8 week old rabbit, runs, not eating, need advice!

Right let's start right from the beginning. Got a lionhead rabbit on Monday the 27th August, looked absolutely fine, clean bum. Brung her home let her settle in her new cage (house rabbit) then that night I noticed her poo was a bit runny but I thought this could be due to the stress of moving to a new home and rang the people I got her off and they said the same thing, they gave
Me some of there food that they said she was eating so i didnt change food or anything but to be honest she never even touched it. Then pets at home said they was doing free check ups so I thought why not, took her in the day after on Tuesday and they said it wasn't stress more likely a infection so gave her a injection and gave me some baytril to give her for a few days, Wednesday and Thursday she was fine, still not eating her food they had give me but eating hay and doing normal poo. Then Friday came home from work and she had the runs again! I've cleaned out her cage everyday since I've had her, then saturday it was worse then ever! It was just water coming out of her and she was covered in it, so I took her to a different vet and she was discusted to be honest, she told me to throw that food straight away and put her on excel pellets and said she shouldn't be on antibiotics! And gave me bio lapis to put in her drink and take her back in 5days to see of she has put weight on as she is under weight. I bought the excel junior pellets and she hasn't touched them. I am so worried about her as she isn't eating at all, I'm giving her that bio lapis through a syringe as she won't drink it on her own. I honest do not no what to do, I'm getting told 2 different thing by 2 different vets, she's only 8 weeks old I'm so worried about her

:wave:

When changing food it needs to be done slowly as that can upset her delicate tummy even more, it's odd the vet wouldn't mention that tbh. Yes excel is better, (I think some people on here said excel caused some runny bums but not sure, I feed science selective) but muesli is what she is used to so I would leave her with that.

I'm not sure, but if you start a new thread in Rabbit Chat titled "Rabbit savvy vet in *your area*" as it sounds like neither vet you saw was totally knowledgable on bunnies. Not eating could indicate a blockage perhaps. I would find a knowledgable rabbit vet and get her there asap. Does she get a lot of exercise? Indoor cages are not big enough for a rabbit and keeping the gut moving is good.

When rabbits get poorly they go downhill very quickly so I hope someone can help you x

Sounds like Coccidiosis which can be fatal in Baby Rabbits

Baytril will not treat Coccidia, a different antibiotic is needed. I would contact a Vet now as your Rabbit needs intensive care, including fluid therapy, if she is to stand any chance of survival. When you speak with the Vet mention the 'Coccidiosis' possibility.

If Coccidiosis is confirmed P@H need to be informed as a matter of urgency as it is highly contagious and any Rabbit who was in contact with yours would be at risk

I would agree with Jacks Jane that whatever is causing this (and one of the several entiritis/gut infections seems the most likely - especially given the young age and stress which will have caused the immune system to go down) - the bunny needs to be hospitalised at a reliable and knowledgeable et where it will be given fluids and tested to see what type of bacteria is causing the issue.

However you do not have much time as baby buns will go downhill from fluid loss in runny poo very very rapidly.

PS although 'blockage' is a reasonable suggestion if an adult and no runny poo, it is not a possibility given the poo. The age indicates one of the bacterial or other gut issues that little ones often suffer from when their immune system goes down after re-homing too early. Or as Jacks Jane says coccidiossis if the conditions it came from were not good.

I hope you see what Jack's-Janes and parsnipbun have said Nala, I hope you can get your bunny treated in time x

Hi, Thanx for the replies.
When i bought her i got a bag off food from them that she was already on so i could wean her off it slowly, They told me she liked it but shes not eaten any of it since ive had her, Then i took it to the vets with me yesterday and she said to just throw it away as she didnt think it was any good, so now ive bought her excel junior pellets but she hasnt touched them either. She has had a little nibble on her timothy hay today. Shes always been drinking tho so i dont think shes dehydrated plus shes been having bio lapis aswell but im having to syringe it to her as she doesnt really like it.
She seems fine in herself, shes had a run around this morning while i was cleaning her cage.

I dont seem to think she has a blockage as she is pooing.

im just worried about her not eating, The vet said yesterday she was underweight, I think she said she weighed half a kilo, ive got her booked in for thursday as she wanted her to go back to get weighed again to see if shes put on weight.

And also im just confused of who to believe, Pets at home vets put her on antibiotics then another vet said she shouldnt be on them?

Will this bio lapis be doing her any good?

I can't stress to you enough how important it is to find a rabbit savvy vet, diarrhoea in one so young is extremely dangerous - rabbits are not like cats and dogs - their digestive systems are extremely fragile and need rabbit-aware vets in these cases. The fact that she is hardly eating also rings major alarm bells at her age she should be pretty much eating constantly. The second vet who advised you to throw away the food and feed a different one without gradual change over most definitely does not understand rabbit digestion!

