urgent help needed

This week I came back off my holidays to find my rabbit Phoebe with flystrike. After 2 days of picking off maggots, various vet trips and constant nursing she sadly died. Obviously, I was devastated. She left behind her daughter Lily who is about 3 years old. This was on Tuesday. Since then Lily has been extremely lonely BUT she has been eating and drinking normally. Today I brought her inside for a hug and she was a bit shaky but seemed ok. I put her in the run for the rest of the day. However, she has not ate or drank all day. When I put her back in the hutch she turned her back on me and faced the hutch wall. I left her for a couple of hours but she hasn't moved from that position and again she hasn't ate a thing. I know she has had a bit to drink but not much. She has been protected with rear guard and is as clean as can be. I have also checked two more times in case she does have flystrike but there isn't anything at all. She hasn't really had any droppings today either.

Can anyone help me at all? What can be wrong? Is she just lonely? Should I take her to the vets? I am just in bits to think I could lose another.

Jo

I am so so sorry to hear about Phoebe. Flystrike doesn't just affect rabbits who are dirty, it can happen to the most well kept bunnies

I think your other bunny will most likely be grieving and depressed. I imagine she didn't see the other bunny when she died? She is probably just realising now that she isn't coming back and they can become very depressed. If possible I would bring her into the house so you can keep a close eye on her. If she doesn't start eating soon you will have to force feed and if she still refuses to take food she might need to see the vet for some gut meds to try and get her going again.

I know it's all very raw at the moment but I would definitely look at taking on a resuce bun to keep her company.

Please take her to the vets. could be the start of stasis and that could kill her. It could have been brought on through the shock of losing your other bunny. Please please take her now. My jess ahd it a couple of weeks
ago and the vet said he would have died if i hadnt of got him to the vets asap. Please take her now x

If she hasn't eaten, she needs to see a vet, rabbits must eat to keep their guts working, it is bad news if they stop eating all day.

Hope she recovers for you, sorry to hear about you other bun.

So sorry to hear about Phoebe. I think Lily is pinning for her, so has gone off her food. Keep her indoors and tempt her with all different kinds of food. If she does not eat, drink, poo or wee within the next few hours, get her to a vet.

I'm so sorry to hear about Phoebe Jo, you must be devastated. Lily is very probably grieving, but you should take her to the vet if she is not eating. Rabbits suffer from shock and it can take hold very quickly. She will be missing her companion. Have you tried to give her any treats? How is she responding?

Oh, poor you. I lost a bun to flystrike 3 years ago, and felt like the worst bunny mum in the world. The lovely people on here convinced me that I wasn't and I have gone on to rescue more bunnies.

With regards to Lily, I would eep her inside, and syringe some cooled boiled water into her, give her some tummy rubs and make her move around a little.
If she doesn't get any better with a couple of hours, I'm afraid it will be a vet visit (they always manage to get poorly at the weekends don't they!).
Mine all love herbs like basil and mint, oor even dandelion leaves are good for the tummy.

I hope she feels better soon.

vets or not?

I have tried to give her some treats now. She did eat a bit of hay but not much just before. I gave her more to drink but she does look depressed. All week she has been looking at the house and staring at the window. I think she must have been thinking that Phoebe was in here.

Should I take her to the vet NOW?

geordie_Jo said:

I have tried to give her some treats now. She did eat a bit of hay but not much just before. I gave her more to drink but she does look depressed. All week she has been looking at the house and staring at the window. I think she must have been thinking that Phoebe was in here.

Should I take her to the vet NOW?

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Hi Jo. I'm in Manchester too - don't know what your circumstances are but if you need to know about emergency vets PM your location and I might be able to help. Lily probably does think Phoebe is just out of her sight. Have you scrubbed everything out so it doesn't smell of her anymore? Did she eat the treats? What did you try? I am a completely paranoid bun mum and take mine to the vets for the smallest things!! Even if they say she's fine, you'll feel better for it!

geordie_Jo said:

I have tried to give her some treats now. She did eat a bit of hay but not much just before. I gave her more to drink but she does look depressed. All week she has been looking at the house and staring at the window. I think she must have been thinking that Phoebe was in here.

