• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Elijah/Roo/Dot refusing food. Eating again

Bunny Buddy

Wise Old Thumper
He ate his spring greens at breakfast and seemed alright throughout the morning but quiet about 1 hr ago he started refusing food. He's not behaving poorly and did struggle when I examined him.

Vets do an open surgery 2 - 3 so I'm going to aim to get there at 2 (so waiting room won't be full of whining dogs.)

I'm scared :cry::cry:
 
Last edited:
Try and let him have his own quiet time for a while, or free time in the garden to get him hopping about and get the gut moving..... hopefully he'll be back to his usual self soon.

Good luck at the vets and that it's nothing too much to worry about. :)
 
Positive update

I've just got home and rang back and spoken to Mr H-B who passed on the details of the tests so far. He's had an x-ray which looks normal (ie no blockage etc found). He has a raised blood glucose level (nothing too alarming just most likely an indicator that I was right and he's not 100%).

He's eaten a bit himself and been syringe fed which he took well. Has all the hallmarks of a case that recovers well and will be home soon. No guarantees of course and they'll let me know if I need to know anything.

Re blood glucose levels - Frances talked to me about this recently when I discussed Rudy's recent bloat episode. She said that a blood glucose test would be a really good indicator if something serious was going on. It may be a consideration for me to do myself if I could face it (I'm considering it now). One of their nurses has a rabbit that has frequent bloat episodes and the nurse tests his glucose levels to see if it needs vet attention or not.

It's a good indication of stress levels. I can't remember the figures but Mr H-B just said, (I think): 6 - 12 'boringly normal'. Elijah's was 15 which a 'car ride and a bit of belly ache' could cause that. There is a level which triggers big alarm bells and very high will be a surgical case - Elijah is well off that figure. :D I need to quiz FHB more about that next time I see her - it's fascinating. I think I would be brave enough to take a blood test if it can mean so much.

Thanks for the vibes, I'll keep you updated. In the meantime Elijah's had his metacam, metaclopromide etc and is being watched and fed as required.

And I'm going to stop talking about bonding as every time I set a date one of the 'bondees' takes poorly :?
 
Last edited:
Everything crossed for Elijah eating & back to normal ASAP.

The glucose levels are very interesting. I've heard of them being a good indicator of whether the bun has a blockage (obstruction), or stasis from some other cause.
Please will you find out what you can for us all.
 
Glad things are looking a bit better for Elijah. :wave:

Loads of vibes for him.

Thank you :D

Everything crossed for Elijah eating & back to normal ASAP.

The glucose levels are very interesting. I've heard of them being a good indicator of whether the bun has a blockage (obstruction), or stasis from some other cause.
Please will you find out what you can for us all.

Thanks. I have 2 appointments booked in September so hopefully I'll get the chance to find out loads of information. I was told they had used this indicator on thousands of rabbits so it's quite well established but not sure if recent or not. I know with Rudy's stay about 6 months ago blood test was on the invoice, I think it was used instead of x-ray on that occasion.
 
Yes, her work has been accepted.
It's really clever, cos it's simple, doesn't distress the bun unduely, & may avoid a GA for XR in a poorly bun with stasis.

I'm really excited by it's potential use by experienced owners to determine if a vet consult is needed.
So many owners have to do a 40+ mile round trip to an exotics trained vet. All of us stasis bunny mummies worry about the effect of the stress of a car journey on sick buns. I'm more than fortunate that I've a top exotics center in town.
 
:wave:Thanks for the vibes and good wishes.

Thanks also for the link, Jane. What I understood of it was interesting :oops: Most of it was over my head though.:oops::oops: Interesting what it says about stress in vets waiting rooms. When I got there there were about 4 or 5 dogs quite a few people including lively kids (no quiet corner to sit in) so I said I'd wait in my car until nearly my turn. I thought they would think I was a mad obsessive but it's probably more common than I thought for people to want to do that. I think I need that book but don't know if I'll understand enough of it to warrant the £75 ish that it costs.:?
 
:wave:Thanks for the vibes and good wishes.

Thanks also for the link, Jane. What I understood of it was interesting :oops: Most of it was over my head though.:oops::oops: Interesting what it says about stress in vets waiting rooms. When I got there there were about 4 or 5 dogs quite a few people including lively kids (no quiet corner to sit in) so I said I'd wait in my car until nearly my turn. I thought they would think I was a mad obsessive but it's probably more common than I thought for people to want to do that. I think I need that book but don't know if I'll understand enough of it to warrant the £75 ish that it costs.:?


It's a bit out dated now.................. :oops:

Personally I prefer this one :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rabbit-Internal-Medicine-Richard-Saunders/dp/1405115149
 
I'm also thankful for the link Jane.
It sorted touched on the subject & then moved on.

Bunny buddy, my bun got so stressed out in a waiting room with a few dogs, that when he got home, he passed bright red wee. It LOOKED like arterial blood, but was in fact prophorins, which buns sometimes wee when very stressed.
Strangely he's never passed red wee when he had a low bowel block for 12 hours or stasis.

Never feel silly for trying to reduce stress on your buns. You are being a responsible, caring, bunny mummy.

My present vets understand bunny stress & never ask us to wait in those conditions.
 
Awww, poor little man. I hope he's feeling better soon. :love::love:

I don't think it was the 'B' word that did it - it was probably me offering to have him that set it off. :oops: :lol:
 
He's eaten fairly well overnight and passed droppings, he's bright in himself. BUT he's staying in another night so that they can make sure :cry::cry: I'm quite shocked to hear that but as he hasn't eaten all his veg they want to be sure that he is okay before coming home. I'm at work tomorrow and cannot get out during the days as only 2 of us in. So, hopefully, he's coming home tomorrow, and in which case I'll be doing a mad dash in rush hour traffic straight after work.

I hope he's alright, I did worry a bit that it might be teeth causing his problems.

Thanks again for the vibes everyone.
 
Back
Top