Vets not helping, not sure where to turn!!!

I have a 8 month old lionhead rabbit who had a litter of 5 14 days ago. Took her to the vet the day after she had them and was told she was fit and healthy. She was doing brilliantly and looking after the kits really well although i noticed she had stopped eating hay, she was only eating johnsons supreme and herbs and veg etc and grazed in the garden for approx 2 hrs every day. I wasn't too concerned about this until she suddenly stopped eating altogether on tuesday this week (11 days after having the babies). She stopped going to the toilet too. She lost energy quite quickley and was not interested in anything i offered. I took her to the vet on wednesday who diagnosed GI Statis, injected her with pain relief, antibiotics and appetite stimulant (Zantac Syrup). We brought her home and she began nibbling for about half an hour then we were back to square one, no enegy and no interest in food. The day after she had bad diarreah and passed a lot of mucus. I took her back to the vet who gave her another pain relief shot and gave me appetite stimulant and probiotics and blended hay to take home for her and administer by syringe. She showed no improvement whatsoever and was again passing a lot of mucus and i had to take her back to the vet again today. She was given another pain relief shot and i was given antibiotics (Baytril) to administer again by syringe twice a day and pain relief (metacam) to start tomorrow. She has nibbled on hay a little bit this afternoon but is now back to how she was, no energy and not eating enything. I have managed to administer everything i am supposed to and she has had some of the blended hay again via syringe but this is all just stressing her out, i seem to be just pestering her all the time and i'm sure all this is making her worse.
I am managing to feed the kits and they seem ok (thank god) but i am at a total loss as to what to do next for their mum. I am loosing trust in the vets. I have so far spent £150 for what seems like nothing. I'm a single mum and this is my childrens rabbit. I'm out of money. What do i do next. Please if you have any advice i would really appreciate it. thanks

Hi, so sorry your bunny and her kits are in a bad way. This is just my opinion but it sounds like she needs more than Baytril, sounds like mucoid enteritis to me which is best treated with septrin. But you also need to review the possibility of Cocci too. I would try another vet if i were you.

The other MAJOR issue you have is that if Mum is on drugs then these may harm the babies.

Hope you get it sorted x

Also try dandelion leaves, these too are a natural appetite stimulant. Also try and get hold of some blackberry leaves, these will help settle her tummy too.

Now is not the right time, but once all sorted you should consider moving her (and the litter) onto a pellet feed for weaning Mum & young Kits Excell Junior. Do it gradually and once kits are weaned you can start to introduce adult feed such as Excell adult or Sceince Selective.

The museli mix such as Johnson encourage selective feeding, so she will not be getting a balanced diet.

ETA - where are you? Someone close may be able to help

would the vets not tell me if these meds were harmful for the babies???? should i seperate them???

6031diane said:

would the vets not tell me if these meds were harmful for the babies???? should i seperate them???

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I am not an expert on rabbit medicine and can only give my concerns. I would say, no do not separate them tonight as Mum will usually only feed once or twice a day. I would however strongly recommend you get the opinion of another vet. Where are you? Perhaps someone on here can recommend a rabbit savvy vet in your areA

I figured that the johnsons i was feeding her wasn't providing everything she needed but she was enjoying it and therefore stopped eating hay. She wasn't getting the fibre she needed and the gi statis began. As advised by the vet today i have put the exact excel pellets you mentioned in her cage, shes not had any of the johnsons for three days now though, do you think this will be a problem? I feel angry with the vets for not getting her meds or diagnosis right. I have no money left to take her to another vets

I'm in nelson, lancashire

6031diane said:

I figured that the johnsons i was feeding her wasn't providing everything she needed but she was enjoying it and therefore stopped eating hay. She wasn't getting the fibre she needed and the gi statis began. As advised by the vet today i have put the exact excel pellets you mentioned in her cage, shes not had any of the johnsons for three days now though, do you think this will be a problem? I feel angry with the vets for not getting her meds or diagnosis right. I have no money left to take her to another vets

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Where are you?

Julia123 said:

I am not an expert on rabbit medicine and can only give my concerns. I would say, no do not separate them tonight as Mum will usually only feed once or twice a day. I would however strongly recommend you get the opinion of another vet. Where are you? Perhaps someone on here can recommend a rabbit savvy vet in your areA

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She doesn't have any milk to give them i don't think, since she stopped eating her milk had gone

Oh gosh, I'm really not qualified to help, but something is definately not right and you need a second opinion.

Suggest you put a thread up asking for a rabbit savvy vet near you - I am miles away I'm afraid

ETA if she has no milk then she can't pass on the drugs to the kits, but its just so hard to raise bunny kits.... I don't know what else to say other than again to see another vet. Also search on here about raising kits.... its not easy....

For Mum & babies find another vet.....

I'm sorry I don't have any advice, but I hope you can find some answers. Sending lots of vibes for mummy bunny and babies xx

I am sad to say that it may be pregnancy toxemia and if it is the prognosis is grave

http://www.helium.com/items/1359210-pregnancy-toxemia-in-rabbits-symptoms-and-treatment

Her only hope is to be admitted to a Veterinary Centre for intensive care. I am sorry to be blunt here, but her life is in your hands and you need to insure that this takes place.

How much of an experienced Breeder are you ? What are you feeding the kits ?

http://cottontails-rescue.org.uk/handrear.asp

If you cannot afford more Veterinary Care for the Doe then you need to contact either the RSPCA, The PDSA or The Blue Cross. One of them should be able to offer subsidised Veterinary Treatment.

http://www.rspca.org.uk/in-action/whatwedo/vetcare

http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pdsa-vet-care/eligibility

http://www.bluecross.org.uk/2076/Veterinary-services.html