There are two members on here that I can think of straight off (I shall try and find the relevant threads), and I'm sure others over the years, in very similar, almost identical circumstances who having done the vet trip believed they were doing everything possible - only to lose the young rabbit because they weren't getting the treatment advised by Jack's-Jane and Parsnipbun.

Even if she is drinking, the diarrhoea will be having an extremely severe effect on her and is still at risk of dehydration. It is really hard to know whose advise to trust especially when you've had conflicting advice already from 2 vets! I really does sound like neither of them had enough rabbit knowledge.

I'll find the threads as reading them might be the best way for you to get a feel for how serious this potentially is.

Both owners of these rabbits tried really, really hard to help the bunnies in question but sadly neither got the correct treatment. There may be some information in the threads that are useful. Sorry if they are upsetting, I just want to give you the best possible chance not to end up in the same position
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...itial-PM-findings-post-86&highlight=diarrhoea

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...TE-He-is-back-in-hospital&highlight=diarrhoea

How do i find a rabbit savvy vet?
Im going to changed my appointment to tomorrow if i can get her in as im not waiting till thursday to get her seen, If i tell them how worried i am they always squeeze me in.
Yes i thought i was doing the right thing and thought i was doing everything fine, But when im getting told different things i just dont know what to do, Im just so confused at the minute.
i'll mention Coccidiosis to the vet and see what they say.

Im also angry at the fact that ive had this poor little girl for 6 days and she been to the vet twice already, Shes getting messed about as much as i am, I feel so sorry for her.
I rang the person i got her off and they told me to take her back but theres no chance as i cant say wether they will get her sorted or not, They told she was taken off her mum at 5 weeks, Is this to early? As i always thought it was 8 weeks, But i had her before she was 8 weeks old as she was 8 weeks last wednesday.

Whereabouts are you? Maybe someone could suggest a better vet ? X

Hi,
Im in sheffield.

Nala said:

Hi,
Im in sheffield.

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We have a lot of members around the Sheffield area, I'm sure we can get some good recommendations.

I have started a new thread asking for a vet for you. There will hopefully be some recommendations on here for you:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=37

may I just add that once you have a recommendation you ring them asap and make an appt for asap stressing to them the urgency of the situation - if necessary asking the receptionists if you can speak direct to a vet or nurse so they will realise how urgent it is.

I really hope you can find a decent vet and get her admitted. Sending vibes to you and little bun xx

I wouldn't even wait till tomorrow, I would take her in as an emergency. I agree with what other people have said about possible causes and any vet that would tell you to just start feeding excel without changing over gradually I wouldn't trust, unless she was thinking as you rabbit hasn't eaten the other pellets it wouldn't make any difference, in which case when she is eating again you can introduce the new food very gradually. Also only introduce fruit and veg gradually in very small amounts.

Personally I'm one of those people who have found Excel gave my bunnies diarrhoea I think vets just push it because excel spend a lot of money advertising to them. You need to contact who she came from to see if any of the other babies are ill and if so what their vets have said (they may already have a diagnosis). If you only took her in to P@H for a health check at the vet then that vet should have taken precautions anyway.

I hope it goes ok and someone is able to recommend a vet to you.

I can't recommend any vets but did a search so you may find one in these that is close to you if no one see the thread.

Good luck, I hope she will be OK.


http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...bit-savy-vet-in-sheffield&highlight=sheffield


http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...nsley-Doncaster-Rotherham&highlight=sheffield


http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...Vet-in-Sheffield-*URGENT*&highlight=sheffield


http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?239873-Intensive-care-bunny-some-tips-of-mine/page2

I contacted the person i got her from and all i got was that she wasnt like it when they had her.
Just been watching her for a bit and i have seen her eating some timothy hay.
I think the reason why the vet told me to throw the other food away was because it was rubbish, when i put my hand in it was damp, she wasnt impressed with it at all.

I hope you manage to find a rabbit-savvy vet and get your rabbit there this evening - time really is of the essence because, as others have said, rabbits go downhill very quickly and a baby stands even less chance of surviving without urgent intervention. I am sorry you are having such problems.

Bump

Got no chance getting her anywere now, I will have to wait till tomorrow, i'll ring first thing in the morning and get her in.
I am panicking about her now, I really thought at first it was just a bit of stress but it must be something else and reading these post are scaring me
I just want this sorting, i dont want to go back to the vet tomorrow and get fobbed off with something else.

Nala said:

Got no chance getting her anywere now, I will have to wait till tomorrow, i'll ring first thing in the morning and get her in.
I am panicking about her now, I really thought at first it was just a bit of stress but it must be something else and reading these post are scaring me
I just want this sorting, i dont want to go back to the vet tomorrow and get fobbed off with something else.

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If you ring the vet's number, you will be given the number to ring for emergency, out-of-hours vet.