Perplex
New Kit
I just joined this forum today with the aim of getting some help and advice from the members on here. Any help no matter how small is appreciated.
My rabbit Winter who is 2 years and 2 months old seems to be ill. He has had all his injections and we take him to the vet regularly for health checks to make sure that he's alright. However, yesterday when I opened his hutch to clean inside it, I noticed that his poop was runny and resembled diarrhea, instead of the usual firm solid pellets. I also saw that when he came out of the hutch and onto the grass to run around, that he was covered in poo on his backside.
I decided to bathe him, because I couldn't keep him in that condition. I bathed him with rabbit shampoo and all the poo was washed out and he was clean again. I then wrapped him up in a large towel and blow dryed him with the hairdryer, then proceded to brush him with a bristle brush (he's molting and shedding alot). After that, I decided to keep him indoors and so covered his cage with fresh woodshavings, hay and rabbit nuggets, I also filled up his water bottle with fresh water and attached that to his cage. I put him in his cage and kept him warm making sure to check up on him every half hour. He seemed content with his surroundings and I noticed him grooming himself for a long time. I read up on this and found out that it's a normal thing that rabbits do shortly after being bathed, so I wasn't worried about it. After an hour I realised that he had slowly started nibbling SOME of his hay, but not much, and his water and food had been untouched. I decided to leave him in peace for the night and check up on his progress in the morning. (Oh I also noticed that he did not make a mess after I put him back in his cage, so that was good.)
This morning I checked up on him and he seemed happy to see me, I checked his water to see if he had drank and found it to be the same as before... however my dad noted that he may have drank a LITTLE, but I didn't notice it, so I don't know. His food, was untouched but he had started eating his hay so I guess that was good to see. He had not pooped at all, not even the pellets and there was no evidence of him peeing either as I could not see anything on the corners of his cage where he uses to pee. After I came back from school I checked on him and again, his water seemed untouched and his food too. The hay was nearly gone so I added more. My dad told me that he had fed him a little carrot and some parsley and mint, which he had successfully taken interest in and apparently he said, he ate enthusiastically, which made me happy.
Right now, I'm very worried about him because of him not drinking or possibly drinking too little. I know that rabbits can get dehydrated if they don't drink often. And I really don't want that happening to him...
The fact that he's not eating his pellets doesn't worry me that much because as long as he's taking an interest in the hay and eating that, then he should be fine?
Is there anything I can do to make him drink and eat more? He still has not pooped or peed so that is very worrying to me too. I do know that hay is great for rabbits digestive system, so that should be helping him, right?
I am really worried and scared and my friend told me to take him to the vet but I'm not sure if I should? I most likely will by tomorrow, if I see that there is no changes to the food and if I see he's not drinking at all.
Please help me, I don't know what else to do to make him better
EDIT: I'm so glad though, that the diarrhea is gone
My rabbit Winter who is 2 years and 2 months old seems to be ill. He has had all his injections and we take him to the vet regularly for health checks to make sure that he's alright. However, yesterday when I opened his hutch to clean inside it, I noticed that his poop was runny and resembled diarrhea, instead of the usual firm solid pellets. I also saw that when he came out of the hutch and onto the grass to run around, that he was covered in poo on his backside.
I decided to bathe him, because I couldn't keep him in that condition. I bathed him with rabbit shampoo and all the poo was washed out and he was clean again. I then wrapped him up in a large towel and blow dryed him with the hairdryer, then proceded to brush him with a bristle brush (he's molting and shedding alot). After that, I decided to keep him indoors and so covered his cage with fresh woodshavings, hay and rabbit nuggets, I also filled up his water bottle with fresh water and attached that to his cage. I put him in his cage and kept him warm making sure to check up on him every half hour. He seemed content with his surroundings and I noticed him grooming himself for a long time. I read up on this and found out that it's a normal thing that rabbits do shortly after being bathed, so I wasn't worried about it. After an hour I realised that he had slowly started nibbling SOME of his hay, but not much, and his water and food had been untouched. I decided to leave him in peace for the night and check up on his progress in the morning. (Oh I also noticed that he did not make a mess after I put him back in his cage, so that was good.)
This morning I checked up on him and he seemed happy to see me, I checked his water to see if he had drank and found it to be the same as before... however my dad noted that he may have drank a LITTLE, but I didn't notice it, so I don't know. His food, was untouched but he had started eating his hay so I guess that was good to see. He had not pooped at all, not even the pellets and there was no evidence of him peeing either as I could not see anything on the corners of his cage where he uses to pee. After I came back from school I checked on him and again, his water seemed untouched and his food too. The hay was nearly gone so I added more. My dad told me that he had fed him a little carrot and some parsley and mint, which he had successfully taken interest in and apparently he said, he ate enthusiastically, which made me happy.
Right now, I'm very worried about him because of him not drinking or possibly drinking too little. I know that rabbits can get dehydrated if they don't drink often. And I really don't want that happening to him...
The fact that he's not eating his pellets doesn't worry me that much because as long as he's taking an interest in the hay and eating that, then he should be fine?
Is there anything I can do to make him drink and eat more? He still has not pooped or peed so that is very worrying to me too. I do know that hay is great for rabbits digestive system, so that should be helping him, right?
I am really worried and scared and my friend told me to take him to the vet but I'm not sure if I should? I most likely will by tomorrow, if I see that there is no changes to the food and if I see he's not drinking at all.
Please help me, I don't know what else to do to make him better
EDIT: I'm so glad though, that the diarrhea is gone
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