• 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.

Condition?

MichG

Mama Doe
When my Jack was going through his ordeal :)cry:) they said he was in poor condition and very thin, and did I know that.

I knew when I got him and took him to the vets that he had lost quite a bit of weight since getting him and getting his VHD done (about a week) then when he had his abcess he lost a bit more (about another week) and I told my vet he was worried but as he was fine in himself and no teeth troubles etc we put it down to stress of a new home, then an abcess. He had started to put quite a bit of weight back on and was near the weight that I got him at when I left him at the vets. To me he didn't feel overly skinny, he felt fine, I could feel his spine but not at a freaky boney spine sticking out feeling, the same as most of my other bunnies have (apart from my 2 who are a little on the tubby side :oops:)

Is this bad?? Should you be able to feel their spine? My normal vet always comments at how good condition my bunnies are kept and that they are good weights, shiney coats and happy healthy buns. I didn't feel Jack was any different. Could it be that over the few hours he was ill that he lost it then?

I feel terrible about that comment, made me feel that he was in bad shape before he got ill, and I am worried I am doing something very wrong and I do not want the others to go that way :(
 
The best way to monitor a Buns weight is to actually weigh them on a regular basis. Say once a week as a routine measure. Just feeling and looking at their body shape is not always reliable.

I suspect Jack had an undiagnosed chronic problem. Not your fault as you raised concerns to the Vet on several occasions. But the weight loss and recurrent abscesses rings loud alarm bells to me and I would expect a Vet to offer some investigative tests, a full blood profile in the first instance.

I am really sorry about Jack :cry:
 
I can feel the spines of all of my buns, and theres definatly noone underweight here (infact if anything Max and Mimi are a little tubby :oops:)

Its very likely that Jack lost his condition due to being poorly hun, or maybe an underlying problem that lead to his stasis :cry: It is NOT your fault in anyway. You told your vet you were worried about his weight but nothing was done about it, if anything I would be questioning them as to why not.

Hope you're as ok as you can be :( xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
The best way to monitor a Buns weight is to actually weigh them on a regular basis. Say once a week as a routine measure. Just feeling and looking at their body shape is not always reliable.

I suspect Jack had an undiagnosed chronic problem. Not your fault as you raised concerns to the Vet on several occasions. But the weight loss and recurrent abscesses rings loud alarm bells to me and I would expect a Vet to offer some investigative tests, a full blood profile in the first instance.

I am really sorry about Jack :cry:

I had a chat with my vet yesterday, who now suspects it was a liver or Kidney problem, and looking back I agree too.

When I got him back in February he was 1.77kgs, when I took him for his abcess 2 weeks later he had dropped to 1.65, the vet said to monitor his weight so I took him back a week later and he was 1.58 kgs. I said I was really worried, but he was fine in himself totally, eating normal and drinking and pooping, so we put it down to him being stressed from moving and also being on antibs with the abcess. I took him back a week later and he had gone back up to 1.6 and kept gradually putting it on until he reached 1.68 which is where he was the night he died. But thinking about it he always drunk more than the others and seemed lazier, but as he had always been like it since I knew him I just figured that was him :( wish I had pushed for blood tests earlier. I also think he had ingested a lot of hair as he was a long haired bun.

At least this has taught me a lot of lessons, if I have ANY concerns with my buns then I am going to push for blood tests etc in future, also if I ever have another long haired then I will groom him every day rather than every other and spend longer doing it.

I am okish about it all now, I have to be, I have 8 other needy buns to take care of. I bought Jack's hutch mates some banana today to cheer them up :) It will make me laugh watching their little bums twitch while they eat it :D
 
I had a chat with my vet yesterday, who now suspects it was a liver or Kidney problem, and looking back I agree too.

When I got him back in February he was 1.77kgs, when I took him for his abcess 2 weeks later he had dropped to 1.65, the vet said to monitor his weight so I took him back a week later and he was 1.58 kgs. I said I was really worried, but he was fine in himself totally, eating normal and drinking and pooping, so we put it down to him being stressed from moving and also being on antibs with the abcess. I took him back a week later and he had gone back up to 1.6 and kept gradually putting it on until he reached 1.68 which is where he was the night he died. But thinking about it he always drunk more than the others and seemed lazier, but as he had always been like it since I knew him I just figured that was him :( wish I had pushed for blood tests earlier. I also think he had ingested a lot of hair as he was a long haired bun.

At least this has taught me a lot of lessons, if I have ANY concerns with my buns then I am going to push for blood tests etc in future, also if I ever have another long haired then I will groom him every day rather than every other and spend longer doing it.

I am okish about it all now, I have to be, I have 8 other needy buns to take care of. I bought Jack's hutch mates some banana today to cheer them up :) It will make me laugh watching their little bums twitch while they eat it :D

Another useful thing is to become familiar with how a 'normal' Rabbit abdomen feels. Picking up on impacted ingesta BEFORE Bun stops eating always gives them a better chance. So monitor poo size, try to learn what is 'normal' in size/quantity. Any change *even if Bun is very bright and eating like a pig* an alarm bell should sound. If you have become familiar with what Bun's abdomen feels like when all is well you may be able to feel when trouble is brewing :)
 
Another useful thing is to become familiar with how a 'normal' Rabbit abdomen feels. Picking up on impacted ingesta BEFORE Bun stops eating always gives them a better chance. So monitor poo size, try to learn what is 'normal' in size/quantity. Any change *even if Bun is very bright and eating like a pig* an alarm bell should sound. If you have become familiar with what Bun's abdomen feels like when all is well you may be able to feel when trouble is brewing :)

Thanks Jane, have been giving the others a good feel every day since (apart from Charlie who goes for my hand every time :shock:) I will do this every day from now on to make sure I catch it early :)
 
Back
Top