• Please Note - Medical Advice

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Drinking more water

Has anybody noticed their bunnies are drinking more water than usual? I have noticed that their water bottle is getting lower than normal. Also I have noticed Mischief is drinking more possibly I have noticed although I can't watch them all the time to know for sure. So I don't know if Lillabelle up is also drinking more. As it is humid I wondered if you had also noticed this with your buns please?

Otherwise I realise I need to get them both checked out although Chief mainly. I have noticed him drinking for ages at a time and lying under the water bottle sometimes. They had their jabs last week and I forgot to ask the vet to check their teeth ☹️ I have asked my OH to remind me in future. They are both eating more hay than ever so I wonder if it is making them more thirsty? As they are eating so much hay wouldn't that help their teeth enough though?

Do I need to monitor their drinking more closely and just check first before stressing them out taking them to the vets? I have given them a bowl of water as well now as I realise a bottle would be too slow for a giant bunny maybe. Do I leave the water bottle or just give them a bowl?

What would need to be checked by the vet then? Teeth checked and blood tests would be necessary I guess so they can check whether he is diabetic and also kidney and liver function tests? Is there anything else I need to get checked please? I am a bit worried now actually ☹️
 
Rabbits who eat a lot of hay and other dried food drink more water.

Average water intake should be 50ml-100ml/kg/day

Have you checked that the water bottle isn’t leaking ?

Dental Rabbits can drink more water if they are unable to eat enough to satisfy hunger. Dental Rabbits therefore need a Vet check of teeth every couple of months as well as weekly weight monitoring and careful observation of input and output

Warm weather and/or moulting are another couple of possible reasons to explain an increase in water consumption

Drinking more than normal for an ongoing period of time is always something that merits a vet check. It can be a sign of compromised renal function, but usually that would also involve other symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, anorexia, lethargy. EC can cause an increase in drinking, EC can effect renal function.


I would continue to provide a water bowl
 
Thank you for this IM

I was just trying to remember why we changed back to a water bottle as they were having it from a bowl. I think it was because I broke two bowls and we had to use the water bowl instead for their veggies. However we have extra bowls now as we don't use bowls to give them their veggies anymore. I meant to change the bottle for a bowl sooner. I feel such a numpty as so forgetful.

I will monitor the water intake for them as much as I can. They had their teeth checked when we changed to the new vet in July. He checked them and said they had very good teeth and they obviously have a good diet. They do only eat hay and plant food now. They have their fresh veggies daily and 3 handfuls of forage at night. They have two types of Timothy hay, one soft and green and the other coarser and more brown in colour. They also get 2 handfuls of dried Norfolk nettles more recently. I am looking at this and thinking that is a lot with the nettles actually. Lillabelle has put on weight recently and I realise while writing this that having the extra two handfuls of nettles as well will not help her lose weight. I am such an I will reduce their nettles and forage down.

Chief is still the same weight and has been that weight for weeks now. I think he eats as much as his tummy can take tbh. He is always eating. His appetite has not changed. It is a very good appetite. He loves his food.

They both have good appetites, are eating lots of hay and nettles plus have willow toys and balls plus two tunnels and lots of apple and willow sticks. They both chew them down a lot so they are hopefully keeping their teeth healthy. They also have good output daily with good size healthy looking poops and urine output is good. I have been watching them and checking their output plus I now clean them out as my OH has had a hip op so it is easier for me to notice any changes and all seems normal.

Actually you could be right about the bottle leaking. I have been clearing up small leaks recently. I feel such an idiot. I will take the bottle down and monitor their drinking from the bowl for the weekend. If they appear to be drinking more after that I will take them both down to the vets to look at their teeth. I have noticed Lillabelle has had a drink twice since I came on RU tonight and Mischief one long drink from the bottle. Hopefully drinking from the bowl will be better for him. How do I know if Chief is drinking more than usual with a bowl though? Do I just see if it appears to be normal or rather excessive? It is hard to know as they both drink out the same bowl.

On the subject of EC, I am trying to remember through the brain fog at what I read on it. They were bonded together without a dose of panacur each as I did not know I had to do this. Should I give them both a dose then? Sorry I need to read up on EC again as I realise you can't give me veterinary advice. I have the panacur here. I can put it in a slice of banana maybe. My OH will oversee any drugs I give them due to my brain fog and I write the drugs down in a book. However I will read up on EC again. You have given me the info recently. Sorry I am all over the place as so tired caring for the flat and my OH as he had a hip op. Thank you again for your help Inspector Morse.
 
