Advice on treating diarreah overnight Final U/D pg5 Pretty much better!

Hi,
I haven't posted in a while but I need some advice on treating diarreah overnight. I called the vets but they refused to offer any advice at all without consultation (despite my telling them I can't get bunny there until tomorrow due to work and transport issues - I have no car and I am at work (much to my dismay at this time) until after the vets close.) Not only that but my bank account is near empty and I may simply be unable to afford a trip to the vets if all they are going to tell me to do $60 later is syringe feed him with water...

Tila is happily eating pellets without any qualms however is not drinking as much water as usual, and I have not seen him eating any hay today. His faecal pellets are much smaller and lighter than normal, as well as softer and coated in a clear jelly-like substance, and his tummy seems a bit harder than normal.
He does not seem lethargic at all.

He ate dinner lastnight with gusto, as usual. The only thing I can think of is that he had some peach lastnight that may have caused it, but he has had peach before without trouble.

The other problem is he often gets skin infections under his chin from rubbing (he has it right now) and it is treated by baytril, but I do not want to start a course of the baytril if his tummy is upset, so I'm not sure if maybe the bacteria from his chin is causing a tummy upset?...

Actual diarrhoea is quite serious in rabbits however that would look more like muddy water. What you're describing sounds more like his poop is just softer and less well formed then usual - is that right?

Does he eat much hay usually? Often too many pellets and not enough hay can give a rabbit soft squishy droppings as it is the hay that gives the droppings structure and keeps the gut moving. If he's eaten less hay than normal that would explain the droppings. Usually, I would suggest reducing the pellets and increasing the hay. However, has you vet investigated why his chin is getting sore? Often this is related to teeth issues as they dribble and that creates an ideal environment for bacteria, teeth issues can also effect eating habits, which can effect droppings. It's possible his teeth are overgrown and than makes it difficult/painful to eat hay which is the root of his issues. If this is the case he may need his teeth filed down to remove sharp points, he'd then be able to eat hay, curing the poop issue, and stop dribbling, helping with his chin.

You can probably check the front teeth yourself but often it's the back teeth which are hard to see which cause the problems. One of the first things your vet should have done with a mouth related issue is check them - if they didn't I would shop around for another vet.

In the very short term you can help by encouraging him to eat hay, try fresh hay, offering it by hand or cutting it into short pieces. If you don't already then I suggest providing a water bowl as well as a bottle to encourage drinking as his teeth could also make using a bottle more difficult.

However, unfortunately he needs to see a vet asap as teeth continue to grow and if this is the problem he will stop eating altogether. If he is still eating/drinking/pooping/behaving normally you can see a vet tomorrow, however if he stops any of those things it's a sign he is going down hill rapidly and needs a vet asap.

Tamsin

Hi tamsin, thanks for your response
His droppings were not quite like water but they were much softer than usual and almost watery, they had very little structure at all.
Tila has not got any incisors, they were removed just over 2 years ago due to osteomyelitis, so yes, his sore chin is due to him dribbling occasionally, and he also likes to rub his chin on his bowls.
He does not normally eat a lot of hay, and refuses fresh grass so i try to get him to eat as much as possible. He has pasture hay at the moment but i will try and get some lucerne to see if he will eat that. He drinks out of a bowl already as he does not like the bottles.
Edit; i also forgot to add his bum is quite dirty which is what made me think it was diarreah rather than just soft poo

would it be suitable to give him a small amount of banana? I know that it is a good binder and he loves it, it is what i used to get him eating after his teeth were removed (except he is eating now, i would just like to help firm up his poos if possible seeing as hes not eating much hay)

Banana is quite sweet so not good for balancing his gut. Banana skin might be better as that will have more fibre.

It's really grass or hay that need to be a big portion of the diet or they are more susceptible to imbalances. If he;s not a big hay eater and has a past history with teeth then I'd definitely get the back ones checked to make sure the haven't overgrown. Sometimes you can feel the sharp points if you can trust your bun to let you run a finger along the side of his teeth without biting.

You could try mixing dried (or fresh) herbs like parsley in with the hay, that can make it more tempting. Or chopping it and sprinkling it over veg that has been made slightly damp (so it sticks). Veg that is high in fibre will help too so tough parts like broccoli stalk or cabbage leaves.

Depending on the pellets, it might be worth looking at other brands to see if you can get anything with higher fibre too. Though that's more of a long term thing as again you need to swap gradually.

:C i just read a thread on coccidiosis (sp) and the symptoms seem very similar in the way of mucus around the poo etc, especially as the linked article mentioned mice and for a LONG time have we been battling a mouse problem in Tila's hutch with no success as we have run out of options other than just killing the mice as we see them...
If he is not better when i get home tonight i am going to book him into the vets in the morning.

ok thanks. He loves fresh parsley etc so i will buy him some on my way home

so thinking high fibre, will something like bran be suitable to try as well if he refuses the herbs and hay? Im willing to try anything as long as it is okay for him to eat.

