Is my rabbit in shock?

[Kirstin27]

My 7 month old rabbit recently came home from the vets after a simple nail-clipping and fly strike prevention treatment.
At the appointment she was admittedly quite panicky. She was panting and shaking, but would still take food from me during the vet visit, so I didn't worry too much. The vet was brilliant with her, and nothing happened that gave me cause for concern.

It's been nearly 6 hours since I brought her home, and she's become very lethargic, which is really out of character for her. I did get her to eat some grass, but she hasn't touched her hay and continues to sulk in her hutch, tucking her legs under her body and sitting with her eyes barely open. Usually she's running around, binking and running circles around my legs for attention!

I'm worried she's in shock from her vet visit and I'm not sure what to do other than just leave her alone to see how she does. I'm now starting to feel guilty, like I've traumatised her or something. Is it best to just leave her alone to see how she gets on?

 

[bunny momma]

You should contact vet and get her checked today!. She should not be in shock from nail trim. Did vet sedate her? Sedation can take hours to clear. Why did she get fly strike prevention? Mucky bum? Did she have it before.
Sending vibes for your girl.

 

[Shimmer]

Did she actually have flystrike?
Was she treated with Rearguard? It has well known side effects.
https://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-462035

A healthy, mobile young rabbit which is kept in hygienic conditions should not need preventative treatment for flystrike.

I would get back in touch with your vet as a matter of urgency, especially if she isn't eating or pooing - so tomorrow morning at the latest, assuming she's eating something and doesn't deteriorate this evening. You can always ring your out of hours vet for advice.

 

[Kirstin27]

A small update:
After a few hours of letting her settle, I have watched her eat hay and pellets, chewing her toys, cleaning herself, and even had a small run before I put her to bed. Definitely feeling less worried now.

It was recommended by my vet to treat for fly strike, as we live on a cattle farm where blue and green bottles are very common, always finding their way into our house. It becomes a worry while I'm at work that I decided to follow the vets advice and book her in. I have lost a guinea-pig to flystrike and I never want it to happen again.
She was not sedated for this appointment.

I'm going to see how she is in the morning. Do you think I should avoid doing this in the future, or follow the vet's advice?

 

[InspectorMorse]

Did she actually have flystrike?
Was she treated with Rearguard? It has well known side effects.
https://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-462035

A healthy, mobile young rabbit which is kept in hygienic conditions should not need preventative treatment for flystrike.

I would get back in touch with your vet as a matter of urgency, especially if she isn't eating or pooing - so tomorrow morning at the latest, assuming she's eating something and doesn't deteriorate this evening. You can always ring your out of hours vet for advice.

This^^^^^^

 

[bunny momma]

Make sure she is passing pee and poo in addition to eating and drinking.
Rabbits who do not eat, drink and move around enough can quickly go into GI stasis which is a very serious condition.
Does your vet regularly treat pet rabbits?
You should have been told of the possible side effect from the Rearguard prior to it being used on your rabbit. Sending more vibes.

 

[Shimmer]

If I had a rabbit at risk from flystrike, I would use F10 Germicidal Wound Spray with Insecticide
https://hyperdrug.co.uk/f10-germici...Bi-ABhfVf_JESWNqY-WwkRxZDSSTq82QaAmBrEALw_wcB

It is safe to use on rabbits, on any area and on sore or broken skin or wound sites. It can be used eg daily if needed. It is very easy to apply and relatively cheap.
Do not use it where cats may come into contact with it as it is highly toxic to them.

Rearguard is expensive, difficult to apply, can only be used on intact skin on the rear of the rabbit, once a month. It needs reapplying if the rabbit gets wet (eg urinary incontinence / bum baths / from wet grass). It also is known to reduce appetite, which can lead to gut stasis and therefore becomes an urgent vet appointment. It's not something that an already compromised rabbit needs to deal with.

You are much better to keep the rabbit(s) in an environment which doesn't attract the flies - so spot clean at least once a day, do bum checks twice a day to make sure there is no poo attached. Feed mainly hay for good poos, and keep to a healthy weight. Overweight and inactive rabbits are at more risk of mucky bums and therefore more at risk of flystrike. Older, arthritic or dental rabbits may also be at additional risk if they are unable to groom properly. If the rabbit is indoors or in a shed, you could use flyscreens or UV insect killer lights

I've lost a rabbit to flystrike before, despite getting treatment very quickly. The shock got him a few days later. It's a horrible condition and one of the few things that I would consider automatic PTS for to prevent suffering. I usually keep a bottle of F10 in just in case - mainly for outdoor rabbits that have had surgery and are likely attract flies to the wound site. I never use prophylactic / preventative treatments unless there is a specific risk to a specific rabbit that can't be managed another way. It's really not something that should be routinely done or needed for all rabbits. Rearguard tended to get included in the monthly packages that some of the big chain vets offered once they did a rabbit version, so was a substitute for the flea treatment offered to cats / dogs in order to justify the cost of the package.

I'm glad she has perked up. Keep an eye on her to make sure she's eating / drinking / weeing / pooing normally. I would also talk to your vet about the side effects you have noticed.