Help. Rabbit not eating after spay op.

Hi everyone.

I had my rabbit spayed today and she still hasnt touched any food. I have tried tempting her with all kinds of food but she just isnt interested.

I am really worried that she is not okay Is it normal for them to not want to eat straight after? Should i call the vet tomorrow morning?

It is normal for them to be off food straight after a spay. Make sure she has plenty of water, give her a bowl as well as a bottle to encourage her to drink well and just make sure she is comfortable tonight. Leave her favourtie foods in her cage and if she hasnt eaten them by morning give your vet a call.

Thankyou for the advice. I have been worrying all day about her. I have put a selection of foods in her cage so hopefully by the morning she will have eaten something. At the moment when i try hand feeding her she just pulls her head away.

Is it normal for me to not have any medication to give her? I was expecting to have to give her some pain relief at home.

Sparkles said:

Thankyou for the advice. I have been worrying all day about her. I have put a selection of foods in her cage so hopefully by the morning she will have eaten something. At the moment when i try hand feeding her she just pulls her head away.

Is it normal for me to not have any medication to give her? I was expecting to have to give her some pain relief at home.

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It depends on the strength of the dosage she was given today but they should really have given you some for over the next few days. I would take her straight back in the morning and ask for some.

Hopefully she will have had a long lasting painkiller for now but keep an eye on her.

As for the food ours did not touch anything fresh (veg) for at least 24 hours and did not touch pellets for a week. Leave her hay and some veg, herbs are good to get them eating.

Hope she feels better soon.

Thankyou.

I will phone the vet first thing in the morning and see what they say. I just hope that she isnt in any pain before then. Sorry to sound like i am over reacting...i just want to make sure that i am doing everything i can to keep her comfortable and healthy.

Thanks again

Sparkles said:

Hi everyone.

I had my rabbit spayed today and she still hasnt touched any food. I have tried tempting her with all kinds of food but she just isnt interested.

I am really worried that she is not okay Is it normal for them to not want to eat straight after? Should i call the vet tomorrow morning?

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As long as they gave her post-op meds these normally last between 12-24 hours but it is very likely she will need another dose tomorrow and perhaps the day after too, until she picks right back up again, having a spay is a big painful Op. Did they send you home with some syringes and syringe food like Critical Care? Buns should not go for more than 12 hours without eating so you might want to try syringe feeding her tonight and in the night. If you've not got any critical care then you can mush up her usual pellets with some warm water and put them into a syringe. She may also need a little fluid by syringe as well. Syringeing must be done slowly, about 0.5ml at a time and you need to give around 10ml of syringe food every couple of hours.
Definitely go back to the vet first thing tomorrow if she's not eating her usual amount alone. She will probably need some fluids and gut motility drugs and more painkiller. It all depends on how much faeces she passes in the night and whether or not she's back to eating and drinking herself. Good luck

As long as they gave her post-op meds these normally last between 12-24 hours but it is very likely she will need another dose tomorrow and perhaps the day after too, until she picks right back up again, having a spay is a big painful Op. Did they send you home with some syringes and syringe food like Critical Care? Buns should not go for more than 12 hours without eating so you might want to try syringe feeding her tonight and in the night. If you've not got any critical care then you can mush up her usual pellets with some warm water and put them into a syringe. She may also need a little fluid by syringe as well. Syringeing must be done slowly, about 0.5ml at a time and you need to give around 10ml of syringe food every couple of hours.

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They didnt send me home with anything. She hadnt actually passed any faeces before they sent her home which i wasnt happy about because before her op they said they wouldnt send any rabbit home unless they had.

I called the vets this morning as she still hadnt passed any faeces all night. She did however eat a handful of parsley.

I just took her in and they said they would keep her there for the day to make sure that she starts eating and drinking properly. They said that the wound isnt swollen and that she looks bright so hopefully she will be home very soon.

I feel guilty that i have made her poorly when i thought i was doing the right thing for her health.

Sparkles said:

They didnt send me home with anything. She hadnt actually passed any faeces before they sent her home which i wasnt happy about because before her op they said they wouldnt send any rabbit home unless they had.

I called the vets this morning as she still hadnt passed any faeces all night. She did however eat a handful of parsley.

I just took her in and they said they would keep her there for the day to make sure that she starts eating and drinking properly. They said that the wound isnt swollen and that she looks bright so hopefully she will be home very soon.

I feel guilty that i have made her poorly when i thought i was doing the right thing for her health.

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You have done the right thing for her health long-term don't worry. Uterine and ovarian cancer in does is very nasty and very common as they get older. It's not your fault, the vet should not have sent her home until they were happy with her gut motility or pain management, and if they were then they should have sent you home with some syringe food and instructions to feed her if she doesn't eat within 12 hours, just in case. But it's good that they have admitted her and will take care of her today. This can happen post-spay, one of the complications. But you have done the right thing