Simba has an infection in the pancreas?

Ok so, Simba hasn't eaten or poopd since 11am yesterday morning. I took him to the vets today and the vet claimed that he had an infection in his pancreas. I googled it when I got home and couldn't find a single thing about it so not even sure if it's actually an issue or whether he just wanted to rip my eyeballs out with £97 worth of medication.

So, he is currently on something called Metacam and something called blyith or something, and also this powdered food you mix with water and feed using syringe... one is an antibiotic and one is an anti-inflammatory.

Since I put him back on the floor after we got home from the vets, he hasn't moved, eaten, pooped or peed.

(Quick update as I was typing this, he had a small wee in his potty and had half of a normal size poo that was normal in colour but turned to dust when I picked it up)

He is still grooming himself and his ears are alert (not resting on the back of his neck, i have read somewhere that this is a sign that they're in pain or scared) they are rotating to face noise. However, he is just tucked in the corner underneath the fire place (the fire isn't on so its not for heat purposes)

Has anyone here had a rabbit with a similar situation and knows whether or not he will be ok? I've been crying all day because I don't want him to die.

jennycreed said:

Ok so, Simba hasn't eaten or poopd since 11am yesterday morning. I took him to the vets today and the vet claimed that he had an infection in his pancreas. I googled it when I got home and couldn't find a single thing about it so not even sure if it's actually an issue or whether he just wanted to rip my eyeballs out with £97 worth of medication.

So, he is currently on something called Metacam and something called blyith or something, and also this powdered food you mix with water and feed using syringe... one is an antibiotic and one is an anti-inflammatory.

Since I put him back on the floor after we got home from the vets, he hasn't moved, eaten, pooped or peed.

(Quick update as I was typing this, he had a small wee in his potty and had half of a normal size poo that was normal in colour but turned to dust when I picked it up)

He is still grooming himself and his ears are alert (not resting on the back of his neck, i have read somewhere that this is a sign that they're in pain or scared) they are rotating to face noise. However, he is just tucked in the corner underneath the fire place (the fire isn't on so its not for heat purposes)

Has anyone here had a rabbit with a similar situation and knows whether or not he will be ok? I've been crying all day because I don't want him to die.

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How did the Vet diagnose 'an infection in the pancreas' ? This could only be done by taking blood tests.

Could you have misheard what the Vet actually said ?

Aswell as Metacam ( an non steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic) was the other drug 'Baytril' ? That is an antibiotic

Did the Vet give any gut motitlity medication -eg Metoclopromide and Ranitidine ? When a Rabbit stops eating their GI tract stops working and gut stasis can occur.

How is your Rabbit this morning ?

Jack's-Jane said:

How did the Vet diagnose 'an infection in the pancreas' ? This could only be done by taking blood tests.

Could you have misheard what the Vet actually said ?

Aswell as Metacam ( an non steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic) was the other drug 'Baytril' ? That is an antibiotic

Did the Vet give any gut motitlity medication -eg Metoclopromide and Ranitidine ? When a Rabbit stops eating their GI tract stops working and gut stasis can occur.

How is your Rabbit this morning ?

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I just went back to the vets and demanded to speak to the vet that seen me. He gave me something for simbas gut beginning with an M and I have to give him 1.5 surringe 3 times a day to get him pooping again. He said he forgot I told him simba hasn't been to the toilet for two days so I'm absolutely livid. I've been giving simba surringes of this powder diet food the vet give me and the poor thing couldn't digest it so god knows how simba is feeling at the moment. Yeah it's baytril, 1.5 surringe of that and metacam one time a day. He's currently sat grooming himself but not moving from the same spot and he keeps laying down flat out with his legs behind him. I'm really worried.

Edited: he didn't take bloods, he felt simbas tummy and he made a little squeel when the vet touched part of his belly near his ribs. Said he's not prepared to take X-ray or blood tests cos it'd cost me hundreds of pounds apparently. Still hasn't pooped for 2 days so I've got him on the living room floor so I can keep an eye on him. He's currently sat rubbing his chin on a toolbox.

Can you start a new thread asking for a rabbit savvy vet in your area. It sounds very like your vet doesn't really know a lot about rabbits.

tonibun said:

Can you start a new thread asking for a rabbit savvy vet in your area. It sounds very like your vet doesn't really know a lot about rabbits.

