Peabody is Poorly [Update: POOS! Glorious poos!]

[Sorry, LOOOOONG post.] Originally titled: Peabody is Poorly (Our first trip to the vets.)

Yesterday Peabody stopped eating. I'm not sure exactly when, as she ate fine in the morning, but by tea time she decided that she wasn't going to eat anything (not hay, not pellets, not fresh herbs, not fresh veggies, zilch, nadda, zippo) and she didn't fancy having a drink either! She was just sat in her little house in the corner. I rang the out of hours vet and was advised to keep her hydrated and they booked me an appointment for first thing this morning. I took her out of her house and tried to syringe her some water and she was really lethargic (she is usually a ****** to catch and keep still, but she put up NO fuss at all). I was worried and kept an eye on her until we went to bed. When I tried to pick her up to syringe her more water she bolted and ran out into the hall and then back into her house, seeming a bit more energetic, but still uninterested in any food we offered her. If she hadn't done that I probaly would have rung the vet back...

Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well (I kept wondering if I should ring the vet back, get the emergency vet to see her, etc). In the morning, I went in to see the bunnies at about six and she didn't seem much better, but then around seven she perked up a whole lot. She started hopping around, playing in the tunnels, she had a little to drink, and finally took some of the green leaves I offered and the teeeeeniest bit of hay. She chewed on their willow bridge a little bit and was periscoping loads. She seemed much happier, but her gut was making all kinds of crazy loud noises, so I knew she still wasn't right. I took her (and Emerson) with her to the vet at eight. We're thinking perhaps last night she was really uncomfortable and this morning she was feeling a bit better (although still not hungry). Perhaps if her gut is gassy and moving a bit slow things have shifted around since last night? I know her being active is good and can help with that sort of thing.

The vet gave her a check over and said she seemed a bit uncomfortable through the abdomen. She gave her a shot. The vet was talking about Baytril, but the invoice said Metacam. I'm not sure exactly which one she gave her. Maybe she gave her Metacam (which makes sense) and mentioned Baytril if things don't get better due to the build-up of toxins during stasis? It was a yellow-ish injection - any ideas? She also gave her a syringe of 0.25 of liquid Zantac and prescribed some to me to give her a total of three times a day (so I'll give her some at lunch and tea-time) to encourage her guts to get moving. She weighed her and I also got some Rabbit Rescue. The vet advised trying to syringe her about two packets today. Emerson was a good security blanket throughout all of this!

I brought them home and once I had put their space back together (I had to take it apart to get them in the carrier this morning) I let Emerson out and kept Peabody in the bottom half of the carrier (with the top off) and tried to syringe feed her some Rabbit Rescue. It kind of worked... but the syringe kept getting blocked up as it settled (the water getting syringed out and the actual food staying in). She seemed to be keen on it. I switched to a spoon after getting frustrated and she licked about three tiny teaspoons and then she was uninterested. I tried syringing her some more again, but she was totally not keen any longer and it ended up all over her face! Any suggestions? She probably ended up eating about 1/8 of a single packet.

As I sit here typing this, she's hopping about and just took a drink. And ooh yay, she's investigating the hay (but not yet munching) and using the litter tray (wee only)! She's nibbled on some willow sticks and the bridge and is drinking a lot more, so hopefully she goes back to the hay shortly. I'll try feeding her some more Rabbit Rescue every hour and offer her fresh veggies and fresh hay. She is very active, periscoping loads, hopping about, cleaning herself (her and Emerson had a good bonding session a few moments ago). If she isn't eating more later on, we already have an appointment booked for tomorrow around lunch. The vet said if she doesn't improve they'll probably x-ray and go from there, to see if there is a blockage. I'm hopeful she'll keep going in the right direction. She certainly has lots of spirit. It's going to be interesting trying to get her later to give her the Zantac!