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The idea of giving an EC preventative course of Panacur is outdated and based on an old study. This is the opinion of Exotics Qualified Vets who are practicing these days

‘’We do not recommend routine worming to prevent Ec as, like any drug, it can be harmful and should only be used when necessary. This should be discussed with your vet before using preventatively.’’

 
I see your post IM. I will read about EC from that article you posted after some much needed sleep but I understand that I should not give it until I check with the vet. I found the other vets said I should give them wormer, ear mite stuff etc regularly 'in case' they got ear mites or whatever so I did not feel happy with that. I have decided a while ago not to give them any drugs unless they are specifically prescribed by a vet to treat a problem not 'in case' they get it as a precaution. I will speak to our new vets about EC. Thank you IM
 
Rabbits who eat a lot of hay and other dried food drink more water.

Average water intake should be 50ml-100ml/kg/day

Have you checked that the water bottle isn’t leaking ?

Dental Rabbits can drink more water if they are unable to eat enough to satisfy hunger. Dental Rabbits therefore need a Vet check of teeth every couple of months as well as weekly weight monitoring and careful observation of input and output

Warm weather and/or moulting are another couple of possible reasons to explain an increase in water consumption

Drinking more than normal for an ongoing period of time is always something that merits a vet check. It can be a sign of compromised renal function, but usually that would also involve other symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, anorexia, lethargy. EC can cause an increase in drinking, EC can effect renal function.


I would continue to provide a water bowl
I didn't see the link to the excessive drinking but have read it now thank you.

I think we may know the reason to him drinking more...they are both moulting atm. Mr Chief has long fur especially on his chest/tummy which is moulting quite badly. I am trying to brush him but my OH can't hold him for a few weeks until his hip gets stronger after his op. I can manage brushing his back and bottom area but I can't hold him with one hand so I can brush his chest/tummy with the other as he is too heavy and he argues with the brush 😂
I am taking them to the vets soon for their nails to be trimmed as again I can't do it on my own and hold them as well. I could ask them to help me groom them underneath when I am there.

However it does not help the situation ongoing as they need brushing underneath regularly. I think Mischief is cleaning his own chest and ingesting the long fur which is about 4 cm long possibly longer. He passed a long chain of poops connected with his fur which were larger than normal and oval shaped. Could he have been drinking more water to help himself to pass these stools perhaps? I also noticed he was chewing on his willow tunnel more recently so I presumed his teeth may need checking. He is eating really well though especially hay which he is constantly eating when awake now.

I attach a picture of the stools so you can see them. He has never passed anything like this before. It is usually Lillabelle which passes stools in a chain connected with Chief's white fur. Of course she is always grooming Mischief so makes sense really.

I put the pen next to it so you can see that the elongated poops are also bigger than usual poops as well.
 

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I didn't see the link to the excessive drinking but have read it now thank you.

I think we may know the reason to him drinking more...they are both moulting atm. Mr Chief has long fur especially on his chest/tummy which is moulting quite badly. I am trying to brush him but my OH can't hold him for a few weeks until his hip gets stronger after his op. I can manage brushing his back and bottom area but I can't hold him with one hand so I can brush his chest/tummy with the other as he is too heavy and he argues with the brush 😂
I am taking them to the vets soon for their nails to be trimmed as again I can't do it on my own and hold them as well. I could ask them to help me groom them underneath when I am there.

However it does not help the situation ongoing as they need brushing underneath regularly. I think Mischief is cleaning his own chest and ingesting the long fur which is about 4 cm long possibly longer. He passed a long chain of poops connected with his fur which were larger than normal and oval shaped. Could he have been drinking more water to help himself to pass these stools perhaps? I also noticed he was chewing on his willow tunnel more recently so I presumed his teeth may need checking. He is eating really well though especially hay which he is constantly eating when awake now.

I attach a picture of the stools so you can see them. He has never passed anything like this before. It is usually Lillabelle which passes stools in a chain connected with Chief's white fur. Of course she is always grooming Mischief so makes sense really.

I put the pen next to it so you can see that the elongated poops are also bigger than usual poops as well.
The ‘string of pearls poo’ / irregular shaped poo is indicative of reduced gut motility and the ingestion of a lot of fur. Could your husband hold Mr C on his lap as he is sitting down and then you attempt to groom Mr C more thoroughly? Same with Lillabelle. Not sure if your disability would make this impossible though. I know how hard it is to cope when our bodies no longer work properly any more. And constant severe pain adds to the problems.
The fact that one or both Rabbits are drinking a lot is actually good in this situation. Fluids and fibre will be the best things to keep their GI tract working efficiently and less likely to be adversely affected by the ingestion of a lot of fur. Keep a close eye on the output and if the fecal poo gets a lot smaller then it would be time to consult a Vet to try to address the grooming and if clinical examination gives any indication of the need to start some prokinetics to improve gut motility these can be prescribed. In this situation, when ingestion of a lot of fur is obviously causing a problem, it’s important to get the Rabbits examined before their appetite reduces or they stop eating all together.

