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Help Desperate

C

Charm

Young Bun
Can anybody please advise me. Today I went out to the hutch to my pair of 5 year old dutch rabbits. I had noticed the male had been a bit quiet the last couple of days sitting hunched up but he was still eating. But today he came out of the cage and just sat on the shed floor. When I picked him up he felt cold. So I brought him into the house usually he struggles when I pick him up but he just sat and its not like him. So we rushed him to the vet she said his stomach was in stasis. She gave him 3 injections, one was a painkiller one was antibiotics and the other was to stop him going into shock which she said rabbits can do. She gave me some food science selective to mix with water and a pipette. She told me to keep him warm. But since we have come home we have him in an indoor cage in the kitchen he has not eaten and seems asif he is losing his energy. I do not know what to do next. I have managed to get some of the liquid food into him but he really does not want to eat!!!!!:cry:
 
If the vet has examined him and there definately isnt a blockage then you need to try and syringe feed him. Keep offering him his favourite foods to try and tempt him into eating for himself.

Did the vet check his teeth?
 
Most important thing is to keep him hydrated, do you have a syringe?? I suggest giving him water by syringe.

When my bunny stopped eating we found out she had a owie on her tongue, try soaking a bit of the food in a bit of water, my bun ate small bits off a spoon (yes, she was a princess)

Good luck!!
 
I am really worried about him I dont like the feeling of him being this cold so I have put a hot water bottle in covered with a blanket. I have made it just a little bit warm.
 
Charm said:
Hi

Yes she checked his temperature and said it was normal and checked his teeth.
Click to expand...

Okies I would just keep syringing the food and plenty of water into him and then see how he is in the morning. You also need to check he is passing.

If he hasnt improved by morning I would take him back and ask your vet about fluid therapy. Exercise can also help get the guts moving again.
 
What time did your rabbit receive treatment from the vet?

I would have expected him to have painkiller's, a gut mobiliser and fluids (under the skin) and them been sent home with syringe feeds.

If you are at all worried, as it seems you are, I would call your vet now and tell them how bunny is.
 
I think she did all that but he is going down fast he is having difficulty walking and I dont want to force food into him:cry:
 
Is he swallowing the food when you syringe feed? You really just need to keep going even if it's just a couple of syringes every 30-60 mins.

Rubbing his tummy gently in a circle can encourage the guts to get going too.
 
From what you said earlier it sounds as though the vet did not give a gut mobiliser.

She should have given
Painkiller (such as metacam or a stronger anaelgesic )
Gut mobiliser (such as injected metclopromide)
Fluids (large amounts of fluid straight into the body)

The antibiotics will not make any difference if he has gone into stassis.

This really is an emergency - ring an emergency vet NOW.
 
I am heartbroken we lost him! I called my vet back and she told me to give him some water with sugar in it, by the time I came off the phone he went into a spasm front legs straight out in front of him and he went onto his side and he was gone. I am gutted.
 
Oh goodness I'm so very sorry for your sad loss.
I feel that this is not the right time to comment on your vets treatment after diagnosing "stasis". Perhaps you would like to return to this forum, should you wish for our comments.
My heart goes out to you.
 
I am really upset and looking for reasons why we lost him so quickly. Not only that I am worried now because his mate will pine for him. I keep going over and over in my mind, did I miss something, did I do something wrong etc.:cry:
 
My baby Tabby went as fast as your did, one day she seemed fine, next she felt skinny and was dribbling, took her to the vets and she had her teeth done. She was ok after the op but then went down hill a few days later and had a fit and died. It was horrible. Rabbits are natuarally prey animals so they often dont show us how they feel. I feel bad for your other rabbit, my rabbit Tessy is all alone now and shes only just beginning to perk up and its been almost a month since Tabby went (Tess was with her when she died and she kept nudging her)

Sorry for your loss :(
 
Thanks, it does not matter how old you are and I am 53 this year and have lost thousands of little pets in my life but it never gets any easier does it? He was such a little character, very cheeky and although he lived in the shed, he had the run of the garden and out of the 6 rabbits he was the only one that used to come into the kitchen to explore, bless him.
 
I am sorry for your loss.

You must understand you did everything you could. We are at the mercy of our vets, and must investigate how good the vet is with rabbits, as they are still classed as exotics, and vets only get a very short time studying them, unless they specialise. I think someone said on here 3 hours, or it could be 3 days, from however many years they spend studying to be a vet.

Maybe a post mortem would help you understand your loss, but vets do charge for it, and it may be an unnecessary expense. As others on here have hinted, your vet gave no gut stimulant, which did not help your buns condition.

We lost Princess after her neuter (a very rare event in itself) due to infection, which could only be seen once a post mortem was carried out. My vet was lovely and didn't charge, as she wanted to learn from it too, as she had never seen it in rabbits.

As for the bun left behind, Charlie was only with Princess for about 3 weeks, and she had such an impact on him. Before she arrived he used to sit in the corner of his hutch all day, so he was understandable lost when she passed.

Let your bun decide when the right time is. Watch them, make sure they are eating drinking and pooing, this will be a shock to them as much as it is to you. If they seem to be going into stasis, seek treatment quickly. You may want to find a new vet for this.

Where in the country are you? I am sure someone will be able to suggest a good rabbit vet to you. If your bun seems down depressed you may need to get another rabbit to help them get over their loss. This is what I did for Charlie. I also promised myself he would not be in that position again, hence my bonded foursome :)

Please consider a rescue bun if you do go that route, there are over 33,000 buns in rescues each year
 
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