First, I plead that only members that have had a personal experience with a situation similar as mine, be the ones to offer ideas or comments. I know that bun lovers like to offer support and encouragement to worried parents, and I don't want to sound rude and ungrateful, but I need parents that can tell me what they tried and worked. Or, the outcome of what they tried, pros and cons. That will give me less posts to read through. Thank you for understanding.
With that said, here is Houdini's story: He was rescued in Oct/2008 from the pine barrens in Long Island, NY, was assessed to be between 6 to 9 mo. old by the Vet who did not feel he was a yr old yet. That would put him at over 11. He has been in good health for most of his years, until one bout with stasis while I was away in the UK. I blame the broccoli I introduced a few days before my trip. Dumb mom!
We come to this year, he has had a watery eye on and off for years. He got the ducts flushed a couple of times. Last time (April?) it aggravated things and the discharge was sticky. At the end of July, I noticed he was eating less pellets, but continued with his greens and hay. Poops normal so I did not worry. Some cecatropes left uneaten a couple of times but since he has arthritis of the spine, I blame that.
For the last week and a half, he is turning away from the pellets. Same pellets he has eaten for all these years: Timothy Complete, with timothy hay base, no alfalfa. He will not eat them dry, wet, pineapple flavored, with oat sprinkles, nada. He was still eating hay and greens (cilantro, italian parsley) and poops normal. Since last week, he decreased the hay, or might have stopped eating it. He has oat hay, timothy hay wafer cut, orchard and meadow hay, anything to entice him to resume consumption. His reaction to the hays is not what it used to be. These are all freshly bought packages.
He was still eating greens, although some were leftover whereas it never was.
I then bought baby lettuces package that has red and green romaine, which he loves and gulps. But, poop production changed and became less frequent and smaller. The confusing part is that he would come out from under the bed, late afternoon, all gun ho and acting normal and perky. For someone who could be in ileus, edging on stasis, why act so amazingly normal?
I am freaked out and after reading that some bun owners give their companions raw oats(steel cut, rolled) and sunflower seeds, I decided to try this. He goes for the oats eagerly, and the seeds. So, he is now on greens, oats ans sunflower seeds. Poops small and infrequent. Have been to the vet who could not see any teeth issues. Weigh was ok. I have been giving him Metacam for the arthritis, and recently added propulsid (for intestinal motility) and simethicone.
I tried force feeding and it was a struggle, I feared his arthritic spine could get hurt and after a couple times have not tried it again. I tried disguising the Critical Care with bananas, oats, pineapple juice but he will not touch it if he sniffs the hay powder. Is almost as if hay pellets and hay based stuff stinks to him. I just read this morning a suggestion of syringe feeding vegetables mix from baby food jar. I am also thinking about buying jars of dry peppermint or rosemary and sprinkle on his pellets or Critical Care, anything that might make things smell attractive again. I am drained mentally.
I need opinions on the use of oats, sunflower seeds and baby food? Did anyone have a senior rabbit change this much and be ok? The vet theorized that maybe the eye with the discharge might be affecting the duct on that side and it would make chewing uncomfortable, but why would he refused just pellets? and, why not eat them if I soften them? Why can't buns talk and tell us?
I need to add that I got an owner surrender bun a few years back who also had an eye discharge which, after flushing, was + for MRSA. Houdini had already approached him and groomed him before I found out. That was yrs ago. Oh! btw, Houdini is intact and has some sedimentation in his bladder, had it for a while. All those discomforts should be relieved by the Metacam and seem to. The vet also gave him neurontin but I did not try giving it to him. I had that med yrs ago and made me dizzy, so I was hesitant to use it on bunny.
Ok, sorry for the length of the post, I wanted to give as much detail as possible that can let people know what I already tried and the outcome. I think I covered everything!
Thank you!
With that said, here is Houdini's story: He was rescued in Oct/2008 from the pine barrens in Long Island, NY, was assessed to be between 6 to 9 mo. old by the Vet who did not feel he was a yr old yet. That would put him at over 11. He has been in good health for most of his years, until one bout with stasis while I was away in the UK. I blame the broccoli I introduced a few days before my trip. Dumb mom!
We come to this year, he has had a watery eye on and off for years. He got the ducts flushed a couple of times. Last time (April?) it aggravated things and the discharge was sticky. At the end of July, I noticed he was eating less pellets, but continued with his greens and hay. Poops normal so I did not worry. Some cecatropes left uneaten a couple of times but since he has arthritis of the spine, I blame that.
For the last week and a half, he is turning away from the pellets. Same pellets he has eaten for all these years: Timothy Complete, with timothy hay base, no alfalfa. He will not eat them dry, wet, pineapple flavored, with oat sprinkles, nada. He was still eating hay and greens (cilantro, italian parsley) and poops normal. Since last week, he decreased the hay, or might have stopped eating it. He has oat hay, timothy hay wafer cut, orchard and meadow hay, anything to entice him to resume consumption. His reaction to the hays is not what it used to be. These are all freshly bought packages.
He was still eating greens, although some were leftover whereas it never was.
I then bought baby lettuces package that has red and green romaine, which he loves and gulps. But, poop production changed and became less frequent and smaller. The confusing part is that he would come out from under the bed, late afternoon, all gun ho and acting normal and perky. For someone who could be in ileus, edging on stasis, why act so amazingly normal?
I am freaked out and after reading that some bun owners give their companions raw oats(steel cut, rolled) and sunflower seeds, I decided to try this. He goes for the oats eagerly, and the seeds. So, he is now on greens, oats ans sunflower seeds. Poops small and infrequent. Have been to the vet who could not see any teeth issues. Weigh was ok. I have been giving him Metacam for the arthritis, and recently added propulsid (for intestinal motility) and simethicone.
I tried force feeding and it was a struggle, I feared his arthritic spine could get hurt and after a couple times have not tried it again. I tried disguising the Critical Care with bananas, oats, pineapple juice but he will not touch it if he sniffs the hay powder. Is almost as if hay pellets and hay based stuff stinks to him. I just read this morning a suggestion of syringe feeding vegetables mix from baby food jar. I am also thinking about buying jars of dry peppermint or rosemary and sprinkle on his pellets or Critical Care, anything that might make things smell attractive again. I am drained mentally.
I need opinions on the use of oats, sunflower seeds and baby food? Did anyone have a senior rabbit change this much and be ok? The vet theorized that maybe the eye with the discharge might be affecting the duct on that side and it would make chewing uncomfortable, but why would he refused just pellets? and, why not eat them if I soften them? Why can't buns talk and tell us?
I need to add that I got an owner surrender bun a few years back who also had an eye discharge which, after flushing, was + for MRSA. Houdini had already approached him and groomed him before I found out. That was yrs ago. Oh! btw, Houdini is intact and has some sedimentation in his bladder, had it for a while. All those discomforts should be relieved by the Metacam and seem to. The vet also gave him neurontin but I did not try giving it to him. I had that med yrs ago and made me dizzy, so I was hesitant to use it on bunny.
Ok, sorry for the length of the post, I wanted to give as much detail as possible that can let people know what I already tried and the outcome. I think I covered everything!
Thank you!
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