The only thing different in their diet recently were some Burgess/Excel dandelion and grass sticks. They had those on Tuesday night, so it was over about thirty-six hours after that that she stopped eating (how long is their digestive process, I thought only a few hours). Either way, I'm not giving them the two left in the pack ever, just in case that's what it was that put her in this state. I'm not sure if she ate something she's not supposed to, but I couldn't see anything she would have got into and there are no chew marks on anything unusual. I groomed her the other night and she didn't seem to be losing any more fur than usual. Maybe I'll never know what it was exactly. But as long as she gets better, it's okay! I know she has a more sensitive tum than Emerson...

On a side: The examination room where we were was on the other side of the waiting area and during her check over by the vet a dog started barking like mad. The bunnies (and we) were less than pleased. The vet was really apologetic (without prompting). They seem to be over it now though - in fact she seems MORE curious and less shy than she did before this whole situation started!

I'll keep you updated on her progress. More for myself than anything else. And in case this post is useful to anyone in the future!

Yay! A few TINY poos. There are a couple (literally) in the litter tray and a few more on the floor. They are a bit darker than normal and SOLID. I'll keep my eye out for progress! But at least her gut is moving a bit...

Oh! The vet also said that she had some tiny burrs on her teeth (which they will look at more tomorrow, if we have to go back, if she doesn't improve). I hesitate to think they are the problem though as she stopped eating very quickly, without showing any signs of discomfort or eating less beforehand.

Glad things look like they are moving when my bunny had stasis I tried him with everything to get him eating , fresh coriander,mint,basil,parsley fenugreek crunchie , have you any Fibreplex that's good when they not eating properly

Tiny poos are better than no poos! Hope your fluffy continues to improve - can we see a picture of her??

Thanks for all the vibes for my wee bunny!

Haha, she is so not impressed with me! I just blocked off one of their house entrances and then reached in to get her (something I have never done before, as that is considered their 'safe' space, but her health comes before her opinion of me). I managed to give her the next dose of Zantac without any problem (it smells like mint, mmm...).

She has drank a good amount and eaten a small amount of hay. There were a couple more wonky poos. I tried to give her more Rabbit Rescue earlier but she wasn't interested. However greens, pear, and snap peas she took quite happily (although strangely not water-cress). I noticed after a bit she was licking the floor where some Rabbit Rescue had dropped, so I offered some on a spoon. She tried to eat the whole spoon! I put some in a dish and she ate some of it, but pesky Emerson kept trying to nose in on it. I shut him out of the pen, but he managed to get back in and I'd rather only her eat it (since it seems to be what she's currently eating the most of). I'll keep trying a bit at a time! He is also not impressed that I've been pushing him away. But thankfully he's quick to forgive!

Peabody is quite energetic and is taking small naps (was even flopped and dream-twitching earlier in their house - except she kept nodding over and then starting up awake). I think she's more relaxed now though! (Also, at this very moment Emerson just totally conked over on his side, uuuber relaxed). Obviously this whole thing has bothered him a great deal. :lol: He's just excited because he can't figure out why I keep letting him have fresh veggies and tasty noms!

Forgive the quality, I just snapped these with my phone.

Here she is eating some curiously green slop!


And here is some of it stuck in her 'beard'!


And I thought Emerson has been very keen to groom Peabody (aww bless), but it turns out he's just interested in licking the Rabbit Rescue off her face!!! :lol:

Normally when a rabbit has been unwell the best thing to tempt them with is fresh herbs. Doughnut loves dill or maybe can you pick some fresh grass and dandelions.

I give all of Doughnuts meds on a tiny bit of weetabix. she loves it and the syringe feeding is too stressful for her and me. The nurses in the hospital resorted to this too as they realised she hated being picked up so I suggested weetabix.

What exactly do you feed your rabbit? Doughnut had an episode of gas when she was getting two egg cups of pellets, I reduced it down to one and she hasn't had it since.

I always keep fibreplex on hand. She loves it and it's great to get the gut going.

