need your help, sick bunnies!

ok, i have 2 bunnies, both are oap's bubs is female and she is 7&3/4 and fudge, a male is 6&1/2 last monday i noticed bubs was very unresponsive and not eating, first thought it was due to cold weather and her age, so i brought her in and got her warmed up i really thought her time had come, her tummy was growling loudly (i assumed she had G.I?) but i nursed her through it, syringing her food and water and keeping her inside it took a long 5 days but she is now back to her mischievous self and back outside .........But this morning i went out and Fudge is exactly the same as she was last monday!! he is very unresponsive, normally you cannot catch him to pick him up, his tummy is also making gurgling noises, i have managed to also get food and water into him this morning via syringe.

But im stumped as to how they could both be ill?? could it just be by chance they have both had G.I or is there a tummy bug that is contagious? i havnt opened a new bag of food or used different hay, they have had nothing at all different to normal! Im going to go and clear their run and clear the hutch out completely just incase.....:?

The other thing is, unfortunatley me and hubby are bankrupt so cannot afford to take them to the vet, plus with them both being old its just not financially viable, luckily i managed to nurse bubs through and hopefully fudge will pull through too!

First of all, your rabbits are not considered 'old', so that's good.

From what you've written, they really need to see a vet as soon as possible because, as you know, rabbits can go downhill so quickly.

If you cannot aford the vet bill, could the PDSA help? Or would your vet let you pay in instalments?

Hi, I can't offer too much help I'm no expert but I would really urge you to find a vet that you can afford. Are there any vets run by charities near you?

Secondly, I wouldn't bring a bunny in from the cold and let it live in a warm house and then put it back outdoors again, the temperature change can be hard for bunnies. Perhaps, if it's an option you could bring them both in permanently?

I hope Fudge gets well soon do keep us posted.

hi there, i understand your concern about the weather but luckily it warmed right up by the time she went back out, otherwise yes, she would have stayed in, plus our house really isnt that warm, 15.c at the most! lol.

As for the vets, the charity ones only help those on benefits, me and my husband both work and my husband has a good wage, our money problems are due to a failed business, which we are still paying for! so even in instalments we cannot afford to pay more than £1 per month, all our money is accounted for!

If it came to it and bunny was really sick, best we could do is have him put down, i would go hungry for a week to afford that as i wouldnt let him suffer, like i say, fingers crossed we can get him through this.

bubsnfudge said:

hi there, i understand your concern about the weather but luckily it warmed right up by the time she went back out, otherwise yes, she would have stayed in, plus our house really isnt that warm, 15.c at the most! lol.

As for the vets, the charity ones only help those on benefits, me and my husband both work and my husband has a good wage, our money problems are due to a failed business, which we are still paying for! so even in instalments we cannot afford to pay more than £1 per month, all our money is accounted for!

If it came to it and bunny was really sick, best we could do is have him put down, i would go hungry for a week to afford that as i wouldnt let him suffer, like i say, fingers crossed we can get him through this.

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If all your money is going on paying back for your failed business, surely the PDSA would help?
Other than that, don't know what to suggest - it is a great pity that your rabbits cannot get the vet treatment they need.

Can you borrow the money from a friend? Is there anything you can sell, like CDs, DVDs etc.? Having him PTS would probably cost the same as a consultation anyway. I guess you can't have a credit card if you've been declared bankrupt? There must be some way to raise the money for a consultation.

a little update, hes still not moving around much, just lying down where he is, but he's had a nibble on a bit of kale, which is a good sign, will keep an eye on him and if no improvement i will do all i can to get him to the vet.
thankyou :thumb:

bubsnfudge said:

a little update, hes still not moving around much, just lying down where he is, but he's had a nibble on a bit of kale, which is a good sign, will keep an eye on him and if no improvement i will do all i can to get him to the vet.
thankyou :thumb:

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In my opinion, if he's not moving around much he is ill and needs vet treatment urgently. It is, of course, your decision.