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Do I need to go to the vet?? Edit: *USELESS VET*

kstevens7

Young Bun
Riley isn't acting her usual self. She's hunched up and uninterested in food (for her) and water. I also haven't seen her poo or wee since things since I noticed something wasn't right, and she hasn't flopped since this morning.

Riley has had mild stasis before - I took her to the vet but as soon as we got there she started to munch on some hay... and it cost me £80. I have a syringe and some supreme science 'recovery' that the vet gave me last time, but I didn't need as she was fine and eating as soon as we were home.

Ry has eaten a couple of raisins (her absolute favourite which she will usually have my hand off for), a fenugreek crunchie, a couples of bites or so of lettuce and a few mouthfuls of pellets, but she certainly isn't herself and I really worried. I've just sent my flatmate out to get some sugar-free juice to add to her water to encourage her to drink.

I could take her to the vets now, which is unbelievably expensive in London and really quite difficult and stressful for Riley to get to and I really can't afford it unless I absolutely need to. Last time I went prematurely and she would just have gotten over it by herself. Do you think I should just go now? Or wait until tomorrow?

I don't know what would have caused this. She was eating tons yesterday and was perfectly happy. Although I gave her and Rodge some brussel sprouts? Could those have made her gassy?

Also, she has been moulting heavily and I've heard that can cause stasis. She has done lots of strung together poos.

Advice please? :cry:

I hate how fragile they are.

What should I do?
 
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If she has been like this all day I'd take her to the vets now, cheaper to do it now that in the night as an emergency :(

Unfortunately when a buns stops eating they often do need a vet trip to sort them out.

Hope she is ok xx
 
It's actually only been a couple of hours. She was flopped out at about 2 this afternoon. It's really only just come on properly. She does keep nibbling on lettuce though. I'm going to call the vet now and see what they say.
 
I always think it is best to err on the side of caution, and get her checked out asap.

Heaven forbid if anything seriously or tragically happened to Riley. I am pretty sure you would never forgive yourself. being a true bunny lover.:love:

Little paws crossed for Riley to feel better soon.:p:p
 
She's just eaten some hay??

Argh, I don't know! It's so much added stress just to get her to the vets. She doesn't seem all that bad... I think it's a true possibility I'm just paranoid. I might just wait another hour or so and see how things go. She's looking much more tired than in pain, to be honest. Her eyelids keep drooping, and then I bother her by shoving some kind of food in her face.

Thank you for your advice.
 
i would take her sooner rather than later as if your usual vet is expensive, goodness knows how much the emergency vet would be tonight.

i have found with both of mine that they look relaxed and sleepy at first when gut problems are presenting themselves but this isn't the case - they're in pain and tired:(
 
Do you not have insurance i.e. Petplan???

My advice would be to take to vet us you know how their tums can be and how fast they can go down hill.

Force her to move around every now and than as if it is stasis or heading that way running around helps stimulate the gut.

What lettuce is she eating may I ask as they can't have normal lettuce i.e. iceberg or round.

Spring greens is best thing to wean them onto if want to feed veg.

If she is pushing tummy into the floor or grinding teeths than she in pain and needs meds for it:(

Try get her to to take on fluids and eat more hay as this helps move things through the gut especially when going through big molts.

Hope she gets better and passes poo's asap xx


Advice is always a trip to vet though afraid.
 
If she is at least nibbling food thats better than nothing. However is she pooing at all now? If you are unsure try cleaning her out so you know if and how many poos she's done.
If you are really unsure take her to the vet now, otherwise in an hour or so it'll go into emergancy vet hours - and thats when it gets expensive!

You know your bun the best, I know its a constant battle with Pie and her stasis so know that once she shows the smallest signs - in goes the Fibreplex and if after 30/45mins still no improvement it's straight to the vets.

It's good that shes still eating bits and pieces but no good if its not coming out the other end. It'll make the problem worse otherwise. And I dare not tell you to leave her overnight.

ETA: When Pie has stasis she also looks tired and pretty listless. I know it can be expensive but as my OH put it when Pie was at the vets the other day "our bunny's life is worth more that a £120 vet trip" - I think he made a very good point.

Let us know how Riley is later :wave:
 
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We'll I've made an appointment now for 6:15 (urgh... an hour) because I don't want to risk it. I'd much rather pay however much money then see her suffer. :cry:

She's not pooing which is the greatest concern as you're right, regardless of what she eats if its not coming out we have a problem. She just doesn't look happy at all. I've cleaned her out and there is still no sign of anything and it's been a couple of hours now. I think it's definitely time to go - I can't get her to drink anything either. Poor baby.

It was romaine lettuce which I have read is okay for rabbits - she rarely has it; it was more to just get some water into her system.

'Do you not have insurance i.e. Petplan???' Unfortunately I don't have insurance... when I looked it was something like 40 pounds a month to insure my two rabbits which, at the moment as a student, I truly just can't afford. I'm just hoping that they don't run into any huge problems before I can get them insured in a year or two. Otherwise I will have to be begging my parents.

I've been having her move around a bit and she's clearly getting irritated with me. She just wants to be left alone. :cry: I feel so sorry for her.

