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  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

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Advice needed please - Max not well.

maxbun

Warren Scout
I posted yesterday that I was a bit worried as Max wasn't eating much - I thought he had teeth problems as he had to have spurs removed from his back teeth about a month ago. I took him to the vets this morning, feeling like a neurotic mother - he seemed fairly bright, but he hadn't eaten many pellets overnight and he had left his brocolli which he was eating even with a sore mouth before.

The vet said his tummy felt harder than it should be - and said it was possibly a bit impacted (or he could have a tumour :cry: - which I hope not). He gave him a painkiller and said that if he still hadn't eaten within the next couple of hours to syringe feed him some of his pellets in water.
He doesn't drink much, so I did wet some of his pellets in his bowl and he has eaten abouot 1/3 of a bowl full - is it okay to feed wet pellets?

I also mentioned the fact that I thought he had lost some weight (not a good sign I believe) and he suggested that I gradually introduced some ordinary burgess super excel pellets as he has been on the 'lite' ones as they have more fibre in them - do you think it would be okay to gradually swop him onto the Junior & Dwarf version which are the ones that Millie has (he is a dwarf lop). I had actually ordered some Science Selective Pellets from my local feed shop and am due to pick them up today - would these be better than the Burgess pellets?

I feel that it is typical I have waited for a couple of years to find him a 'mate' and just as I have he is not well! Life isn't fair sometimes is it!

All advice gratefully received!

Jane x
 
Oh, poor Max. They're sensitive little creatures aren't they? The only thing I can say is that it's ok to wet pellets. I did this for Nougat when she wasn;t eating.
Other than that, I don't know I'm afraid. Hope someone with superior knowledge comes along soon.
Hope he feels better soon. Hugs to you both.
 
Sorry to hear that your bun is sick :( If your bunny is rapidly loosing weight you can feel him oatmeal, it is really high in fat and she boost his weight in no time.

~Amy
 
Hiya,

The supreme pellets have a slightly higher protein level so that may be better than the lite if he's having troublekeeping weight on. I orginally swapped on to them several years ago when my rabbit was ill with teeth problems and have been using them ever since. They are also abit softer so might be easier to eat if he's got teeth problems.

The junior/dwarf pellets are quite low in fibre so I'd suggest not swapping completely, as fibre is important if his gut is a little dodgy. It wouldn't hurt to mix a few in though. There is no rule you can't feed a mix of different pellets :)

Yes, you can feed them soggy. Adding a splash of pure apple juice to the water can help tempt them to drink more. You can buy a cartoon and freeze it in ice cubes if you don't drink the stuff your self.

Hope he's feeling better soon :)

Best wishes,
Tamsin
 
Hi,

I was thinking, if he had his teeth done a month ago the vet should have a record of his weight then as they get it checked before any op. That's if the vet took a note, it would be worth checking as he may not have looked on his records when you took him in yesterday. Then you can see how much if any.

How's his poos if he is impacted then he will nead something to get it going it doesn't sound as though you vet gave him anything for that although he thought he might be a bit blocked up.

Hope he feels better soon

Maureen
 
I hope Max gets better very soon. ((((((((((((( Healing hugs )))))))))))) and ~~~~~~~ positive vibes ~~~~~~~ being sent his way.
 
hi

there's a few things here that got me thinking - and I hope Max is soon feeling better :)

when you say he hadn't eaten pellets overnight - usually bunnies eat all their food in about 10 minutes flat - there shouldn't be food there all the time...You say Max has lost weight - was he overweight before - most bunnies fed unlimited pellets would be a bit fat? How much dry food do you give him a day?

With the vet's diagnosis - if he thinks there may be a tumour, is he doing blood tests or scans to find out for sure?

Did the vet check his teeth again - they can grow very fast?

With the vet saying he was impacted - did the vet also give him sub-cutaneous fluids in his neck? This is very important in keeping a mass of food moist so it can pass through...Did the vet give him a gut stimulant to make him poo and get his guts moving? Metaclopromide? Did the vet give an appetite stimulant? These are all things which a vet treating this common bunny problem should do.

I think wet pellets is a great idea as the most important thing in keeping his guts moving is water - can you get some water into him if the vet didn't give him any? Maybe a dash of apple juice in his water will encourage him to drink more, or you can syringe water in but be careful not to choke the bunny.

