Recovery from incisor removal.... Update: Scooby now eating pellets...YAY!!

[Tracy]

How about crushing up a small amount of the RR so the smell wafts about more. That might get his taste buds going.

You could make a necklace of the poo collection !

OK will give that a go.

Yes I definitely have enough poos to make a necklace and probably a matching bracelet too. :lol:

 

[Jack's-Jane]

OK will give that a go.

Yes I definitely have enough poos to make a necklace and probably a matching bracelet too. :lol:

A few more and you could add some dangly earings :thumb:

 

[MightyMax]

It is fine Jane. He is doing plenty and they are a good colour and size. I am collecting a daily sample of poos so that I can see whether there are any changes. I have a row of little piles of poo.

I fed him some critical care at breakfast this morning, plus his metacam. Soon after that he devoured a little pile of grass and dandelion leaves at speed. I've not syringe fed him since this morning and will try and hold out until later this afternoon. I put the muesli bowl under his nose, he sniffed it and took one piece and ate it and then went off to do something else.

He is spending loads of time grooming himself, cleaning his feet, washing his face and ears etc, I'm sure he wouldn't bother doing that if he was hurting.

He's active. His base is a large dog crate, but he also has the run of the conservatory so plenty of room to run around and exercise.

This is good news, even if you are still unhappy with his input the other end! :thumb:

Exercise is excellent for keeping the gut moving, so he seems to be doing all the right things .... almost

How about a few sunflower seeds mixed with grated carrot? Concentrated nutrition :lol:

 

[Tracy]

We had a breakthrough yesterday. I held off syringing feeding him during the day, he stilll wasn't really interested in the muesli, but when I offered him some SSS pellets he started to eat them! He's eaten a few more overnight. He's not eaten a full portion, but has had a reasonable amount so it's a good start. It looks like it could well be that the problem has been me! I don't think I've allowed him to get hungry enough to be bothered to eat for himself. I'm still going to feed him a couple of times a day, with his metacam, so that he is getting some decent fibre as he still doesn't seem to be eating hay, but fingers crossed he will make more effort to eat for himself. I'm watching him closely and if he doesn't eat, then I'll step in with my syringe, but I am trying to resist the temptation of jumping in too soon. :roll:

He has been zooming around and binkying this morning. It was lovely to see. It's probably the first time he's ever had space to behave like that.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

We had a breakthrough yesterday. I held off syringing feeding him during the day, he stilll wasn't really interested in the muesli, but when I offered him some SSS pellets he started to eat them! He's eaten a few more overnight. He's not eaten a full portion, but has had a reasonable amount so it's a good start. It looks like it could well be that the problem has been me! I don't think I've allowed him to get hungry enough to be bothered to eat for himself. I'm still going to feed him a couple of times a day, with his metacam, so that he is getting some decent fibre as he still doesn't seem to be eating hay, but fingers crossed he will make more effort to eat for himself. I'm watching him closely and if he doesn't eat, then I'll step in with my syringe, but I am trying to resist the temptation of jumping in too soon. :roll:

He has been zooming around and binkying this morning. It was lovely to see. It's probably the first time he's ever had space to behave like that.

Yay !!! So pleased to hear that there are signs of improvement with his eating !!

 

[MightyMax]

We had a breakthrough yesterday. I held off syringing feeding him during the day, he stilll wasn't really interested in the muesli, but when I offered him some SSS pellets he started to eat them! He's eaten a few more overnight. He's not eaten a full portion, but has had a reasonable amount so it's a good start. It looks like it could well be that the problem has been me! I don't think I've allowed him to get hungry enough to be bothered to eat for himself. I'm still going to feed him a couple of times a day, with his metacam, so that he is getting some decent fibre as he still doesn't seem to be eating hay, but fingers crossed he will make more effort to eat for himself. I'm watching him closely and if he doesn't eat, then I'll step in with my syringe, but I am trying to resist the temptation of jumping in too soon. :roll:

He has been zooming around and binkying this morning. It was lovely to see. It's probably the first time he's ever had space to behave like that.

