The day after...

Hi there. My rabbits were neutured yesterday. Very stressful! Stew (boy) is fine - eating, playing, rolling. Back to his usual tricks but Dumpling is feeling very sorry for herself. She has had a taste of apple and greens but is lack lustre and not herself at all. Does it take longer for a female to recover in your experience? Vet says not to worry but I can't help it! She's eaten a little food but I'm having no success with the Fibre-thingy stuff that I'm supposed to give her three times per day. Very gloopy and impossible to syringe as shown. Keeping a low profile as she needs to chill today but hate leaving her!

It will take her longer than the male to recover. On a male bunny its a simple job but a female bun's operative is very complicated. Make sure she can't jump on or off anything and just keep an eye on her. Try giving her some of her favourite treats dandelions are good.

Are you talking about Fibreplex? Did the vet say you should give her it? If so then she really needs it. be careful how you handle her though.

What she is laying on at the moment? I'd get her a soft towel to lay on and monitor her eating and drinking.

good luck. x

Thanks for your reply. She's got a soft towel in her hutch (which I've brought inside and is positioned on the floor) but she's happier out of the hutch and has the run of the spare room - vet's suggestion. She's been lying down on the carpet most of the day. She's doing a lot of preening and a little eating. It is Fibreplex that I'm to give her. I bought it as an optional extra. Have spoken to the vet and she has told me to persevere with it so not going to give up but I'm a little worried about handling her too roughly and ripping the stitches. I'll try again. So stressful for us both! x

I agree with Kay. Females take longer to recover than th males and some females take longer than other females! Is she drinking and pooing? Was she given a long-lasting painkiller?

It took my females around 3 days to be moving around freely and about a week until they were back to normal as opposed to a day with my male.

Thank you so much for all your advice. Dumpling is eating, weeing and done a few poos. It's over 24 hours since the op. She's ambling about and doing lots of cleaning of fur. I've checked the wound and it looks ok - quite big and nasty looking but no weeping etc. I've moved on to worrying about her drinking now! She's not visited the water bottle today to my knowledge but haven't been watching all day - in and out. She'll only eat when I put in front of her nose, when she thinks 'yum!' As she's free in the bedroom it may be that she's not sure how to find the bottle so I've put her back in the hutch now and hope she will discover it. That said, it's been 15 minutes and she's not moved. Sitting looking very reproachful. They do get water from their food thoigh don't they? And as a rule Dumpling appears to drink most at night so this behaviour may be typical. She's probably thinking I'm being a nasty one locking her away when she's not thirsty. Aaaah!

Have you tried her with a bowl instead? I literally held it under my rabbits noses until they had a drink!

Great idea. Can you believe I never thought of it? Feel like such a rubbish owner today. Couldn't bear it if anything happened to my bunnies. Espcially if it was through my own ignorance.