Should I take her to the vet NOW?

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Aww, my Bobby wasn't very good when he was on his own, so although I felt very disrespectful to Nougat's memory, he had a friend form a rescue the following week and he really perked up then.

With regard to the vet, mine are often happy to give advice on the 'phone, so could you give them a call and see what they say?

progress?

she is licking the food but not eating it. I have bottle fed her lots of water so she has had drink. She looks tired. I am going to ring the vet. I live in Moston but my emergency vet is in salford for some odd reason.

Today, I put her in a carrier that Phoebe use to go in. I wonder if it triggered something off. Bless her.

I will defo get her a playmate.

Is she doing wees and poos? I think everyones emergency vet is in Salford - it's the "Manchester" animal hospital. I hope she's ok - sending lots of vibes!!

crazy over protective mammy?

yes she is! god am I being dramatic? yeah they are great those vets. thanks for everyones help x

geordie_Jo said:

yes she is! god am I being dramatic? yeah they are great those vets. thanks for everyones help x

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Not in the least bit dramatic - you're just looking after your bun!!

update

I took Lily to the vets. She seemed ok at first. He checked her over and agreed that the shock of loosing Phoebe would have caused her problems and perhaps stasis. He give her a couple of injections and some fibreplex. He suggested I force feed her baby food? However, when I've brought her back home she seems to be in a bit of pain and she has laid on her side. I have been rubbing her stomach and trying to get her to drink water but she won't have any. Has anyone got any advice on how to deal with stasis?

I feel that I may lose her too....

Thanks

Jo

How is she feeling now?
I don't know if it will help, but I've just been out to see my buns, and Salt wasn't quite looking himself, and didn't run down for the fresh hay like he usually would. I have several steps I take if my buns look like they have tummyache. The first is to offer pineapple tablets - this seems to stimulate their appetite and they can't resist them! I also offer dandelion leaves, and top their water bowl up with boiling water from the kettle. This seems to be irresistible too!
If that doesn't work (fortunately it did today in Salt's case), I give tummy rubs, and syringe boiled cooled water. I do this every hour for 2 hours. I also chase the around the run a little bit, to get them moving, and offer them tasty treats.
If they are no better, then it is a vet trip.
Hope this helps and that she is feeling better soon.

I am so sorry you lost your bun. Lily is probably greaving which has caused this. I would only give you the same advice as HS. Try tempting Lily with some different herbs to try and get her eating. Also if you can get a fresh pineapple, squeeze it to get some juice out and try and tempt her, you can also add it to the water.

My picture below shows my two going mad for some dried pineapple.

I'm so sorry to hear about Phoebe

Hugs to Lily - hope she's better soon.

sadly it was too late

Lily died today. I have lost two rabbits in less than a week. I adopted them last year and they were my life. We bought the house with a back yard and garden so they could run around in it. I am now thinking that maybe they were both ill with something similar but Phoebe died first because she was the oldest and the flies got her when we were away. I am just not sure?

I would like some answers though because everyone told me it was urgent to take her to the the vets but it seemed to make it worse. By the time I got her home she was nearly dead. I know before I took her even though she hadn't eaten she was still quite lively. The vet gave me no warning and didn't give me a diagnose. He only said to try and force feed her. He did give her two injections. Maybe she had a bad reaction to them?

I know that when people read this, they may think I am looking for someone to blame but I'm not. I absolutely adored Phoebe and Lily and I just feel completely gutted that they are gone. I also work in a school and the thought of going in and telling the kids that they are dead is awful (they were loved at work too!)
Thank you for everyone trying to help last night and today. x

Oh Geordie, I'm so sorry to hear about Lily, you must be heartbroken