Aaaww wonderful news Tracy :thumb:

Usually it's the other way around, and people don't like syringe feeding as they and the rabbits find it stressful. I have this image of you wielding a massive syringe every time you go near him :lol:

It may have also been that a little time has now passed and his mouth is less sore. Whatever the reason he sounds like a happy bunny this morning

 

[Tracy]

Aaaww wonderful news Tracy :thumb:

Usually it's the other way around, and people don't like syringe feeding as they and the rabbits find it stressful. I have this image of you wielding a massive syringe every time you go near him :lol:

It may have also been that a little time has now passed and his mouth is less sore. Whatever the reason he sounds like a happy bunny this morning

Actually the syringe is fairly massive :lol: It's one of those 15ml feeding syringes, so your image of me is probably fairly accurate :lol:

 

[MightyMax]

Actually the syringe is fairly massive :lol: It's one of those 15ml feeding syringes, so your image of me is probably fairly accurate :lol:

:lol::lol: :lol:

 

[Tracy]

Unfortunately Scooby's return to eating pellets was very brief and he is refusing them again. He isn’t eating pellets or hay. When I cut back on the syringe feeds, he did eat a few and I thought we had turned a corner, but then he stopped again. When he does eat pellets, he picks them up easily and chews them normally. He has SSS broken into smaller pieces, we have tried muesli which he didn’t like and yesterday I bought him some Excel Junior/Dwarf as I thought the smaller nuggets might be better for him, but he doesn’t want those either. I have never since him attempt hay since his op, he has four different types to choose from, baled meadow hay, timothy hay, readigrass, alfalfa. He has hay chopped into small strands, plus hay in normal long strands.

I have held off syringe feeding him (apart from twice a day with his Metacam) for as long as I dare in the hope that hunger will encourage him to attempt his pellets and hay, but it hasn’t worked. He has been hungry, if I put a pile of grass/herbs/veg in front of him he will devour the whole lot at speed, but it seems that he would rather die of starvation than attempt to eat anything except grass and herbs.

He is doing plenty of poos, but they are now much smaller. He has also dropped some weight, from a steady 1.8kg down to 1.74kg, so not too much at the moment but if I don’t step in then it is only going to slide downwards. As of yesterday I have gone back to syringe feeding him again as I really don’t think I have an alternative. He is still having his fresh food which he is eating absolutely fine.

He is still bright and active and seems to be happy. He is continuing to groom himself, he spends lots of time grooming. I am really at a loss with this and I just don’t know what else I can do to help him apart from to continue to syringe feed him and hope that one day he will choose to eat pellets or hay again. Maybe it is just time and patience, but I feel so down and upset about it. I’m going to book him in to see my vet again, but I’m not sure what she will be able to suggest as his mouth looks to be healing fine. It’s now been 15 days since he had his incisors removed.

 

[SJH]

I have to say, I'd stick with the grass and herbs for now and perhaps increase their quantity. He's obviously Hungry for food but just doesn't want the pellets. I'd also see if I could get hold of some fresh forage given the time of year plus start to introduce some leafy veg (perhaps celery leaves). It may be he now has to live without pellets (difficult but not impossible). Whereabouts are you? It may be I can help with a bit of fresh forage if you want to PM me an address. It's only hawthorn leaf and a bit of plantain at the moment though. I know how distressing it is when you need to change their diet and it is normal to feel downhearted but he sounds full of life


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[Tracy]

I have to say, I'd stick with the grass and herbs for now and perhaps increase their quantity. He's obviously Hungry for food but just doesn't want the pellets. I'd also see if I could get hold of some fresh forage given the time of year plus start to introduce some leafy veg (perhaps celery leaves). It may be he now has to live without pellets (difficult but not impossible). Whereabouts are you? It may be I can help with a bit of fresh forage if you want to PM me an address. It's only hawthorn leaf and a bit of plantain at the moment though. I know how distressing it is when you need to change their diet and it is normal to feel downhearted but he sounds full of life


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Thanks very much for your reply. :wave:

I think I am just getting hung up because he’s not eating the stuff that I think he ought to be, whereas I should perhaps be doing as you have suggested and give him the things that he wants to eat, it is all good healthy stuff afterall.