Are they both still more active? Exercise is another thing that helps promote gut motility.
 
I remember my sister having a special grooming glove for her cats and wondered if that may work for your bunny. It was like a kitty massage and while it did not get deep in the coat, it did ok for daily grooming of her cats.
I never tried it with my bunnies.

My new little dwarf bunny is shedding and has some fur in his poo too. He is groomed daily so he is not ingesting a lot of fur. I am glad the little he ingests is coming out. I am monitoring him and encouraging more hay eating by greatly reducing his pelleted food.

Your bunnies should have better gut motility now that they are eating more hay and drinking enough. Also, you previously mentioned they are at a better weight, so they must be more active too.

I hope your vet can help you groom him. Perhaps they can shave his chest area.
 
Well we did discuss this already and he has agreed that
The ‘string of pearls poo’ / irregular shaped poo is indicative of reduced gut motility and the ingestion of a lot of fur. Could your husband hold Mr C on his lap as he is sitting down and then you attempt to groom Mr C more thoroughly? Same with Lillabelle. Not sure if your disability would make this impossible though. I know how hard it is to cope when our bodies no longer work properly any more. And constant severe pain adds to the problems.
The fact that one or both Rabbits are drinking a lot is actually good in this situation. Fluids and fibre will be the best things to keep their GI tract working efficiently and less likely to be adversely affected by the ingestion of a lot of fur. Keep a close eye on the output and if the fecal poo gets a lot smaller then it would be time to consult a Vet to try to address the grooming and if clinical examination gives any indication of the need to start some prokinetics to improve gut motility these can be prescribed. In this situation, when ingestion of a lot of fur is obviously causing a problem, it’s important to get the Rabbits examined before their appetite reduces or they stop eating all together.

Are they both still more active? Exercise is another thing that helps promote gut motility.
So sorry for late reply. My daughter had to have an emergency op so we had my grandkids. I started to read your post yesterday but then had to go. I have to do things in order of most urgency and only just finished so need my sleep before another hectic day. I will try and update you as I go. Yes chronic pain feels like torture that you are stuck with for eternity 🙄 I am overdoing things atm and then have to stop for a while as the chronic pain just gets worse until I rest up. It is so frustrating.


I spoke with my OH last night before reading your post. We are now doing the grooming together. Last night I had to clean Chief's bottom as he had ,poop stuck to him. I got most of the poop out his fur and then trimmed him. Btw your tip of using oil to clean his anal glands is fantastic 😁 He has lovely clean pink skin there now. Tonight we trimmed more off him and brushed out his bottom area.

Tomorrow I will brush and trim his chest and tummy area. His chest has long fur but it is really hard to brush as my OH is holding him there. We are also brushing his back down to his tail in the day. He has a white skirt from brushing him so much on his back but I have to work more slowly under that line as he doesn't like it. He gets very stressed and wriggles so I talk to him and it does help actually.

Last night we got another long line of poops from him and the poops were attached with fur again. It was hard to break the poop in half and when I looked inside it had lots of fur running through it. It looked like string as there was so much. It made me feel sick. I have to say to myself he is eating loads of hay and drinking lots of water. He also left a caecotroph yesterday but when I presented it to him he ate it all. I am presuming it was ChIefs? Can rabbits eat another rabbit's caeco's?

Tonight is much better. The largest string of poops tonight was two and they only had a few hairs.holding them together and so the poops were easy to break. They both pooped lots and we're mostly normal. Just the string of two. We will keep a close eye on them and whether their poops get smaller.They are both doing zoomies plus the odd binky from Chief. Lillabelle does not do binkies but her zoomies are very fast. They are looking for trouble at night which I love as they are less likely to be feeling poorly. They are still on a diet. Lillabelle is quickly losing weight though. Chief is the same weight for ages.

Right off to bed as need to get up again at 8 am. Will answer more posts tomorrow 🤗
 
I remember my sister having a special grooming glove for her cats and wondered if that may work for your bunny. It was like a kitty massage and while it did not get deep in the coat, it did ok for daily grooming of her cats.
I never tried it with my bunnies.

My new little dwarf bunny is shedding and has some fur in his poo too. He is groomed daily so he is not ingesting a lot of fur. I am glad the little he ingests is coming out. I am monitoring him and encouraging more hay eating by greatly reducing his pelleted food.

