Help please? Urgent really.

I'm waiting for the out of hours vet to phone back.

Rebel, one of my bunnies, is being treated for snuffles. He saw the vet again on weds, 10 days after the treatment started. No improvement, but not worse. The vet was happy to give it another 10 days and see how it went. He's lost 90g by the second visit though, from a starting weight of 1600g. He's a small Dutch. The vet condition scored him at 2.5 at the second appointment. He was ok this morning, maybe slightly quiet this afternoon, but when I went to feed and check them tonight his breathing is pretty laboured and he's not looking great, although did nibble at some pellets. I weighed him and he's another 100g down, although mine are different scales to the vet obviously, so that might not be correct.

Im not sure whether to bring him indoors and seperate him from the other two buns. Or to take him to the vet alone. They've only be a trio for a couple of months and although the buns do all groom each other and all lay together, I still feel that Rebel is a bit left out and that the for, Sweetie can be a bit intolerant of him, although there aren't any obvious signs of this.rebel and the other bit get on great. They were meant to be a quad, but I sent them to the rescue to be bonded and very sadly we lost Rebel's wife, dash. It was a horrible time and now I'm panicking and I just don't know what to do for the best. I don't want to stress him by being alone, but also don't want to keep him with the others if that's causing stress.

I can't stand to lose another bun.

I'm sorry I don't really know what's best, I would want to see the vet though, sending lots of vibes xx

In order to monitor Rebel's weight and feed him up without fattening up the other rabbits, I would bring him indoors. He might be really happy as a house rabbit and bond to you. Also it might be better for his snuffles. My snuffles rabbits have done better indoors rather than out

You may have already sorted this one, but my instinct says bring him indoors and try to get him better before you think what his future might be. I feel you would want him under observation anyway, so best where you can see him regularly and give him the bits he requires to fatten him up and build up his immune system.

Thankyou so much. I've calmed down a bit now and spoken to the vet. He thinks a different course of treatment is needed, as well as probably some tests/x rays etc (we decided not to go down this route initially as the snuffles were so mild, he hasn't had them before and due to the situation with the other buns) but that as Rebel is eating, drinking and pooping that he can wait until the morning to be seen. Obviously if he gets worse I can ring any time during the night and they'll see him.

I've brought him in, he's in my front porch in an indoor cage for now, which I'm not sure whether to leave open? He's had metacam on the vets advice as he was on this when he started treatment and I had some left. Hopefully he'll feel better soon. He's munched some broccoli, his favourite, and was still eating pellets when I went out to get him in. I've given him three types of hay and some grass and a few bits of forage and herbs, but I'll sleep (or not!) downstairs tonight so I can keep checking him. I can't put him in my bedroom as we have relatives staying in there until tomorrow and I think the cat/dogs would bother him anywhere else!

This is the worst part of having pets, I can't stand them being ill, I feel so helpless.

Yes I know how it is to feel so helpless, especially with buns who don't give very much away unless they're really poorly!

I am glad you're feeling better now. Hope you get a good sleep

Hope Rebel is feeling better this morning,and that you have managed to get some sleep :thumb: I wonder if the heat has been affecting him?

Thankyou.

Zoobec, that's a thought, but we're in Scotland, so it's warmer than usual, but not that hot here. How hot would it need to be? It's only been about 19C tops.

I checked Rebel at 5.30 am as well as a few times in the night. He's eaten about 1/2 an egg cup full of pellets and some broccoli, not sure if he's eaten much hay and he's done some small, golden brown poops. I picked a handful of grass for him, so as soon as I've fed my baby (just going back to sleep now) I'll check again and hopefully he's eaten that. I gave him some more pellets too as I'd rather he ate them than nothing and it's hard to monitor his hay intake. I do have some fiba first pellets, so I'll try those, but the buns aren't usually that keen. His breathing seems a little better, his nose looks cleaner, but he's being under his stick tunnel thing and I didn't want to disturb him too much, but hopefully the metacam has made him feel a bit better. My brave boy.

I've not had any experience with snuffle buns, so was just thinking aloud, as it was very hot here yesterday, t shirt and shorts weather, and whereas my bunnies have been behaving normally, I wondered if the heat would affect a snuffle buns breathing? I'm glad he's been eating. Hope you get on ok at the vets :thumb:

I have a snuffles bun, and metacam helps her a lot when she is having a flare up.

