• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Esme is refusing her breakfast.... 3 episodes/6 days

Bunny Buddy

Wise Old Thumper
She was admitted at vets on Tuesday evening with a blood glucose of 16.5, which, thankfully came down fairly rapidly about an hour later. I was in the awful position of wanting to take her in about 1 - 2 hours earlier than I did but I had a really bad headache, I couldn't have walked to the end of the road let alone drive 20 miles and back, so had to 'rest' and get rid of the headache first. They kept her in 'til Thursday afternoon, she's been eating (and pooping) fine since she came home. I last saw her at 1.30 am where she was her usual bouyant self... grabbed a piece of black kale off me and ran across the room to show it to Binky (her usual evening routine).

So, first saw her shortly before 9.00 when she usually bolts out from wherever she is and nearly knocks me over, she's in her hidey place feeling sorry for herself. I usually watch them for an hour or two when doing a food refusal but when it's first thing in the morning I take the view that they could have been like that for quite a few hours already. I was just going to try to do a blood glucose reading myself but the cards are 2 years out of date so no point :( I saw the vet (Heather) do it on Tuesday evening and the ear is already shaved, I would be able to find the vein, I really felt I should be able to do this. Anyhow, vets have open surgery 10 - 11 so if poor Esme isn't feeling any better by the time I've had a quick shower she will be going back there.:(
 
Last edited:
Thank you so much for your vibes.

How is she doing? Sending lots of vibes. xx

Luckily she decided eating was preferable to going back to the vets:D I decided to give her some forage which she has eaten in addition to the spring greens she didn't fancy, fenugreek crunchie and everything else she has been offered. I can safely say she is now eating well.

I really need to get some cards for the glucose monitor though and get my act together on using it.
 
Now Elijah's in discomfort/refusing food. :cry::cry: I would have taken bets on Elijah having one of these episodes within the next fortnight though, he's got a terrible moult going on and no matter how much fluff I pluck off him there always seems to be masses more. He always has a stasis episode or two mid-August to mid-September.... 16 September being when he had his blockage surgery, 2 years ago.

Vibes really would be appreciated here, I worry so much about Elijah. In theory he's statically more likely to suffer a blockage given he's had surgery for one in the past. Poor little soul is so tense:cry::cry:
 
Last edited:
Thank you both.

There's been no improvement so far. Not sure how long to give him but it's out of hours whatever I decide is 'long enough' but not unsociable hours thank goodness.
 
:love:.. Continuing vibes for them both and hugs for you.......

Hope things improve..

Fee xxx
 
Thanks again for the vibes and good wishes. I feel a bit of a fraud since they both recovered without a vet trip :oops::oops: Though Esme did score 16 on Tuesday.


Good boy Elijah.:love:

Is Esme still eating ok?:wave:

Happy to report everybody eating well this evening. Esme was following me around giving me the hard stare at 9.06 pm ... it's pellet time at 9.00 am and she felt the need to urge me to get on with it :lol::lol: She's actually a lot worse now it's getting dark at about 8.30 as she thinks it MUST be pellet time if it's getting dark.
 
glad they are both eating now x

Thank you.


She's had another episode :cry: She wolfed down Excel at about 9.10 pm then I found her laid in her litter tray panting at about 9.40. She was not eating and intermittently showing signs of pain until just before midnight - I've been out of the room for about 20 minutes and very surprised when she darted over to me begging :D As she had eaten recently, at about 10.30 pm I had decided to give her a dose of Metacam. She really, really didn't want me holding her jaw to get the syringe in so decided not to stress her more pursuing it.

So, 3 episodes in 6 days :? Not moulting particularly :?
 
Thank you.


She's had another episode :cry: She wolfed down Excel at about 9.10 pm then I found her laid in her litter tray panting at about 9.40. She was not eating and intermittently showing signs of pain until just before midnight - I've been out of the room for about 20 minutes and very surprised when she darted over to me begging :D As she had eaten recently, at about 10.30 pm I had decided to give her a dose of Metacam. She really, really didn't want me holding her jaw to get the syringe in so decided not to stress her more pursuing it.

So, 3 episodes in 6 days :? Not moulting particularly :?

What is her output like ?

Have you considered taking her off pellets ? The more I look into it the more I am coming to believe that some Rabbits just do not cope well with a pelleted feed.

With hindsight I wish I had realised this a few years ago. Dermot used to have several episodes of sudden onset and severe abdominal pain. Diagnostics revealed nothing. But since taking him off pellets he now has very few pain episodes. He previously had 2-3 a month, now he can go for months on end with no pain at all.
 
I second what Jane said. One of my buns did something similar. About 20-30 minutes after eating his pellets, he would be belly pressing and squinting his eyes. I ended up having to remove pellets from his diet completely as even the smallest amount caused stomach discomfort. Once off pellets(and starchy treats) he never had another digestive problem.
 
Back
Top