help please with bugsy

ok going to keep this as short as i can - i have 2 bonded buns, bugsy and poppy. Only had bugsy 4 months from a rescue, poppy 12 mths from breeder.

hes the friendly one, loves being picked up, licks hand, etc, she is v highly strung, hates being picked up, very dominant over food.

they share a bowl of excel super every morning and a sm at night, occational treats of veg and sweetcorn sticks. last night i had them in the house, now the hutch is in the shed and bugsy not his normal running around self, he was desperatly trying to get food from an old scorn stick left in the box, so i picked him up and fed him which he devoured - takes longer to eat than poppy so decided i will now separate at mealtimes so he gets his fair share, hes very bony and light (a dutch) compared to poppy (dwarf lop).

saw poos and saw him eat so put them back and went to them this morning where they were, as normal pushing each other out the way to get to the front of the hutch, then he flopped on his side - took him out straight away sat him on stairs and he flopped outright - hes eating, wont run around or hop but is managing to get himself in a seated position.

ive got a morning to work from home and out this aftern so i am taking him to the vets, noone there at the mo to book in so im going to go and take a chance

ive printed off the info on floppy bunny syndrome - doesnt say if they still eat with this.

sorry for long post, these are my 1st 2 bunnies and i want to get it right :shock: :shock:

will keep u all posted

Good luck at the vets, sorry I don't have any advice but I'm sure someone will be along soon with some

Keep us updated xx

Sounds like he may have a middle ear infection which is causing him to lose his balance. I think your Vet may also want to treat him for EC.
Here is some info on EC

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/rwf/articles/ecuniculi.htm

The sooner you get him to a Vet the better

Please keep us posted

Janex

hi,
thank you for your replys, got in the vets for 9.30. I explained everything as i have before and he got him out, checked his heart, lungs and temperature (that made him move)

vet tells me he is underweight, and is obviously missing out on the food sharings, when i see them both eating i think no more of it but as poppy obiviously eats faster, shes getting more.

he recommended poppy needs to obviously cut down (she wasn't there) he said not to split them, as there are no physical signs of bullying, its just that she gets in there first, and they are happy together.

I have him in his carry box, eating carrots and he has some pineapple juice which vet recoomm - but i would have tried anyway as ive read it on here b4

i feel so guilty for not spotting it earlier! :shock: i think i will do a weight chart and check them every week to see how they are doeing. the vet said the floppyness would be down to tiredness of not haveing enough food, and that to fill him up as can be more prone to infection being underweight.

ive just got to get the balance right and not have o/weight as then other probs can happen. so i will separate them at mealtimes only.

anyone had anything simialr?? or is it just me being stupid??

Sorry i cant help. Thinking of you though

sue
xx

help with bugsy .. updated

last night bugsy ate lots, he had his mixed feed with pineapple juice which he was eating off a spoon from me and ate carrot aswell.

still seemed wobbly on his legs so i kept him in his carrybox with a towel. this morning he is completly on his side not moving, wont take food and not drinking.

phoned emergency vet and im taking him in for 730 but i cant go in with him as they will be in theatre


crying as im writing this, so worrried and feel so awful i didnt spot his undereating earlier

Good luck Emma, you've done the right thing by phoning the Vets on both occasions. Hopefully they'll get to the bottom of what's wrong with him.
I'll ask Denny to post how she feeds her 2 seperately. Seperate bowls sounds too easy, I'm sure the piggy one (meant in the nicest possible way :wink: ) would then just go and scoff from the others when finished :roll:

It's 7.41 so Bugsy will be at the Vets now- have everything crossed for him

Re: help with bugsy .. updated

poppy180 said:

last night bugsy ate lots, he had his mixed feed with pineapple juice which he was eating off a spoon from me and ate carrot aswell.

still seemed wobbly on his legs so i kept him in his carrybox with a towel. this morning he is completly on his side not moving, wont take food and not drinking.

phoned emergency vet and im taking him in for 730 but i cant go in with him as they will be in theatre


crying as im writing this, so worrried and feel so awful i didnt spot his undereating earlier

Click to expand...

I am NOT a Vet BUT I feel certain your Rabbit needs ANTIBIOTICS and pain relief, Panacur (INCASE EC is a feature), a gut motility stimulant, IV fluids, additional heat (heat-pad/incubator...) and supportive syringe feeding
The weight loss may be due to chronic systemic disease and therefore NOT the Primary problem

PLEASE PLEASE ask your Vet about the treatment I have mentioned

Do let us know how Bugsy gets on

Janex

Hi

just left him there, they have said to prepare for the worst. He is in an incubater to keep him warm, and has been given antibiotics. They are going to phone me if anything changes, and if i dont hear from them to phone at lunchtime.

