Hi
This is a bit of a long post but puzzled as to what's going on with my bun. Free roam, approx 4 yrs old. Fully vax.
So the last week of September my rabbit came out for his leafy breakfast, ate it with no problems or fussiness. He normally wake up around 12/1pm for his lunch where he gets an egg cup size about of pellets. He didn't come out. So I offered him some by hand and he had no interest. Tried some parsley, kale and his favourite biscuit treat. Zero interest and kept moving his head away. I got him to the vets who gave him 2 injectons (painkiller and gut mobility) and sent me with some recovery food. By Tuesday morning he still hadn't ate, drank or pooped so they kept him in overnight, recovery fed him, gave him fluids and meds. They checked his blood and nothing indicated a blockage, checked urine and all was fine, and his teeth. They said they did look like they might be a bit of a burr but not enough where they thought it would be problem, but it order to proper check they would have to sedate him and they didn't want to at the time because of he fragile state.
By Wednesday he had perked right up so he was good to go home with Meticam, Cisapride and Emeprid. As the week went on his appetite came back, poops return back to normal (obvs mishappen and dark to begin with). Lovely golden colour and good size and frequent. He was constantly in his hay box and drank loads, building up from lost time I guess! I kept his salad and leaves simple. Then that Sunday he stopped again. At this point he was only just still on the Meticam. I called the vets and they said I could take him in, or I could continue to syringe feed critical care and get him in on Monday. So that's what I did. With added Infacol drops (0.5 every hour or so). By Sunday night he started nibbling at salad I left around and started using his litterbox and eating hay, and drinking.
I took him back to the vets Monday morning. By this point his appetite was back and was full of beans again. She gave me a repeat of the medicine, but said he really needs to go back once fully recovered and eating normally so they could recheck his teeth to be sure. I didn't end up using the medicine as he seemed to be back to normal.
My plan was that once I felt he was fully recovered I was going to get him back to the vets to look at sedating him to have a full teeth check. I have now switched to a one that's listed on the Rabbit Welfare website.
Fast forward two weeks, and Saturday just gone he stopped eating again. I immediately started critical care, Infacol drops, and Metacam as already instructed, and by Saturday night was eating and drinking. And so far so good. He's eating way more hay and drinking loads. Lots of energy and back to himself.
My puzzle is that at no point prior to the not eating has he shown any reduction in food or disinterest in eating. If anything I think he's eating more hay than before (although I still have a "hospital pen" set up with everything in and the door left open so maybe I'm just watching him more) His poops have all been a regular good size, colour and amount. I also don't necessarily think it's a pain issue during these instances of not eating, he lies sprawled out, legs stretched and even bunny flopping! I have never seen him hunched (loafed yes, but not hunched) during these episodes.
I have an appointment at the new vets this Friday to see if they can check his teeth, even to sedate if needs be now that he's back to eating and drinking as he should.
Any thoughts, or anything I should be asking the vet to check for? It just seems to come from no where
This is a bit of a long post but puzzled as to what's going on with my bun. Free roam, approx 4 yrs old. Fully vax.
So the last week of September my rabbit came out for his leafy breakfast, ate it with no problems or fussiness. He normally wake up around 12/1pm for his lunch where he gets an egg cup size about of pellets. He didn't come out. So I offered him some by hand and he had no interest. Tried some parsley, kale and his favourite biscuit treat. Zero interest and kept moving his head away. I got him to the vets who gave him 2 injectons (painkiller and gut mobility) and sent me with some recovery food. By Tuesday morning he still hadn't ate, drank or pooped so they kept him in overnight, recovery fed him, gave him fluids and meds. They checked his blood and nothing indicated a blockage, checked urine and all was fine, and his teeth. They said they did look like they might be a bit of a burr but not enough where they thought it would be problem, but it order to proper check they would have to sedate him and they didn't want to at the time because of he fragile state.
By Wednesday he had perked right up so he was good to go home with Meticam, Cisapride and Emeprid. As the week went on his appetite came back, poops return back to normal (obvs mishappen and dark to begin with). Lovely golden colour and good size and frequent. He was constantly in his hay box and drank loads, building up from lost time I guess! I kept his salad and leaves simple. Then that Sunday he stopped again. At this point he was only just still on the Meticam. I called the vets and they said I could take him in, or I could continue to syringe feed critical care and get him in on Monday. So that's what I did. With added Infacol drops (0.5 every hour or so). By Sunday night he started nibbling at salad I left around and started using his litterbox and eating hay, and drinking.
I took him back to the vets Monday morning. By this point his appetite was back and was full of beans again. She gave me a repeat of the medicine, but said he really needs to go back once fully recovered and eating normally so they could recheck his teeth to be sure. I didn't end up using the medicine as he seemed to be back to normal.
My plan was that once I felt he was fully recovered I was going to get him back to the vets to look at sedating him to have a full teeth check. I have now switched to a one that's listed on the Rabbit Welfare website.
Fast forward two weeks, and Saturday just gone he stopped eating again. I immediately started critical care, Infacol drops, and Metacam as already instructed, and by Saturday night was eating and drinking. And so far so good. He's eating way more hay and drinking loads. Lots of energy and back to himself.
My puzzle is that at no point prior to the not eating has he shown any reduction in food or disinterest in eating. If anything I think he's eating more hay than before (although I still have a "hospital pen" set up with everything in and the door left open so maybe I'm just watching him more) His poops have all been a regular good size, colour and amount. I also don't necessarily think it's a pain issue during these instances of not eating, he lies sprawled out, legs stretched and even bunny flopping! I have never seen him hunched (loafed yes, but not hunched) during these episodes.
I have an appointment at the new vets this Friday to see if they can check his teeth, even to sedate if needs be now that he's back to eating and drinking as he should.
Any thoughts, or anything I should be asking the vet to check for? It just seems to come from no where