When to put rabbit to sleep.

My 6 year old mini Rex house rabbit went off his food and became lethargic 4weeks ago. After the initial few days of being really poorly, he perked up in himself, but still wasn’t eating normally and developed a wobble, falling over sometimes on moving.We have had three visits to vets, and tried two different antibiotics, meloxicam, gabapentin, prochlorperazine for dizziness, and a currently a week into EC treatment with very little change. We have decided not to put him through more invasive tests only to find something we can’t treat. My dilemma now is whether to put him to sleep or not.

He is refusing nuggets and many of his favourite foods, but if we get it right and give him something he fancies he will tuck in happily. When I stroke him, he relaxes down, closes his eyes, and seems to be enjoying it. He is not coming out on his own, but when I lift him out, he will sit next to me for a stroke, but then hide in a corner if I leave. Rabbits hide pain so well, that I can’t judge if he is suffering or not. It seems wrong to think about putting him to sleep when watching him happily scoff a handful of basil, but I don’t want him to suffer. Any thoughts would be really appreciated.

If the primary problem is EC then it can take many, many weeks of intensive care and medication before any real improvement is seen. The same is true if the primary problem is a middle ear infection.

What is his poo output like ?

Is he drinking and weeing his normal amount ?

Has he had his teeth checked? Poor appetite can be tooth related. Pellets are often first to go as they are harder to chew. Even if it isn't the primary cause of his current issues, the teeth are continually growing, so reduced input will mean that the teeth are not being worn down as normal, so it's worth getting them checked with an otoscope. A couple of weeks is long enough for problems to develop.

Has he had a full blood profile done? It will check for general health, organ function, infection, etc - may narrow things down a bit.

EC treatment - I would give it at least another week to show any effects. Sometimes it takes a couple of rounds of treatment, and it can be a rollercoaster ride (if he has EC). My former EC bunnies have always eaten OK, but I had to change how they were fed if they couldn't physically get to the food.

Has he had his ears examined? Balance, lethargy and poor appetite can be due to ear issues. It can make it painful to eat. Jane is the ear expert on here (Inspector Morse)

Sometimes adequate pain relief can make a huge difference to quality of life.

Will he eat moistened pellets?

These are just some random thoughts. I hope you find a way forward.

InspectorMorse said:

If the primary problem is EC then it can take many, many weeks of intensive care and medication before any real improvement is seen. The same is true if the primary problem is a middle ear infection.

What is his poo output like ?

Is he drinking and weeing his normal amount ?

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Poops are smaller than normal, but still coming out, he is drinking and weeing a good amount. It’s good to know that EC wouldn’t show a huge improvement after one week. Thanks for replying.

Two vets have checked his teeth and ears, and all ok. I’ll try moistened pellets for him.

He is still on both painkillers, but I have to say that he doesn’t seem any worse when the next dose is due.

I didn’t get bloods done as the vet said it would take at least a week for results, and I didn’t want him to hang on for another week without fenbendazole if EC is the problem.

Thanks for replying.

If EC is a potential suspect, I would treat for that anyway, while waiting for other results (28 days of Panacur & NSAID eg meloxicam) unless your vet says there are good reasons not to. It's a common parasite, relatively cheap & easy to treat - even if it does take time. You can get a blood test for EC, although I'm not sure how helpful it would be as many rabbits are exposed to it. Mine were never tested, but treatment worked and the symptoms were classic for it. You tend to get an antibiotic thrown in as well to cover other possibilities with similar symptoms, like an inner ear infection. Often you never know what the exact problem was as the combination of treatment sorts it out. However, if it's going on with no real improvement, it may be time for further investigations.


I would try topping up his food intake. Moistened pellets are always worth trying. Can you syringe feed him with one of the Critical Care type powders? I find it easier to syringe with some added baby apple puree (or other veg pased puree baby food). He may also take it off a saucer (less stressful for both of you).

Thanks, I try those ideas.

Hope your bun is improving MowgliMum!

I agree with what others have said re proactive treatment and blood tests. You can contact the RVC Beaumont Sainsbury for a second opinion, which might be worth doing? It sounds like your bun is fighting on, so hopefully it's just a matter of finding what works best. The RVC team are excellent and really will look at every possibility! They've even done a CT scan on my elderly bun.

Moistening pellets is something I wish I'd tried sooner. They are much less effort to eat for a sick or elderly bun and you can sprinkle things like critical care or even their meds on top.

Keep us updated, hopefully you can get to the bottom of what's going on and have many many more years with your bun

Thanks.

Mowgli seems brighter today. He came out on his own three times, and has been scoffing dried flowers off his new a Nibble and Dig meadow, so I am feeling more confident that I am doing the right thing for him.

Mowglimum said:

Thanks.

Mowgli seems brighter today. He came out on his own three times, and has been scoffing dried flowers off his new a Nibble and Dig meadow, so I am feeling more confident that I am doing the right thing for him.

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Hopefully improvement will continue. It might be very slow progress, but there is still hope x

Just to update everyone. Mowgli is back to his usual cheeky personality. He is still a little bit fussy about what he eats, and wobbles occasionally, but he seems to be enjoying life (being spoilt rotten). We are all overjoyed to still have him with us, and are making the most of every minute with him. Thanks for all the advice and support, and merry Christmas!

Thank you for your update and pleased your Bunny is happy. Hope you have a lovely Christmas too!

Mowglimum said:

Just to update everyone. Mowgli is back to his usual cheeky personality. He is still a little bit fussy about what he eats, and wobbles occasionally, but he seems to be enjoying life (being spoilt rotten). We are all overjoyed to still have him with us, and are making the most of every minute with him. Thanks for all the advice and support, and merry Christmas!

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So pleased that you still have Mowgli with you