They said it might be septersimia - spelt wrong going to do some research on the net now.

i text my manager to say im not doing my visits today, and going to work on my folders at home. Cant think about anything else but him.

Will keep you informed, thank you

Oh Emma, sorry to hear this. Have everything crossed for you and Bugsy. Isn't Septecaemia blood poisoning? Really hope he pulls through.

poppy180 said:

Hi

just left him there, they have said to prepare for the worst. He is in an incubater to keep him warm, and has been given antibiotics. They are going to phone me if anything changes, and if i dont hear from them to phone at lunchtime.

They said it might be septersimia - spelt wrong going to do some research on the net now.

i text my manager to say im not doing my visits today, and going to work on my folders at home. Cant think about anything else but him.

Will keep you informed, thank you

Click to expand...

At least he is now on treatment and therefore has a fighting chance.
Was it the same Vet that saw him yesterday?

Janex

Thanks for your replys

No, Jane it was a different vet who saw him today than from yesterday(same practice) i didnt' see the vet though, i just saw the nurse who told me, had to get some tissues for me and the o/h while we were in there.

Yes, i thought septeceima (sp!) was blood poisoning aswell, the nurse did say whatever is wrong with him has likely to have caused the weight loss, and there was nothing i could have done with the food business to make it better.

One hour until i can phone, on tenderhooks, will keep you all posted. Poppy is wondering where her friend is

Aww poor Bugsy hope he gets better soon and can come home to you. He's in the best place at the vets and I'm sure they'll do all they can. Sending lots of vibes to Bugsy and hugs to you. x

poppy180 said:

Thanks for your replys

No, Jane it was a different vet who saw him today than from yesterday(same practice) i didnt' see the vet though, i just saw the nurse who told me, had to get some tissues for me and the o/h while we were in there.

Yes, i thought septeceima (sp!) was blood poisoning aswell, the nurse did say whatever is wrong with him has likely to have caused the weight loss, and there was nothing i could have done with the food business to make it better.

One hour until i can phone, on tenderhooks, will keep you all posted. Poppy is wondering where her friend is

Click to expand...

I really hope Bugsy will start to improve on treatment.
Hmmmmm, the Vet who saw him yesterday needs to brush up on his Bunny Medicine I think... :?

Janex

How is Bugsy doing?

Tracey x

this doesn't bode well that Emma has not been on here... I know I'd be distraught if the unthinkable happened I so hope I'm wrong

luvabun said:

this doesn't bode well that Emma has not been on here... I know I'd be distraught if the unthinkable happened I so hope I'm wrong

Click to expand...

Janex

Hi guys :wave:

so sorry i havent' updated you all, thank you so much for the replys


its good news!!

i phoned at 12 and they said he had improved and was eating and took well to the antibiotics and staying in the incubater. I asked if i could pick him up tonight and they said to phone later.


... so i went to work, not to the 60 mile away visit i was supposed to do today, to the office 10 miles away to a panel meeting to keep me busy and not take any more time off - brownie points with the boss :wink:

so i phoned at 2pm and they said he is better, speaking to the nurse that has been looking after him and that they wanted to keep him in for observation tonight. They said they still didn't know what was wrong with him though :?

so, keeping my mom informed, she told me to phone and insisit they tell me what was wrong, as i have been told 2 different things on 2 separate days - and shes not a rabbit keeper

so i did that, and they spoke to the vet and phoned me back to confirm the septasemia (really need to learn how to spell that word) and that hes eating and taking well to the antibiotics

need to think about getting rabbit insurance or putting money by for things like this, they charged me £15 yesterday, for a ten minuite chat :shock: think i am going to ask to be taken off the price for what they have done today.

sorry for long post, i like to give all the story though.

thanks again for your support, im picking him up after work tomorrow, they close at 7 and im in Chester all day tomorrow, going to miss my evening thurs dance class so i can pick him up and fuss over him all night.

got Poppy in tonight for a run around, was strange without Bugsy.

so happy he pulled though, i really thought id lost him

will keep you informed
xx

Aww good news you can have him home.

glad he seems better

well done bugsy