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  • 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.

When should I return to the vet

T

Tootingrob

New Kit
Hi everyone I'm very new here, one of my baby lionheads Cairo, I took him to the vets 6 days ago as his poo was tiny and hard, he was lethargic and not himself. The vet gave us Emeprid to stimulate his gut movement. I've been giving it to him 3 times a day and he has slowly improved but not as much as I'd like. He'd stopped eating and he is now munching away on his hay and eating greens but won't touch pellets just yet. But he's nowhere near as active as before (we nicknamed him nutjob as he was a complete livewire) he's also quite skinny as he lost weight and hasn't really put much back on yet. Poo is still on the small size but is now soft. He's 18 weeks old and would try to mate with his sister at every opportunity but we strictly supervise any meet ups. Before as we were waiting on having him neutered he stunk of BO no smell for the last week also his poo smelt of it and that stopped smelling. the lovely stink is now returning in his poo so a few things are getting back to normal but I'm still a bit worried. Any advice what should I do?
 
Keep up with the meds and monitor him for at least another week, longer if he's not fully back to normal. Will he eat the pellets if you soften them a little with water? Has he got any pain relief?

When he is fully fit again, I would get the vet to check his teeth when he is under anaesthetic for neutering, just to make sure they are OK. The back teeth can only be seen properly under GA. Dental issues can present as not eating the pellets as they are harder and can cause pain when chewing them - so it's worth ruling that out.

He also needs to be separated from his sister until he has been neutered and for several weeks after. She's getting to an age where she could be pregnant. They can have visual contact (eg through mesh dividers that they can't jump over - so at least 3') but should not be allowed to be together at all otherwise. Mating takes a few seconds, and you won't stop it if they get the chance.
 
Thanks Shimmer, we do keep them apart and when they meet there are always 2 of us making sure. Sadly Cairo is so uninterested in his sister at the moment, she is jumping all over him and he's just letting her groom him and hardly doing it back. He's had no pain relief at all so I think I need to take him back in the morning. Last week they said his teeth were good as were all other functions, just needed to sort his movements out. I've also just moistened his pellets so fingers crossed and I'll let you know how he gets on tomorrow. Thank you
 
Get the Vet to check his genitals. He could have hurt himself trying to mate with the Doe. He might also have hurt his back. Any pain from any source will cause anorexia leading to gut stasis, so pain relief is essential.

The two Rabbits must be kept apart 100% of the time until 6-8 weeks AFTER the Buck is neutered unless you want Baby Rabbits.
 
Just back from the vets and they have given him pain relief which includes anti-inflamitry. Unfortunately there is a mass in his tummy so back tomorrow for a scan, fingers crossed
 
I'm sending a lot of vibrations to make him better, look forward to the updates tomorrow xxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Uhhh. THis is bad. Have they give him fluid or are you nurse or know how to administer fluid subcutaneous? It is a must in his condition. If you can get him to eat malt paste for rabbits, or Rodicare hairball- give it twice per day. Also give simethicone drops Pharmacy has them and they are safe for rabbits. 1ml/1kg rabbit if needed every hour. Try feeding him soft food. Either critical care, Trovet for herbivores and similar. Lots of times per day as his stomach is sadly full of non-food.
 
Hi everyone and thank you so much for all the loving advice. ❤ Cairo had his scans and the mass they think is hardening of the intestines which are inflamed. As Anja said its fluids fluids fluids, he's been given pain relief/anti-inflamitrys and some powdery food to mix and give him. KCG those vibrations are working 😊 so keep everything crossed as I'm hoping he's on the mend. I was told to give him 1ml of the emeprid every 8 hours and this was way too small a dose (He's tiny and weight .945 of a kilo). I'm sat in the waiting room to collect my lovely little boy and if I can work out how to post a picture I'll do my best to show off my baby. Love and thanks to you all.
Rob xxxxx
 
Oh and the dose on Emeprid was actually correct, the vet over the phone panicked me into thinking it was too low and I'd been giving the wrong amount. Was right in 1ml per kg
 
Update on my little Cairo, they took him into the emergency vets 3 weeks ago and were giving him pain relief and various meds to get his stomach moving this progressed to liquid paraffin 10ml twice a day to try and soften it. After two weeks the mass was still there ( it is a build up of poop that has become solid and has been scanned). He's been home a week to see if running around and home comforts will help but its still there and is rock hard about 2 inches long and 1.5 cm thick. Going back on Monday for a check up and it's decision time on surgery. Won't happen Monday as the vet who does the procedure has covid. So earliest will be Thursday. Oh and the mass is in a duct between the small and large intestine where its all broken down to pass through. He's eating and pooping as normal and although his weight has dropped to .88 of a kilo he is doing OK but is nowhere near the lively bundle that he was. Has the freedom of our front room and goes in the garden for air and a run around although he's at a much slower pace now.
 