Riley's life is definitely worth more than an £80 pound vet trip, but it was just irritating last time when she started eating and passing food as soon as I got to the vets! I'd be pretty grateful to see that now, though.

I can't leave her overnight. I'll keep you updated!

Thanks everyone.
 
Paws crossed all goes well at the vet and she gets better asap :D

Did you try Petplan?? It costs me about £11 for 1 but I sure with petplan depending on medical history 2 should cost no more than £25 at the most with Petplan. Go online and get a quote.

Obviously any problems like tum problems will have to be disclosed and therefore they will not cover the bun for i.e tummy problems until had no probs for a year.

My bridge Bunnie wasn't insured for her tum problems as we only got insurance after a stasis problem and she was always in and out of hospital for stasis but after being well with tum for a year she was than covered for it on policy.

Paws crossed hope bun bun better soon. nose rubs xx
 
Useless Vet.

Okay help me out here:

Just got back from the vet with Riley. Went to a new vet on this particular occasion because it is a) just down the road b) specialises in small animals and c) was moderately cheaper than my usual vet. It also had good reviews. It felt like it had the potential to be an emergency and I would never have gotten to my usual vet before it closed.

From my knowledge, the help I got seemed pretty useless... In fact, I'm fairly livid about having to pay 50 quid for advice I already knew. :censored:

He literally read off a sheet about GI statis for me, and basically just nodded his head as I diagnosed my rabbit. He didn't even listen to her tummy! What the hell? I said something about her poos stringing together as she'd been moulting so much and he just nodded and then had the audacity to LAUGH at me because I'd brought her in only a couple of hours after the problem started! He said that moulting didn't have anything to do with GI stasis and it was a secondary problem. This may be right but i've seen conflicting sources? Most say it does. What do you think?

She got her injection of metoclopramide into her leg (?) and she was bleeding when I got her back home! The last time the vet did it into the scruff of her neck, I think, or at least around that area. Surely this is right? She struggled and kicked when he did it, whereas before she didn't even notice the needle going in before. The patch where she was injected is also very damp, so I'm concerned the medicine didn't go in properly.

Roge, her ever doting husbun, has been cleaning her thoroughly and really looking after her. It's heartbreaking. I've still not seen any poos and I'm so, so worried about her.

I'm furious. :censored: Am I wrong to be? He really didn't even seem to know as much as me about the condition.

I was wondering if it would be ridiculous for me to just order the metoclopramide and inject her myself if/when this happens again? My mum is a GP so should be able to show me how to do it? It just seems ridiculous to have to pay so much for advice I truly already know.

I just want Riley to be okay. Saying that, she's just had a bite of pear and jumped onto the bed with me. Fingers crossed. :(
 
No advice but I just wanted to send some vibes for Riley. I hope the injection did go in correctly and she soon begins eating and pooping again.
 
Was Riley given any painkiller?

You were right to take her to the vet. Fingers crossed that she will be OK.

Try to get some fluids into her. I find that a bowl of water with a dash of boiling in (to make it tepid) encourages drinking, I do this even more often during a moult.

Sending her lots of pooping and eating vibes.
 
No painkiller... I thought that was odd as she got it last time and clearly felt better quickly.

He told me he didn't think she was in pain because when he pressed into her stomach she didn't fuss. I have no idea if this is usual or correct veterinary practice.

Bah. No poos yet. :cry:
 
Is she moving around? This sometime helps to get things moving.

Another thing that some people try is fresh pineapple juice which "may" (no proof) help to break down hair if it is being ingested - you mentioned possible hair in poop in the first thread. I tend to give a syringe of it once a week during a moult. I buy a fresh pineapple, cut a piece off and squeeze it with my hand to get the juice out.

Hopefully you have caught it in time but fluids should help if you can tempt her with the water.
 
Not moving around too much yet...

I can't get her to drink! Should I syringe fluids? At what point should that start? Also, i looked for fresh pineapple juice but all I could find was sugar-free squash. Will this work? I'm doubting it. :?

I hope I caught it in time.
 
What!!! Stupid vet!
I have never known them to inject into the leg :? Poor baby! :(

I think it's time to syringe feed her some water or critical care. Also, have you got any fresh (not from concentrate) pineapple juice? Mix half and half with water an syringe feed her that. It's said pineapple juice has good enzymes to help the tummy. It also tastes very nice so may help appetite.
Try her on her favorite treats too, also if she's happy with it try slipping your hand or a couple of fingers under her belly (I can only do this with Pie when Im stroking her at the same time as she runs off) and gently massage her tummy to help get things moving.

I find that Pie will not respond and then out of nowhere after about 2hrs after the injection she'll suddenly start eating and drinking and pooing.
Pie was literally at deaths door last week but out of nowhere she acted like there was nothing wrong. It's amazing how buns can bounce back! :)
 
Try the bowl of tepid water before adding anything.

You could get her to move around gently for a couple of minutes every so often but don't stress her.

Did the vet actually say what he thought it was?

I normally get a fresh whole pineapple and cut a piece off and squeeze it. I doubt that juice would have the same potential affect as freshly squeezed pineapple.
 
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