URGENT: Miloo has lost 1kg in a week!

[Miloo]

Hi all

Miloo is 4.5 years old. He is up to date on all his vaccinations. He weighed 4.8kg (he is a big rabbit!) but now has gone down to 3.8kg in a week!!

Miloo used to absolutely love his food but a couple of weeks ago Miloo stopped eating hay and pellets. Miloo would take the hay/vege in his mouth and drop it. I took him to the vet and the vet had a look at his teeth and said there was nothing wrong. The vet felt his tummy and said that his tummy was also fine. The vet gave him Metacam injection and another painkiller which completely zonked him out. As a result, Miloo completely stopped eating and pooing. I took him to the vet the next day and was given some gut stimulant which got his guts moving. The vet said Milooo would need an Xray but needed to get him eating and pooing again first. Miloo slowly started eating and pooing and so I took him to the vet on Thursday 13 August 2015. The vet took an Xray of his body, ultrasound, blood tests, had a good look at his teeth but couldn't find anything wrong. Miloo was under GA to have the tests done.

Miloo has been on Recovery food, mushed up pellets and vegetables for the last 3 weeks. When I took him to the vet on Thursday 13 August 2015 he weighed 4.8kg (he hadn't lost weight even though he wasn't eating properly before) but since that trip to the vets he has lost 1kg! Miloo is still eating soft foods (mushed up pellets, Recovery, veg) and pooing. He has started eating a bit of hay and a few pellets without it being mushed up. Although he is eating and drinking, he has lost weight and doesn't seem his happy self. I am trying to encouraging him to eat more hay but he just takes it in his mouth and throws it on the floor. Sometimes he will wander around the room and will groom himself but most of the time he sits there hunched or with his chin on the floor looking really sad. His eyes are droopy and looks like he is about to start crying (I can see his eyes look watery).

Miloo was drinking and weeing lots so we took a urine sample to the vets and they said his urine sample was fine. The vet doesn't know what else do and to be honest neither do I! I have no idea what is wrong with him. The only thing I can think of is that he is missing an x ray of his teeth (don't know why the vet didn't do one while he was under GA in the first place!!!!) but I don't know how else I can help him. He has been very stressed out from the visits to the vets and I don't want to stress him out even more. Please help!

 

[MightyMax]

Hi all

Miloo is 4.5 years old. He is up to date on all his vaccinations. He weighed 4.8kg (he is a big rabbit!) but now has gone down to 3.8kg in a week!!

Miloo used to absolutely love his food but a couple of weeks ago Miloo stopped eating hay and pellets. Miloo would take the hay/vege in his mouth and drop it. I took him to the vet and the vet had a look at his teeth and said there was nothing wrong. The vet felt his tummy and said that his tummy was also fine. The vet gave him Metacam injection and another painkiller which completely zonked him out. As a result, Miloo completely stopped eating and pooing. I took him to the vet the next day and was given some gut stimulant which got his guts moving. The vet said Milooo would need an Xray but needed to get him eating and pooing again first. Miloo slowly started eating and pooing and so I took him to the vet on Thursday 13 August 2015. The vet took an Xray of his body, ultrasound, blood tests, had a good look at his teeth but couldn't find anything wrong. Miloo was under GA to have the tests done.

Miloo has been on Recovery food, mushed up pellets and vegetables for the last 3 weeks. When I took him to the vet on Thursday 13 August 2015 he weighed 4.8kg (he hadn't lost weight even though he wasn't eating properly before) but since that trip to the vets he has lost 1kg! Miloo is still eating soft foods (mushed up pellets, Recovery, veg) and pooing. He has started eating a bit of hay and a few pellets without it being mushed up. Although he is eating and drinking, he has lost weight and doesn't seem his happy self. I am trying to encouraging him to eat more hay but he just takes it in his mouth and throws it on the floor. Sometimes he will wander around the room and will groom himself but most of the time he sits there hunched or with his chin on the floor looking really sad. His eyes are droopy and looks like he is about to start crying (I can see his eyes look watery).

Miloo was drinking and weeing lots so we took a urine sample to the vets and they said his urine sample was fine. The vet doesn't know what else do and to be honest neither do I! I have no idea what is wrong with him. The only thing I can think of is that he is missing an x ray of his teeth (don't know why the vet didn't do one while he was under GA in the first place!!!!) but I don't know how else I can help him. He has been very stressed out from the visits to the vets and I don't want to stress him out even more. Please help!

It's such a shame your vet didn't X-ray the teeth whilst he was under.

Teeth seems to be the obvious culprit. Rabbits can have serious issues with their teeth which are even not spotted by a vet who is doing the dental. Always best to do an X-Ray where there is concern for the diagnosis. (My vet does not believe that X-Rays are useful, but I do believe they are).

