WelshBunny
Young Bun
We've had a vile night as our boy was unwell yesterday morning (taken to emergency vet then monitored at home) and then rapidly went downhill in the evening after brightening up in the day. I was actually typing out a list of what happened here when I thought, "I'll see how he's doing now", and went to check. That was quickly deleted as we went to the out of hours vet.
Symptoms:
- Lethargy
- Unwilling to eat
- Relieved bladder lying down (always good at going in his tray)
- Found small, malformed droppings (3-4)
- Pressed to floor
- Pale
- Looked suddenly thin/skinny/light (empty stomach)
- Losing fur
He improved at the first emergency vet (however, they tried to tell me nothing was wrong and I had to push for treatment) after two injections (painkiller plus one for the gut) and also had critical care food, which I syringed throughout the day. He had a tiny bit of dandelion and some parsley of his own free will too but mostly slept in his litterbox. He was fighting me for the syringe feeding but that was a good sign, until he stopped fighting me, went completely limp and floppy, lethargic to the extreme.
So, we went to a different out of hours vet as the rabbit rescue recommended this one and I thought they would be more savvy to rabbits. Top quality, did far more, checked blood glucose etc and found some swelling in the abdomen that I guess I mistook for his stomach filling up during the day and syringe feeding. He'd not passed droppings by this point and was put on a drip and kept in overnight, syringe fed through the night. Temperature was fine and so was blood glucose.
No one seems to be very good at telling me what's going on here (probably more concerned with treating him - I'd rather they did all that was needed, they know way more than me) but I am assuming gut / early GI stasis as a generally common bunny issue. He received a new buddy last weekend and, while they settled, there's still a lot going on for him and I was concerned he was so active that he wasn't taking time to rest and eat. She's gone super sweet and was grooming him all through the trouble. When he went on the drip, of course, they had to be separated but, well, I can't preserve a bond while putting his life in jeopardy. They can be re-bonded but I put them together today when transferring between surgeries and he went to snooze and she went to wash him, no drama or aggression in the slightest.
He's produced small, malformed droppings with me today, is eating well at the vets where he is being monitored (hay) and looks like he will come home tonight and not need another overnight stay. My question is, how do you care for a rabbit after this? What warning signs do I look out for? Should I separate him and his buddy? It is usually obvious when he's going to the bathroom as he sits, eats and goes to the loo. She's been calm, just happy to have a break from him pestering her, BUT I have a second pen that can be set up, no problem.
I know I've missed out information and events above - bear with me. Any insight on what happens "after" would be great, thank you so much, but please understand that I've done the best I can here, gone on a rescue recommendation of an emergency vet that is good with rabbits, kept monitoring him and acted as soon as his condition changed.
I appreciate any advice in the aftercare that I may utilise alongside the vet discharge notes and thank you in advance!
Edit: found a gut stasis thread now and reading through also.
Symptoms:
- Lethargy
- Unwilling to eat
- Relieved bladder lying down (always good at going in his tray)
- Found small, malformed droppings (3-4)
- Pressed to floor
- Pale
- Looked suddenly thin/skinny/light (empty stomach)
- Losing fur
He improved at the first emergency vet (however, they tried to tell me nothing was wrong and I had to push for treatment) after two injections (painkiller plus one for the gut) and also had critical care food, which I syringed throughout the day. He had a tiny bit of dandelion and some parsley of his own free will too but mostly slept in his litterbox. He was fighting me for the syringe feeding but that was a good sign, until he stopped fighting me, went completely limp and floppy, lethargic to the extreme.
So, we went to a different out of hours vet as the rabbit rescue recommended this one and I thought they would be more savvy to rabbits. Top quality, did far more, checked blood glucose etc and found some swelling in the abdomen that I guess I mistook for his stomach filling up during the day and syringe feeding. He'd not passed droppings by this point and was put on a drip and kept in overnight, syringe fed through the night. Temperature was fine and so was blood glucose.
No one seems to be very good at telling me what's going on here (probably more concerned with treating him - I'd rather they did all that was needed, they know way more than me) but I am assuming gut / early GI stasis as a generally common bunny issue. He received a new buddy last weekend and, while they settled, there's still a lot going on for him and I was concerned he was so active that he wasn't taking time to rest and eat. She's gone super sweet and was grooming him all through the trouble. When he went on the drip, of course, they had to be separated but, well, I can't preserve a bond while putting his life in jeopardy. They can be re-bonded but I put them together today when transferring between surgeries and he went to snooze and she went to wash him, no drama or aggression in the slightest.
He's produced small, malformed droppings with me today, is eating well at the vets where he is being monitored (hay) and looks like he will come home tonight and not need another overnight stay. My question is, how do you care for a rabbit after this? What warning signs do I look out for? Should I separate him and his buddy? It is usually obvious when he's going to the bathroom as he sits, eats and goes to the loo. She's been calm, just happy to have a break from him pestering her, BUT I have a second pen that can be set up, no problem.
I know I've missed out information and events above - bear with me. Any insight on what happens "after" would be great, thank you so much, but please understand that I've done the best I can here, gone on a rescue recommendation of an emergency vet that is good with rabbits, kept monitoring him and acted as soon as his condition changed.
I appreciate any advice in the aftercare that I may utilise alongside the vet discharge notes and thank you in advance!
Edit: found a gut stasis thread now and reading through also.
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