The weetabix sounds like a great idea! I'll get some to keep in the house (and maybe give her her medicine tonight with one). I tried tempting her with parsley and other herbs last night but she reeeally wasn't interested in anything at all. I imagine today might be a different story though. Currently everything is covered in snow, but we're keen gardeners are going to grow bunny friendly foods (and forage some too). I have some fresh herbs on the window sills thankfully!

The rabbits normally have unlimited quantities of timothy hay (sometimes mixed with other types) and they each get about 10g of pellets a day. They only get fresh food occassionally and only treats maybe once a week (I'm going to try fenugreek crunchies next since they get such great reviews, even though they like their current treats). They also have lots of willow and matts to chew on!

Fibreplex sounds like a good thing to have on hand. I'll see about getting some in case she's liable to become a fussy eater or prone to stasis episodes! Although I certainly hope it's not the case that I'll need it much...

Poos! Many poos! What a good little bunny! They even look a little bigger and more towards 'normal'. I hope for many more poos in our future together, Peabody and I.

I will keep on top of her for today, making sure she eats plenty (even Rabbit Rescue if needs must), continue with the Zantac, and watch her like a hawk for the next few days encouraging her to eat. Fingers crossed, though at this rate it looks like I may be able to cancel our vet appointment for tomorrow (but I'll wait until the morning to be sure)!

I wouldn't cancel the vets appointment still take him back to see if his tummy sounds are getting back to normal :wave:

Glad she's starting to feel better. Sending lots of vibes for pretty Peabody xx

The vet only suggested we book the appointment in case we needed one tomorrow (so we wouldn't end up needing one, but not able to get one). She said to bring her back if she wasn't improving, but if she was progressing and eating more just to keep up with the Zantac for a few days until she's back to normal (and go ahead and cancel the appointment). Does this not sound right? (We're new bunny owners, so opinions welcome!)

I am so pleased your Peabody is getting back to normal - we've had two stasis episodes (one a particualy bad one) and when those poos appear - well, it's just the greatest thing ever.

I would personally keep the appointment - even if she so much better. We did that with Holly - even though she had started eating like a horse and pooping for England we kept her last appointment just for our own peace of mind.

Sounds like you're doing a grand job with her though - and she is such a lovely little girl

aatkin said:

The weetabix sounds like a great idea! I'll get some to keep in the house (and maybe give her her medicine tonight with one). I tried tempting her with parsley and other herbs last night but she reeeally wasn't interested in anything at all. I imagine today might be a different story though. Currently everything is covered in snow, but we're keen gardeners are going to grow bunny friendly foods (and forage some too). I have some fresh herbs on the window sills thankfully!

The rabbits normally have unlimited quantities of timothy hay (sometimes mixed with other types) and they each get about 10g of pellets a day. They only get fresh food occassionally and only treats maybe once a week (I'm going to try fenugreek crunchies next since they get such great reviews, even though they like their current treats). They also have lots of willow and matts to chew on!

Fibreplex sounds like a good thing to have on hand. I'll see about getting some in case she's liable to become a fussy eater or prone to stasis episodes! Although I certainly hope it's not the case that I'll need it much...

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I would still go to the vets, just for peace of mind.

Doughnut loves fenugeek crunchies, she has them sometimes, only one though and about 10g of pellets. She now has about 5g SS and 5g vetcare digestive ones. Because she eats so quickly, the vetcare ones make her chew more so less likely to get gas. She's not as keen on them though as they are healthy! She also likes mint which is good for tummies and bramble leaves are good for the digestive system.

I think she will be upset when she's off her meds as she loves the weetabix, I just break a bit off for her.

She also loves the fibreplex as it's carrot flavour and licks it off the syringe.

Ooh, all of these tips are fabulous! We have lots of mint in our front garden and there are loads of brambles around our house too. Added to the list of bun-happy foods!

