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Winston and Edith's bond

ImoT

Mama Doe
Hi everyone

Some of you might remember I posted a month or so ago about Winston as he seemed unwell. We treated him for liver cociodosis, however the vet wasn't hugely convinced he had it. He did put some weight on, but that could have been due to me upping his feeds, and seemed a little perkier. However he was never back to his usual self and I feel like he's getting worse again. He seems really down and unhappy. Edith never grooms him anymore and they never sit together, let alone flop together like they used to! Everytime Winston asks for grooms Edith just ignores him and he looks so dejected.

My gut is telling me their bond is breaking down. They don't fight but it still just doesn't seem right and it isn't like it used to be. Winston looks sad all the time and is spending most of his time sat staring into space or at a wall.

I've emailed Reading Rabbit Rescue to see if they have any advice. But would really appreciate some advice from you knowledgable people as well! I've been thinking of putting them in a smaller space like our bathroom to try and rebond them? The smaller space might force them to interact with each other and rekindle their relationship?!
 
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I can't offer any advice I'm afraid but didn't want to read and run. I hope the rescue get back to you soon, and Winston perks up soon. I maybe would go with putting them in a smaller space if that's what you feel you should do. Best of luck x
 
Thank you Liz. The rescue have advised against putting Winston and Edith in a smaller space and against getting a third rabbit. I did see Winston flop last night for the first time in months. But it wasn't for long and he is back to being hunched up and looking sad now. I'm really at a bit of a loss for what to do :(
 
Thank you Liz. The rescue have advised against putting Winston and Edith in a smaller space and against getting a third rabbit. I did see Winston flop last night for the first time in months. But it wasn't for long and he is back to being hunched up and looking sad now. I'm really at a bit of a loss for what to do :(

Did the Vet run any diagnostics-a blood profile ?

Is Winston maintaining his weight now ?
 
Did the Vet run any diagnostics-a blood profile ?

Is Winston maintaining his weight now ?

Thank you for replying JJ.

These were his original blood results;

Haematology;
everything fine apart from platelet count which was low. Result = 7, normal range is 200-1060....so this seems very low?!

Biochemistry;
Albumin = Low, Result = 16.4, normal range 30-57
Globulin = High, Result = 48.8, normal range 7-40
ALT (SGPT) = High, Result = 78.1, normal range 15-74
Total Bilirubin = High, Result = 4.6, normal range 0-3.4
Glucose = Low, Result = <2, normal range 6-8.9

He is maintaining his weight, eating normally and things. But just seems down!
 
Hello! How is winston doing now? I found this on cottontails website which may be useful

Health Issues*–*If one of the pair develops health issues, this can alter the dynamics of the relationship drastically.* An example of this would be in an older pair, where one rabbit develops arthritis and as a result is far more reluctant to move around.* This can mean that the other rabbit feels neglected as their partner appears subdued and unresponsive and sometimes even grooming between the pair is affected due to the one in discomfort failing to respond to the partner’s signals for attention. Some rabbits react in a very grumpy way to this change of behaviour, and this can lead to significant fighting.* Thankfully a daily dose of a pain medication such as Metacam can alleviate the symptoms of arthritis in many cases, allowing the affected rabbit to move around freely again.* However, sometimes if the bond is broken it is very difficult to mend.* Even minor complaints can affect the relationship, in particular conditions like mites, as this can irritate the skin of the rabbit and make them uncomfortable and irritable.
 
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