Sorry to hear you're having such problems.

Glad to have you here, and welcome :wave:

 

[nessar]

I don't get it - your vet said his tummy was fine? After days of not eating properly and the symptoms you describe, he is exhibiting clear signs of a gastro-intestinal slow down (illeus)- this means his gut movement has slowed down and the vet should have been able to hear this with a stethoscope and feel it too on examination. This may not be his actual original medical problem - it is usually a secondary condition caused by not eating enough fibrous foods, and/or pain. Lots of things can cause a bunny not to eat enough but in my experience the number one cause is pain of some kind - and he certainly sounds like he is in pain from what you describe.

What medication is he on now? As long as the vet checks for a blockage first and none is found, he should be on daily gut stimulants (pro-kinetics like metaclopramide, zantac or cisapride) and painkillers (usually metacam). He also needs to be fed frequently - make sure he has food always available and if he is eating soft food make sure to feed this often, if you can every 4 hours or more. Illeus can cause dehydration so it's important he drinks lots too - if he becomes dehyrdated the vets can inject water under the skin or put him on a drip. It is essential that the gut movement doesn't stop completely - as this would then be called gastro-intestinal stasis and would be an emergency situation.

Overgrown teeth sound a likely culprit but it could be other things like an injury, an abscess or an infection. Tooth roots can also be to blame - and these are undiagnosable without xrays. But it could also be other things - any cause of pain or a bunny feeling rubbish can cause a slight slow-down of the gut which can spiral from there.

At the end of the day, if your vet does not know what is wrong, then ask them to refer you to a specialist. Something is clearly wrong here and your bunny is losing weight at an alarming rate.

 

[esupi]

I would agree teeth sound like the culprit - at least this is what mine do when their teeth are playing up. Pick up the hay (i.e. show interest in it), but then toss it away. Because they can't eat it . I agree I would ask for a referral if your vet doesn't know what to do next.

 

[Babsie]

Having read your post I am left wondering how knowledgeable your vet is with rabbits. It would seem to me to be common sense to X-ray his teeth whilst he was under GA. I don't know where you live, but if you post a new thread 'Rabbit savvy vet needed in .........' someone here may very well be able to recommend a vet.

 

[Miloo]

Thank you all so much for your speedy replies - I'm going out of my mind with worry and not knowing what I do to help him.

Milo's guts did go into statis but thankfully we managed to get his guts moving again. We have been feeding him (or attempting to feed him) every two-four hours so it doesn't happen again (we've been doing that for three weeks now). After the vet did the tests on 13 Aug all he gave me was a box of Excel high fibre pellets and bio Lapis. He didn't give any other medication. He thought the X-ray might show an object in his tummy but the X-ray didn't show anything. I was wondering whether it is fur ball in his tummy that was causing it but he seems like he wants to eat. How would the vet examine/test him for a blockage?

Miloo used to love pellets so much he would come running across the room when he heard the bag rustle. When he's having a happy day (which has only been 2 days out of the last 3 weeks!) he will still do that but then will sniff the pellets and walk off. He will happily eat the pellets when they're mushed up on his good days. Although today he is having a bad day and is just sitting there hunched up and won't eat even the mushed up stuff!

I am thinking it is his teeth or jaw as he used to gnaw the cage when he wanted to come out/go in and he's stopped doing that. Although on his good days he was gnawing the willow sticks?! The vet has said that his teeth are in really great condition and that's why he didn't do an x ray... I am so annoyed that he didn't just do the x ray as it would have at least confirmed that there wasn't anything. He is a big rabbit so didn't fit on one x ray but I would have happily paid for a separate x ray to be taken while he was under GA! Now I have to risk him going under GA again while he's weak as I can't find a way of him having an x ray without GA.

There is the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital which is about 1 hour away in the car. Does anyone have experience of this place? I was thinking that's too long of a journey for Miloo to go on? I was thinking of taking him to a vet which the RWAF said was rabbit friendly which is 35 minutes away by car. Otherwise I could take him back to my local vet and get the X-ray of teeth done? But I'm so reluctant to take him back to the same place at the moment as Miloo seems to get worse every time I take him to the vets!

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Is there any chance he could have sustained an injury causing a jaw fracture ?

 

[Miloo]

Is there any chance he could have sustained an injury causing a jaw fracture ?

Nope no injury - he's an indoor bunny so always had a close eye on him.

He did have fur stringing his poo together when this all started so I thought it could be fur but his poo is clear now.