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This. Sounds like a very inexperience vet when it comes to rabbits.

Sarah1991 said:

This. Sounds like a very inexperience vet when it comes to rabbits.

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I got simba neutered here and he came out perfect. Also got big neutered here and he was fine as well and I've always had my dogs etc there so I put my trust in them. They have charged me 97 quid for the medicine that isn't even helping him I'm past myself in tears cos it's all the money I had and they said I can't afford X-rays and blood tests etc :'( he is just sitting in the same spot under the fire place he won't move !

Update: after giving him his dies raid rings and a half of the gut medicine beginnin with an m (sorry I can't tell you the name, he put the wrong f*cking label on the bottle for the woman that went in before me) he's had a mouthful of grass and is walking around his cage. Also has had 1 poop.

jennycreed said:

I got simba neutered here and he came out perfect. Also got big neutered here and he was fine as well and I've always had my dogs etc there so I put my trust in them. They have charged me 97 quid for the medicine that isn't even helping him I'm past myself in tears cos it's all the money I had and they said I can't afford X-rays and blood tests etc :'( he is just sitting in the same spot under the fire place he won't move !

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A vet can be excellent with dogs but not know very much about rabbits sadly so that's not necessarily a guide. Also, they may be used to the routine of neutering rabbits but not dealing with more complex cases of gut stasis. Prescribing/recommending syringe feeding a rabbit that is not passing droppings rings major alarm bells for me.

Pancreatitis is extremely rare in rabbits, I would be really cautious of a vet that suggested that diagnosis from palpating their abdomen.

Just read you update, only one poop that that is very promising.

Bunny Buddy said:

A vet can be excellent with dogs but not know very much about rabbits sadly so that's not necessarily a guide. Also, they may be used to the routine of neutering rabbits but not dealing with more complex cases of gut stasis. Prescribing/recommending syringe feeding a rabbit that is not passing droppings rings major alarm bells for me.


Pancreatitis is extremely rare in rabbits, I would be really cautious of a vet that suggested that diagnosis from palpating their abdomen.

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After giving him that gut movement medicine, he's came out of his cage, hopping around a little bit sniffin around, he has had a mouthful of grass and has had 1 poop but it was sticky and smelled different to his normal poos but surely that's a good sign?

Bunny Buddy said:

Just read you update, only one poop that that is very promising.

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Sorry but I do not know the tone of your reply and whether or not it was sarcasm. His 1 poop, i picked it up in my hands, it was sticky on the outside but i ripped it in half and the inside was the food ive been giving him through surringe.

He just came out of his cage and has been hopping around the bottom end of the living room sniffing things. (He is currently sat in his potty looking at me)

He has had a mouthful of grass since I gave him that medicine and had that 1 poop. Give him the medicine for gut movement about 20mins ago.

jennycreed said:

After giving him that gut movement medicine, he's came out of his cage, hopping around a little bit sniffin around, he has had a mouthful of grass and has had 1 poop but it was sticky and smelled different to his normal poos but surely that's a good sign?

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Very definitely. Quite often when there's been a slow down the first 'output' is as you describe, it all sounds good.

Bunny Buddy said:

Just read you update, only one poop that that is very promising.

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He just had a mouthful of grass, i only give him the gut movement medicine 20mins ago but he has had 1 mouthful of grass, came out of his cage 3 times sniffing around then went back in and sat in his potty staring at me for a while then has just laid down at the back of his cage. The one poop was sticky on the outside and smelled strong compared to his other poos, i ripped it in half and the inside was the surringe powder food ive been giving him. He is sat grooming himself all of a sudden, is this a good sign?

Oh thank god. I hope to god he is alright and I swear if my little lad dies i'm gonna burn vets4pets to the ground. How can you 'forget' a rabbit hasn't eaten or poopd for 2 days. If a doctor 'forgot' you had a tumour and give you the wrong medicine there would be a public uprawr. If anyone hurts my little simba again they'll know about it. I don't drive but next time i'm getting a lift 50mins away for the closest rabbit vets. Disgusted isn't even a strong enough word for how i feel right now.

Jenny I'm sorry to hear about Simba and I've only just caught up with your thread.

