Sick rabbit

This morning when I woke up, my rabbit didn't want to eat. He just sat in the corner with his eyes closed. He didn't want to play either. I took him downstairs to the basement because he likes cold, dark places, butit didn't help. He just kept changing positions. I took him back upstairs to his cage, but he still doesn't want to play or eat. He just sits there with his eyes half closed. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but my mom gave him the middle part of a lettuce yesterday. Mabye he didn't like it. He only pooped once, and it wasn't his normal poop, either. I'm going to take him to the vet tommorrow, but I don't know what to do right now. Please help!!

It sounds like it could be gas, potentially which has led to stasis. He could easily do with a vet tonight.

He needs some heat, for starters, so if you could maybe make a rice sock (regular uncooked rice, in a sock, heated in the microwave), to help him stay warm.

Is he drinking?

I'm not someone who has ever dealt with gas, but exercise helps, as does tummy rubs, and Simethecone, but I think someone else might be better advising you on that.

Can you please answer these questions and also put your location in your profile?

If you're posting about a sick bunny in the Infirmary, please provide the following information:

- Location

- Description (Breed, color., weight)

- Age

- spayed/neutered?

- Notes on Fecal and Urinary Output
- are the bunny's poops and pees normal?
- When did they last use their litterbox?
- Any unusual behavior?

- Medical History -- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before?

- Diet - what does your bunny eat?
- when and what did s/he eat last?

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally?

- are there any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach?

- has the rabbit been outdoors?

Also, how much lettuce did he have? What type of lettuce? Is it something he has had before?

- Location- Brantford, ON

- Description (Breed, color., weight)
Dutch Rabbit, Brown and White, about 4-5 lbs

- Age
1 year, 4 months

- spayed/neutered?
no

- Notes on Fecal and Urinary Output
- are the bunny's poops and pees normal?4
no, he has diarrhea
- When did they last use their litterbox?
mabye two hours ago
- Any unusual behavior?
not eating, and sitting with closed eyes all the time, not wanting to eat

- Medical History -- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before?
he has never been to the vet before

- Diet - what does your bunny eat?
hay, oats, milk, water, parsley, carrots, lettuce
- when and what did s/he eat last?
he ate a bit of oats in the morning

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally?
no, he doesn't move at all, except to change positions

- are there any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach? no.


- has the rabbit been outdoors?
yes, we took him around the backyard yesterday.

What did you mean by " He could easily do with a vet tonight."? We would take him to the vet today, but it is closed today.

He didn't have alot of lettuce. It was roman lettuce. He had it before.
He's started to drink some water now. That's the most life I've seen in him since morning.

The middle part of the lettuce would be whiter and and could have upset him.

can you go to a drug store and get some liquid infant gas drops. ..some brands would be Gas X for infants or mylicon for infants

You want simethicone to be the only active ingredient so read the back of the package to make sure of that; you don't want mylanta or Maalox or anything like that ...just infant gas drops with simethicone as the active ingredient
You can give him 1 ml (1 cc) and see how he does. while you are there pick up some pedialyte which is an electrolyte drink for infants ;; syringe him pedialyte as much as he will take also ..

Can you get to a petco tonight and get benebac. They have tubes for small animals and also powder. You can get the dog /cat benebac if that's all they have.
this is a probiotic and will reestablish the"good bacteria in his stomach. which has been upset.
If you can do these things and then let us know how he is
you can administer 2 more doses of simethicone in a 3 hr period. this stuff won't hurt your rabbit as it is not absorbed ..just breaaks up gas bubbles and allow them to move through.

he does sound as if he has gas...

What I am describing is a safe treatment for gas;I have done this myself many times when my buns had gas

I went to the drugstore, but there was no gas x for infants so I took something called Ovol. It has Simethicone in it too.

Do youhave any emergency clinics, if you can go there?

Sorry I didn't see this sooner but ovol is fine ; are you in the UK?

Ovol is perfect... it's what we have available here in Canada (which is where the OP lives). You can give him .5 ml 4 times a day. I don't think she'll be able to get the Benebac tho (no PetCo's in Canadark either)... I wasn't able to find it for Jacub.

However, you can order the gel from Leith Petwerks... here's a link
http://www.leithpetwerks.com/TestingGround/Sessions/prodpage.cfm?prod_code=MS510

I hope your bunny is doing better soon. But I would definitely get him into the vet as soon as you can.

Sandra

Wanted to add... I'm not sure what the others here think, but I wouldn't give him milk or oats in future. If you do give oats, just a tiny few... I found the oats to give my bunny a bit of stasis a few years ago. And milk... it's just not good for them.

Thanks Magnolia Dee

Lots of good advice already given, but I want to stress that if she is not alert, or less alert, or "floppy," she needs to go to a vet ASAP. The ovol may help, but if she's still the same on Monday morning, she needs to go to the vet ASAP. It requires an emergency vet visit.

Thanks, guys! Peter's feeling better now, thanks to the Ovol and Pedialyte.