Caecs, weight loss (or failure to gain), antibiotics....

For those of you who don't know I'm currently nursing a vaccinated bun with nodular myxi, Mulberry...


Mulberry can't seem to gain weight even though we're now well into the fourth week of her myxi. She's being kept in the shed (normally free ranges in the garden) with a big furry rabbit to keep her warm, aka her partner Merlin...

I've been bringing her in and feeding her separatetly - protexin, blackbrry leaves, a bit of carrot, a teaspoon of soaked oats etc etc but she cannot seem to gain weight. I realise the cold doesn't help her but she hates being indoors so I do need to keep her as an outside rabbit.

She's currently on septrin and baytril. The septrin stops on Tuesday and the baytril Tuesday week. I notice she hasn't been eating her caecs ad wonder if this is because of the antibiotics. Will she re-start once the septrin stops, or will even one antibiotic put her off eating them (unfortunately baytril has the least appealing flavour of the two)? Would this alone stop her from gaining weight? I realise fighting the infection will use up her energy too, but she's on week four so hopefully that's subsiding...

So many questions - sorry - but if anyone can throw any light on ay of this I'd be grateful... :wave:

I think the cecal dysbiosis may be due to a combination of antibiotics and too much carbohydrate (porridge) and sugar (carrots) in her diet

As tempting as it is to try to bulk a skinny Bunny up over-doing carbs/sugars can cause more problems.

Personally, as long as she is not losing weight I would concentrate on sorting the dysbiosis rather than trying to get her to gain weight by feeding porridge etc. The fact she is not eating her cecals will mean that she cannot metabolise her food effectively, so weight gain just wont happen.

I would stop the carrots and porridge. I'd try to get her to eat as much hay/varieties of hay as possible. Fibreplex would be good to give too aswell as some profibre pellets.

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/protexin-fibreplex-for-rabbits-15ml-syringe.html

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/protexin-profibre-for-rabbits-800g.html

What pellets are you feeding ?

I really feel that if you can get the dysbiosis sorted out her overall condition will improve too.

In the short term a shot of Vitamin B Complex may be of benefit as Rabbits lack this if they stop eating their cecals. Although most commercial Rabbit foods contain it a debilitated Rabbit may need an extra boost.

Jack's-Jane said:

I think the cecal dysbiosis may be due to a combination of antibiotics and too much carbohydrate (porridge) and sugar (carrots) in her diet

As tempting as it is to try to bulk a skinny Bunny up over-doing carbs/sugars can cause more problems.

Personally, as long as she is not losing weight I would concentrate on sorting the dysbiosis rather than trying to get her to gain weight by feeding porridge etc. The fact she is not eating her cecals will mean that she cannot metabolise her food effectively, so weight gain just wont happen.

I would stop the carrots and porridge. I'd try to get her to eat as much hay/varieties of hay as possible. Fibreplex would be good to give too aswell as some profibre pellets.

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/protexin-fibreplex-for-rabbits-15ml-syringe.html

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/protexin-profibre-for-rabbits-800g.html

What pellets are you feeding ?

I really feel that if you can get the dysbiosis sorted out her overall condition will improve too.

In the short term a shot of Vitamin B Complex may be of benefit as Rabbits lack this if they stop eating their cecals. Although most commercial Rabbit foods contain it a debilitated Rabbit may need an extra boost.

Click to expand...

Thank you Jane that's really helpful. She seems to have lost a little weight overnight but I cut the oats out yesterday and will cut carrots out today as well. She was on Excel pellets but have switched in last few days over to protexin. Will keep her on these. Should have some critical care arriving soon - would that be okay? Will try to sort out some fibreplex too. She's eating hay very well, thank goodness....