 

[Scrappy's Little Helper]

I'm sorry Miloo is so poorly at the moment. I have taken my rabbit to the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital - she went there on a referral for her teeth problems. They were very good, the initial consultation was long (about 45 mins) and very thorough and we covered absolutely everything from diet to day to day living arrangements. Wasn't cheap though, £150 just for the consultation. Additional treatment cost a lost more. The journey was about an hour for us as well and Scrappy coped well with it, although she was in very good health when I took her. Not sure how Miloo will get on as he's so poorly at the moment. Maybe it's worth trying the one 35mins away first as that is nearer and should be less stressful for him. I think the important thing is getting a vet who knows what they're dealing with when it comes to rabbits.

Good luck for you and Miloo x

 

[MightyMax]

Thank you all so much for your speedy replies - I'm going out of my mind with worry and not knowing what I do to help him.

Milo's guts did go into statis but thankfully we managed to get his guts moving again. We have been feeding him (or attempting to feed him) every two-four hours so it doesn't happen again (we've been doing that for three weeks now). After the vet did the tests on 13 Aug all he gave me was a box of Excel high fibre pellets and bio Lapis. He didn't give any other medication. He thought the X-ray might show an object in his tummy but the X-ray didn't show anything. I was wondering whether it is fur ball in his tummy that was causing it but he seems like he wants to eat. How would the vet examine/test him for a blockage?

Miloo used to love pellets so much he would come running across the room when he heard the bag rustle. When he's having a happy day (which has only been 2 days out of the last 3 weeks!) he will still do that but then will sniff the pellets and walk off. He will happily eat the pellets when they're mushed up on his good days. Although today he is having a bad day and is just sitting there hunched up and won't eat even the mushed up stuff!

I am thinking it is his teeth or jaw as he used to gnaw the cage when he wanted to come out/go in and he's stopped doing that. Although on his good days he was gnawing the willow sticks?! The vet has said that his teeth are in really great condition and that's why he didn't do an x ray... I am so annoyed that he didn't just do the x ray as it would have at least confirmed that there wasn't anything. He is a big rabbit so didn't fit on one x ray but I would have happily paid for a separate x ray to be taken while he was under GA! Now I have to risk him going under GA again while he's weak as I can't find a way of him having an x ray without GA.

There is the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital which is about 1 hour away in the car. Does anyone have experience of this place? I was thinking that's too long of a journey for Miloo to go on? I was thinking of taking him to a vet which the RWAF said was rabbit friendly which is 35 minutes away by car. Otherwise I could take him back to my local vet and get the X-ray of teeth done? But I'm so reluctant to take him back to the same place at the moment as Miloo seems to get worse every time I take him to the vets!

It seems like such a desperate situation you're in, I would take him despite the journey. Much more worrying would be the GA. He won't be able to have a head X-ray without sedation. Don't take him back to the vet where you have no faith. Start afresh with a specialist or the hospital. New eyes and thoughts are needed on the situation.

Keep feeding him - syringe and mushed up/softened pellets. Try to get his weight up a bit. A few porridge oats usually goes down well. Don't overdo them, but you could perhaps mix with grated apple?

 

[nessar]

Poo stringed together by fur is a symptom of a slow gut.

An xray should've shown up a blockage, unless there was a lot of gas in the way. Normally blockages are diagnosed by feeling the tummy or if in doubt xrays/ultrasound.

Try and keep him eating and if necessary syringe feed him the recovery food. Fresh fibre-rich foods like herbs, dandelions, rocket, water cress, spinach etc may tempt him and will help get more fibre into him which will keep the gut moving. Avoid fruit/carrots if you can as a slow gut + sugar = gas and gas is painful.

As long as nothing major happens over the weekend, take him back to your vet on Monday. Ask them to check for a blockage by having a good feel of the stomach. They should also listen to his tummy for sounds of it moving, they should be able to tell from that how slow it is. Ask for painkillers and gut stimulants (your vet may call these pro-kinetics) - the gut stimulants will keep his tummy moving and help prevent stasis, and should help him get some appetite back. Stasis or illeus is also very painful, so the pain killers are also needed. Finally, talk to your vet about referral to a specialist - they should know who your closest one is and be able to set up a referral and provide the specialist with all the xrays, tests and other notes they have on your bunny.

 

[Miloo]

Hi all

Just wanted to say thank you again for all your help and advice and thought I would give you an update on Miloo...

I took him to the vets again and he had an x ray - there is nothing wrong with his teeth but they said they couldn't see his lungs properly on the x ray and so they think he's got an infection in his lungs. They put him on more gut stimulants and painkillers and he seems to have got his appetite back and is eating and pooing normally - yay progress!! Just waiting for blood test results which should come on monday!

Anyone had experience with bunnies with lung infections?

 

[MightyMax]

Hi all

Just wanted to say thank you again for all your help and advice and thought I would give you an update on Miloo...

