Off Pellets - Update all better now :0)

Hi All

Just wanted to get a bit of advice (Again, lol!). I went out to feed my two this morning, and Milo wasn't interested in his pellets or any veg, which is most unusual. However, when I put the fresh hay in, he started nibbling at that, and also ate some dandelion leaves. I can't tell if he's pooped, as he lives with his wifey bun, but there were a few slightly smaller poops in the litter tray this morning which could have been his. He also seems a bit "not himself" if you know what I mean, although apart from the not wanting pellets, it's nothing I can put my finger on. We had a quite bad storm last night, which is still blowing out this morning, and it was very noisy last night with all the wind and rain (They're outdoor buns). Do you think I should pop him to the vet after work tonight, or could it be that the storm has just upset him? The fact that he ate the hay and dandelions makes me wonder if he is just a bit upset by the storm?

I've booked an appointment at the vets for him this evening, but it means I'll have to leave work an hour early, which they'll take a pretty dim view of unfortunately. I thought I would go home and try him with some food/see how he is, and if I still think he's not 100% take him in, but if he's fine I can cancel it. Do you think I'm doing the right thing?

If he were mine I would take him to the vet. It can be very easy to put 'off' behaviour down to circumstances, but that can also mean you miss something. It could be he has spurs, or some gas, or it could be he was unsettled, but in my eyes its always better to rule out the physical problems first.

Good lcuk at the vets

Thanks - I think I'll keep the appointment and leave work early to take him. He's never been ill before, although he does have his "huffy" days occasionally (Usually when he's pushed his luck with his wifey bun and she's put him in his place, lol), but it's so unlike him to not want his breakfast - I'd rather be safe than sorry. Will let you know how it goes

You're a great bunny owner. I hope the vet can find the problem, or that there is no problem and he has perked up by then

Thanks :wave: I do worry that I'm paranoid as I seem to spend most of my time worrying about them, even if there's nothing wrong with them (Or so my OH tells me anyway :roll. Hopefully he'll be ok and back to his usual bouncy (Hungry!) self when I get home and won't need to go to the vets....fingers crossed!

Just leaving work now to go and check on him/take him to vets - Any spare vibes would be gratefully received! :wave:

Thinking of you guys

Well, we're back from the vets....:wave:

Alex (Our vet) checked his teeth and tummy and said everything felt normal. When he turned him over to look at his bottom he had wee on his bum, which is really unusual for him as he's normally so clean. Alex said it could be where he's not been feeling well and hasn't moved away after he's wee'd or cleaned himself?? It looked fresh, so not like he'd had a dirty bum for a while or anything.

He gave him three injections - A gut stimulant, a painkiller and an antibiotic (Apparently the antibiotic was just in case the piddly bum was something to do with an infection). I brought him home and let him have a hop round the garden, where he munched a tiny bit of grass and a handful of dandelion leaves. He's still a bit quiet, and won't eat any pellets, but he's currently in his litter tray munching on hay.

He seems to have perked up a bit since before I took him to the vets though, so hopefully the injections are working and he'll be ok again in the morning.

I've made another appointment for Saturday morning, so if he's still not eaten any pellets by then he can go back again. I'm hoping the hay/grass/dandelion eating is a good sign and he's on the mend again....fingers crossed!

I'm glad you took him

Hopefully it is just a UTI and he should be on the way to recovery. See about getting some Metacam to give him at home, and also some anti-biotics, if appropriate

Hopefully he was in pain and now he isn't he will start to eat soon (not hopefully he was in pain, hopefully he will start to eat soon-that was BAD wording).

Gone downhill again :0(

Well, after eating his veg and hay/dandelion leaves last night and perking up a bit, he's gone downhill again. When I went out this morning he didn't want any pellets or veg, although I managed to get him to eat a couple of dandelion leaves. He picked about in his hay a bit, and then went and sat in the corner of the run again

I can't get away from work again, so I've had to ask my hubby to take him back to the vets this afternoon. I've got him an appointment with Alex again at 3.10pm.

He has pooped in the night, and they're only slightly smaller than usual, and are pretty normal looking, but the lack of appetite and lethargy is really worrying me now

I'm guessing the painkiller he had last night has worn off which is why he's not eating again? Am hoping that it is just a UTI and the antibiotics will kick in soon. If it is that will he need painkillers until the antibiotics have done their stuff, or should they have started working by now if that's what it is?

Anti-biotics will take a couple of days to work, but yes, he will need pain meds for a few days if that is what it is. You can buy Metacam to give orally, so that would probably be a sensible thing to do, even if you're not sure what is causing this.

I'm sorry you're having all this stress and he is still not doing very well.

Sending 'get well soon' vibes.

Thanks guys :wave:

It's driving me nuts being at work when I just want to go home and be with my little man

I've asked hubby to call me from the vets so I can speak to them and ask about getting him some metacam. I'm really hoping it is just a UTI and the antibiotics will kick in soon. It's the not knowing that's so hard - He's such a healthy happy bunny usually, it's so horrible seeing him so down

It is so true what they say...you get to know your bunny and most times you know when there is a problem with them. They aren't quite themselves.

You did absolutely the right thing taking him to the vet. I sometimes wonder if I am being paranoid, but then I remember that you actually pay the vet for being there, so the more paranoid you are, the more money they get, so don't worry about bothering them!

Good vibes for your little boy , hope to see your update later

:wave: Hi all

Just wanted to post an update on Milo. He's now fully recovered from what the vet believed to be a bout of stasis brought on by the storm we had on Wednesday night (He hates the wind and we had a bad storm here that night which was really windy and loud). I took him to see the rabbit specialist at our vets on Saturday morning, and she thoroughly checked him over (Teeth, tummy, ears, weight.....he was not amused! :lol:)

He ate quite a lot on Friday evening, and munched a couple of pellets on Saturday morning, but I still wanted to take him in anyway, as the lady we were seeing is their resident "Bunny expert" so I wanted to get him checked over by her to make sure it wasn't anything else that we'd missed. She gave him another gut stimulant and a painkiller, and gave me some Bio Lapis and syringes to take home with me, and keep in the cupboard. She was absolutely brilliant, and explained everything in plenty of detail, and gave me lots of advice.

She also told me that I was feeding them the wrong pellets . As they're dwarf lops, I'd been feeding them Excel Junior and Dwarf pellets as I thought they were for dwarf breeds too. Turns out I was wrong, and apparently they have more protein in than adult rabbits need so she's suggested I switch to either the adult version of Excel or one she showed me in the surgery, which I think is called Science Selective? Not sure which one to go for - Although obviously whichever one I choose, I'll make the switch gradually over a week or so.

Anyway, enough of my rambling - A happy ending to a stressful couple of days! Thanks for all your support and get well vibes Milo is currently charging round the garden at 100mph, ears flapping and getting into as much mischief as he possibly can, so I think it's safe to say he's feeling better!