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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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advice needed.

pennypoos

Mama Doe
I have taken penny to the vets today and have been told that she has a respiratory infection, she has also lost alot of weight. The vet gave her an injection of baytrill and a couple of sachets of recovery. I have been srynge feeding her the recovery and she seems to be eating and is drinking well. She is also passing poops ( but only small ones ) and she is passing water ok.
I have just arrived home from work and as I was srynge feeding her i could hear her belly making very loud grumbling noises. what should I do ?
 
Naturally, the symptoms you have described suggest a gastro-intestinal condition.

My advice would be to seek veterinary attention. Meanwhile, continue syringe feeding Penny - it is of the upmost importance Penny continues to eat and drink -, and to monitor her behaviour and condition, e.g. hydration levels, temperature. Naturally, ensure Penny remains as comfortable as possible - you may also wish to gently massage Penny's abdomen.
 
If she's been off her food it's the tummy kicking in-movement in the gut which is good as far as i'm aware as stasis occurs when the gut stops which is very bad for a bun. It could be gas in the stomach so you could try giving her some infacol to disperse this. It's chemically inert so it has no medicating effect apart from easing trapped wind/gas. Dosage wise search infacol on the forum, as I can't remember the dosage and my bunny bible is under the mountain of furniture we've been moving :(. I hope her respiratory system gets better soon. Try and keep her as dry as possible away from damp, build up of urine in litter trays and keep her at a good temperature away from draughts. Did the vet give you any bisolven powders to mix into her feed? This is a decongestant licensed for bovine and porcine use but is safe for small animals. Also try searching for natural remedies as supportive treatment there's one called something like echincea which helps in humans and guinea pigs with cold symptoms and supports the immune system x x
 
she is eating cucumber at the minute and has also eaten tomotoe. I have brought her and her friend into the house so that i can keep an eye on her but he keeps tryin to hump her. do you think i should seperate them or keep them togeter?
 
Providing Penny does not become exhausted, or irritated by her companion's 'attention', I would opt to keep them together - I am sure her companion will soon settle. You may wish to attempt to distract him.

It is also advisable to keep them together so that you can monitor his behaviour and condition - due to being in close proximity with each other it is plausible that he may contract Penny's infection.
 
If she's been off her food it's the tummy kicking in-movement in the gut which is good as far as i'm aware as stasis occurs when the gut stops which is very bad for a bun. It could be gas in the stomach so you could try giving her some infacol to disperse this. It's chemically inert so it has no medicating effect apart from easing trapped wind/gas. Dosage wise search infacol on the forum, as I can't remember the dosage and my bunny bible is under the mountain of furniture we've been moving :(. I hope her respiratory system gets better soon. Try and keep her as dry as possible away from damp, build up of urine in litter trays and keep her at a good temperature away from draughts. Did the vet give you any bisolven powders to mix into her feed? This is a decongestant licensed for bovine and porcine use but is safe for small animals. Also try searching for natural remedies as supportive treatment there's one called something like echincea which helps in humans and guinea pigs with cold symptoms and supports the immune system x x

no the vets didn`t give me any powders to put in her feed. He just gave me baytrill and2 sachets of recovery. wher would i get some enchincea from ? I`v heard of it before but never bought any. I`ll go streight to the chemist in th morning and get some infocol.
thanks.
 
Providing Penny does not become exhausted, or irritated by her companion's 'attention', I would opt to keep them together - I am sure her companion will soon settle. You may wish to attempt to distract him.

It is also advisable to keep them together so that you can monitor his behaviour and condition - due to being in close proximity with each other it is plausible that he may contract Penny's infection.

ok, thank you. i didn`t realise it could be passed on.
 
I would keep her with her bonded partner - the added stress of separation would just be another strain on her poor immune system. Unless he however continues to bother her, in which case you could separate but making sure they are side by side and can see and smell each other through a wire barrier - this would be a last resort.

