Pip not eating (again)

So I went out to feed the ladies earlier and Pip is off her food again. Sitting in a corner straining to do a poo etc.

We are currently looking to see if we can afford to take her to the emergency vets (for the second time in 4 weeks).

She's had 3 checkups since we adopted them (1 was during her last emergency vets trip) and none of them have picked up any issues with her teeth etc.

Her vaccinations are upto date, though she is due her RHD2 booster at the end of the month.

She was fine earlier, munching hay all day, gobbled up some curly kale at about 5 o'clock. I even saw her doing a poo around 7ish.

I really don't know what brings this on, though both times it's happened has been just after they've been cleaned out. Though we aren't using any weird cleaning chemicals Or anything like that, and it doesn't happen every time either.

The only thing I can think off is that she doesn't drink any water after the bottles are put back.

Can anyone recommend anything we should be keeping in a bunny first aid kit for things like this, when it's at the early stages so we can manage it until we can see our regular vet, instead of spending £300+ each time at the emergency vets?

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I find Infacol baby gas drops and tummy massages have saved me many a vet trip over the past couple of years when one of my rabbits has started to turn her nose up. She can be quite a sedentary rabbit who doesn't tolerate some vegetables well and is prone to gas. We can now spot the signs and usually she will perk up within a couple of hours. If she doesn't then it's off to the vets.

Sending lots of vibes for Pip x

Sorry to hear this, yes it could be a touch of gas, I really hope that she is ok and doesn't need a vet visit. Sending lots of vibes for Pip xxx

If she's uncomfortable, which she sounds like she is, she really needs to see a vet and get treatment asap

Are the vets looking at her rabbit savvy? I'm wondering if there's something going on that's not been spotted?

Sending lots of vibes for her x

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It will almost certainly be secondary to something else. Is your vet rabbit savvy? I would think if it is happening this frequently, s/he should be wanting to investigate further by now. Re keeping things in, there’s nothing I would really give to be honest as most things can make the situation worse depending on what’s causing the stasis. Can you ask your vet if they are happy for you to keep metacam at home for these instances? Also, if you think she may not be drinking enough, you could give them a bowl of water. All the rabbits I’ve ever known have preferred a bowl.

Thanks all, I'm at the emergency vets again, the wife is going to dip into her savings.

I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a reason she gets these bouts of anorexia. There was nothing in the notes from the RSPCA to say they'd treated her for anything like this. We haven't changed their food, or the type of hay they get etc.

I did wonder whether it might be due to her not drinking, but their water bottles were out of the cage for half an hour max.

I haven't noticed anything like runny poos etc, although there were a couple of uneaten cecotropes a week or two ago, but they were Lola's and i reduced the amount of nuggets they get slightly and there haven't been anymore.

She has been having a very heavy molt for the last 3 weeks or so, but I've not seen anything like poos strung together with fur etc, and I do my best to get rid of the loose fur.

The vets have taken her to check her glucose, and I'm going to call our regular vets about a full checkup so they can sedate her and take x-rays etc.

Their initial check was fine, incisors were ok, heart and lungs ok, no poo or urine stains etc

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TheBee said:

It will almost certainly be secondary to something else. Is your vet rabbit savvy? I would think if it is happening this frequently, s/he should be wanting to investigate further by now. Re keeping things in, there’s nothing I would really give to be honest as most things can make the situation worse depending on what’s causing the stasis. Can you ask your vet if they are happy for you to keep metacam at home for these instances? Also, if you think she may not be drinking enough, you could give them a bowl of water. All the rabbits I’ve ever known have preferred a bowl.

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We tried giving them an additional bowl of water when it was really hot, they didn't touch it.

But, I am planning on getting one or two of those bottles that drips into a little bowl/trough, as I will be adding fly screens to their hutch next month which means we won't be able to attach their normal bottles.

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I wonder if the kale might be the issue? Some bunnies have quite sensitive tummies and don't tolerate certain veg. I believe the cabbages can cause some bunnies to get quite gassy. Fresh herbs are supposed to be gentler on the tummy so it might be worth looking into gradually switching over to them. If you feel up to it, I think adding some fresh forage would also help. Bramble leaves in particular are very good for a rabbit's stomach.

With regards to the water, I had an adopted bunny who had only drunk out of bottles. When I first gave her a bowl she refused to drink from it. So I gave her a bottle and a bowl simultaneously and she eventually started to drink from the bowl and finally stopped using the bottle altogether. So that could be one way to switch them over.

Sending lots of vibes for Pip, I hope she feels better soon.

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Thanks all, she is home and hopping about.

The kale is a good shout, although I did just give her some (she gobbled it right up), but her last bout of this was preceded by getting kale. The RSPCA were giving them kale aswell.

She seems mutch better, although she did get 3 injections, so they will help but hopefully now she is back up to eating that will help her things moving.

Her temperature was a bit low, but the vet wasn't overly concerned, and her glucose was 11, so it's unlikely that she has a blockage/obstruction.

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You mention that she does not drink a lot of water .Could the 'not eating' episodes be related to her bladder rather than her guts ? IE Cystitis causing pain. So the not eating and consequent gut slow down is secondary to a bladder problem ?

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/rabbit-bladder-problems/

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Cystitis_Ele.htm

I hope that Pip continues to improve. I would be looking for some more tests now tbh. In the meantime, I would be offering a bowl of water, which she will probably get used to after a while. Then if the further tests didn't show up anything, I would look to change her diet a little along the lines suggested by Scrappy's LH.

Thanks all, she was much better this morning.

Gobbled up the nuggets, drinking water and there was a couple of nice big piles of poo in the litter tray.

I'm going to phone our regular vets later to speak to them about booking a checkup later in the week and then I'll ask about a "full" checkup and further tests etc.

Ideally I'd have taken her to the vets today, but I can't afford to take time off work, and my wife can't do it on her own with baby in tow.

Will be keeping a close eye on her until we can get to the vets

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I’m glad that she is seeming better today, hopefully the new bottles will encourage her to drink more. You could try a bowl placed under the normal bottle, sometimes gets them interested in the bowl.

zarathustra said:

Thanks all, she was much better this morning.

Gobbled up the nuggets, drinking water and there was a couple of nice big piles of poo in the litter tray.

I'm going to phone our regular vets later to speak to them about booking a checkup later in the week and then I'll ask about a "full" checkup and further tests etc.

Ideally I'd have taken her to the vets today, but I can't afford to take time off work, and my wife can't do it on her own with baby in tow.

Will be keeping a close eye on her until we can get to the vets

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so glad for you. xxx

Glad Pip is now eating as normal. When you say the Vet looked at her Incisors, did he also check the molars, as these can cause pain if they are cutting into the tongue etc. I second what others have said re a bowl, rabbits can't get the amount of water they need from a bottle and they need to keep hydrated.

Thanks all,

They didn't check her molars, as that would require sedation.

But I will be getting our regular vets to give her the works, to see if they can identify any underlying issues.

I will definitely look at introducing bowls of water. Has anyone used the manor pet housing bottle that drips into a small bowl, rather than the rabbits having to use a bottle with a spout, are they worth the money?

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The most popular is a ceramic dog bowl that the bunnies can't tip up.

Thanks.

Pip is booked in at the vets on Friday morning.

We got our first delivery of hay from Timothy hay.co.uk yesterday, the ladies absolutely love it. They were eating plenty of hay before, but when I gave them their first lot of this stuff after work they sat and ate hay for over an hour straight.

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zarathustra said:

Thanks.

Pip is booked in at the vets on Friday morning.

We got our first delivery of hay from Timothy hay.co.uk yesterday, the ladies absolutely love it. They were eating plenty of hay before, but when I gave them their first lot of this stuff after work they sat and ate hay for over an hour straight.

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Aw! Glad they like their hay.

I will definitely look at introducing bowls of water. Has anyone used the manor pet housing bottle that drips into a small bowl, rather than the rabbits having to use a bottle with a spout, are they worth the money?

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Mine quite liked these. You can get the bottles on their own from zooplus, but the holders are a good idea as I found them too heavy to attach like a normal bottle.