Your bunnies should have better gut motility now that they are eating more hay and drinking enough. Also, you previously mentioned they are at a better weight, so they must be more active too.

I hope your vet can help you groom him. Perhaps they can shave his chest area.
[/QU I will try that tonight. We do have a grooming glove that seems to cause more hair so I take it the glove stimulates the moult so I can remove the loose fur? I

We had a bad evening and night as my OH had terrible toothache that kept him up all night plus I had nerve pain pretty badly plus terrible itching. This meant I felt as his poops seemed improved that it would be better for Chief that we left grooming him as we would be so stressed out. I want to keep their grooming as a peaceful, pleasant time as much as possible. My OH let me sleep today which I am so grateful for. I wake up to have swollen eyes and face from chronic sinus issues and nerve pain triggered from the swelling. So fed up 😭

They have (up to this problem) had much better gut motility with lovely big poops due to constantly eating so much hay, losing weight and therefore being more active. I think this is more to do with Mischief's fur. He produced a long chain of stools again today. It is long fur that is very strong and there is lots of it. I may seem so dopey but the meds are slowing my brain down so much plus I keep getting anxious and awful thoughts and I can't follow the thoughts through the thought process enough to find the solution. I keep forgetting what I was thinking about and the whole thing starts over again like I'm on a horror merry-go-round I can't get off. I am saying this because it also applies to my bunnies.

I am not thinking clearly as so overtired which means the side effects to my meds are much worse. It really helps to have RU at this moment in time to help by giving me your tips and advice. I have other stuff happening around me as well other than with the rabbits and my OH.

Oh I have to just say this. Mischief has just done this really fast zoomie under our bed and made us laugh. That has helped with me feeling so stressed right now 😂 He has then jumped up on the bed and is receiving big snuggles from my OH and then Lillabelle is lying there for a few seconds for a head scratch as well. Then she ran off with my pad! 😂 They are so funny and make our world complete actually. These are the reasons we go through the stresses of their health. So they are happy and part of our family ❤️
 
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The ‘string of pearls poo’ / irregular shaped poo is indicative of reduced g BBut motility and the ingestion of a lot of fur. Could your husband hold Mr C on his lap as he is sitting down and then you attempt to groom Mr C more thoroughly? Same with Lillabelle. Not sure if your disability would make this impossible though. I know how hard it is to cope when our bodies no longer work properly any more. And constant severe pain adds to the problems.
The fact that one or both Rabbits are drinking a lot is actually good in this s tooituation. Fluids and fibre will be the best things to keep their GI tract working efficiently and less likely to be adversely affected by the ingestion of a lot of fur. Keep a close eye on the output and if the fecal poo gets a lot smaller then it would be time to consult a Vet to try to address the grooming and if clinical examination gives any indication of the need to start some prokinetics to improve gut motility these can be prescribed. In this situation, when ingestion of a lot of fur is obviously causing a problem, it’s important to get the Rabbits examined before their appetite reduces or they stop eating all together.

Are they both still more active? Exercise is another thing that helps promote gut motility.
I was answering your post last night I thought. I actually can't remember which is bad 😔 I apologise if I am repeating myself. I just felt the need to answer your message was greater than to spend ages trying to find and read all this thread again but not take it in.

We had a chat and decided (the night before you wrote this post IM) that my OH is able to now hold the bunnies again for me to do health checks, grooming etc whilst sitting on the bed. It has worked well so far. However we ended up not doing any grooming last night due to our own health although we were both grooming him where we could on his back and top of his bottom. It still didn't help with the moulting as his heavy moulting is from his under side ☹️ Due to his bottom area being soiled 2 days ago we had to do his bottom area so we cleaned him up and trimmed him down there then as well. We decided we needed to do his chest tonight as making sure his gut motility stays moving well has to be a priority.

Today Chief produced a string of 7 poops. The biggest worry for me was that it was very long fur entwined and there was a lot of it. The 'string' was made out of lots of individual strands of long fur making a very thick, very strong cord and there was lots of fur in each poop as well. It was also only white fur. We decided we had to do his chest and tummy tonight in the hope that this is the fur causing the long strands.The only positive thing was that his poops were still normal size. He also did lots of normal poops afterwards which is good too. I will enclose a photo of each string of poops when I have time but I think I explain it ok.

He is eating and drinking well based on output and we see him eating hay most of the time he is awake. He is also sleeping much less and is much more active since his diet. After reading your post we are trying to encourage them to be active by giving them a pellet if they run up the hall. However he is also running around doing zoomies every day and constantly running down to the kitchen for treats and the bathroom which he is just obsessed with. So atm he is doing everything right to help himself. So is Lillabelle. Her poops are good with no chains so we are concentrating on Chief first.