You do not say whether or not this is an upper or lower RTI? The second being more significant. There is no evidence to suggest that her partner bun will contract the infection, of course there is a risk but most rabbits carry the causative pathogens in their airways anyway at often what is termed a sub-clinical infection or passive carrier, their immunity and robust respiratory mucosa keeps the bacteria in check. It is only when bun becomes immune suppressed that they are more likely to invade and the same goes for the partner bun, so provided he is in good health he may not catch it at all, in fact I would say that unless it is particularly nasty such as MRSA it is unlikely.

Her weight loss would be of concern to me and I would be requesting liver and kidney function tests (blood tests) to check all is well in this respect as a first port of call.

If it is lower respiratory in origin then baytril is going to be pretty ineffective. Does bun have sneezing/discharge from the nose? Or difficulty breathing? I hope she feels better soon x

p.s. the dosage for Simeticone (infacol) is 1ml 3x a day, or as often as needed if bun has gas or is bloated. However, if the droppings stop being passed and/or bun's tummy becomes noticeably distended/hard then I would seek urgent vet attention as bloat is a possibility. Loud gurgles are an indication of gas somewhere in the abdomen.
 
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I would keep her with her bonded partner - the added stress of separation would just be another strain on her poor immune system. Unless he however continues to bother her, in which case you could separate but making sure they are side by side and can see and smell each other through a wire barrier - this would be a last resort.

You do not say whether or not this is an upper or lower RTI? The second being more significant. There is no evidence to suggest that her partner bun will contract the infection, of course there is a risk but most rabbits carry the causative pathogens in their airways anyway at often what is termed a sub-clinical infection or passive carrier, their immunity and robust respiratory mucosa keeps the bacteria in check. It is only when bun becomes immune suppressed that they are more likely to invade and the same goes for the partner bun, so provided he is in good health he may not catch it at all, in fact I would say that unless it is particularly nasty such as MRSA it is unlikely.

Her weight loss would be of concern to me and I would be requesting liver and kidney function tests (blood tests) to check all is well in this respect as a first port of call.

If it is lower respiratory in origin then baytril is going to be pretty ineffective. Does bun have sneezing/discharge from the nose? Or difficulty breathing? I hope she feels better soon x

p.s. the dosage for Simeticone (infacol) is 1ml 3x a day, or as often as needed if bun has gas or is bloated. However, if the droppings stop being passed and/or bun's tummy becomes noticeably distended/hard then I would seek urgent vet attention as bloat is a possibility. Loud gurgles are an indication of gas somewhere in the abdomen.

I realy don`t remember if the vet said she had an upper or lower RTI. She does have some discharge coming from her nose, she is sneezing and her breathing sounds realy snotty as if she has a cold. she hasn`t toutched any hay or pellets this morning, but she has eaten a big chunk of cucumber and I am going to give her some recovery in a minute. I am going to struggle to get her to the vets today if need be because Amber (my daughter) is going to be off school today off with a sickness bug. I will ring round though and try to get some one to watch her for an hour or so, so that I can taker penny to the vets. I have also noticed that she seems realy usteady on her back legs and she has fallen over a few times.

ETA... just been in the livingroom to feed penny some recovery and she is at her bowl eating some pellets.:)
 
I realy don`t remember if the vet said she had an upper or lower RTI. She does have some discharge coming from her nose, she is sneezing and her breathing sounds realy snotty as if she has a cold. she hasn`t toutched any hay or pellets this morning, but she has eaten a big chunk of cucumber and I am going to give her some recovery in a minute. I am going to struggle to get her to the vets today if need be because Amber (my daughter) is going to be off school today off with a sickness bug. I will ring round though and try to get some one to watch her for an hour or so, so that I can taker penny to the vets. I have also noticed that she seems realy usteady on her back legs and she has fallen over a few times.