It sounds to me that Simba is on Metaclopromide and Baytril for a possible impaction of the the cecum. Maybe this is what the vet said or meant to say and it sounds a bit like infection of the pancreas?

There's some info here:

http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/

Sending mega vibes for Simba's recovery :wave:

MightyMax said:

Jenny I'm sorry to hear about Simba and I've only just caught up with your thread.

It sounds to me that Simba is on Metaclopromide and Baytril for a possible impaction of the the cecum. Maybe this is what the vet said or meant to say and it sounds a bit like infection of the pancreas?

There's some info here:

http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/

Sending mega vibes for Simba's recovery :wave:

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Still not much better. Had half a tuppawear of grass again but not pood it out. He's laid flat at the mo in the corner. How long does it usually take? He's losing weight. Was 1.75kilos when I took him 2 days ago. Now he is 1.7.

MightyMax said:

Jenny I'm sorry to hear about Simba and I've only just caught up with your thread.

It sounds to me that Simba is on Metaclopromide and Baytril for a possible impaction of the the cecum. Maybe this is what the vet said or meant to say and it sounds a bit like infection of the pancreas?

There's some info here:

http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/

Sending mega vibes for Simba's recovery :wave:

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Surely, if it is an impaction he should be hospitalised?

tonibun said:

Surely, if it is an impaction he should be hospitalised?

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I would have thought so but they never suggested it.

Here is a picture of simba at the moment: http://imgur.com/uc3uj7h

And here is his weekly activity

Monday - Started to realise he wasn't eating and booked the first vet appointment available which was tuesday morning. (Don't know if he had a poop this day)
Tuesday - vet trip, where the vet specifically said he thinks that simba has an infection of the pancreas, he felt simbas stomach and said there was slight tenderness where his pancreas is. Didn't say anything about impact pain, just said that it was infected. He prescribed simba Metacam, Baytil and Satchet of food to feed him VIA Surringe. I got home and give him them, nothing happened.
Wednesday - After wakin up and seeing Simba still hadn't eaten or pood (apart from the surringe food I had gave him), i gave him his medicine again at 9am. He seemed to perk up for around 10/15minutes where he was hopping around the living room sniffing things but not lifting his head up to mark stuff, also wasn't drinkin out of his water bottle so I gave him a bowl of water and he drank none stop for an entire 7minutes. Around an hour later, he had a poo, was sticky and a bit bigger than his normal stool size, smelled weird compared to his normal poos.
Thursday - After waking up thursday morning, still no more poo than the one the day before. I gave him his medicine again and he just kept laying flat with his legs out back all day. Ate a little bit of hay and half a tuppawear box of grass. He done another poo similar to the one the day before but it was a bit bigger. I went back to the vets and said he wasn't making any improvement and they gave me this gut medicine for simba, the name began with an M (sorry i cant remember the name because the vet accidentally stuck the wrong label on the bottle). He peed on me when I was giving him his medicine and it was warm.
Friday - No poo as of yet, but it seems to be a nightly thing. I gave him his medicine at 7am this morning. He keeps sitting with his back legs tucked under him and his front legs poking out crossed over eachother, hasn't moved much. I gave him his food through surringe again at around 8am and he started hopping around as normal, marking stuff with his chin, running around the living room as normal. When i put him on the floor after bringing him home from the vets (for a double check up, the vet i hadn't seen before said the same thing as the other vet and said to continue with his medication as it may be a long process and all rabbits are different and that I need to massage his stomach, and have a lot of patience. Now he is currently laid down in his potty(the picture i have linked above)

What do I do... I'm so worried about my little man, I can't afford anymore vet treatment so that is out of the question, also tried with the PDSA but they refuse to look after him because he has had a recent visit to a private vet.

From my information above, does he seem to be making any progress? How long does this normally take... I don't know what to do.

I massaged his belly today and he made a little pump/****/gas release when I was doing it and his belly started rumbling, after that, simba started fidgeting so I let him hop off.

You say he drank non-stop for about 7 minutes - maybe his bottle was clogged up and he couldn't get any water? This could have caused a blockage in his tummy, but now he has drank a good amount it might help to get things moving hopefully. Does he eat a good portion of hay every day?