Older bun..... am I doing the right thing?

My bun will be 7 in may. He's been having dentals every six weeks since 2012 which he comes round from really well.
The last three months or so he's been sleeping constantly, even face planting his food dish. We spend all our spare time with him, he has plenty of toys too. I'm at the vets with him in the morning because he just doesn't seem right.
I'm now asking myself if I'm doing the right thing in letting him carry on? Has anyone else experienced this?

Aww bless him. I have no experience with older bunnies, I'm sorry, but didn't want to read and run.

To answer your question, I guess it all depends on what the vet says is wrong. I assume you are taking him in for tests? See what the results are and take it from there.

Good luck.

Yeah I am. Thank you x

VickyC83 said:

My bun will be 7 in may. He's been having dentals every six weeks since 2012 which he comes round from really well.
The last three months or so he's been sleeping constantly, even face planting his food dish. We spend all our spare time with him, he has plenty of toys too. I'm at the vets with him in the morning because he just doesn't seem right.
I'm now asking myself if I'm doing the right thing in letting him carry on? Has anyone else experienced this?

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Has he had a skull X-ray in recent months, to see what's going on with his teeth and the roots?

Does he eat any hay or readigrass, or fresh grass to keep his teeth in trim?

I don't regard 7 as being super old, so I think getting a vet's opinion would be a good idea. Also maybe a blood test. It can be enormously reassuring if it comes back with such as the kidneys working normally. It's one of the first things we think of in older rabbits.

Bless him, I hope they find a reason for fatigue. Is he eating normally these days?

VickyC83 said:

My bun will be 7 in may. He's been having dentals every six weeks since 2012 which he comes round from really well.
The last three months or so he's been sleeping constantly, even face planting his food dish. We spend all our spare time with him, he has plenty of toys too. I'm at the vets with him in the morning because he just doesn't seem right.
I'm now asking myself if I'm doing the right thing in letting him carry on? Has anyone else experienced this?

Click to expand...

7 is not really 'old' as such. But it might be a good idea to ask the Vet to run a full blood profile before his next GA. This would provide some information relating to his Liver and Kidney function.

Having supportive fluid therapy during and after a GA can be very beneficial to aiding recovery. Does your Vet routinely give fluid therapy ?

Do you monitor your Rabbit's weight ? Weighing him 2-3 times a week would be useful as part of a general observation of his health.

You dont mention the precise nature of your Rabbits Dental problems or exactly what procedures/Xrays have been carried out by the Vet. Skull Xrays provide the Vet with a 'bigger picture' regarding Dental disease, enabling the Vet to assess the tooth roots, not just the crowns.

This is a concise summary of the management of Dental Disease in Rabbits. To achieve the most beneficial results the specific treatment the Vet needs to provide is very much dependant on the specific Rabbit's teeth problems.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/Rabbit_dentistry.pdf

This link is informative too

http://www.rabbitdentistry.com/Contents_files/Preview.pdf

As Rabbits age repeated GAs can start to take their toll, but with appropriate supportive care and the use of the most suitable GA protocol it is very possible for things to continue to be well managed. Obviously there will never be a 'one size fits all', each Rabbit is an individual and how much they can cope with, both physiologically and psychologically, will be unique to them.

I would have a good chat with your Vet about your concerns. A good Vet will give you an honest professional opinion based on the best options for your Rabbit.