• 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.

  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Help please

P

poppy'n'rose

Young Bun
My 5 year old rabbit Rosie has stopped eating, we are on day 3 of syringe feeding critical care food. Up until today she was also nibbling some forage, bramble leaf, dandilion, grass etc but no pellets or hay at all. Today she was collapsed on her side, Vet has diagnosed a brain parasite (this morning), she now has metacam, zantac, panacur and had an injection to help gut mobility. I have syringe fed every few hours but its a messy business, she just isnt interested. I need some ideas to tempt her to eat as tomorrow i'm at work and although i will split my shift to feed her every 5 hours i really want her to try something herself. I was so upset at the vets that i also didnt ask the right questions, how much should i give per feed and how often??? she is such a sweet rabbit and the vet has confirmed she's in no pain. Hoping my little girl gets well soon :(
 
I don't know the amount you should be feeding her but I can suggest something that might interest to eat more.

Try mixing pellets, wet veg, cut up fruits, hay, grass and forage together. The fresh strong smell might interest her more than just having the food separately.

Also maybe you could try syringing her water mashed up with banana?
 
Oh no poor bun. :(

How long is the course of panacur? And have they checked her teeth just to be sure?

I would feed little and often if you can. While at work count everything you give her so you know if/what she's eaten when you get back. I would try fresh herbs like parsley, dandelion leaves, some fresh grass, fresh hay and pellets.
 
Thanks for the advice, Panacur is ongoing for her and her hutch mate. Ive tried lots of fresh forage and she just wont entertain it, she has had lots of periods of not eating in the past, it seems like every little thing stops her eating, poor baby. I will definately be trying the banana with water tomorrow as ive not tried this before with her. Shes been in the house for a hop round to try to stimulate her gut and she could just about stay on her feet. I am just so worried that most rabbits with E.C still eat and she just wont at all. Shes back in her hutch (with hutch mate) with kale, hay, pellets, dandilion and carrot. I cant tell what she eats or poos etc as it could be Poppy. Tomorrow i'm going to try to bring her in for a bit to see if shes pooing - i just dont want to stress her. Vet has confirmed no blockage, but she does have an empty stomach which i know isnt good.
 
sorry should also have added, porridge oats are a possibility as not tried so will do tomorrow, and teeth are fine as checked just a few months ago and although she has some twisting to her front teeth its not enough to stop her eating.
 
What kind of critial are are you using. Some of them can clog up the syringe. I use one called Oxbow fine grind Its the one in the brown packet not the green packet. You could also try some baby food or mix the both. Also try is slightly warm ... Peter goes nuts for it when it is just luke warm.
The baby food I use is Hipp Organic Vegetable Medley in a little jar.

Ditto about the teeth, some bunnies teeth can need seeing to every few weeks.

keep on with the panacur as it can takes weeks before there is an improvement

good luck x
 
Thank you again, its oxbow i'm using, not sure which as vet decanted into tub rather than sell me big bag. I will get teeth checked on fri when we are back at vets, she always has a good appetite normally but shes an easily put off rabbit, took 7 days of syringing to get her to eat after spay and this is 4th occurance of not eating due to illness in last couple of years. Shes such a fun rabbit and confident with people it just seems like every bug stops her eating :(. Vet suggested rubbing her gums with dandilion, apple or carrot - she still isnt interested, shes had fresh herbs from the garden,plus spinach, kale, apple, hay, grass, dandelion, bramble, cabbage, pellets, mash of critical care, carrot and still she wont eat on her own. Her hutch partner is 100% and absolutely loving the variety so its nothing to do with feed quality :(
 
If she is still the same this morning I would ask the Vet to admit her. She sounds as though she needs intensive care which would require at least half hourly monitoring. She would benefit from fluid therapy too, either IV or subcutaneous.

Hope she can pull through xx
 
I hope she is starting to feel better. It's so so horrible when they're not eating, such a constant stress, amazing how a little bunny not muching can take over your life. I hope she is starting to improve today.x.x.
 
Sending good thoughts for Rosie and I hope you see an improvement soon.

I'm feeding my Button (day six of stasis) Oxbow Critical Care mixed with baby food every two hours, giving two syringes worth and hoping he will eat as much as can offer.

Also offering kale, parsley, banana, coriander, well anything I can find that he might try.

Good luck.
 
Thank you all, NellieNooNoo, i'm also feeding critical care. havent yet tried baby food so will do tomorrow. tried porridge oats tonight with no luck. Still giving her loads of fresh stuff, kale, grass, dandelion, buddleah (she usually likes it????? not a normal rabbit food i know) oregano, carrot. And the good news is this morning and tonight i let her in her garden run (shes very lopsided but can just about get about) AND!!!!!!we have a few small dark poos!!!! AND!!!! she ate a dandelion leaf all on her own - I cant believe how happy i was to see this. it was just one but hopefully a breakthrough. The syringing will continue and vets tomorrow. I wont do admission unless she needs a drip as she gets stressed when away from home and her mate (female neutered). Again thank you all for your advice. Rxx
 
So pleased to hear that Rosie appears to be improving. I was excited today when Button ate two dandelion heads.

I'm using 10ml syringes but getting the mixture the right consistency to suck into the syringe drives me crazy, I should be an expert at that bit by now.

Healing thoughts with Rosie
 
NellieNoonoo, i know what you mean about the syringes, i have a big 15ml one but the end is quite thick and she doesnt like it, she takes a 1ml syringe fantastically but i cant make the stuff thin enough for it. shes started grooming herself now :D so i am putting mash on her feet and she cleans it off. I'm sure she hates me at the minute, if im not sticking stuff in her mouth i'm shoving dandelions in her face or smearing food on her feet. Vet was pleased with progress so far - she can hop in a straight line even if she is leaning over, can now groom herself and has been out in her grass run again. She is now sitting nibbling on grass and dandelion, not masses but a nibble every couple of minutes so i'm gonna miss the next feed and just watch her. Hopefully this is the step i need her to take.
It may seem a strange foor and i dont even know how safe it is but she has shown a preference for dead leaves in particular budleah????maybe its the roughage content i dont know but she's gone for these quicker than carrot, bramble, strawberry, grass, dandelion etc
Hope your bunny feels a bit better soon
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

roxyroller88
Thymoma
Replies
14
Views
492
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
B
Mouth Ulcers and Pus
2
Replies
22
Views
1K
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
~ILoveMyBunny~
Prognosis on fractured spine vertebrae (thorax area) - update: she's gone
Replies
16
Views
703
bunny momma
bunny momma
Back
Top