Her first episode was her worst, and she needed injections of antibiotics every 3 days.

Has Rebel had a nasal swab taken to check which antibiotic would be best?

Sending loads of vibes x

Thankyou. I'm sorry to hear you have a snuffle bun too Weedug.

The vet didn't mention a nasal swab. He did mention x rays etc, but it just seemed like overkill in the first instance if it could potentially be treated easily, not least as anaesthetics aren't risk free and he agreed. I haven't got insurance, although we will happily pay for any treatment he needs and although I explained to the vet that we'd pay for treatment, perhaps he thought I was trying to keep costs down and that was why he didn't suggest swabs? (Which are surely easily taken there and then?) I hope he didn't think that.

I'm just trying to get hold of the vet now. It's been engaged for half an hour. He's has a few bits of rocket, some more brocolli and a few more pellets, but he's not pooped much that I can see and he's not eating grass. He seems brighter when I go to say hello though and likes a little stroke, but looks a bit hunched up, so he needs the vet.

Hope the vet can help. Sending lots of vibes for Rebel xx

I suppose the vet would want the x-ray to check the lungs for any damage or fluid. I don't know if it is an overkill or not. But the swabs could have been taken when Rebel was under. My bun Honey is very placid, and the vet can get swabs from her conscious.

I hope you get on ok today, and the vet can help x

I've just got back from the vet. Rebel is much more sick than I realised. He might have pneumonia and the vet mentioned putting to sleep as an option. however, we've decided that as he is a young bun we need to give him the best chance we can, so the vet is going to do an x ray and swabs this afternoon, plus a CT scan if he can without an anaesthetic and if the x ray results warrant it and he is also going to 'hit him with every drug known to man' and nebulise him to try and get him better. If he's not markedly improved in 48hrs or if the test results show he's not likely to get better, then putting him to sleep will be the only option.

I feel sick. The vets are really good exotics specialists and I hope they didn't suggest/agree to a more conservative course of treatment because I don't have the buns insured. Cost was never an issue here. I feel like this is all my fault and I should have noticed he was so ill sooner or taken him in last night, but the out of hours vet seemed to think he'd be fine as he was eating.

Please send good vibes, I want to bring my sweet boy home again.

Sending tons of vibes for Rebel, and some hugs for you.

I really hope the tests come back showing nothing too serious x

Sending mega vibes for him, and hugs for you xx

Thank you.

The vet has phoned and it's not good news at all. Rebel has pneumonia in both lungs. the vet did say that he picked up after being given some oxygen, so we are going with treating aggressively until the morning then reviewing, unless he gets more sick, in which case it definitely won't be fair to carry on. They can't culture as it takes 3-4 days to come back and there's no time for that, so they've started. IV antibiotics and he's also given painkillers and anti inflammatory eps and basically every drug they can.

The vet says if he recovers he will always be a bit snuffle and have flare ups that require treatment, but that he should have a good quality of life.

I hope I've made the right decision in continuing treatment. I hate the thought of him suffering, but he's only a young bunny, around 18 months old. I feel like the worst owner imaginable and that my bunnies deserve better.

midori1999 said:

Thank you.

The vet has phoned and it's not good news at all. Rebel has pneumonia in both lungs. the vet did say that he picked up after being given some oxygen, so we are going with treating aggressively until the morning then reviewing, unless he gets more sick, in which case it definitely won't be fair to carry on. They can't culture as it takes 3-4 days to come back and there's no time for that, so they've started. IV antibiotics and he's also given painkillers and anti inflammatory eps and basically every drug they can.

The vet says if he recovers he will always be a bit snuffle and have flare ups that require treatment, but that he should have a good quality of life.

I hope I've made the right decision in continuing treatment. I hate the thought of him suffering, but he's only a young bunny, around 18 months old. I feel like the worst owner imaginable and that my bunnies deserve better.

Click to expand...

I'm so sorry I'm sure it isn't anything you have done/not done though, so don't blame yourself. I'm sure if you follow the vets advice if they are rabbit savvy then you will be doing the best thing for him. Sending more hugs and vibes xx

Thankyou so much. None of my friends understand and my husband is moaning about the bill.

The vets are new to me as the bunny savvy vet at the practice I use for my dogs and cat left. However, they are the local vet school and well known for being the best locally, so I'm sure he's getting the best treatment possible.

Good job we've got RU :thumb: I never tell my OH how much the vet bill is xx