Now I wrote the update on Friday and what a good few days we've had. On Saturday Cairo became a little more lively, eating more, pooping more lots more moving around and even more so on Sunday. We had our appointment at the vets this morning and although he has lost a little more weight they are happy with his progress and now consider him "stable" not out of the woods by any stretch but we've cancelled Thursdays appointment which would have been surgery day and they don't want to see him for another 2 weeks. The mass is still there but I think it has reduced in size. He still needs to take the same medication for the next two weeks but I am so so happy. Right now he's having a lay down as I had him in the garden for half an hour and I may have knackered him out. He's spent the last 3 hours with his sister and joy of Joy's for the 1st time in ages he tried to mount her. (Don't worry it won't happen we never leave them alone and have been super vigilant, he has needed her companionship. Cookie is being spayed next week) I will keep updating and can only say how wonderful this community is. The knowledge and love that is shared on this site is just amazing, I've laughed and been reduced to tears at some of the things I've read and the overwhelming feeling I get is just how supportive you all are. Thank you for being there for us on our journey so far. Rob xxxxxxxx
 
That's really good news that your boy has been improving, I'm sending lots of vibes for that to continue. Glad you are enjoying the forum too xx
 
So not a great update I'm afraid, little Cairo where he's been struggling now has another parasite that is effecting his back legs. He started to drag one along and its now both but he's been back to the vets (and the vet specialises in small mammals) who although concerned has given medication to get him through this. The mass in him is still there so surgery is now the only option on Wednesday. The plan is to open him up and try to break it up by hand. Failing that they will cut in and remove it and this is the biggest risk of all due to the complex nerves etc where the mass is. So fingers toes and everything else crossed for Wednesday. His sister is going in with him to be spayed at the same time so they can recover together. Poor little thing has had everything possible thrown at him and the vet actually said many other rabbit would have given up at the start. Cairo is a real fighter and he has a decent chance. Love to you all Rob xxxx
 
Has he been diagnosed with EC? It's a common parasite that affects rabbits, particularly when they are under stress. Treatment is relatively straightforward - oral Panacur and an anti-inflammatory (eg Metacam) for 28 days. Any rabbits sharing the same space should be treated with Panacur at the same time. It is transmitted in urine and will be picked up by the other rabbits or reinfect the original one. You also need to completely disimfect everything on days 21 and 28 of the treatment, in order to break the infection cycle at key points in the EC lifecycle. Bleach or steam anything you can (floor, lower walls, bowls, toys, etc), and replace hay etc on those days.

I hope all goes well on Wednesday
 
Yes and they are both having the treatment. They ruled out a fracture in his back by an x-ray and its either EC or could also be a disc pinching a nerve but most likely EC hence the Panacur. Didn't know about the disinfecting but we'll deal with that once we get there. I'm sitting here with them both and they're layed out together in the heat. Not worried about keeping them apart for now, letting them just enjoy be normal and together. He still eats well, poos for England (although not eating the runny nighttime stuff they eat as he can't get to it due to his legs and its matted in his fur so we have to clean him up in the mornings. Should I scrape it together and feed it to him?) and is still his friendly loving self. Just so so sad 😞
 
Oh goodness, so the Vet is happy to go ahead with the major surgery given that he now has clinical symptoms of ‘active’ EC :?

Personally I would postpone the Doe’s spay whilst she is also being treated for EC.

Is the Vet an Exotics Specialist ? This is very different from being a ‘Small Animal Vet’ Rabbits are classified as an Exotics species in Veterinary Medicine. Not all Small Animal Vets are Rabbit Savvy.

Not sure if your Username gives a clue to your location, but if it does then the best Rabbit Vets can be found here
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-vet/general-practice

They are not taking on new clients atm, but your own Vet could refer you if your own Vet is not an Exotics Specialist.
 
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