At the beginning of last month, I posted a thread on this forum about how my rabbit's litter tray practices had gradually declined, beginning shortly after we had him castrated. I got no replies, so presumably no one could help or offer any advice.
Anyway, a little while after posting that thread, I noticed that Basil seemed thinner. Noticeably thinner. Even though he was still eating just fine, and he was exhibiting no signs of pain or distress.
So I immediately took him off to the vet.
The vet found that Basil's body weight had more than halved.
I feel awful. I can't believe I didn't notice that he was losing weight sooner. He must have lost it quickly, but I feel terrible that he managed to lose so much before I realised something was wrong.
Anyway, the vet checked all the usual things; he has no problems with his teeth (he is a mini lop) so the vet prescribed a course of antibiotics, as she believed that the most likely cause was some kind of infection, perhaps in the kidneys.
We completed the course of antibiotics, and brought him back to the vet for his check-up. Basil has gained a very small amount of weight, but his litter tray habits have not improved at all; he is still urinating and defecating everywhere, both in and out of his cage, as well as sitting in his urine, which is completely out of character for him.
So I do not believe that the root cause of his illness has been successfully treated by the antibiotics, despite the minor weight regain, and asked for a blood test.
The vet agreed that this was the best course of action, but she has no idea what exactly is wrong with him. She said that whatever it is, it is unusual and not a common issue.
The test results should be back around mid-week. In the meantime, all I can do is wait and worry.
Please, has anyone here experienced anything like this with their rabbits? Or have any clue what this could be?
Not knowing what this illness is (and whether or not there is a treatment) is just horrible.
Anyway, a little while after posting that thread, I noticed that Basil seemed thinner. Noticeably thinner. Even though he was still eating just fine, and he was exhibiting no signs of pain or distress.
So I immediately took him off to the vet.
The vet found that Basil's body weight had more than halved.
I feel awful. I can't believe I didn't notice that he was losing weight sooner. He must have lost it quickly, but I feel terrible that he managed to lose so much before I realised something was wrong.
Anyway, the vet checked all the usual things; he has no problems with his teeth (he is a mini lop) so the vet prescribed a course of antibiotics, as she believed that the most likely cause was some kind of infection, perhaps in the kidneys.
We completed the course of antibiotics, and brought him back to the vet for his check-up. Basil has gained a very small amount of weight, but his litter tray habits have not improved at all; he is still urinating and defecating everywhere, both in and out of his cage, as well as sitting in his urine, which is completely out of character for him.
So I do not believe that the root cause of his illness has been successfully treated by the antibiotics, despite the minor weight regain, and asked for a blood test.
The vet agreed that this was the best course of action, but she has no idea what exactly is wrong with him. She said that whatever it is, it is unusual and not a common issue.
The test results should be back around mid-week. In the meantime, all I can do is wait and worry.
Please, has anyone here experienced anything like this with their rabbits? Or have any clue what this could be?
Not knowing what this illness is (and whether or not there is a treatment) is just horrible.