We tried brushing his chest tonight. He got really angry and made lots of squeaks about it plus he crossed his paws together and would not open them in a kind of praying mantis position. He is very strong. He was also kicking out with his legs. My OH gently but firmly held his front legs in one hand and his back legs in the other and then we made sure hpChief was sitting up as I know not to let him go on to his back. I then took his front paws and gently opened them. He got so angry and tried to bite my hands but I gave my OH his left front leg to gently hold and I held the other. I explain as it was difficult to do this and I wonder if I do it right. I should watch some videos maybe?

Well the brush was brushing but just getting through the top of the fur. The other side with metal on was just pulling the hair out pretty quickly. I decided to slowly comb his chest so the loose fur would come away without it hurting too much. I did the area around his front paw but I could only do a bit as he was quite stressed. We will just have to do this slowly I think. He also tries to bite my hand so I try to keep away.

We have considered the vets. We may do their claws ourselves now and so they don't have the stress of going to the vets then. Which means we may get the vet to do his chest instead. We are also considering doing this ourselves as we have the clippers. I have clipped my old Yorkie and horses but a rabbit is different. I know Chief freaked at the sound of the hairdryer and has done ever since. I have to go out the room and dry it. So I wonder if he will let anyone touch him with clippers anyway. He does an awful thing of trying to twist his back round so he can escape but I worry he will twist around and hurt his spine. Therefore we have to hold him firmly to prevent him twisting but ready to let go if he starts to resist. I would not want him clipped under anaesthetic. I would rather just persevere like this for now.

Would it be something we can slowly work on for Chief to gradually accept clippers? It could be a long term solution maybe. As with horses you get them used to the clippers turned off and gradually progress to turning them on but not touching them etc. I am thinking that could work but we need to do this asap.I think I will just carry on gradually combing him to see how it goes. I need to look online for some blunt scissors and until then I am using claw trimmers with a blunt end to trim fur and there is a lot of white fur coming out with the comb. I do believe that his chest is the main cause for his chains of poops so I need to keep going as this is a bit of an emergency really with the long hair being so strong.

I will write to you when possible but we will be putting Chief's fur removal first but I will try my best to keep you informed. I say this to everyone. I will keep reading your posts but my replies will be when I have free time. Thank you to you IM and everybun for your recent posts 🥰

Why does everything always happen at once?
 
I am sorry you, your OH and your daughter are having medical issues at the same time.
Sending you all vibes. Grooming Mischief's chest sounds very stressful. Shortening the fur is a good idea. I hope you can find a way to use clippers. I use a comb instead of a brush.
 
If he is getting soiled and still passing lots of ‘string of pearls’ poo personally I would get him thoroughly checked and groomed by the Vet/VN ASAP. If he is getting very stressed by grooming every day this is far more detrimental than a one off sedation, thorough grooming and hygiene clipping. Stress can impact on gut motility, he could hurt his spine if he struggles and as Rabbit skin is extremely delicate clipping a stressy Rabbit is not something to be done by anyone without experience. It is so easy to accidentally injure the Rabbit with the clipper blades. Once he has had a thorough grooming and hygiene clipping it will be easier to keep on top of the daily grooming

Also, it would be a good idea for a Vet to check him out for any physical reason for him not being able to keep himself clean. Spinal arthritis is a possibility, even if he seems to be physically active. Sometimes the only sign that a Rabbit has some spinal discomfort is an inability to keep themselves clean./ to groom themselves. The Vet could make sure his teeth and ears are OK too 😀
 
We can take him to the vets from Tuesday next week due to finances. He is insured but we can't even afford the £50 excess until then.

We won't bother trying to clip him then. We will just have to continue to comb through the fur on his chest gradually until then. He hasn't soiled himself since then. As I said before I found a caecal in the litter tray a few days ago. He ate it when I gave it to him so I presume it was definitely his?

I will ring vets today and get him booked in for next week. I know it should be sooner but it is what it is. Thank you again for the advice x
 
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I am sorry you, your OH and your daughter are having medical issues at the same time.
Sending you all vibes. Grooming Mischief's chest sounds very stressful. Shortening the fur is a good idea. I hope you can find a way to use clippers. I use a comb instead of a brush.
Thank you. Well my OH is getting better every day which is great. I can't get a drs appointment so I am feeling really depressed right now and have to pay for a taxi to go to appointment today as won't go on the bus with my eyes swollen and half shut. So more money issues.

My daughter lost a baby. I won't go into details. But yes we are all sad about that 😢

I will try and continue with the comb really gently until then
 
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