’s using her litter tray again so her gut is moving – I just cant understand why she won’t drink. Yesterday am I woke to her tooth grinding a little so I think she still has mouth or tear duct pain but as you say she isn’t hunching or pressing she sits up on her hind legs and hops around a little, apart from when she’s hiding from me.
                  I’m finding it really stressful trying to syringe her – she literally hates me right now. I just want my normal greedy fifi back


                • Aki
                  Participant
                  47 posts Send Private Message

                    I never had that problem, but I know someone who had teeth problems with 2 of her bunnies. Everytime, she had to force-feed them very watered down critical care 3 times a day for a while after the tooth treatment. She gave Metacam for the pain and also presented food everyday to check the capacity of the rabbit to eat on their own. I don’t know if that can help you, but I remember she used to grate the vegetables, cut the pellets / leafy greens /herbs in small pieces and to give a thing called “Cunipic dental” which is like hay but with smaller strands so easier to eat until the rabbit could eat normally again.
                    If she eats wet vegetables, it’s not terribly concerning if she doesn’t drink much.
                    I feel for you, Aki had repeated bouts of stasis for the past month and I was also torn up between stressing her even more by treating her / making her see the vet again / checking on her 20 times a day and the idea that it could get worse if i didn’t do anything. I almost had a heart attack seeing small poops in the litter box yesterday but she’s eating plenty of hay and acting normal so I’m just going to leave her be for now. Why do we keep rabbits again?


                  • Mollysmummy
                    Participant
                    11 posts Send Private Message

                      Totally feel for you re balancing out the stress of vet visits with the worry/need for advice. They sense what’s not normal and can get into a vicious cycle.

                      I’ve found that sometimes I’m taking mine but all the decisions are based on what I’m describing…she may as well not be there! So I wonder if they’d give you a consultation without her there, just advisory chat?

                      I’m hoping to try the same approach soon. Not sure how to explain sitting in the waiting room with no animal though!

                      Also I’ve done lots of syringe feeding…generally a bit easier if it’s slightly warm. Might not be to your bun’s taste but worked better for me – good luck xx

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                  Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Worried bunny mum