Old bunny advice please

Hi all ,

Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice regarding Yoshi.
He is nine and a half and keeps having the odd day where he looks like he is going into gut stasis but then picks up again after sometimes a bit of fibreplex or pain relief.
We are going on holiday for the first time in 9+ years (mum is coming to watch bunnies) but we are really worried about yoshi as mum won't know what to look out for other than not eating. So we are buying him Oxbow joint support
Giving Fibre plex one course once monthly
Oxbow Papia fruit plus active digestive enzyme supplement . We are wondering if we should change his diet at all ? He has Allen & Page complete rabbit food. (Small amount not even covering the dish) some oats (small amount) fresh greens either spring greens broccoli or similar , carrot tops , a small slither of apple , or carrot. , or grape
We don't get to brush them as much as we used to so know that could be part of the problem but I know a lot of it is down to his age. We just want to make sure we do everything we can to keep him a happy bunny throughout retirement. We will give Alex stuff too as she is 8 so she might benefit too. But just wanted your opinion on what you would do. I am sure yoshi is arthritic as he rarely wants to go out these days but when we go down the summer house he is always happy for a treat or a stroke etc .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

He has had a vet check and no problems found other than age related arthritis etc


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

bunnylover4 said:

Hi all ,

Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice regarding Yoshi.
He is nine and a half and keeps having the odd day where he looks like he is going into gut stasis but then picks up again after sometimes a bit of fibreplex or pain relief.
We are going on holiday for the first time in 9+ years (mum is coming to watch bunnies) but we are really worried about yoshi as mum won't know what to look out for other than not eating. So we are buying him Oxbow joint support
Giving Fibre plex one course once monthly
Oxbow Papia fruit plus active digestive enzyme supplement . We are wondering if we should change his diet at all ? He has Allen & Page complete rabbit food. (Small amount not even covering the dish) some oats (small amount) fresh greens either spring greens broccoli or similar , carrot tops , a small slither of apple , or carrot. , or grape
We don't get to brush them as much as we used to so know that could be part of the problem but I know a lot of it is down to his age. We just want to make sure we do everything we can to keep him a happy bunny throughout retirement. We will give Alex stuff too as she is 8 so she might benefit too. But just wanted your opinion on what you would do. I am sure yoshi is arthritic as he rarely wants to go out these days but when we go down the summer house he is always happy for a treat or a stroke etc .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Hi there :wave:

If you are going away, I definitely wouldn't advise changing his food at all

When you say bunnies, how many are they and do they live together?

Will your Mum be in the house with them, or visiting?

Last question for now .... is he on Metacam or any other pain killers for arthritis?

As MightMax said, is your Mum staying with them or just visiting? I personally wouldn't leave him unattended for long periods if he's on the edge of stasis so frequently. He needs someone staying in the house with him really.
If your Mum is with him you could go through some signs to watch for like not eating, tooth grinding, sitting awkwardly etc and also write them down on a list so she won't forget. Make sure she really understands how important it is to pick up on those signs as early as possible and get immediate treatment. It would be a good idea to have both your vet's number and an out-of-hours vet such as Vets Now's number down on the paper too.
Oxbow Joint Support seemed to really help Willow but it can take a few weeks (I think they suggest 3-4) for it to build up.
It wouldn't be good for him to have any dietary changes right now as anything could upset him and send him into stasis and if you're going away that's the last thing you want.

Are you sure he's okay with the 'gassier' veg you've mentioned? I've had a lot of trouble with my rabbits in stasis (I lost Maple to it last November, nearly lost Cody two days before and nearly lost Snowflake in February, as well as a few of the other having slightly less serious episodes too). I used to feed spring greens as a staple, as I had done for years. In the end I cut out anything that could be 'gassy' like kale and greens and stuck to herbs and forage when available (bramble, dandelion leaves etc) and so far no problems at all since. I know for certain that broccoli put Willow into stasis. I'm not saying they're bad things to give rabbits, many people give them all the time with no problems, but if he's 'on the edge' of stasis frequently it might be something to think about? Though it could also be from pain if the arthritis is causing him trouble.
Again though, I personally wouldn't change anything with the diet right now if you're not going to be there to monitor him.

bunnylover4 said:

Hi all ,

Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice regarding Yoshi.
He is nine and a half and keeps having the odd day where he looks like he is going into gut stasis but then picks up again after sometimes a bit of fibreplex or pain relief.
We are going on holiday for the first time in 9+ years (mum is coming to watch bunnies) but we are really worried about yoshi as mum won't know what to look out for other than not eating. So we are buying him Oxbow joint support
Giving Fibre plex one course once monthly
Oxbow Papia fruit plus active digestive enzyme supplement . We are wondering if we should change his diet at all ? He has Allen & Page complete rabbit food. (Small amount not even covering the dish) some oats (small amount) fresh greens either spring greens broccoli or similar , carrot tops , a small slither of apple , or carrot. , or grape
We don't get to brush them as much as we used to so know that could be part of the problem but I know a lot of it is down to his age. We just want to make sure we do everything we can to keep him a happy bunny throughout retirement. We will give Alex stuff too as she is 8 so she might benefit too. But just wanted your opinion on what you would do. I am sure yoshi is arthritic as he rarely wants to go out these days but when we go down the summer house he is always happy for a treat or a stroke etc .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Hello, thanks for your PM and its good to hear from you again. It may be that Yoshi's bouts of 'almost stasis' are pain related-ie arthritic pain. Has the Vet examined him recently ? In some cases very arthritic elderly Rabbits require daily Metacam. My 9 and a half year old Doe Elyse is now on daily Metacam for her spinal arthritis. With arthritic pain it can fluctuate in severity, so that may account for why Yoshi has some 'not so good' days. Perhaps it'd be a good idea to get your Vet to give both of the elderly Bunnies an MOT before you go away. It may help put your mind at ease if nothing else.

I would not make any huge changes to their diet, best not upset the carrot cart !

As the weather is getting cooler now and it is also very wet then that too can adversely effect an elderly arthritic Rabbit. So making sure that their environment is well insulated and dry is also important. Many arthritic Rabbits appreciate a heat pad of some sort too. It can help sooth sore bones.

I expect that you have already done so, but it is important to check an arthritic Bunny's hocks incase they are becoming bald/sore. This can occur due to reduced mobility. It is also necessary to do bum checks at least twice a day. Arthritic Rabbits may not be too good at keeping themselves clean and they can get a mucky bum if they find it hard to eat their cecals.

There is a bit more information on here:

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/seniors.html

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/Feedingandcaringforseniorrabbits.pdf

http://www.goddardvetgroup.co.uk/pet-factsheets/Factsheets/Otherpets/24_290501.shtml

I hope that you have a good time on holiday xx

I think that is the sign of the elderly