ETA... just been in the livingroom to feed penny some recovery and she is at her bowl eating some pellets.:)

Does she have a history of EC? This parasite be lowering her immune system's ability to fight infection and thus she has developed a respiratory infection as a consequence AND/OR, and more likely she may be developing unsteadiness of gait due to the progression of her respiratory infection into an ear infection? :?
The symptoms you describe sound like an upper RTI to me.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are essential for both snuffles (to reduce sweling in respiratory mucosa), ear infections AND for treatment of EC, not to mention the pain killing effects. She may need a course of fenbendazole (panacur) if the vet suspects EC. If she is developing an ear infection then something stronger than baytril is definitely needed. Bisolvon as mentioned earlier would be helpful to thin the mucous as it's a mucolytic. A nebuliser if her breathing is very bad would also be ideal.
I think she needs to see a vet today about the unsteadiness of her gait it does sound like EC ....OR an ear infection linked to the infection in her airways - the ear is all connected.

ETA Great that she's self eating though :D
 
Penny has no history of EC, I`m going to make a few calls to see if i can get some one to watch amber for me while i take penny to the vets (amber peuked in the middle of the road when i took my oldest daughter to my neighbours house this morning :(). I`v made a note of everything you have said and will take it along to the vets with me. thank you so much for your help.:D

ETA...
My brother is going to mind amber for me while i go back to the vets, i have an appointment today at 1.30pm with the rabbit specialist. :)
 
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penny now has diarrhea, her balance is awfull she cant hold herself up so that she can clean her self and to me she looks as if she cant focus her eyes properly.:(
 
Just got back from the vets, she doesn`t think penny has ec, she thinks that penny keeps falling over because she is week due to loss of wieght. She has taken some blood from her to check her liver and kidney function I will get the results back from that later today but will have to wait a little longer for another set of blood results too come back because they have to be sent off.
She has given me some panacure to give to penny and some critical care, and when I asked about bosolvon the vet said that she thought she didn`t need any because there was no white discharge coming from penny`s nose.
Thank you so much for your advice.:D:wave:
from mand.x
 
Just got back from the vets, she doesn`t think penny has ec, she thinks that penny keeps falling over because she is week due to loss of wieght. She has taken some blood from her to check her liver and kidney function I will get the results back from that later today but will have to wait a little longer for another set of blood results too come back because they have to be sent off.
She has given me some panacure to give to penny and some critical care, and when I asked about bosolvon the vet said that she thought she didn`t need any because there was no white discharge coming from penny`s nose.
Thank you so much for your advice.:D:wave:
from mand.x

I'm glad you've taken poor Penny to the vet and managed to get there today, with a sick child that must be really tricky, so well done. :)

Does the vet really think the loss of balance and diarrhoea is caused by loss of weight? :? Seems quite extreme! Was it true diarrhoea? In which case i hope the vet administered fluids under the skin?
What about some pain relief? and did the vet mention or think there could be an ear infection if they don't think it is EC? If not EC why give Panacur? I guess just in case - in which case I would also want a NSAID because this is part of the treatment for EC anyway! :?
If your vet is a rabbit specialist however I respectfully bow to their superior knowledge... is it a vet I would know the name of? Exotically trained?
How's Penny now... is she eating by herself again?
Sorry been at work this morning. Really hope she feels better soon x
 
I'm glad you've taken poor Penny to the vet and managed to get there today, with a sick child that must be really tricky, so well done. :)

Does the vet really think the loss of balance and diarrhoea is caused by loss of weight? :? Seems quite extreme! Was it true diarrhoea? In which case i hope the vet administered fluids under the skin?
What about some pain relief? and did the vet mention or think there could be an ear infection if they don't think it is EC? If not EC why give Panacur? I guess just in case - in which case I would also want a NSAID because this is part of the treatment for EC anyway! :?
If your vet is a rabbit specialist however I respectfully bow to their superior knowledge... is it a vet I would know the name of? Exotically trained?
How's Penny now... is she eating by herself again?
Sorry been at work this morning. Really hope she feels better soon x

