Homemade syringe-feeding mixture?

Short version:

I live in China and my two year old female rabbit Snowball has stopped eating. Many sites recommend syringe feeding if times get tough, but I can't buy any of the products they are suggesting.

Some sites are saying that mashed up pellets and apples will work. Is this true? Or are there other recommendations?

Long version:

Two days ago Snowball became lethargic, had unusually small feces, and was sitting in her own urine. The day after (yesterday) she would only nibble apples chunks and vegetables, so we took her to the vet. They gave us some medicine (unable to translate the name) which my wife and I mixed with water and fed to her.

Today she wouldn't eat at all. We took her back to the vet where he gave her a "vitamin shot" because he was worried that she hadn't eaten. That's the best translation my wife could give me; I had a work commitment I couldn't go with them.

Over the past few weeks the coloration on her face has been changing. A black patch of fur which previously covered her nose has been creeping towards her eyes. Not sure if this is related, but I thought I'd mention it.

Any help you can offer would be much appreciated.

Is she pooping/peeing? Is she eating or drinking?

You can syringe feed her baby food or mashed up foods high in fiber and moisture, canned pumpkin, pineapple juice, and water if she isn't drinking. You could also syringe her mashed up pellets. When a rabbit stops eating it can end up very serious so she needs to see a vet if she doesn't start eating soon.

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

From the looks of things she was pooping last night, and her bottom is wet from sitting in her own pee. Not exactly eating per se, but she did nibble on some newspaper at the vet. She just looks away whenever I try to give her water. We've been taking her to the vet every day. The vet is a generalist; I'm am flat out not going to find a vet who specializes in rabbits in this neck of the woods. They give her an IV to rehydrate and give her basic nutrition. Also shots for what it turns out is coccidiosis. I've been keeping her cage extra-clean and her separate from her partner. But if she doesn't eat in the next few hours I'm going to try the syringe.

You really should try to find a rabbit savvy vet. I have to travel over an hour for mine but it's worth it, here's a list: http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

I would suggest starting to syringe feed her and get her some critical care. This happened to one of my buns and he ended up passing away. I hope she starts eating soon and if she doesn't try to get her to a rabbit savvy vet

I can imagine finding a rabbit vet where you are, is likely impossible. Just do the best you can. You don't want your rabbit to go without eating for too long. Even a few hours without food can be too long for rabbits. So definitely syringe feed if it has been more than 4-6 hours since your bun last ate. Soak the pellets in warm water to create a pellet mush. Don't add any sugary fruit to is as you really want to avoid high sugar foods at this time, as they can unbalance the microflora in a rabbits digestive tract.

To syringe feed the pellet mush you will need a syringe with a large opening so the fiber particles don't clog the opening, or you may be able to spoon feed it instead. You need to feed about 3cc per lb. of body weight, and feed every 4 hours. If you are having difficulty syringing water, then just add a bit more to the pellet mash. Fluids are very important to help get the digestion moving.

A rabbit not eating and GI stasis, are just symptoms of another health issue. Sometimes a digestive problem can be the cause, but other health problems like a bladder or kidney issue can be the cause, along with many other health problems. Has that possibility been investigated at all with blood tests or xrays?

Another important thing that rabbits in pain need is pain relief. It is essential to getting them eating again on their own. A rabbit in pain doesn't usually want to eat. The most common(and safest) NSAID pain reliever given to rabbits is meloxicam 0.2mg-0.6mg/kg once or twice daily.

Do you know why the vet is treating for coccidiosis? Was a fecal test done that found your rabbit has this?

If she is bonded with another rabbit, it is sometimes necessary to keep them together, or at least in pens/cages immediately next to each other. Splitting up a bonded pair can often make one or both rabbits depressed, which can lead to lack of appetite too. Which you don't want complicating an already difficult situation. If she has something that is contagious, it's likely your other bun has already been exposed. The only benefit to keeping them separate, is being able to closely monitor her pooping, which is sometimes pretty important, so in this case just make sure to keep them as close as possible to reduce any separation anxiety.

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Safe_drugs_main.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Sorry for taking so long to reply! This is the third time today I've tried; my computer keeps overheating and shuting down (busted CPU fan).

JBun said:

Soak the pellets in warm water to create a pellet mush. Don't add any sugary fruit to is as you really want to avoid high sugar foods at this time, as they can unbalance the microflora in a rabbits digestive tract.

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Thanks. We fed her twice now using mashed up pellets.

She's not showing any interest in greens, hay, or apple chunks. She is, however, nibbling regularly on a piece of cardboard which was on the floor. Normally we don't let them eat cardboard (there are better sources of fibre), but I figure anything moving through her system is better than nothing.

JBun said:

A rabbit not eating and GI stasis, are just symptoms of another health issue. Sometimes a digestive problem can be the cause, but other health problems like a bladder or kidney issue can be the cause, along with many other health problems. Has that possibility been investigated at all with blood tests or xrays?

Click to expand...

JBun said:

Do you know why the vet is treating for coccidiosis? Was a fecal test done that found your rabbit has this?

Click to expand...

The disagnosis was done by examining her feces.

I don't think the vet's office has the facilities to do blood tests or x-rays. I could go to the university vet clinic in Nanning (where I had her neutered), but these are the people who told me "not to let them eat a day before surgery", so I'm not sure how much more useful their diagnosis would be.

JBun said:

Another important thing that rabbits in pain need is pain relief. It is essential to getting them eating again on their own. A rabbit in pain doesn't usually want to eat. The most common(and safest) NSAID pain reliever given to rabbits is meloxicam 0.2mg-0.6mg/kg once or twice daily.

Click to expand...

I'll run that through Google translate and check with them in the morning

JBun said:

so in this case just make sure to keep them as close as possible to reduce any separation anxiety.

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Safe_drugs_main.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Click to expand...

Thank you for the links. She and her partner are hanging out right now. He doesn't show any signs, but that could just be because he's a passive carrier. I'll have to get him checked too.

Update: She started eating green vegetables this morning. I don't want to jinx it, but I think the worst is over.

The vet gave us something to help the bacteria in her stomach, but nothing for pain management. I will have to make a trip to the university hospital if she relapses.

Keep offering her her regular diet, but supplement her with syringe feeding until you feel she's eating at her normal level.

Meloxicam is sold under the label Metacam in the US and it's definitely the most common pain reliever used in bunnies but there are other, stronger options as well.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who gave advice on helping Snowball recover. Sadly, after a week long struggle, Snowball passed away on Sunday night. She had just turned two years old. She's survived by her partner Fufu (who is getting lots of love and attention from my wife and I during this adjustment period).

I'm sorry to hear about Snowball's passing. You obviously cared for her very much, and did everything you could for her.

Binky free, Snowball. ray:

I'm sorry for your loss TripleD

TopDoll and pani,

Thank you for your kind words. Here's my favourite funny baby video of Snowball (she did this a bunch of times before she got too big)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/theoriginaltripled/7855240376/in/photostream/

Peace out.