hoofbeats23 wrote:
Hazel is the one with the off and on again sneezes/runny eye. Cadberry is the one not eating his cecals. The vet came recommended from other rabbit folks. He took temp and listened to lungs. Do you think I should try another vet? Also during their checkup the vet said Cadberry's teeth were on the cusp of being bad, but not bad yet and to give more of a variety of hay ( i use to only feed timothy) both buns get a variety of tim, grass, botanical and oat hay (free choice all the time) and each get 1/4 cup oxboy tim pellets per day. with a treat (one little carrot chip) per day. Both have excellent appetites, no food dropping, I would recognize that as a problem (I'm semi-familiar with teeth issues, since I'm a horse person) Both have good poops (except cadberry not eating his cecals!) I really appreciate you guys, I'm just so sad and I feel like the worst bunny-mom in the world. I just want these two buns to be healthy!!
also, I even did a probio-regimen for cadberry to see if that would help the cecal issue, no change.
He does seem to run his teeth back and forth sometimes??? could this be an issue?kind of a soft grinding, it doesn't look distressing though..... I don't think... (p.s. these are my first buns ever so .... take that into consideration...)
Sounds like you're taking great care of them, the diet is great and and the Vet is probably okay.
And trust me, I have most of the same problems you do. You're not doing anything wrong.
Hazel's sneezes and runny eye could be a tooth root issue. The Vet would have to take x-rays to diagnose that one. Its easy to miss. But I see a lot of rabbits with intermittent runny eyes and noses, and sometimes there really doesn't seem to be a diagnoses and it really isn't that big of a deal. Maybe it's the tooth root aggravating the nose and eye, but you really only have to keep a very close eye on it to make sure it doesn't get infected.
The best dental treatment is what the vet suggested -- a wide variety of hays and grasses and other plant matter. Willow, apple and pear tree twigs are great (pesticide free), carrot top stems, etc. all help.
But sometimes I like to do a round of antibiotics just to make sure.
You can also experiment with antibiotic eye ointment, although so many of them don't seem to work, sometimes its takes two or three brands to find the right one.
As for Cadbury, I'd like to see a pic to see how overweight he is. It can take months on a good diet before the effects kick in and he loses enough weight to eat is cecals and ease up the pressure on his hocks.
Where were his abscesses?
I'd also cut back on pellets to just a couple of tablespoons, and try different brands, and even a mix. A lot of it is just going to be experimenting with diet. I'd suggest keeping a journal to keep track of his cecal output after each type of food.
You also should get him tested for parasites and/or ask the Vet about a de-wormer.
He also needs a LOT of exercise. What is the cage/pen set up like? Can he jump up on shelves or boxes? Just being able to hop in a straight line isn't really sufficient.
How bad are the sore hocks? Are they bleeding and infected or just looking bald and a little angry? I gave up trying to treat Mister's sore hocks (my overweight mini-rex), nothing worked but they didn't get any worse. I finally got rid of them by putting down a rock-covered mat over his carpet -- oddly enough! He likes the rocks way better than the plush carpet and his hocks cleared up in days. Seeing as rock mats aren't that easy to find, I'll suggest grass mats as an alternative if you're not already using them.
Are the two bunnies bonded? Most of the time the litterbox issue is territorial. A lot of vinegar will help eliminate the smell -- they always remark territory that was marked before. If I wash my place down with vinegar and water before the buns run around, the marking in minimal -- I put litter boxes, trays or paper down in their favorite spots, so I guess I'm the one who's litter trained -- but if I let somebunny run on area that was cleaned but not washed with vinegar, it gets waaay messier.
It also takes rabbits months to get used to their territory, so three months isn't that unusual for him to still be marking a lot. It does get better.
But again, you're a VERY good bunny guardian, and it doesn't sound like they're terribly unhealthy. Most of these things could just be niggling chronic ailments that can be well managed with time and observation.
PS: The teeth grinding is probably the rabbit version of happy purring, but it could be he's feeling his molar spurs. Just watch for loss of appetite or changes in habits.
sas :bunnydance:
