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Rabbit seems to be in pain after eating...

Carly678

New Kit
We got a second bunny 2 weeks ago who is currently 4 months old. We got her bonded with our other bunny (7 months old) very quickly and they both seemed very happy together.

On Tuesday she was lying down and refused to move and when we tried to pick her up she would just flop, it looked like she couldn't move at all and she looked in a very bad state. We took her to the vet and she got a pain killer and they scheduled an xray. When we left her for her xray on Wednesday morning the vet cancelled the xray as our bunny seemed to be moving again, playing around and eating food. She cam home and she was moving a bit more but she still seemed very ill. She wasn't eating or pooing and looked to be in pain, though she could hop around a bit more now. We went back to the vet, got more pain killers and a medicine for GI stasis. We've been giving her this but shes still not herself. Shes not really eating or pooing still.

It seems like she tries to eat but quickly after she eats she will sort of squat and her breathing will get really fast and she will squint her eyes, it looks like she is in pain. We took her to the vet this morning again and they gave her an antibiotic injection. They said it could just be stress right now and we should try giving her the day by herself away from our other bunny. We have her in a separate run in the garden with grass and we have been feeding her dandelion leaves and small pieces of carrot through the run. I have been trying to syringe her water but shes not always keen on this and we have left her lots of water and hay and some pellets as well. I really don't know what else we can do. Shes obviously in pain after eating but I don't know what I can do about this?

It would be useful for any others on how to look after a sick rabbit, how can I get them to take syringe water and anything else I could be feeding her that will help?

Thanks
 
I'm very sorry that your rabbit is unwell :( It is always worrying when a vet is unable to determine exactly what the problem is.

I'm sorry if this is not the case, but from what you have described I am wondering how rabbit-savvy your vet is. Did the vet explain the reason to give the antibiotic injection? I'm not sure that I would consider that stress was a possibility in the absence of identifying a cause e.g. if your other rabbit was chasing/nipping etc.

If I were you I think I would be wanting a second opinion from a different vet. If you need recommendations from members regarding trusted vets, post a separate thread in Rabbit Chat giving your approximate location.

Sending lots of vibes for your rabbit.
 
I agree with Omi. What else do you feed her as they should only have 2 or 3 Dandelions a day and not too much carrot as it is high in sugar. Could she be pregnant?
 
Has she had a change of diet since you got her?
Has the vet ruled out any other physical cause eg injury, intestinal blockage?

If the vet has said there is definitely no intestinal blockage, I would be inclined to syringe feed her some recovery food several times a day and ask for a continued course of pain relief and gut motility drugs. It can take a couple of weeks to get a rabbit fully out of stasis and she may need treatment to cover her until she is eating and pooing normally for a couple of days. Any additional stress won't help - so changes of diet, company, location, etc in a young rabbit may be making her worse.
 
I am sorry that your new Bunny is poorly. I do think that seeking a second opinion from a Rabbit Savvy Vet may be advisable. I certainly agree with Omi's comments regarding the use of antibiotics in this situation.

Did the Vet run any diagnostics apart form an abdominal examination ?

A blood glucose test for example. A raised blood glucose level can be indicative of an intestinal obstruction.

Did the Vet take your Rabbit's temperature ?

Is your Rabbit vaccinated against RHD2 ?

Sorry for all the questions, but a bit more information may help us offer you some additional advice.

Meanwhile, this link could be useful to take a look at

http://anyflip.com/dvpt/hzvv
 
I think everyone has given very good advice, I’m sending lots of vibes to your bunny.
 
Thank you for all the helpful responses.

I don't think this vet is that rabbit savvy but she recommended a vet that is so we may have to try them. Our current vet seemed to say that psychically nothing is wrong with her. Other other bunny has been lovely to her the whole time, licking her, cuddling her and leaving her alone when she needs it so I don't think hes the issue.

She's had all her vaccinations and she can't be pregnant because shes too young and our other bunny has been done and hasn't been humping her or anything. She will only eat thinly sliced carrot, small dandelion leaves and a bit of hay, so at the moment we're just trying to feed her whatever she'll eat. I think she may be dehydrated so we're going to try and syringe her more water to make sure she's getting enough.
 
I don't think it sounds as though she is eating enough, which will mean that her gut will slow down more. I agree with Shimmer that if an obstruction has been ruled out, it would be sensible to syringe feed her with some recovery food. If you haven't got any recovery food, then use her normal pellets and mix them with enough water to be able to feed her with a syringe. What are her poos like? Do they look normal, or are they smaller and hard, which would indicate a slowing down of her gut.

I would definitely consider taking her for a second opinion to an alternative vet.
 
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