Help with very unwell rabbit please

Hi All

I'd be most grateful for your advice and support

I recently adopted a female rabbit aged 3-4 brought her home and quarantined her as I wanted to give her a 28 day worming course prior to bonding her with my bereaved male rabbit.

Tuesday last week we went to the vets and she had her VHD vaccination as the rescue I adopted her from hadn't vaccinated her for this. The vet agreed she was quite under weight and I said I was working to build her up with a little more food and plenty of free-range time.

She had been doing really well happily eating everything and generally a lovely character. I did notice she was drinking more than a normal rabbit as this was from a bowl I assumed her large dewlap might have been soaking up some of the water. I replaced the bowl for a bottle and 300ml was emptied from the bottle within 24 hours

I then had to rush her to the vets on Friday morning (a different vet to the VHD vaccine as they are much closer) as I found her covered in wee and very off colour. I explained the drinking to the vets and we decided to treat for a kidney/UTI. She was prescribed the antibiotic septrin and the pain-relief metcam.

I brought her inside and kept her in my bathroom which is cooler than the rest of my house - she spent a lot of time sat on top of her snuggle safe so she must have been cold even inside.

The next day I took her back to the vets as overnight she had passed a lot of mucus and had a very loud gurgling tummy. We saw a different vet and I asked about coccidosis and he said this is why I've been given the antibiotic septrin and the 10 day course shes been prescribed is sufficient to clear to coccidosis. He also said her kidneys were small but her liver enlarged.

I syringe fed her every 3 hours for the first couple of days although she would eat veg by herself.

I'm being very careful to continue to quarantine her and am disinfecting daily.

I'd also like to add that shes been very skinny since I adopted her - I initially put this down muscle wastage thinking she had been kept in a little hutch and over fed and now having lost weight with a correct diet had very little muscle on her. I now think this is probably a sign of an under lying issue.

She is now much better in her self eating, active inquisitive. I'm not giving her many pellets as I was finding her poos a little loose now her appetites back. However now she is looking much better she is back to drinking 300ml in 24 hours

I have considered all the possible long term issues we could have here - kidney failure, liver failure and diabetes and would be very greatful to hear your thoughts on what it could be from the symptoms I have listed above?

I am quite pessimistic that she will make a full recovery if it is any of the above will having a proper diagnosis from blood samples enable her to have a longer and better quality of life or are they all relatively untreatable in rabbits?

Once her tummies settled I'd like to feed her up but am worried about sugar intake and calcium intake. I thought about alfalfa hay and some barley rings but any suggestions would be very welcomed.

I also need to add that neither of the 3 vets I have seen are bunny savvy - If anyone can recommend a good vet in Dorset I'd be very grateful.

I'm sorry I probably havent typed this out very clearly I'm exhausted from getting up throughout the night and worrying my brain is fried.

Bump!

I am sorry that your Rabbit has become unwell. Given the ongoing nature of her symptoms I would opt for a full blood profile as that may give more specific information about what is going on. I have heard of cases where a Rabbit on a course of Panacur has been noted to have an enlarged liver. The liver returned to normal shortly after stopping the Panacur. Maybe this is something to discuss with the Vet.

Do you know if she is spayed ?

Are you weighing her regularly to see if her weight remains stable or if she is loosing weight ?

Hi Jacks Jane

Thank you for your reply.

Any idea how much a full blood profile costs? moneys not a problem but I dont want to be ripped off. If it was any of the 3 I listed is there any medications that can help?

These vets really are quite useless I think I'll find a better one I have only been living in Dorset for 6 months and go from there and have her completely reassessed.

She was spayed quite recently - maybe 6 weeks ago she is still quite well shaved.

I am weighing her daily but on electric kitchen scales in the carry box so its not that accurate. Her weight has increased since her low point on Saturday.

All Vets set their own fees so I really cant say how much your Vet would charge or even if they would have to send the bloods to a Vet Lab if they do not have suitable 'in house' equipment. I would try to locate a Rabbit savvy Vet ASAP and get the bloods done there. No point in paying for diagnostics if the Vet authorising them is not up to speed with the possible implications of the results or what treatment options there may be should a specific problem be identified. Suggesting treatment options at this stage is not really going to be helpful as at the moment you dont know what is actually wrong.

I can't offer any advice but didn't want to read and run.

One of my buns had some tests done recently. They were sent to a lab and included EC test and were about £80 I think.

Thank you Babe

shes had 550ml of water in the last 24 hours but is very bright and perky

This does sound very much like a renal problem and I would suggest you get bloods done asap . . the last time I had bloods done (full screen/test for renals plus EC plus anaemia etc) it was c£90 - but my vets are a bit pricey.

However it was invaluable.

Hi Parsnip bun - I thought it would be best to take her to the vets once the antibiotics had run their corse, but I can take her sooner. I'm struggling to find a vet that actually cares about rabbits.

Did you results show you that there was a problem that was medicatable or that nothing could be done?

akaemzybabe said:

Hi Parsnip bun - I thought it would be best to take her to the vets once the antibiotics had run their corse, but I can take her sooner. I'm struggling to find a vet that actually cares about rabbits.

Did you results show you that there was a problem that was medicatable or that nothing could be done?

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I often have bloods done at the vets (I have 35 rabbits right now). Depending what the results show there might be treatments (or at least alleviations or minimisation of the problems). I would definitely have it done before abx have finished in case that is simply now what the problem is and the abx are not doing anything.

I am sorry you are struggling to find a decent rabbit vet - it really is pretty essential - Did you post a 'Rabbit Vet urgently needed in xxxx' thread?

I have posted a thread in the general section asking about rabbit savvy vets in Dorset. Thank you for your advice

akaemzybabe said:

I have posted a thread in the general section asking about rabbit savvy vets in Dorset. Thank you for your advice

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Good luck - I am not sure its a part of the country over-endowed with rabbitty vets but certainly there should be one who is more interested and hands on and knowledgeable than the one you seem to have at present . . .

Thank you everyone for your advice and support to date. Just wanted to give you an update and ask for some more advice.

Little Lottie is doing quite well now shes eating very well, has put on some weight already, is drinking normal amounts of water and has a dry bum. things are looking up (touches wood)

I spoke with several vets regarding blood tests but as she appears to be improving I have put it off not wanting upset her by taking her for a long car journey, should anything change we will go straight to the vets.

The only thing I am now concerned about is is that she has lost quite a bit of fur despite my daily washing and drying while she was wetting herself. She has been dry for a good week now and is continuing to loose fur on her rear but most alarmingly she is now loosing fur on her hocks. The more vet salve I apply the more she licks these areas and the next day they look even more bear. Is the hair shes loosing dead hair from the urine or hair that is continuing to die for some other reason? I have never experience this before. How long will it take to start showing signs of growing back? shes indoors now so shes plenty warm enough but I imagine this will effect the rate of hair growth too.

Hope she gets better! She's in my prayers.

Hello there. I am so sorry that you have got all this terrible worry with your bunny. Apparently you can phone the Rabbit Welfare Association now, and they can tell you where your nearest rabbit savvy vet is, so I guess that would be the first step to take. I really would try not to worry about 'could be's' and just try and remained focused on what is in front of you so to speak. Hopefully you will have a bunny vet close to you, and then that will be a positive step in the right direction.