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Someone help :'( at the end of my tether :'(

chloemurray

Warren Veteran
I know this is the wrong section, I'm sorry but I feel like no one will look at it if I put it in health :(

I just want to cry. I don't know what to do with the rabbits. They've all lost weight during their moults but Benji is like a skeleton again, and if he stays this way I don't think he'll make it through the winter.:cry:

They have unlimited hay, and used to have about two egg cups of pellets each a day... it maintained their weight well. Then they all lost weight so I started gradually upping it, and now Benji has really bad wet poo.

I just don't know what to do to help him, he's been to the vets and had tests and fibreplex and stuff, I just don't know what to do now :(
 
Have they been wormed recently?

A small amount of porridge oats may help

What veg do they have? :wave:
 
What checks/tests did the Vet do ??

Whilst you may give them unlimited hay how much of it is actually being *eaten* ?
 
Have they been wormed recently?

A small amount of porridge oats may help

What veg do they have? :wave:

Yes they have, at the end of august. I might have to get some porridge oats... and none of them can tolerate veg, so they have a variety of herbs. Their favourites are parsley, coriander, dill and basil. I also have a few bits left of dried forage foods... like bramble leaves etc that they get every few days.
 
What checks/tests did the Vet do ??

Whilst you may give them unlimited hay how much of it is actually being *eaten* ?

The only one I can remember is that he had a blood test for diabetes, which was negative. He has been wormed and was on a treatment of fibreplex for 10 days as well, which seemed to help him a lot.

Is fibreplex something that can be given whenever needed, because thinking about it now, it really did help him. I'm also thinking about pro-fibre pellets?

ETA: It;s hard to tell with them being a pair and Cupcake being a hay monster, but I often see Benji eating hay. He's eating some at the moment.
 
I think if he's losing substantial weight then first things first - another vet check and request some bloods if they don't suggest it. I think this is essential really to check his kidney and liver function and white cell count etc.

Have you tried the more calorific hays? The ones with seed heads such as oat, wheat, barley etc? These shouldn't upset the caecal bacteria unless bun is very sensitive but should help with weight gain. I would be hesitant about introducing oats at this stage with such a dysbiosis currently occuring and would definitely also try the profibre pellets.

Have you got an apple tree in your garden or know of one nearby? They've not yet dropped their leaves and make very good leaves to feed for both dysbiosis but also to fill bunny up a bit.

The herbs you feed... are they freshly grown or from the supermarket? If so which one and are they in a pot or a packet? :wave:
 
Yes you can give unlimited fibreplex, (but try to stick to dosage) I used to give it to Ivy constantly, the other thing that helped my Timmy keep on weight, esp through the winter is something called Fulvic acid from The Fulvic Acid Company I can recomend it 100% Though its a long term difference, not instant. I found Timmy was much healthier then when off it.
 
How long was he wormed for? I would go for the 28 Panacur to make absolutely sure. My Thomas had EC and I didn't realise because the only visible symptom was unexplained weightloss.
 
I think if he's losing substantial weight then first things first - another vet check and request some bloods if they don't suggest it. I think this is essential really to check his kidney and liver function and white cell count etc.

Have you tried the more calorific hays? The ones with seed heads such as oat, wheat, barley etc? These shouldn't upset the caecal bacteria unless bun is very sensitive but should help with weight gain. I would be hesitant about introducing oats at this stage with such a dysbiosis currently occuring and would definitely also try the profibre pellets.

Have you got an apple tree in your garden or know of one nearby? They've not yet dropped their leaves and make very good leaves to feed for both dysbiosis but also to fill bunny up a bit.

The herbs you feed... are they freshly grown or from the supermarket? If so which one and are they in a pot or a packet? :wave:

I have some dried apple leaves but don't know of a tree nearby :( I also hadn't thought of more calorific hays.. he loves oxbow oat hay, I just can't afford it. I think I will get some pro fibre pellets.

We have freshly grown basil and they normally get freshly grown parsley and coriander but my lants recently died. I normally buy it in pots from asda.
 
Has he had a thorough Dental examination ?

I am wondering if he may have Dental issues. He may seem to be eating hay, but the amount he actually ingests may be minimal. He could find eating pellets easier as it is a different mechanical action needed to chew pellets from that needed to chew and grind hay. But then eating too many pellets will lead to a soft poos as he will be ingesting too much protein/carbohydrate and minimal fibre.

My advice would be to try to establish whether or not Dental issues are the main problem.
 
I have some dried apple leaves but don't know of a tree nearby :( I also hadn't thought of more calorific hays.. he loves oxbow oat hay, I just can't afford it. I think I will get some pro fibre pellets.

We have freshly grown basil and they normally get freshly grown parsley and coriander but my lants recently died. I normally buy it in pots from asda.

Okay. I'm just trying to narrow down the cause of the dysbiosis and it seems it is lack of fibre.

I think vets really - to check his dental health as Janes says and I would still have some bloods run also. There is no reason your vet couldn't do an EC antibody screen as well, it won't give you a definite diagnosis but will help rule it in or out. It is a more expensive blood test. Dental exam will of course be the cheapest of the lot so certainly worth ruling out :) Good luck x
 
Thankyou everyone, I appreciate all the advice.

I'm going to try and book him a vet appointment with the vet I trust. He does have slightly misalligned molars, but no spurs (his teeth were checked recently) but it's worth checking again. He is also an older rabbit and was neglected in his youth, which sadly I think is playing a part in his problems.

If needs be, I'm gonig to beg for him and Cupcake to be indoors over winter. The problem is that I wanted to bond PB in with them in time for winter.. it's just a case of whether Benji would be up to it. He was very laid back last time though.
 
Like everyone else has said, vet-check, blood tests etc; to rule anything out.

Has anyone actually suggested barley rings?
They're a good aid for gaining weight as they're high in fat and usually used for horses through the winter. In moderation I think they could really help.
 
I personally wouldn't bond Benji into a group of 3 if he has problems maintaining weight...a group will just make it even harder for you to monitor input and output.
 
I personally wouldn't bond Benji into a group of 3 if he has problems maintaining weight...a group will just make it even harder for you to monitor input and output.

It's pretty much my only option :(

Benji's poos are also very distinctive, normally much smaller than Cupcake's but round, crumbly and gold. Cupcake's are like boulders, I always know whose is whose:lol:
 
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Thankyou everyone, I appreciate all the advice.

I'm going to try and book him a vet appointment with the vet I trust. He does have slightly misalligned molars, but no spurs (his teeth were checked recently) but it's worth checking again. He is also an older rabbit and was neglected in his youth, which sadly I think is playing a part in his problems.

If needs be, I'm gonig to beg for him and Cupcake to be indoors over winter. The problem is that I wanted to bond PB in with them in time for winter.. it's just a case of whether Benji would be up to it. He was very laid back last time though.

I personally wouldn't bond him again at all at the moment. A bun who is losing weight without explanation could be poorly and bonding a poorly bun with a lowered immune system is additional stress on the immune system and asking for trouble. If it were me I would want to get to the bottom of his health issues first.
 
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