Archie is poorly :( any advice please? :(

We found him in the run today with diarrhoea and looking sorry for himself - he was fine this morning when I let him and Susie out the hutch into the run and did the morning clean and litter tray change.

There have been more cecotrophs (sp?) the last few days but he has been well.

I took him to the vet who seemed to have good rabbit knowledgeable.

She checked temperature and gave him an allover physical examination checking for wounds etc and also checking his neck as he had a cyst 12 months ago which was removed by surgery. He was weighed.

He had 3 injections, anitbiotic, anti inflammatory and 3rd which was metacloprimide (sp?).

I have been given baytril to give at home twice a day. Also some sachets of 'recovery' powder to be given each day.

Is there anything else Archie should have or the vert should have prescribed.

He is fairly happy now he has had a clean and seems chilled and not poorly.

She recommended after cleaning him up to keep him indoors overnight to keep an eye on him and to syringe the recovery stuff (looks like liquid grass)

We have set him up in his older run on mat in lounge with water bottle, litter tray and hay only. I have made up some of the liquid stuff i his water bottle and we have been attempting to syring small amounts and he has licked the stuff we spilt off his paws. He is happy to eat hay.

The vet said for tonight to keep himindoors and away from Susie just to see how he gets on. Was this right? Or should we have Susie indoors too?

updated eating hay

drinking a little

no signs of wee or poo since putting him in run indoors at 5:30pm after vet

The problem with having Susie in with him is the difficulty of then knowing what is going in and out of Archie. If you can have them within sight and smell of each other then that may help him to settle. When Ant was ill we put him in the dog crate in the bunny room with Hoops so they were still "together". As you've only recently bonded them (hope I got that right), be aware that you may have to do some "re-bonding" if you keep them apart for a while ... depends how strong their bond is.

Fingers crossed that there is positive news soon x

How is Archie this morning ?

Janex

quiet but not distressed, he doesn't appear to be in any discomfort

He has had his baytril and we gave him some more of the recovery gunk in the syringe.

He doesn't seem interested in hay this morning, normally he will take hand fed hay merrily.

No poo since at least 5pm last night

I have felt his abdomen no signs of distention and no loud gurgling

Stuart is at home with him today so he won't be alone.

Is there anything else we should be doing - does he need to go back to the vet this morning or do we stil need to keep feeding the syringe and wait?

Hi,

I would be tempted to give him some metaclopramide and maybe zantac....both of which are prescribed by the vet. It may also be worth asking for some metacam too incase he is in any kind of pain. If he hasn't passed anything through since 5pm yesterday then he could either have sort of blockage. It's important you keep on syringe feeding, even if he begins to eat on his own until he is passing normal droppings again. Tummy massages might help too and ensure that he is getting plenty of fluids.

we have been continuing the syringe feeding

upon advice from friend (vet nurse) we put him out in hutch today as it is mild and he perked up . . he didn't seem to be that chuffed being indoors.

He has had small amounts of food to eat but is still not as perky as normal.

We are going to carry on with syringing (finally got the knack now!) and see how he is in the morning.

He did have and enjoy a bit of carrot earlier and has been eaten small amounts of hay when encouraged.

We think we saw signs of small amount of poo but not sure.

Susie still fine her bowels working well and normal poos - she is getting used to us now and when I come out house gets excited and runs around madly.

He has got soem probiotic powder too now and is really perking up

we are still giving the antibiotic (which he has now learnt comes in the small syringe and goes ewwwww and tries to hide his mouth in Stuart's clothes) and then some of the green gunk with probiotic added.

He is pooing again and eating - sigh of relief

Thank goodness that we have a rabbit that doesn't mind being cuddled and picked up . . how do people cope with poorly rabbits when they hate beign handled??

LavenderLamb said:

He has got soem probiotic powder too now and is really perking up

we are still giving the antibiotic (which he has now learnt comes in the small syringe and goes ewwwww and tries to hide his mouth in Stuart's clothes) and then some of the green gunk with probiotic added.

He is pooing again and eating - sigh of relief

Thank goodness that we have a rabbit that doesn't mind being cuddled and picked up . . how do people cope with poorly rabbits when they hate beign handled??

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Thats good news!

How do you get the syringe in his mouth? does he take just take it without any bother?
I have two rabbits that hate being handled, one of them doesnt mind being petted but the other one even hates that. He sniffs our hands and then backs away (we must smell pretty bad:lol. I dread the day I need to syringe feed them!

Stuart holds him using two hands / two arms (one under his bottom the other round his 'shoulders' and cradling his head) and has him head up on Stuart's shoulder

I gently push the syringe into the side of Archie's cheek and he opens his mouth a bit and starts lapping (is that the rigth word) and gentle push the plunger - he likes the green recovery feed but just sees the skinny syringe for the baytril and hides his head!!