Dewey's not doing well

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Short update: He's doing better this morning. He's eating hay and drinking on his own. I gave him about 2 tbsp of pumpkin last night, as well as a couple doses of simethicone and 1/2 tablet of low-dose aspirin. Apparently they don't call it "children's aspirin" anymore. It's the same thing though, in orange or cherry flavor.
 
I'm glad he's feeling a little better and eating again. That always makes me breath a sigh of relief when they will eat on their own. Hopefully you will be able to figure out what is causing his GI problems. With my one rabbit that kept having stasis issues, I finally realized that it was his rabbit pellets that his digestive system just couldn't tolerate anymore, and once I stopped pellets, as well as anything with sugars and carbs, and just fed hay and veggies, he stopped having stasis problems. Hopefully with your bun it just has to do with something in his diet and isn't a health problem.
 
I want to get blood and poop tested tomorrow to see if they can find any signs of underlying illness. As for the pellets, I was giving him unlimited pellets because, at 7 years old, that was keeping his weight steady. He ate about 1/2 cup a day. Is there something else you can give to keep their weight up?
 
Yeah, as long as he doesn't have bladder sludge issues, you can gradually introduce alfalfa hay into his diet. The added protein should help him keep his weight up. Plus you won't be getting the added carbs from feeding extra pellets. You do want to slowly introduce it, like you do with veggies or any new food. Start with a very small amount each day for a few days, keeping an eye out for poop changes, then gradually increase if the poops stay ok. You'll want to wait a few days til this last stasis bout is settled, and he is having normal poops and behavior for several days. You want a good green alfalfa with small stems and lots of leaves. The smaller the stems and earlier the cut, the higher the protein.

Now that he is eating hay, you may want to cut back on the pellets, in case that was the cause of the stasis. Also don't feed any other sugars and carbs. Him eating lots of grass hay is going to keep his digestion moving better and get the gut balance restored. Unless there is a parasitic problem, like the cocci. But if his poops have gone back to normal, and there isn't any more mucous, then it's most likely that cocci wasn't the problem. With him eating unlimited pellets, that could very well have been the cause. If his poops have gone back to normal and he is acting normal again, on a reduced pellet diet, then he may be fine, but if you are concerned about other illnesses causing this, then it probably is best to get the tests done, to rule those other things out.
 
Dewey passed away today.

I took him to an appointment at 10. His breathing was really labored, so I was afraid he might not make it. The vet started examining him, and when she went to look in his mouth Dewey started struggling. He tried to dash off, so she stopped and sat him on the towel. Then Dewey just went rigid and fell over. I saw him gasp twice. The vet took him in the back and tried to resuscitate, but he was gone.

I'm crushed. The vet things he might have had cancer, because she felt a lump in his abdomen. She offered to do a necropsy, but I didn't really want him cut open, and it wouldn't help anything anyway. So my husband is digging a hole to bury him.

Rest in peace sweetie. :hearts
 
Oh no, we were hoping to read that he was doing better
We are so sorry for your loss of poor Dewey. If he did in fact have cancer, he is in a better place. Hopefully all of the good memories you have with him will help you through this.
Binky free Dewey!!!
 
So sorry for your loss, the image of him getting head rubs is beautiful.
 
Awww he was such a cute bun too. I'm sorry for your loss. Just reading your post about his last few minutes made me tear up. I can't imagine losing a rabbit like that. :(
 
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