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  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Looking for urgent advice

Charm

Young Bun
I would appreciate your advice here please. My bun is 7 years and 8 months she is a house bun. During the last 2 weeks she has stopped eating her pellets. She was still eating her hay and her greens but she seemed to get weaker and kept flopping down. I took her to my vets on Mon she examined her and said her stomach was soft so no bockages. Her teeth were find and her hest was clear. She said she thought there was a bit of arthritis in her back legs and that's why she is lying down so she does not put weight on them. She gave her an injection (painkiller) and told me to give her 0.1 of metacalm every day for 4 days. Now she is hardly eating, still drinking, she feels colder and is just lying in her cage athough she nibbles celery when offered and a tiny bit of carrot I am worried!
 
Is she spayed ?

Is she pooing and weeing ?

You need to take her back to the Vet as she clearly requires more investigation as to the cause of her anorexia. She is also likely to need additional medication and assisted feeding. If she feels cold to the touch this is serious and she needs to be provided with a heatpad/heat lamp. So I would expect the Vet to admit her for intensive care.

Also, 0.1ml metacam is such a tiny dose and highly unlikely to provide any analgesic cover at all :?
 
Is she spayed ?

Is she pooing and weeing ?

You need to take her back to the Vet as she clearly requires more investigation as to the cause of her anorexia. She is also likely to need additional medication and assisted feeding. If she feels cold to the touch this is serious and she needs to be provided with a heatpad/heat lamp. So I would expect the Vet to admit her for intensive care.

Also, 0.1ml metacam is such a tiny dose and highly unlikely to provide any analgesic cover at all :?

I don't see much poo, yes she is spayed
 
Did she have a good look at her teeth? You can't really see the back ones properly with those instruments vets use. For example we took Poppy for a check up and it looked like she needed a dental, when they got her under and had a good look it turned out she didn't need one, so I think GA's are the only true way to see all of the teeth properly.

I'm no vet, but 0.1 doesn't sound very much to give a rabbit. I think they upped it recently because anything less than a certain amount does nothing for buns. I think I was giving one of mine 0.6ml a day the other month, not sure now though but it was something like that!

I think she needs to see a vet again, rabbits can go downhill very quickly so in situations like this you need to act fast x

*What Jane said!*
 
Hiya, have you been back to the vets? The metacam obviously hasn't helped :( if she does have arthritis she will need metacam everyday, not just for a few days. But maybe try a different vet, they may find something that the first one didn't. Has she been spayed? X
 
She sounds very poorly and in need of urgent treatment from the vet.

Rabbits go downhill extremely quickly so I would get her to the vet this morning.
 
What area are you in maybe we can suggest a vet who specialises in rabbits in your area as your vet doesn't sound to knowledgeable in bunnies. It sounds quite serious like Jane says if she is feeling cold to the touch. Maybe for now to keep her warn get a heat pad or hot water bottle wrapped well in a cover or blanket so she cannot scold herself and put it near her. It really does sound like she needs a vet ASAP though. Keeping fingers and paws crossed for you and let us know how you get on
 
I would definitely want her to have further investigations. It's quite similar to how Artie presented when he had kidney stones, pellets was the first thing he stopped eating and he was less enthusiastic about all food. I think that goes for must underlying conditions, I'm not particuarly suggesting that it could be kidney stones more the need for more thorough investigations as something is obviously bothering her. I hope you manage to get to find out what it is and that it's not too serious.
 
peter

I would appreciate your advice here please. My bun is 7 years and 8 months she is a house bun. During the last 2 weeks she has stopped eating her pellets. She was still eating her hay and her greens but she seemed to get weaker and kept flopping down. I took her to my vets on Mon she examined her and said her stomach was soft so no bockages. Her teeth were find and her hest was clear. She said she thought there was a bit of arthritis in her back legs and that's why she is lying down so she does not put weight on them. She gave her an injection (painkiller) and told me to give her 0.1 of metacalm every day for 4 days. Now she is hardly eating, still drinking, she feels colder and is just lying in her cage athough she nibbles celery when offered and a tiny bit of carrot I am worried!

I think your rabbit has come to the end of her normal life span. Rather than continue, you might find it kinder to have her put down. Rabbits do not show pain, so it is up to you to feel the pain for her. She will die of starvation if you continue. 8 to 10 years is the normal life span of a rabbit. Time to let go.
 
I think your rabbit has come to the end of her normal life span. Rather than continue, you might find it kinder to have her put down. Rabbits do not show pain, so it is up to you to feel the pain for her. She will die of starvation if you continue. 8 to 10 years is the normal life span of a rabbit. Time to let go.

I am sorry but you are very wrong. Rabbits can live for ten years or more. And a decent vet will be able to find the problem and treat it. Rabbit medicine has come a long way in the last 15 years, you clearly aren't very clued up. If you have rabbits yourself i suggest you find a new vet who doesn't pts at the first sign of a problem!!!
 
I think your rabbit has come to the end of her normal life span. Rather than continue, you might find it kinder to have her put down. Rabbits do not show pain, so it is up to you to feel the pain for her. She will die of starvation if you continue. 8 to 10 years is the normal life span of a rabbit. Time to let go.

This is a simply awful (and quite incorrect) post.
 
I think your rabbit has come to the end of her normal life span. Rather than continue, you might find it kinder to have her put down. Rabbits do not show pain, so it is up to you to feel the pain for her. She will die of starvation if you continue. 8 to 10 years is the normal life span of a rabbit. Time to let go.

If I had taken that attitude when Artie displayed similar symptoms with kidney stones then he would have not had another 20 months of happy, fulfilled life. There are so many conditions that can be treated now if the vet/owner takes the time and trouble to find out what's wrong. Rabbits deserve more than just assuming they are old and past it!!
 
I hope your vet can help, I've nursed mine through bloat and stasis quite long episodes at that so there is plenty of hope for her. PTS is a last resort
 
I think your rabbit has come to the end of her normal life span. Rather than continue, you might find it kinder to have her put down. Rabbits do not show pain, so it is up to you to feel the pain for her. She will die of starvation if you continue. 8 to 10 years is the normal life span of a rabbit. Time to let go.

I would prefer to leave that decision to the Vet treating the Rabbit, he/she and the care giver being the only ones in a position to make it.
 
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