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.
Raven has been eating well and then a few days ago I thought he seemed off, eating slower than usual, he would then return to normal and eat his hay, greens and even his pellets. When he is fussy with eating he also starts chewing the newspaper in his litterbox and turning some into confetti. In the early hours of Thursday he was chewing the newspaper a lot (not eating it). I saw he did not eat many of his greens from hours before and he had lots of hay uneaten, plus he did not drink much water. I cleaned his litterbox within 7 hours of the prior cleaning and he was passing some very nice poos and enough normal looking pee. I gave him some medicam and after a few hours he drank a normal amount of water and ate most greens and some hay. He also made more poo and pee. Thinking he was doing better I left him to go to a Y pool to do my exercises and therapy, followed by some errands in that neighborhood before returning home and seeing Raven barely ate or drank. He got fluids and more Medicam and I waited, and while he was still producing poo/pee I could feel his tummy was empty. He has the same symptoms he had in October/November so I decided to follow the same protocol with critical care, abx and motility meds along with pain meds and fluids.
My vet does not work every Friday so now I am worried I may not get an appointment. Where I live there are only a couple vets who see rabbits and they are always in demand. I will not even think of taking a rabbit to the emergency vet after my awful experience in September.
Please send some positive vibes for me and my handsome Raven.
Topping up the vibes for Raven. Will he eat readigrass/chopped grass? Or fibafirst sticks? I don’t know if they are available in the US.