No I it wasn`t true diarrhoea, the vet said that diarrhoea in older rabbits is quite fatal so she said she very much doubted that it was, she said it could of been a cecotroph and she asked me if there were any mucus in the poo. the vet said that some blood tests would have to be sent off to be done somthing to do with a white blood cell count I think, could this be somthing to do with testing for EC ? she did say somthing about testing for EC but I don`t remember what was said. I`m sorry if I sound a bit vague in repeating what the vet said and what type of tests she is running, I don`t remember every thing that was said I not very good at remembering what people tell me :oops:
The panacure was given as a precaution and she also gave me some to give to penny`s partner kenny. She gave me it to give over a period of 30 days.
The vets name is Michelle not sure of her last name, she works at the Ashby road vets in Scunthorpe, she is a very nice lady. It the same vets that scunthorpe rabbit rescue use.:)
Thanks again prettylupin.:D
 
Most vets can do liver/kidney function bloods in house. EC antibodies do usually require the sample to be sent away to a lab with the right equipment/testing methods I understand, ours was certainly sent away for this.

True diarrhoea is very rare, more likely a malformed caecotroph as you and she say - caecal dysbiosis. Probably due to all the stress and medicines. Precautionary panacur for both buns is certainly sensible. You might want to adhere to disinfection routines for days 21 and 28 (it has been suggested this can help control spore shedding in the urine) by using dilute bleach in their litter trays/hutch/living quarters and keep all food stuffs away from their urine for the 30 days treatment to prevent reinfection.

I still think some NSAID's would be helpful. Slightly worried bun 'may' have an ear infection linked to respiratory infection but just see how she goes, if she continues to fall over or her head starts to tilt... then I would take her straight back and ask them to check her ears (deep) and ask about inner ear infections.

Good luck, hope Penny feels better soon, and your daughter too x
 
I am so sorry to hear Penny has experienced a rough twenty-four hours, Pennypoos. However, it sounds to me that all is being done for her, e.g. all avenues are being explored. I do hope Penny makes a full and speedy recovery. Please keep us updated. Best and warmest wishes.
 
Thank you RighteousRabbit and prettylupin.
Penny is eating well, at the minute she is tucking into some pellets.
I`ll take your advice prettylupin and clean out the hutch with dilute bleach.
Some of the bloods were done at the vets, I`m waiting for the results, she said that she would ring this evening and let me know, but I`v been at work so could of missed the call, I`m sure they will ring me in the morning, if not I`ll call them. The other bloods that were taken have been sent away because the vet said they don`t have the equiptment in the surgery to be able to do them there. Penny has a little shaved area behind her ear and she
has a few little nicks where the blood has been taken.

Amber is feeling a little better, she is sound asleep all tucked up in bed at the minute.
Everthing she drank today came streight back up again. I gave her a couple of dutch crackers at tea time but they came streight back up again. She has been realy good today and hasn`t made a fuss at all. She`s a little bit dissapointed that she is going to miss out on the school`s halloween disco tomorrow night. I explained to her why she couldn`t go and she took it surprisingly well considering she can be a bit of a tantrum thrower :lol:.

Thanks again.xx
 
I do apologise for my lack of manners, Pennypoo! Naturally, I do hope Amber also makes a full and speedy recovery! There are a number of illnesses presently circulating - all my friends are ill! Poor love is probably tired - I am sure we are all aware of how exhausting it is being in Amber's condition. I would not be surprised if the tantrum comes in the morning, after a good night’s sleep - it is difficult having to remain at home ill in bed while your friends are sharing a good time. ;)
 
I do apologise for my lack of manners, Pennypoo! Naturally, I do hope Amber also makes a full and speedy recovery! There are a number of illnesses presently circulating - all my friends are ill! Poor love is probably tired - I am sure we are all aware of how exhausting it is being in Amber's condition. I would not be surprised if the tantrum comes in the morning, after a good night’s sleep - it is difficult having to remain at home ill in bed while your friends are sharing a good time. ;)

You don`t have to apologise :).
One of her class mates threw up in the dinner que yesturday , so i`m thinking that she could have caught the same bug.
I would bet my life on Amber throwing a paddy when her sister goes off to the school disco tomorrow. :roll: She is a little ****** sometimes.:?:lol:
 
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