I scatter-feed pellets to Emerson and Peabody, sprinkling a few around at a time in their HQ and the hallway - that way I can keep an eye on them and make sure they both get about the same amount. Emerson likes to eat from my lap, so if he hops up then I scatter the same amount nearby for Peabody to eat. I usually spread the feeding out to between 15-30 minutes, it is good socialising time with them and makes sure they don't eat them too fast (when I first brought them home I put it in a bowl and then hoovered it up in about a minute and I couldn't reliably check who was getting what, so that ended pretty quickly).

I imagine Peabody will feel the same about her medicine if I start giving it to her on weetabix! I hope Doughnut gets better soon (even if it means she'll miss out on cereal).

Okay, so I know bunny poo isn't the nicest subject, but we're all big fans here, right! Peabody has been more consistently doing her business this afternoon in the litter trays. I noticed a very small amount of uneaten cecal (this first time I've ever actually seen one), but I've heard this isn't unusual after they've been ill, especially if they've been taking medicine. Is that right?

There was one (relatively normal sized) poo with a small mucus plug, which I guess means she's managed to clear through the minor period of stasis she was experiencing. After this poo the rest looked much more normal!

She has eaten pretty much an entire pack of Rabbit Rescue and was excited for fresh hay and is drinking lots. I will keep encouraging her with fresh hay and try to get her to finish the Rabbit Rescue tonight (I have been giving it to her as quite a liquidy paste in a small dish and it works waaay better than syringing - since she's up to eating it herself).

I am going to see if she wants to take her Zantac from the syringe herself tonight, but if she doesn't I'll try a weetabix before resorting to picking her up!

She seems much more spritely and energetic and I think she's on the up and up! Obviously I will still be keeping a close eye on her though tonight and all day tomorrow (and other half will be home on Sunday when I am at work). And then thankfully I'm working from home Monday - Wednesday.

I haven't cancelled the vet appointment, so I'll re-assess in the morning and see how everyone is feeling physically and emotionally (gosh it's stressful isn't it)!

Glad to hear she is pooing now, fingers crossed she's back to normal soon xx

Glad Peabody is on the mend, I personally would keep the vet appointment just to be absolutely sure.

In one of of your earlier posts you mentioned that the et had said she had burrs on her teeth - this can sometimes be painful for a bunny and if a bunny is in pain they may stop eating leading to stasis and gut slowdown. Once Peabody is fully recovered I would be tempted to book her in for a dental. Harley had spurs on his teeth and he went through about 4 stasis epidsodes in a very short space of time, he then had his teeth done and has been fine ever since.

Because of the number of buns we have, our vet allows us to have a bottle of metcam and empremide (sp?) (a gut stimulant) at home (along with the correct doseages) to give to the bunnies if they seem to be in stasis and will normally suffice until we can get the bun to the vet the following morning. Having the meds on hand has come in very handy, although it is not a substitute for a vet examination and you would have to feel happy/confident you were doing the right thing by giving the meds.

We also have infacol on hand - this can help with a gassy tummy but again it's no substitute for a vet visit.

Thanks for all of the advice. I really appreciate it! I just went up to give her the next Zantac dose. She seemed interested in it from the syringe, but not too keen on the delivery method - so I used a bit of weetabix and SCARF! all gone.

After this I gave them some pellets (well, originally meant for Emerson as I didn't know if Peabody would be interested) and she is definitely a hungry bun again! I gave them some fresh hay and I'll keep giving them fresh hay often to keep her interested. She is still very active and earlier they were flopped out together having a good old groom session, so she seems pretty happy!

The vet didn't think the burrs (only very slight) were the problem, but I'll mention getting a dental done. They were both checked over in December (when they entered the rescue centre) and were given the all okay then, but I guess these things (burrs and other dental problems) can creep up on you!

I am glad I trusted my gut feeling (and all of the information I had read when we adopted them and since on this forum) and called the vet last night (and took her in this morning). I am definitely one of those people who recognises the importance of seeing a vet if anything is wrong!

Great news Yes, the medications can sometimes make their cecals taste different so they don't want them. Glad Peabody is feeling better xx