I’ve been worried about upsetting his digestion, as before he came to me he would not have been used to having grass, veg etc. I’ve been gradually increasing the amount of fresh food he’s been having and he seems to be fine so far, so maybe a continued gradual increase is the way forward for now. Out of my garden he’s been having freshly picked grass, dandelions, mint, strawberry leaves. I’ve got some plantain in a pot, but it’s not regrown much this year yet so I’ll need to leave that a bit longer. I’m also waiting for my raspberry plants to come into leaf.

The shop bought fresh food he’s been having is coriander, parsley, rocket, watercress, kale.

I’m a nervous forager, but I’m OK with the familiar stuff like plantain, sow thistle, hawthorn etc. I’ll go on a mini-forage this evening and see what I can find for him. :thumb:

 

[MightyMax]

Thanks very much for your reply. :wave:

I think I am just getting hung up because he’s not eating the stuff that I think he ought to be, whereas I should perhaps be doing as you have suggested and give him the things that he wants to eat, it is all good healthy stuff afterall.

I’ve been worried about upsetting his digestion, as before he came to me he would not have been used to having grass, veg etc. I’ve been gradually increasing the amount of fresh food he’s been having and he seems to be fine so far, so maybe a continued gradual increase is the way forward for now. Out of my garden he’s been having freshly picked grass, dandelions, mint, strawberry leaves. I’ve got some plantain in a pot, but it’s not regrown much this year yet so I’ll need to leave that a bit longer. I’m also waiting for my raspberry plants to come into leaf.

The shop bought fresh food he’s been having is coriander, parsley, rocket, watercress, kale.

I’m a nervous forager, but I’m OK with the familiar stuff like plantain, sow thistle, hawthorn etc. I’ll go on a mini-forage this evening and see what I can find for him. :thumb:

Tracy, it sounds like he is getting a wonderful variety of food!

I have had bunnies where they have not eaten pellets for years, as it suited them best. I think we do get hung up on a 'normal' diet, and the fact that he ate it before and so should now. If he's eating well, not losing weight (long term) and poos look good and of course - if he's happy, then I would go with the flow.

Grass after all is excellent for wearing down teeth. Good that we are coming up to Spring/Summer and all the lovely garden stuff.

Maybe he's just sick of the taste of pellets/recovery food etc .... and associates it with the stress of being syringe fed. Who knows? If it's working for now, I wouldn't worry about 'will he eat pellets in the future' ...... and enjoy the moments of respite from bunny care :thumb:

 

[SJH]

Thanks very much for your reply. :wave:

I think I am just getting hung up because he’s not eating the stuff that I think he ought to be, whereas I should perhaps be doing as you have suggested and give him the things that he wants to eat, it is all good healthy stuff afterall.

I’ve been worried about upsetting his digestion, as before he came to me he would not have been used to having grass, veg etc. I’ve been gradually increasing the amount of fresh food he’s been having and he seems to be fine so far, so maybe a continued gradual increase is the way forward for now. Out of my garden he’s been having freshly picked grass, dandelions, mint, strawberry leaves. I’ve got some plantain in a pot, but it’s not regrown much this year yet so I’ll need to leave that a bit longer. I’m also waiting for my raspberry plants to come into leaf.

The shop bought fresh food he’s been having is coriander, parsley, rocket, watercress, kale.

I’m a nervous forager, but I’m OK with the familiar stuff like plantain, sow thistle, hawthorn etc. I’ll go on a mini-forage this evening and see what I can find for him. :thumb:

Sorry, I forget who forages on RU and who doesn't! It sounds like he's going to have a real treat in store.