Banni Binky said:

:C i just read a thread on coccidiosis (sp) and the symptoms seem very similar in the way of mucus around the poo etc, especially as the linked article mentioned mice and for a LONG time have we been battling a mouse problem in Tila's hutch with no success as we have run out of options other than just killing the mice as we see them...
If he is not better when i get home tonight i am going to book him into the vets in the morning.

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If you think your bun has this he does need to see a vet asap Is he eating?
As for hay, have you tried different sorts of hay? iv got a very fussy bun and he only likes meadow and alpha king timothy hay, somtimes its trial and error untill you find one he likes, you can get sample packs from hay experts and animal magic i too mix nice things with the hay, makes him more willing to eat it :lol: somtimes i find if i reduce caspers pellets slightly he starts to his hay, bit like a child if a childs had too many snacks he wont want his healthy dinner! I hope that everything goes well at the vets, lots of vibes for the little man xx

thanks beccimarie
Im on my way home now. I picked up some (very expensive i must say ) clover/rye hay to try him with (im in australia, my options are usually plain grass hay or lucerne) and some broccoli and fresh herbs (parsley, dill, coriander - his faves) as well as some oat bran to mix in for that little extra fibre. My partner is at home with him while i was at work but he said he still hasnt eaten or drank much, but perhaps he will eat better with me (usually gobbles from the palm of my hand). If not, vets in the morning and hopefully not too big a bill... Normally it doesnt worry me how much i need o pay but since becoming a uni student money is so very much tighter unfortunately

Much to my dismay upon getting home, Tila is not any better

I had to wash his bum with some bunny shampoo as it was incredibly dirty. I did the best i could but it did not all come off >_<. His droppings, what very few i could see had been done since I last checked, were a little bit firmer but still very small and coated in jelly. He did not take to any of the food offered, which is really scaring me because usually he cannot get enough of coriander and dill. What scares me the most is he is actually SHRINKING AWAY from the food :shock::shock::shock:.

To my even bigger dismay, the vets are closed and nothing can be done for another 12 hours. It's going to be a very anxious and sleepless night. He does not seem to be less lively, but I know that rabbits do not often show sickness, so I will be checking him and syringing him some water as often as possible...

I'm getting very worried now , after all he's fought through in his first 2 years of life, he's been great the last year and now this when it is least expected...

Banni Binky said:

Much to my dismay upon getting home, Tila is not any better

I had to wash his bum with some bunny shampoo as it was incredibly dirty. I did the best i could but it did not all come off >_<. His droppings, what very few i could see had been done since I last checked, were a little bit firmer but still very small and coated in jelly. He did not take to any of the food offered, which is really scaring me because usually he cannot get enough of coriander and dill. What scares me the most is he is actually SHRINKING AWAY from the food :shock::shock::shock:.

To my even bigger dismay, the vets are closed and nothing can be done for another 12 hours. It's going to be a very anxious and sleepless night. He does not seem to be less lively, but I know that rabbits do not often show sickness, so I will be checking him and syringing him some water as often as possible...

I'm getting very worried now , after all he's fought through in his first 2 years of life, he's been great the last year and now this when it is least expected...

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Seriously. Vets. Like, urgently.

A bunny that doesnt eat needs a vet, asap. He could be in a lot of pain, rabbits hide it very well.

Graham,
I appreciate your advice but this I already know.
I'm nearly in hysterics because I know how serious this is, but I am pretty much helpless. I have no car, it's after 8pm and there are zero vets open, and I do not have any cash for emergency after hours.
I'm at my wits end because I feel like I am being incredibly cruel to Tila by not being able to get him seen right now at this very hour and I'll never forgive myself if he's not okay, I don't even have any metacam so that I can give him a shot ...

Could you get a friend to drive you to an after hours vet somewhere in the city?
Perhaps just max out the credit card to cover the cost.
I hope you manage to get something sorted out tonight for Tila.

The problem there being I don't have a credit card >____<

I thank you for your thoughts though.

Banni Binky said:

The problem there being I don't have a credit card >____<

I thank you for your thoughts though.

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Maybe a kind friend who 'gets' how much Tila means to you?
Is there an animal welfare hotline you could call for help?

Hahaha. None of my friends earn any more than myself, I'm afraid, as they're all uni students too! And they also live hours away from me. As are both of my closest RSPCA branches, and I very well can't schlep him around on the train :|
I'm just about to go check on him again. Hopefully he's snuck some food down while I've not been watching.

I forgot to add,
our animal welfares are only interested in emergencies if it involves a native animal. And unfortunately, as rabbits are not native (actually the wild ones are pests in Australia), I can't see them doing a 2 hour drive and rushing out here to give a rabbit an IV

Ok everything crossed for you both then.
Hope Tila makes it through the night & you can get him to your vets ASAP in the morning.
Are you able to syringe feed him some water to at least keep his fluids up?

Producing some poop, even if it's not much is good. If you soak his normal pellets in water you should be able to mush them down enough to food by syringe if he won't take any foods at all.