• 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.
  • 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.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Jess is sick...fractured rib. Please help

nicole

Mama Doe
Hi there. I am new to this forum though I am using Nicole's login (with her permission) whilst i wait for own login to be activated. I have been a 'lurker' here for so many months though I have never posted. However, I am desperately looking for advice on my sick rabbit. I am so sad.

My name is Fiona and I am mum to five Dutch bunnies: Nell, Sumi, Jess, Clover and Marcy.

Two weeks ago my bunny Nell got GI stasis (molar spurs) and she is on the mend and doing so well.

However, my gorgeous Jess is now sick. I noticed she was poorly on Saturday night and was even worse on Sunday. She wasn't eating, drinking, moving or pooing very much, and was pushing her tummy into the ground. I took her to the emergency vet and since then have been seeing the vet daily. We have been treating her with metaclopramide, metacam and zantac, alongside sub-cut fluids and antibiotic injection. Her eating and pooing has been minimal but stable since then, though we decided to do more investigations today (bloods and xray). Earlier investigation had ruled out her teeth as the problem.

Unfortunately, her xray revealed a fractured rib and a possible injury to her neck (which looked low set and a little curved on the lateral xray view). I am absoutely devastated, mortified and totally saddened by this news. Obviously the pain has stopped her from eating. It is hard to understand how this could have happened, though she is a little flighty and skittish and I have definitely had a number of 'dodgy' lifts with her, though its hard to pinpoint anything specific. The vet thinks it is a new fracture by its appearance. I feel terrible and can't help but blame myself. He was hugely supportive of my tears and did his best to reassure me.

Jess is home with me and her bonded bunny Clover. Her medication regime is: Metacam 1 x 0.5mls daily, 2 x Vetergesic (sub-cut) daily, 2 x 1/4 tab Metaclopramide, Zantac twice daily. She is eating very small amounts and I am trying hard to tempt her with whatever I can, dandelion leaves, rocket, parsley, thyme, round lettuce. She manages a little bit of veg and hay and then gives up. I am topping her up with syringe feeding, so far with varying success. I am so scared to handle her now in case I hurt her even more. She is hopping around and grooming herself, though she is much slower and spends much more time lying down.

I am so worried about her prognosis. The vet thinks that we can be quietly optimistic that if we can manage her pain at this stage, we can get her back on track and get her tummy up to speed again. I wondered if anyone out there has any information, suggestions or advice.

I would be so grateful for any more help I can get.

Thanks lots, sorry this is so long

Fiona xxx :cry:
 
I'm really sorry to hear you and your bunny have been having such a bad time :(
I'm afraid I don;t have any further advice to offer - it really does sound as if you have everything covered and you are doing your best for her.
Just wanted to say hope she makes a quick and full recovery.
 
Hi Fiona

I am so sorry to hear about Jess :( But please dont be too hard on yourself. Sometimes Rabbits can have a spontaneous fracture just by thumping or binkying.
Have you had Jess since she was a baby? If not then she may have had a poor diet in her previous home with inadequate exercise. This will mean that as she grew up her bones would be 'soft'-OSTEOPOROSIS. Did the Vet mention this as a possibility as 'thin bones' should be evident on an X-ray film.

It sounds as though Jess is now on a good pain control regime and gut motility drugs. I wonder if a calcium supplement might help in the short term :? Certainly exposure to any sunlight we may get would be a good idea as this helps calcium metabolism (needed for bone regrowth/healing)

Is Jess drinking? If not maybe your Vet would show you how to give sub-cutaneous fluids. This will help her metabolise the medication and will certainly make her 'feel' better.

Please, please dont blame yourself. Jess more than likely injured herself accidently and no-one can prevent ALL accidents. The fact that you have got Jess good Veterinary care and are now nursing her so well prooves just how much you love and care for her.

Rib fractures in any species are painful and can take time to show improvement. But they DO HEAL. Jess is still grooming herself which shows she has not just given up. Keep going with all her meds and syringe feeds and please keep us posted on Jess.

Janex
 
Fiona, force feed your bunny if they are not eating due to the pain. As long as a rabbit has 6 x 6 cc of baby food and/or milupa brand

http://www.milupa-aptamil.co.uk/ (and pick one w/ no meat, and a lot of fiber mix.)

then their day food diet need is fulfilled.

milupa smells good when heat up, but then so is some favor of baby food. Just mix and match

Best guess to bone crack: dutch rabbit are very naughty by nature, more so than other breed. Jess could be somehow ends up at a higher ground area, and fell if she were fighting or being beaten by another dutch.

Is it hair line fracture, if not, what's the width of the rib?

Keep her warm 24 hr. by leaving her indoor with you.
 
Hi there.Thanks so much for your replies. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night for worrying about poor Jess.

In answer to your questions:

Its not a hairline fracture on her rib. Its much fuller (I can't remember the word the vet used). Luckily its her last rib so its not of particular risk to her lungs. I will find out more about the fracture when we go back to the vet tomorrow. I was in so much shock that I didn't get all that information.

I have had Jess since she was a baby. Jess, Clover and Marcy are Nell and Sumi's baby girls! (All neutered now of course!) I will be the first to admit that their quality of life is far better now in relation to housing, diet and exercise. The vet did comment that her bones looked healthy on xray, a lovely and white and of good width. I will ask him about a calcium supplement when I visit tomorrow and will get more information on the fracture.