I took him to the vets again and he had an x ray - there is nothing wrong with his teeth but they said they couldn't see his lungs properly on the x ray and so they think he's got an infection in his lungs. They put him on more gut stimulants and painkillers and he seems to have got his appetite back and is eating and pooing normally - yay progress!! Just waiting for blood test results which should come on monday!

Anyone had experience with bunnies with lung infections?

Yes, they need antibiotics as soon as possible! Rabbits' lungs are very small and they need every millimetre of space in there to breathe properly.

Have they sounded his lungs with a stethoscope, or are your vets clutching at straws as to a diagnosis?

 

[Miloo]

Yes, they need antibiotics as soon as possible! Rabbits' lungs are very small and they need every millimetre of space in there to breathe properly.

Have they sounded his lungs with a stethoscope, or are your vets clutching at straws as to a diagnosis?

They based their suspicions on the x ray. They have prescribed antibiotics and I have them but told me to hold off until they get the blood test results but they did say they didn't want to wait too long for the results and should start them on him as a precaution. I was hoping that the blood test results would be back by Friday (his blood was taken on Tuesday). The receptionist said the results should be back on Monday. I have left 2 messages (on Weds and Friday) with the vets asking for a call back as I don't know whether to start the antibiotics now or wait until results are back - they haven't returned any of my calls. He previously had a blood test and there wasn't anything unusual revealed.

I told them he had been sneezing a bit and he has a very slightly wet but then so have my other bunnies. They sometimes get a sniffle and then it goes away.

To be honest I don't know if the vets are clutching at straws now and so I do want to wait until the blood test comes back but I don't want to put him at risk further or unnecessarily give him antibiotics. He seems to be back to his happy self at the moment which is great - I've not seen this in 4 weeks and it seems to be as a result of higher dosage of gut stimulants and painkillers.

 

[xxx_Ra_xxx]

I feel for you, my rabbit is also not eating, but it's due to an abscess on a back tooth, they said the operation to take a back tooth out is very hard. He's being treated with antibiotics. I hope they find the cause of him not eating xx

 

[xxx_Ra_xxx]

Hi all

Just wanted to say thank you again for all your help and advice and thought I would give you an update on Miloo...

I took him to the vets again and he had an x ray - there is nothing wrong with his teeth but they said they couldn't see his lungs properly on the x ray and so they think he's got an infection in his lungs. They put him on more gut stimulants and painkillers and he seems to have got his appetite back and is eating and pooing normally - yay progress!! Just waiting for blood test results which should come on monday!

Anyone had experience with bunnies with lung infections?

My bunny had a chest infection just. Took near a month to clear up xx

 

[Miloo]

I feel for you, my rabbit is also not eating, but it's due to an abscess on a back tooth, they said the operation to take a back tooth out is very hard. He's being treated with antibiotics. I hope they find the cause of him not eating xx

I'm sorry to hear that your rabbit is not eating. I hope the antibiotics work and your bunny gets better soon! It's so hard when they stop eating.. mine would eat soft foods like veg and when he stopped eating veg we blended them and he used to drink it.

How did you realise it was a chest infection? I am glad it's all cleared up now which antibiotics was he on for chest infection? x

 

[xxx_Ra_xxx]

I cannot remember as it was so long ago, he went to the vet 3 days in a row for injections, then I gave him antibiotics two weeks. I took him to the vet as he wasn't eating. He never got one again. What would blend for him to drink and how, I'll try anything lol


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[Miloo]

I cannot remember as it was so long ago, he went to the vet 3 days in a row for injections, then I gave him antibiotics two weeks. I took him to the vet as he wasn't eating. He never got one again. What would blend for him to drink and how, I'll try anything lol


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I blended carrots and water and sieved it to get rid of lumps before giving it to mine. I also did the same with broccoli and kale. Does your bunny eat pellets? We also stuck that in the blender (without water) and turned it into powder. I would then mix water with the pellet powder and give that to him. Hope that helps and your bunny is eating soon

 

[Miss Binky Bunny]

Thank you all so much for your speedy replies - I'm going out of my mind with worry and not knowing what I do to help him.

There is the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital which is about 1 hour away in the car. Does anyone have experience of this place? I was thinking that's too long of a journey for Miloo to go on? I was thinking of taking him to a vet which the RWAF said was rabbit friendly which is 35 minutes away by car. Otherwise I could take him back to my local vet and get the X-ray of teeth done? But I'm so reluctant to take him back to the same place at the moment as Miloo seems to get worse every time I take him to the vets!

We've used BSAH. The 2 main bunny vets there are very good. Several vets closer to us have also said that that's where they'd refer to for any serious problems. Could you get your vet to call BSAH at least for a 2nd opinion? Sending vibes for Milo. x