It is so easy to worry about these lovely bundles of fluff. In reality, they are designed to eat vast quantities of rubbish food in the wild and will probably love a no-pellet diet!

I hope he goes on ok.


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[Tracy]

Scooby was admitted yesterday for investigations into why he still isn’t eating properly, almost 3 weeks after his incisor removal. I am still having to syringe feed him to keep enough food going through his system and maintain his weight.

He won’t eat hay, he won’t even try. He has long strands, short cut strands, meadow hay, Timothy hay, hay with nettle, hay with mint, Readigrass, Alfalfa.

He can pick up pellets perfectly fine, he can eat them, but he will only do this now and again. He will randomly eat a few SSS pellets and then refuse them for several days, then randomly eat a few more. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern.

On the whole, he will eat fresh herbs, fresh grass, forage (although he can be picky), kale, rocket, watercress. Occasionally he has refused them, but generally he does clear his portions.

He grooms himself a lot, when he eats he looks to be eating/chewing perfectly normally, so I’m struggling to think that it is pain which is causing him to refuse certain foods. He chews grass and fibrous forage normally, he doesn’t wince, dribble, paw at his mouth or move his mouth oddly. He’s eating all his caecotrophs and he keeps his bum is spotlessly clean. He is still on Metacam twice a day, just as a precaution .

I’ve become increasingly worried that something isn’t right, so I took him back again yesterday and we decided that he would have another GA so that my vet could properly re-examine the inside of his mouth and take another set of xrays, just to see if anything had changed since his op. The result of the examination and xrays was that his mouth looks absolutely fine, the extraction sites and sockets have healed very well, there is absolutely no infection, there’s nothing wrong with his molars or roots, his jaw and bones are all fine, everything lines up properly. So although it’s not given me a reason why he’s not resumed proper eating, it has reassured me that there’s nothing sinister happening.

I know most rabbits bounce back from incisor removal quickly, but maybe Scooby is one of the few who don’t and it’s taking him time to adjust. I’m at a loss as to why he won’t pick up pellets to eat, when I have seen that he can do it and he does it quickly and easily. I can’t see any reason why he won’t pick up readigrass and hay as he picks up fresh grass and herbs at speed. I do wonder if it is the rough/dry texture on his gums or lips that bothers him and is something that he just needs to get used to.

So at the moment we think it is just a matter of time and patience and eventually Scooby will adjust and resume eating all his normal foods. I just have to keep going as I am doing and try and balance the syringe feeds with what he is eating for himself.

Meanwhile I’ve got Minnie, still lonely and waiting to meet her gummy friend. I’m tempted just to go ahead and start the bonding as in himself Scooby is just fine. I suppose the only issue would be feeding, Minnie is very greedy and Scooby currently isn’t, but there’s a chance that this might always be an issue so I think this is something I need to work around, rather than it be a reason for me to put off bonding them. You never know, with a bit of luck Minnie’s greediness might rub off on him.

 

[MightyMax]

Scooby was admitted yesterday for investigations into why he still isn’t eating properly, almost 3 weeks after his incisor removal. I am still having to syringe feed him to keep enough food going through his system and maintain his weight.

He won’t eat hay, he won’t even try. He has long strands, short cut strands, meadow hay, Timothy hay, hay with nettle, hay with mint, Readigrass, Alfalfa.

He can pick up pellets perfectly fine, he can eat them, but he will only do this now and again. He will randomly eat a few SSS pellets and then refuse them for several days, then randomly eat a few more. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern.

On the whole, he will eat fresh herbs, fresh grass, forage (although he can be picky), kale, rocket, watercress. Occasionally he has refused them, but generally he does clear his portions.