Basically pellets are not the problem - he needs lots of hay to keep food moving through him, and to grind his teeth down - if he doesn't like hay then try dried grass or burgess forage - or grass and leafy veg like cabbage as these are all good for keeping teeth down - It sounds to me like his teeth are the problem, coupled maybe with not enough hay as you don't mention hay - and too many pellets.

Finally - how old is he? Best of luck - it's a bit complicated getting bunnies tums sorted out :)
 
Thank you all for your replies - it is comforting to know there are people who care about rabbits as much as I do.

There were some droppings in his litter tray this morning so he had been pooing. He isn't fed unlimited pellets - just a handful once a day together with vegetables (either brocolli, carrots, or kale). He has unlimited hay but doesn't eat it - I have bought all different types of hay, meadow, timothy, hay from a farm etc. I have also bought some Burgess Forage but he won't even eat this. He is, however, out on the grass all day so he will eat fresh grass.

The vet gave him a painkilling injection and said that if I was worried to take him back and he would give him some fluids, but he didn't think he was dehydrated. He also checked his teeth again and said that they were looking fine at the moment.

The vet seems pretty up on rabbits - when I rang for an appointment this morning he said that it was better catching problems earlier than later, which is what I thought - one of his nurses is also a rabbit fan - she even has a car sticker reading 'Rabbit on Board' and I know she has several rabbits herself.

Max has eaten about 1/2 a dish of wet pellets during the day and there are fresh droppings in his run so hopefully he will be okay. I might try soaking his pellets for a time as this will keep his water level up as he doesn't drink much - I've tried both a bottle and a bowl. I will also get some apple juice and try putting this in his water - how much should I use?

Thank you again for all your advice.
Jane x
 
That's very positive if it's all going through! Keep us informed of how he's doing.
 
Glad to here he's been nibbling and pooing :D

maxbun said:
I will also get some apple juice and try putting this in his water - how much should I use?

A splash? Erm I guess maybe a centermetre in the bottom of the (rabbit size) water bottle then fill up with water. Just enough to colour the water slightly/give it an apply smell/taste.

Tam
 
I still not happy with how Max is - he seems to have done a pile of normal droppings but he has not eaten any grass today, and just really is not his usual happy self. He hasn't eaten any more pellets since this afternoon, so I have just attempted to syringe feed him with some very liquid pellets mixed with water and a little apple juce - as I am sure you will know, he was not very happy with this - he is tucked up in his hutch with wet pellets, dry pellets, water in a bowl and water & apple juice in his bottle, a piece of brocolli and a small piece of apple - I will be going out again in a minute to see whether he has eaten anything. I am going to take him to the vets in the morning again. :cry:

I popped Millie into the run with him earlier, but he really couldn't be bothered with her - she kept jumping on him and washing his ears, but he just rested his chin on the grass and ignored her, so I put her back into her own run.
 
This is exactly it with bunnies, isn't it. You can't pinpont what's wrong with them, but you know them soo well that you know something is wrong. When the o/h and I first got together, he would wonder how I knew that Squidgy wasn't quite right. After a year and a half of living with us both, he now understands!
Hope Max feels better soon. A trip to the vet will certainly put your mind at rest.
 
Yes, its very true. I used to be the same with the children when they were little - I could always tell when they were going to be ill before anybody else did - Steve thought I was neurotic, but I was always (or almost!) right!. I've been saying all week that there was something not quite right with Max.
Jane x
 
Awwwww sending positive vibes to you and Max - they are such a worry arn't they - its just that as a bunny mum you just know something is not quite right but carn't pinpoint what :roll:

I hope Max is o.k but don't worry about hasstleing your Vet if your at all concerned about him, we allllllllll know bunsters and you can never be too careful - sending hugs :wink:
 
Update on Max. After a long night with him, I took him to the vets this morning. Although he had produced normal droppings, he was still very listless.

The vet felt his tummy and said that it felt much softer than yesterday, but he was worried that he was breathing more quickly than he should. He now thinks he could have pneumonia and has kept him in to give him antibiotics and fluids - poor Max. :cry: I will keep you updated when I know more.
Jane
 
Awww Jane - I'm so sorry to hear this, fingers crossed little Max is o.k - keep us posted when you can.

Sending soft nose rubs to Max.
 
We're all sending positive vibes for your little man. Big snuggles to Max
 
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