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Help please - sick rabbit, vet cannot resolve

ToffTom said:
Yes, he should have had Steroid but they had run out at the vets! The Ranitidine injection is the one that has always boosted his appetitie but he's on oral of that already.
What's controversial about the steroid. Vet said it could supress his immune system but he was going to administer it anyhow.
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Just that - it supresses the immune system. So in theory, if Tom has an infection somewhere it would allow that to proliferate. It's a risk, but in Tom's case I would think well justified. One injection would be fine I should think - to see how he got on.

I know they had run out - did they not offer to get some in so he could have it?
 
No they didn't offer that. I'm not very impressed with the vets really. I'm sorry we put Tom through a load of tests when we could have just gone straight into treatment with Panacur and Penicillin. The tests take so long to come back that the animal has to be not relatively healthy to survive until they come back. It's been 2 weeks now I think and still not got some back, e.g. Syphallis.
Tom doesn't want to take the Recovery anymore and is having lots of trouble staying upright. I think we are losing. Can't think what to do to help anymore.
We could try the Penicillin / Steroid but not sure they will help in time now. Perhaps we should just let him be quiet and settled with his beloved Toffee. Very sad.
 
ToffTom said:
No they didn't offer that. I'm not very impressed with the vets really. I'm sorry we put Tom through a load of tests when we could have just gone straight into treatment with Panacur and Penicillin. The tests take so long to come back that the animal has to be not relatively healthy to survive until they come back. It's been 2 weeks now I think and still not got some back, e.g. Syphallis.
Tom doesn't want to take the Recovery anymore and is having lots of trouble staying upright. I think we are losing. Can't think what to do to help anymore.
We could try the Penicillin / Steroid but not sure they will help in time now. Perhaps we should just let him be quiet and settled with his beloved Toffee. Very sad.
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I wish you a peaceful night. You've all had such stress in your lives recently x
 
He was a little more alert just now and actually fought Toffee back a little when she pinched his dandelion and was actively looking for more food. We managed to get a bit more Recover in but only 62ml today, not as good as last two days which have been over 80ml. Keep hoping he will have a good night and wake up stronger.
 
ToffTom said:
He was a little more alert just now and actually fought Toffee back a little when she pinched his dandelion and was actively looking for more food. We managed to get a bit more Recover in but only 62ml today, not as good as last two days which have been over 80ml. Keep hoping he will have a good night and wake up stronger.
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That sounds optimistic :)

That's a good amount of Recovery, nonetheless. Combined with what he's eating himself.

How are his poos?
 
I don't want to add to your stress by posting, but I really think that you have nothing to lose now by trying the Penicillin injections.

Sending lots of vibes for Tom. It sounds like he is really trying to hang on.
 
Just back from vets. We were there ages and the vet was excellent. Tom has had a steroid injection, which it is hoped will give him a boost.
The vet was going to give him an anti-biotic that would help to clear up his skin condition but I suggested that the skin condition wasn't what we needed to treat, it was the more life threatening issues like no appetite, loss of balance and mobility etc. and the possibility that he has syphillis (test result still not back). Full credit to the vet, he went away and came back having changed his mind and gave Tom a shot of Penicillin. We also now have syringes of Penicillin and 1 of steroid to give him over the next few days.
Initial signs are good. Tom's appetite is back ! That will be the steroid presumably.
 
Just found that buttercups are poisonous. Because I didn't want to poison the rabbits, I haven't used any 'feed and weed' on the garden for years. Downside of that is that the lawn (i.e. where the run is) is covered in weeds, including buttercups. If Tom had eaten a significant quantity of them, could that explain any of his symptoms?
 
ToffTom said:
Just back from vets. We were there ages and the vet was excellent. Tom has had a steroid injection, which it is hoped will give him a boost.
The vet was going to give him an anti-biotic that would help to clear up his skin condition but I suggested that the skin condition wasn't what we needed to treat, it was the more life threatening issues like no appetite, loss of balance and mobility etc. and the possibility that he has syphillis (test result still not back). Full credit to the vet, he went away and came back having changed his mind and gave Tom a shot of Penicillin. We also now have syringes of Penicillin and 1 of steroid to give him over the next few days.
Initial signs are good. Tom's appetite is back ! That will be the steroid presumably.
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I am really encouraged to read this :D

Better later than not at all :) I thought the steroid would help - I hope it helps him eat, get strong and regain his balance.
 
ToffTom said:
Just found that buttercups are poisonous. Because I didn't want to poison the rabbits, I haven't used any 'feed and weed' on the garden for years. Downside of that is that the lawn (i.e. where the run is) is covered in weeds, including buttercups. If Tom had eaten a significant quantity of them, could that explain any of his symptoms?
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Don't worry about the buttercups. Firstly, it's a moot point as they are said to be OK 'when dried in hay'. I don't understand why fresh buttercups would be toxic, and dried ones not?

Secondly, it would've showed on his blood results - kidney failure due to toxicity.
Buttercups are, in my view, a complete red herring :)
 
MightyMax said:
Don't worry about the buttercups. Firstly, it's a moot point as they are said to be OK 'when dried in hay'. I don't understand why fresh buttercups would be toxic, and dried ones not?

Secondly, it would've showed on his blood results - kidney failure due to toxicity.
Buttercups are, in my view, a complete red herring :)
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His kidney function was down a bit on the tests. Not sure how to resolve it really. Can't use weed killers on the lawn and then put the rabbits out and the weeds are poisonous (possibly!).
 
