Need help, pasteurella.

I don't know if anyone saw my thread about Hazel, been so busy.

Hazel is very ill. He and his daughter have pasteurella. Hazel hasn't eaten or drank on his own since Thursday. He is so weak, his legs can barely carry him. He has clear sticky mucus coming out of him, no poo at all since Thursday. I'm doing all I can to keep him clean, syringe fed and comfortable.

I just don't know what to do with him. He's very reluctant to eat, he's getting stressed and upset about syringe feeds. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Is there anything else I can do to help him? His thick mucus-y nose is stressing him a lot

poor Hazel and poor you it is so stressful when they are like that.

What has the vet prescribed? Have they done a swab test to know it is definitely pasteurella?

He's on baytril. The vet said it was pasteurella. I've seen two vets.

The antibiotics will take a little while to take effect, maybe a couple of weeks.

I would be more concerned about the lack of eating and pooing right now. If he hasn't pooed since Thursday I would be quite worried about a blockage which is an emergency. I assume he's also being treated for stasis? Pain relief and gut stimulant if appropriate? But that doesn't appear to be working if he still isn't pooing. I think you need to get him back to the vet ASAP to get this sorted. Maybe an X-ray to rule out a blockage? Some sub cutaneous fluids to help hydration?

My vet in Milford (just outside Godalming) run their own OOH service and the OOH vet, Colleen, is excellent with rabbits if you need another option for treatment. It is North Downs Vets: http://www.northdownsvets.co.uk/

He isn't being treated for stasis. He has critical care. He's just passing clear mucus. His daughter has diarrhoea.

I don't know what the mucus is, but the lack of poos since Thursday is a real worry. As is diahorrea. . They really do need to see a vet, urgently I would say if not being treated for the lack of eating already. This really is an emergency.

I would be wary of feeding critical care if a blockage has not been ruled out by the vet.

Can you get them to the vet?

The vets already know all of this, they've seen them twice this weekend already.

With the pasteurella, I don't have experience of that exactly but one of my rabbits does have snuffles from a different bacteria. He was also on baytril at first but it didn't help. So he had a swab test done which showed it was the bordatella bacteria and he was put on different antibiotics: septrin. The course of antibiotics needs to be quite long to kick it usually (6 weeks ish) and my vet told me to keep giving the antibiotic for a week after the symptoms had stopped.

Regarding the not eating/pooing, I don't think there is any other advice anyone can give other than another trip to the vet. Honestly if the vet knows he isn't eating or pooing since Thursday and has not given any treatment for that, I would seek another opinion (I'm not meaning to be rude there, just trying to help your bunny). I would expect the bunny to be having pain relief and possibly a gut stimulant and something like Zantac. With a bunny who has not eaten or passed droppings for so long I would expect some kind of further diagnostics to be done and possibly for the bunny to be admitted for intensive treatment in the surgery. Leaving you to manage this at home with no meds is unfair on both you and your bunny.

Here is some information abut ileus (not eating): http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Maybe someone else can advise better, but I would want to get them to a vet tonight. It is a serious situation and I wouldn't leave it.

He needs to be treated for the stasis/gut slowdown. I would suspect that a combination of pain, not being able to breathe well and not being able to smell his food properly is what is causing the lack of eating. He really does need to be on pain relief and gut stimulants :? The metacam should also reduce swelling, allowing him to breathe easier and the mucus to drain better. Bisolvon should also help thin the mucus. Carry on with the antibiotics. I would also suggest some fibreplex for his gut, but metacam and gut stimulants are the absolute essentials - he needs to be checked for a blockage too. Is he sneezing?

Quite frankly, I am shocked and disappointed that 2 vets have not seen the need to get his gut moving and reduce his obvious pain... it's bloody awful.

Furby stopped eating for a while when his pasteurella was at its worst. He was still producing poos though and so I syringe fed. He became dehydrated too so I asked for sub cut fluids which seemed to help.

Baytril didn't make any difference but penicillin did. That and the nebulising. I am not sure where you live but you would be welcome to borrow my nebuliser if you live anywhere near me. They are expensive (mine was £60) so I am happy to lend it out to other poorly buns as Furby no longer needs it. Bisolvon powder in the nebuliser and on his food helped too.

Metacam wasn't strong enough for Furby's pain - he started tooth grinding - so I asked for vetergesic and that made a huge difference. Once he was no longer in pain he showed more interest in food. He still will only eat if I put food in front of him - guess his sense of smell is still affected and he now has head tilt too.

Pasteurella is a horrid disease - nursing Furby was exhausting and I was just relieved I didn't have much work on.