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  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

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    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Urgent - can someone please advise-U/D - now eating!

Lread

Lread

Young Bun
Poppit was eating and acting normally last night and when I woke up this morning , she didn't come running out of her hutch with Mow as normal and had to get her out.

Then she would normally eat all her pellets straight away and she won't touch them, I tried her with her favourite treats and she won't eat. She is just lying down.

I can't she any obvious signs, and she hasn't had a fight with Mow - no fur in the hutch.

I'm now at work and by neighbour is going to check her and offer food in 30 minutes and I'll told her to call if she still isn't eating.

I then get her to the vets.

What could this be?

What should I do to help and what should I check with the vet.

Worrying Louise
 
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It could be a number of things. The onset of GI stasis (where the tummy starts to slow down and stop), a little wind :oops:, teeth problems.
Is she pooping?
When mine refuse food, I usually give them some tummy rubs and chase them around a bit to get them moving. I aslo syringe cooled boiled water and offer things like dandelion leaves, fresh pineapple juice.
I do this hourly for 2 hours, then it's to the vets.
Hope Poppit feels better soon, but if you're unsure pop her to the vets asap. Ask them to check her teeth while you're there. They should also be checking her tummy to see if there is any bloating or blockages.
 
Just back from Vets - Update

The vet checked her tummy and there were no blockages and it felt normal.

He listen to her chest and that sounded ratterly - so he gave her a injection of Metacam 0.5 % and Marbocyl 1% SA.

Her teeth are fine.

He said if not better in 24 hours then to bring her back.

Does that sound ok to everyone?

Louise
 
If it were a bacteria infection, you want to isolate your bun. If it weren't a bacteria infection, you still need to keep her inside because:

1) IF she's sick, she needs the heat, it could be cool or windy at night, she can't fight the weather and the sickness. Also, the warmth in the house can increase her metabolism, and make her get well faster

2) You want to see if she's drinking, eating and pooing normally, to do that, you have to observe her.

So I would do that for 2 -3 days
 
She still isn't eating or drinking, at what point should I sryrine feed / give water. At the moment she is sitting on her heat pad.

I have taken the day off work to monitor her.

Louise
 
if she hasn't drink water or eat anything in the past 8 to 12 hr., you got to get her food and water.

if you have to use sub - Q injection under the skin, then follow this diagram. The very best spot to insert the needle is the loose skin just 2 inch behind the neck

to feed her w/ food -- you can use baby food, via 6 cc syringe, you suck the baby food (non meat content type) and fill the 6 cc w/ baby food. You put the 6 cc syringe in a cup of hot water for 2 min. And force feed the bun

You can also use Critical Care, but they smell bad although very good for the bun

You can also buy 6 oz. of blackberries, smash it in a juicer, mix the pulp w/ hay. You cut the hay into 1 mm small pieces and mix it w/ the pulp, and syringe feed your bun w/ blackberry mix

if you don't use sub-Q under the skin, then use juice or water on the 6 cc syringe

needle9sq.jpg
 
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Lread said:
The vet checked her tummy and there were no blockages and it felt normal.

He listen to her chest and that sounded ratterly - so he gave her a injection of Metacam 0.5 % and Marbocyl 1% SA.

Her teeth are fine.

He said if not better in 24 hours then to bring her back.

Does that sound ok to everyone?

Louise
Click to expand...

I would have expected some metoclopramide (gut stimulant), btu I'm unsure what Marbocyl is, so that may be it :?

I took salt to the vet once and the vet refused a gut stimulant, so I syringed cooled boiled water, and annoyed him so much with a dried pineapple cube that he grabbed it off me and ate it!
Do you have syringes and recovery food?
If not, take some of their normal pellets and soften with boiled water, this may tempt the bun, at the very least you can smear it around her mouth so she licks it off.
 
HS said:
Is she pooping?
When mine refuse food, I usually give them some tummy rubs and chase them around a bit to get them moving. I aslo syringe cooled boiled water and offer things like dandelion leaves, fresh pineapple juice.
Click to expand...

I'd follow this advice too. Bun needs water syringing into their mouth to stop their guts dehydrating, they need to be kept warm and poops monitored! Try offering their most favourite foods - something scented like parsley will normally get their taste buds going!

Give it a few hours for the drugs to work, but keep trying with the food.
 
Update

Thanks for all the help guys.

Been out to buy some parsley, back now and she ate it! :D

She has now had her pellets and some water.

I continue to monitor her, but I'm so please that she has now eaten.

I guess the drugs kicked in and having had a rest on a heat pad, she is now feeling alittle better.

Thank you all.
 
That is good news!! You must be so relieved! When buns stop eating theres normally a reason for it, so might be worth looking into that if it happens again.

Glad she is better though!
 
The Vet said that it was respiratory - her chest sounded ratterly - and that the unsettle weather had probably brought it on.

Thank you, I'm still keeping a close eye on her and keeping her warm with heat pads.

She has had snuffles in the past, but never stopped eating. Not really sure how I can prevent this happening again.
 
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