Whilst he is hungry, what's the best food to get in him to put the weight back on. He's eating carrot, cabbage leaf, dandelion leaves, baby sweetcorn, rabbit cereal flakes. Still not hay or grass though. Don't want to introduce anything too radical that he hasn't had before, so which is the best from the above ?
 
ToffTom said:
Whilst he is hungry, what's the best food to get in him to put the weight back on. He's eating carrot, cabbage leaf, dandelion leaves, baby sweetcorn, rabbit cereal flakes. Still not hay or grass though. Don't want to introduce anything too radical that he hasn't had before, so which is the best from the above ?
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The rabbit cereal flakes will put weight on fastest. Also, carrot is quite fattening, but rather full of sugar. I don't know about the sugar in your rabbit food.

Porridge oats and sunflower seeds (the kernel) are good. I also have used a pellet designed for growing rabbits, as they are higher in calories so will fatten more than adult food.
 
ToffTom said:
Whilst he is hungry, what's the best food to get in him to put the weight back on. He's eating carrot, cabbage leaf, dandelion leaves, baby sweetcorn, rabbit cereal flakes. Still not hay or grass though. Don't want to introduce anything too radical that he hasn't had before, so which is the best from the above ?
Click to expand...


Fibafirst Sticks are popular - you might want to up the fibre content of his diet with them :)
 
Ooh good idea. I have some dandelion sticks somewhere. Forgot about those. The vet gave us Oxbox Critical Care instead of Recovery. As he is eating well, not sure I want to force feed him any on top. He really doesn't enjoy it but we do need his weight to go up. Not sure.
 
ToffTom said:
Ooh good idea. I have some dandelion sticks somewhere. Forgot about those. The vet gave us Oxbox Critical Care instead of Recovery. As he is eating well, not sure I want to force feed him any on top. He really doesn't enjoy it but we do need his weight to go up. Not sure.
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It's probably been said, but my buns don't enjoy any recovery feed either. I mix it with organic baby food. They particularly like blueberries and bananas.

https://shop.ellaskitchen.co.uk/products/blueberries-apples-bananas-vanilla

My little old lady would eat any amount of that :)
 
I'm so pleased that you've had a successful vet visit with Tom. Fingers crossed that the steroid makes him feel better and encourages him to eat and that the Penicillin starts to treat whatever the problem is.

I don't think I would be trying to give him very large quantities of food to fatten him up quickly and I would certainly be wary of giving anything with too much sugar. I realise that he needs to gain weight, but I also think that you could run the risk of upsetting his digestive system, which could lead to him not wanting to eat at all. If he will eat pellets, I would add in a few Fibafirst and/or Junior pellets (as MM said they are higher in calories). If he eats them you could gradually increase the amount you mix in. I would also try to give him several different types of herbs if he's used to eating them, as well as the dandelion leaves.

I wouldn't worry about the buttercups. We don't treat our lawn with anything and there are buttercups growing in it, as well as lots of other plants. This article should make you feel a bit less concerned. https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits/lant-toxicity-the-problem-with-lists

I really hope that Tom will start to improve now.
 
He's had a couple of cabbage leaves, about half a carrot chopped up, several dandelion leaves and stalks, a few mouthfulls or dandelion treat stick and a palm-sized amount of cereal flakes plus 18ml or Recovery so far. He seems mostly keen on carrot and dandelion but I'm wary of giving him too much incase it makes the diarrhoea worse. Still not refusing grass, hay and pellets. Just giving him what he will eat at the moment. Thinking we should keep the Recovery going to keep the fibre up. He doesn't seem to mind the taste, just doesn't like the syringe in the mouth experience. I tried putting some on a little plate for him to lick up but when he smelt it he winced which makes me think it stressed him because he associates the smell with getting it syringed into him, which must be pretty unpleasant.
The other good news at the vets was that he hadn't lost hardly any more weight, so still at around 1.1kg. He should be 2.0kg so a long way to go.
Hoping the Penicillin doesn't upset his stomach.
The other antibiotic the vet offered was called TS-something or similar.
 
ToffTom said:
He's had a couple of cabbage leaves, about half a carrot chopped up, several dandelion leaves and stalks, a few mouthfulls or dandelion treat stick and a palm-sized amount of cereal flakes plus 18ml or Recovery so far. He seems mostly keen on carrot and dandelion but I'm wary of giving him too much incase it makes the diarrhoea worse. Still not refusing grass, hay and pellets. Just giving him what he will eat at the moment. Thinking we should keep the Recovery going to keep the fibre up. He doesn't seem to mind the taste, just doesn't like the syringe in the mouth experience. I tried putting some on a little plate for him to lick up but when he smelt it he winced which makes me think it stressed him because he associates the smell with getting it syringed into him, which must be pretty unpleasant.
The other good news at the vets was that he hadn't lost hardly any more weight, so still at around 1.1kg. He should be 2.0kg so a long way to go.
Hoping the Penicillin doesn't upset his stomach.
The other antibiotic the vet offered was called TS-something or similar.
Click to expand...


You're doing so well with this little lad :D

At the very least, he sounds to be feeling better about life. That's always a good sign :)

TS could be Trimethoprim Sulpha?

I hope the penicillin doesn't upset his stomach, it shouldn't as it's not going down that way.

If you can keep up the Recovery, disguising it however you can, I think it's a good thing. Just as much as he will tolerate, with flavouring :)
 
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