Hi all,
My rabbit is recovering from gut status following his neuter. I am really happy with his progress, but he still isn't drinking.
He was admitted at the vets all weekend and was told he did not drink then so they gave fluids under the skin followed by syringed water and syringed critical care. He only started to eat bits on sunday night.
On monday they were still syringing him critical care and he came home monday afternoon with the instructions to feed critical care if not eating.
On monday evening he tucked straight into pellets and i continued through the night encouraging him with veg dripping in water, forage etc, basically trying everything. You could tell he was trying so hard. I continued this through tuesday and gradually he started showing interest and seeking food for himself. By tuesday evening/through the night.. he started eating hay!
Yesterday he was much more active and more like himself and his appetite is nearing normal and this has continued in to today. He is munching hay, pellets, dried forage, parsley. I am still offering veg soaked in water as im concerned about his fluids and he is eating this.
He is pooping well now.
The last hurdle i need to overcome is drinking. I have offered a bowl and a bottle. He keeps looking at them both but not drinking. He is eating hay so i thought he would be thirsty. He is also weeing so he must be getting fluids from somewhere!
I haven't needed to feed critical care since he has been home and if possible would like to avoid syringing water, because he gets so so stressed being syringed and he already is still having to be syringed his medication which he can't stand.
Does anyone have any suggestions please? I have tried actually giving him and holding the bottle and he just 'scents' it. I have tried giving him the bowl and he positively pushes it away (he is normally a bottle bunny).
Is there anything safe I can add to the water to make it more appealing??
Thanks in advance, sorry for the essay x
My rabbit is recovering from gut status following his neuter. I am really happy with his progress, but he still isn't drinking.
He was admitted at the vets all weekend and was told he did not drink then so they gave fluids under the skin followed by syringed water and syringed critical care. He only started to eat bits on sunday night.
On monday they were still syringing him critical care and he came home monday afternoon with the instructions to feed critical care if not eating.
On monday evening he tucked straight into pellets and i continued through the night encouraging him with veg dripping in water, forage etc, basically trying everything. You could tell he was trying so hard. I continued this through tuesday and gradually he started showing interest and seeking food for himself. By tuesday evening/through the night.. he started eating hay!
Yesterday he was much more active and more like himself and his appetite is nearing normal and this has continued in to today. He is munching hay, pellets, dried forage, parsley. I am still offering veg soaked in water as im concerned about his fluids and he is eating this.
He is pooping well now.
The last hurdle i need to overcome is drinking. I have offered a bowl and a bottle. He keeps looking at them both but not drinking. He is eating hay so i thought he would be thirsty. He is also weeing so he must be getting fluids from somewhere!
I haven't needed to feed critical care since he has been home and if possible would like to avoid syringing water, because he gets so so stressed being syringed and he already is still having to be syringed his medication which he can't stand.
Does anyone have any suggestions please? I have tried actually giving him and holding the bottle and he just 'scents' it. I have tried giving him the bowl and he positively pushes it away (he is normally a bottle bunny).
Is there anything safe I can add to the water to make it more appealing??
Thanks in advance, sorry for the essay x
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