He grooms himself a lot, when he eats he looks to be eating/chewing perfectly normally, so I’m struggling to think that it is pain which is causing him to refuse certain foods. He chews grass and fibrous forage normally, he doesn’t wince, dribble, paw at his mouth or move his mouth oddly. He’s eating all his caecotrophs and he keeps his bum is spotlessly clean. He is still on Metacam twice a day, just as a precaution .

I’ve become increasingly worried that something isn’t right, so I took him back again yesterday and we decided that he would have another GA so that my vet could properly re-examine the inside of his mouth and take another set of xrays, just to see if anything had changed since his op. The result of the examination and xrays was that his mouth looks absolutely fine, the extraction sites and sockets have healed very well, there is absolutely no infection, there’s nothing wrong with his molars or roots, his jaw and bones are all fine, everything lines up properly. So although it’s not given me a reason why he’s not resumed proper eating, it has reassured me that there’s nothing sinister happening.

I know most rabbits bounce back from incisor removal quickly, but maybe Scooby is one of the few who don’t and it’s taking him time to adjust. I’m at a loss as to why he won’t pick up pellets to eat, when I have seen that he can do it and he does it quickly and easily. I can’t see any reason why he won’t pick up readigrass and hay as he picks up fresh grass and herbs at speed. I do wonder if it is the rough/dry texture on his gums or lips that bothers him and is something that he just needs to get used to.

So at the moment we think it is just a matter of time and patience and eventually Scooby will adjust and resume eating all his normal foods. I just have to keep going as I am doing and try and balance the syringe feeds with what he is eating for himself.

Meanwhile I’ve got Minnie, still lonely and waiting to meet her gummy friend. I’m tempted just to go ahead and start the bonding as in himself Scooby is just fine. I suppose the only issue would be feeding, Minnie is very greedy and Scooby currently isn’t, but there’s a chance that this might always be an issue so I think this is something I need to work around, rather than it be a reason for me to put off bonding them. You never know, with a bit of luck Minnie’s greediness might rub off on him.

If you hadn't already said this, I was going to :lol:

I think you should go ahead with the bonding and stop stressing out. Yes easy to say. If he's maintaining weight (even with syringe feeds) for the moment then I would at least pretend things are 'normal' to save your sanity and to stop sending stress-signals to your rabbit

I wouldn't rule out something going on. It seems a distinct possibility. However, for at least a short time I would take your attention off the problem and continue feeding as you are.

And I hope all works out well for you, Scooby and Minnie :wave:

 

[Tracy]

I am pleased to report that Scooby is now eating pellets again. :thumb: He's been gradually eating more and more over the last 2 days. Still no hay yet, but he seems to be getting back on track.

He will be very busy today, grooming and sprucing himself up as he has a date with Minnie tomorrow. Fingers, paws and everything else crossed that love is in the air.

 

[MightyMax]

I am pleased to report that Scooby is now eating pellets again. :thumb: He's been gradually eating more and more over the last 2 days. Still no hay yet, but he seems to be getting back on track.

He will be very busy today, grooming and sprucing himself up as he has a date with Minnie tomorrow. Fingers, paws and everything else crossed that love is in the air.

Oh Tracy what wonderful news

Go Scooby - top hat and tails at the ready

 

[Scrappy's Little Helper]

Glad to hear Scooby's back on track with his pellets :thumb:

Hope all goes well with his date with Minnie. Better make sure he remembers to bring her some flowers!

 

[MightyMax]

Glad to hear Scooby's back on track with his pellets :thumb:

Hope all goes well with his date with Minnie. Better make sure he remembers to bring her some flowers!

The wild ones out of Twigs' book of course :lol:

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I am pleased to report that Scooby is now eating pellets again. :thumb: He's been gradually eating more and more over the last 2 days. Still no hay yet, but he seems to be getting back on track.

He will be very busy today, grooming and sprucing himself up as he has a date with Minnie tomorrow. Fingers, paws and everything else crossed that love is in the air.

Well done Sooby !! Good luck for your first date