Jess' drinking is quite poor overall. I've trying to pop a bit more water in during syringe feeding, again with varying success. I will ask the vet about administering sub-cut fluids at home. I've just managed to give her her sub-cut vetergesic injection myself (was very nervous though!) so I should manage infusing fluids with some practice. Nicole said she will come round and help me if needs be which is kind.

I am leaving Jess outside with her Clover in their hutch and run. She is such a nervous little rabbit that I think it might be unduly stressful to bring her indoors. She has lots of blankets and a snugglesafe to make sure she is warm enough. Do you think that will be ok? She quivers like a wreck indoors and I'm sure she would eat and drink even less inside.

Thanks for your support and reassurance. I still feel guilty and will never forgive myself if she doesn't get better but that's just me. I will keep doing all I can to help her. She ate a little rolled oats from me this morning and has had a small amount syringe fed as well as all her meds She is looking like a sorry little soul. Poor Jess. Clover seems a little bit grumpy and has gone off her food a little so I'm keeping a check on her. This doesn't end!

Thanks for all your suggestions so far! I have enjoyed browsing all your posts in the last few months, seeing all your lovely bunnies and sharing your sad stories.

Fiona xxx
 
needle9sq.jpg


To insert the sub-cut fluid, the very best spot is just behind the neck at the back side. As the skin is very loose over there.

The problem w/ a sick rabbit outside, is that she has to fight the outdoor environment while she try to get well. While she is outdoor, she has to be alert to any noise or fox or whatever. And at her current health status, these alerts will stress her, but she know she can't fight for those alerts (say a fox is nearby) as she's sick. As such, a false alarm of a fox coming or certain noise can greatly stressed her further.

With indoor, bring her companion Clover along, w/ you being the owner, she shouldn't be stressed at all.
 
Hi there. I thought I would give you an update on Jess. I now have my own user id!

Everything is much the same and we attended the vet agan on Saturday morning. She got more sub-cut fluids which he will administer these every couple of days for me. We discussed a calcium supplement though he feels that her calcium levels were satisfactory on her recent blood test.

She is still a poor little darling, lying down a lot and sometimes facing the wall and looking generally peeved at how often I visit and poke parsley in her face! Wee lamb! Her medication regime is the same though for some reason I haven't managed her injections today, I just couldn't get the needle in. I think I was stressed. Her eating is still very poor and she only manages a tiny amount with coaxing. She manages a little amount of oats, parsley and kale in a day. Her poos are tiny and few and far between but some is better than none I guess. I am syringing feeding her to keep her topped up though she has become increasingly feisty which I can only take as a good thing. I got two bites during syringe feeding this morning and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.......so I cried!!!
:roll: And then I phoned Nicole and cried to her too(!)

So we are off to the vet tomorrow and I am trying my hardest to remain hopeful that I can keep her guts ticking over and her spirits up whilst the pain subsides.

Thanks for all your kind replies to my earlier post.

Fiona x
 
Good luck Fiona, it certainly sounds as if you are doing everything you can. I broke a rib a couple of years ago so really sympathise with your bun. Thinking of you both and hope she is on the mend soon for you. Pam.
 
what about pain killer? Is there prescription to painkiller for at least a few weeks? Once pain is reduced, that should move up the diet.
 
Happy Hopping said:
what about pain killer? Is there prescription to painkiller for at least a few weeks? Once pain is reduced, that should move up the diet.

I think Metacam (already prescribed) is a painkiller? Am I wrong? I may well be! :lol: Miffy was on that when she got ill and that helped her a lot.

AMETHYST
 
Yes she is having Metacam orally (0.5mls x 1 daily) and vetergesic injections (0.3mls x 2 daily) for the pain though I didn't manage to get the injection in this morning. I don't know how I managed it before but the last three I haven't managed. I will speak to the vet about this tonight.

Thanks for your support. She has got more 'punch' about her and cleans herself furiously so I'm trying to be positive. I think the poos were in greater abundance this morning though tiny still!

It looks sore and I am paranoid lifting and handling her but just have to be confident.

Fingers and toes crossed and thanks for all your messages!

Fiona x
 
Thanks guys. This is my first day back at work having taken the week off to look after her. I am very nervous at leaving her. Needless to say she has been left with a pile of tempting treats but no doubt Clover will gobble them up for her.

Was up early to syringe feed and haven't seen that hour of day for a long time! Will be rushing home at 5pm to syringe feed her again.

I am worried about her though as I still haven't seen her eat much spontaneously. The vet says to keep going with meds at the moment, and painkillers at leat for another few weeks. He talked about weaning off syringe feeding over the next few days and I am scared in case she still doesn't eat. We agreed that I could maybe try that over the weekend when I can watch her a bit more closely. Any opinions or advice on that? Its worrying me lots

Thanks

Fiona xxx
 
Well, that's easy. Your rabbit is not eating due to the pain from the bone injury. All you need is to syringe feed Jesse in a few mth. period, for the bones to heal.

So all you need is to hold your course. As to the downsizing of syringe feed, I won't recommend it. Jesse should have 6 x 6 cc. of baby food (non-meat contents) or milupa every 24 hr.

So to see if there is any improvement from her diet, tempt her w/ her favorite bunny treats. She won't eat pellet on her own at the beginning. But if she eat her favorite treats, that would be a good start.
 
She seemed a bit better last night and took some nibbles from the veg bowl without being forced. Very pleased! :D

Yes, I'm going to keep going with syringe feeding for the foreseeable just to make sure she is getting enough.

Thanks again

Fiona x
 
Back
Top