Yeah, you're right, its better to try a few times first. I'm sure she'll forget how mean I'm being, soon enough. She's come out of her run just now, and made it to the other side of the garden, so I'm hoping she'll nibble a few bits of grass along the way. I'm a bit worried about getting her back into the run in a bit, because I don't think she'll follow me with the food bowl like most nights. I think me and her are both having and equally bad time of this, ( her's probably a little worse) I'm stressing about everything she does, like if she'll fall into the water bowl during the night, then spend the rest of the night being cold because she'll be wet - stupid to worry about, I know, but I have a whole list of silly little things I'm going to loose sleep over tonight. Which is unhelpful as I think I slept for only a few hours last night, due to worrying. So tired, I'm rambling, lol!
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11 year old with possible e.c
- Thread starter isla
- Start date
MightyMax
Banned
Bless you, I do understand. I get like that ... I feel every little thing that can go wrong, WILL go wrong. But in reality it never does
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
I had a 13 year old female and I would line the carrier with some towels so she would not slip around whenever I turned a corner with the car, and to give her a hiding place. I think I was more stressed taking her to the vet than she was going.
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
How is Abbey this morning ? Topping up the vibes for her xx
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
I am wondering if she needs to be moved indoors whilst she is poorly ? If she is not moving about much and not really eating she will struggle to maintain her body temperature. Hypothermia can set in rapidly when a Rabbit is unwell, even if the atmospheric temperature is not too low.
I hope the medicating is a stress free as possible for both of you xx
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
The sunshine will help, I am sure. She sounds to be reasonably comfortable at the moment.
MightyMax
Banned
Yes it's a lovely sunny day here too, but the temperature does drop at night time. Makes them a bit more vulnerable. Sounds like you are managing to keep pace with things for the time being ..... xx
She's still doing sort of ok, I've been to the pet shop and brought a few different types of hay to try and tempt her, but she's not wanting any of them at the moment, but has eaten a tiny bit of grass, had some water again and a small bit of baby corn and spring greens, so at least that's something.
MightyMax
Banned
Readigrass is exceptionally tasty to rabbits! It's not as high in protein and calcium as some hays and it often tempts them where hay won't.
Forage - bramble leaves, rose leaves, plantain, strawberry leaves ... can also be tempting.
There's no telling what will whet a bunny's appetite
I was going to try redigrass, but I worry that it may dehydrate her - I might be wrong but isn't it freeze dried or something and best avoided if a bun isn't eating and drinking as they should? I used to feed it to mine during the winter months, but got panicky about it - probably unnecessarily though
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
Dehydration can make the bunny weaker and more wobbly (and maybe nauseated)as can kidney's that are working less efficiently, so you may want to make sure she gets enough fluid.
It is hard to get oral fluids into a stressed out bunny who is not cooperating, so I give sub-Q fluids (I learned long ago from a vet).
Although I hang the bag of fluids with the set-up and needle, others have used a large syringe to get fluids out of the bag and into the bunny.
Even when they are still drinking, I notice the bunny feels better with a few extra fluids. Fluids can be warmed slightly for a pet who is losing body temp, but most of the time I just give smaller quantity a couple times a day.
As long as you do not go overboard with the fluids, the bunny will just absorb them and pee out any excess.
I used your idea of tempting a bunny with different hays many times and sometimes it does work-at least enough to keep their gut moving until the meds kick in and they eat again.
I'm offering warm water every few hours (she's always liked warm water better) and she been drinking at least some, every time. I'm also washing all fruit and veg I offer, not that she's that interested - luckily she's not a super skinny bun, so a day or two on less food shouldn't affected her weight too much, but I wouldn't want her eating the small amount she is for much longer. Would mashed up cooked veg be worth a try, pretty much baby food?
I know when my male stops eating mashed up warm pellets sometimes kick starts things again.
I know when my male stops eating mashed up warm pellets sometimes kick starts things again.
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
Weight loss is not the only issue without eating. Bunnies can have their digestive systems shut down or they can get problems with blood sugar and minerals. Instead of taking the energy from fat reserves, they take it from muscle and organs.
I would be careful about giving too many new foods at once.
Mashed up pellets can be good but they do sour so don't give too many at once. You may try to syringe feed mashed up pellets if your bunny will not eat them from a bowl, but they may get caught in the syringe.
Your veterinarian may have you give Critical Care. It is like ground up pellets that you mix with water and syringe feed.
You can also use a coffee grinder to grind up rabbit pellets and mix them with water for a syringe feed that too, but I prefer the Critical Care.
MightyMax
Banned
It's just like a bunny eating hay, except more delicious tasting
Where did you read/ hear that because it's freeze dried it's best avoided if a bun isn't eating or drinking?
I've free fed it to all my bunnies for 20+ years without problem, but I'm willing to be corrected if there's new info I should know about.
It's just like a bunny eating hay, except more delicious tasting
Where did you read/ hear that because it's freeze dried it's best avoided if a bun isn't eating or drinking?
I've free fed it to all my bunnies for 20+ years without problem, but I'm willing to be corrected if there's new info I should know about.
I can't remember where that info came from, and I do agree that its loved by rabbits, but it's something I've remembered from a while back. I could be totally wrong. They have media hay, Timothy, alfalfa and a mix of herb hay at the moment. She's out of the run and eating a bit of grass at the moment, and has been cleaning her bottom - so I'm taking that as a good sign, she just can't keep her balance long enough to do much.
I'm kind of leaning more towards an ear infection at the moment ( the vet did check her ears and said one felt a little warmer, but could have been from being pressed against frank on the drive up to the vets) as she is leaning towards the right, and the ear looks a little reder than the left on. She is on baytril as well as lapizole 2ml of both, as well as zantac and painkiller (not metacam, the new one they use now). The vet only gave me a weeks worth of the first two meds, as that's all he had in stock at the time - so I'm going to my normal vet during the week to pick up more of both or either, depending on what they say. Hopefully I'll not have to take her in again though, and they'll give me the meds I need.
Also, on a slightly un-bunny related term, I caught the sun today a bit, due to the amount of time spent in the garden bunny watching -probably the only person in the UK that should have used sunscreen this morning!
The vet offered me science recovery, but I prefer mashed as pellet whenever my male stops eating, which is regularly. And the vet agreed I should try her on the mashed pellets. I think at the moment she is eating just enough that I'm not too worried, she's picking at things that are hand offered to her, and being fussy about picking up her own food, but I will continue to offer bits of food every hour or so, and hopefully soon she'll start to eat by herself.
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
You are obviously doing all you can to help her. If it is an ear infection then this would definitely cause a loss of appetite. Hopefully once the abx kick in she will start to feel a bit better.
With regards to more medication, if your usual Vet is at a different Practice to the one you saw yesterday then you would need to take Abbey in to be examined again. A Vet cannot prescribe POMs to an animal with an illness for which the vET has not examined them. If your usual Vet is at the same Practice there shouldn't be a need for Abbey to be examined again.
I really hope you start to see some improvements soon. And I hope your sunburn isn't sore !!
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bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
Being new to this forum, I don't know who knows much more than I know, and who needs some guidance.
It sounds like you have things under control. It is always a good sign when they groom and eat something on their own so something is helping.
