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Very ill rabbit refusing to eat - urgent

lcmcd

New Kit
Looking for some advice please if anyone could possibly help with a very unwell rabbit who is refusing to eat. He was eating on Sunday night but yesterday morning was quite quiet and didn't jump to his food as normal - although he sometimes is quite sleepy in the mornings so we weren't too worried. We came in at night to see he was sitting unusually quietly and hadn't eaten all day, so took him straight to vet, who gave him an injection and Fibreplex to try to get his gut moving and sent us home with him - we gave him Fibreplex again last night and this morning. Last night he was hopping around the living room seeming ok at times but still acting a bit odd at others, sitting facing the wall instead of lying flopped out like usual, and this morning he hadn't eaten a thing and was very weak and unresponsive, and felt very cold - he also seemed quite uncoordinated and confused. We took him back in, and the vet has said he thinks he has begun to shut down and a recovery is unlikely - he is keeping him in today and will try to get him stimulated and going again. I know I'm clutching at straws here but we are beside ourselves - he's 5 years old and has always been generally healthy, and if there's absolutely anything us or the vet are not thinking of or don't know of to try I want to try for him.


(In case it's of value, although I'm not sure, he was in the vets just over a month ago after we were worried that he had stopped eating cecotropes or cleaning himself underneath, and it was believed his teeth were bothering him slightly when he moved at the angles needed for that, so they were done (although the vet did say they weren't that bad so any pain would be slight) - he had been a bit better at cleaning after that but not completely, although we guessed it might be that it would take a little time for him to realise the pain was not there. He has also had a few changes in character in the last month or two, but nothing bad, just noticably more affectionate and looking for strokes but has seemed very happy).

Thank you so much for any help.
 
Please please go to another vet, this vet isn't rabbit savvy. You need to go to a good one asap. Your rabbit can pull through with the correct medication.

Keep him warm in the meantime and syringe feed him and get fluids into him too. Whereabouts are you?
 
Could you ask your vets to refer you to a rabbit specialist? It doesn't sound as though your vets are really very rabbit savvy.

Where do you live? Try posting up for a rabbit vet where you live and say it's urgent.
 
Sorry to hear your bun is so unwell :(. Do you know what injection the vet gave?

Has your bun had a blood glucose test done?

And I agree with the others, you really need another vet.
 
I'm not sure you should syringe feed a rabbit unless there is evidence of pooing?

I agree that you need to find a rabbit-savvy vet very urgently as your present vet doesn't sound as though he is.
 
OK thank you so much for that advice. We do have a rabbit specialist we usually take him to at a vet hospital around 45 minutes away from us, but we needed the appointment so suddenly last night and by chance had an appointment for one of our rats last night at our local vet's, that we took him along at the same time and we felt the vet we saw last night (my usual one for my rats & hamsters) was very thorough when she examined him, so this morning when we were so worried my boyfriend just took him the 5 mins to our local vet again - today was a different vet who seemed much more negative. I wasn't there myself but we are due to call back at 3.30pm - listening to what you're saying we will try to collect him then and book him right in at the hospital with the specialist. Thanks again.
 
I'm not sure you should syringe feed a rabbit unless there is evidence of pooing?

The only time you shouldn't syringe feed is if the vets suspect a true blockage.

You need to find out what injection bunny had as I would of expected them to administer a gut stimulant and pain relief so am guessing they only did one or the other.
 
Yes definitely the sooner the better with rabbits since they can deteriorate so quickly.

Let us know how you get on. They will probably hook him up to an IV to get fluids into him and give him metaclop etc. I'm pleased you know a good vet as time is of the essence.
 
The only time you shouldn't syringe feed is if the vets suspect a true blockage.

You need to find out what injection bunny had as I would of expected them to administer a gut stimulant and pain relief so am guessing they only did one or the other.

Sorry!
 
Sending him lots and lots of vibes. I would probably contact your rabbit vet and ask if there is any way you can book your bun in to them or refer him to them so that thy can either advise the vets that have him now or organise him to be transferred. I would be reluctant to move a bun that is so poorly.
 
You don't need to be sorry. No-one knows everything. I'm just lucky that I got to have bunny first aid training with an exotics vet.
 
Having re-read the first post I would definitely get the teeth re-checked and also can you elaborate on unco-ordinated? Any hind leg weakness or head tilt?
 
Thank you so much for all your replies, I can't tell you how much we appreciate them. I'm unbelievably sad to say however that we have had a call from the vet just after I posted to say he has not made it. It was my usual vet for the other pets who was working with him this morning, but she has said he passed away himself as they tried to help him. Thank you again for your support so quickly. x
 
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