Help please

[Koumyou_69]

We have been watching what he is eating but even when we take away the wet food he is still having the problem we stopped vegies last monday and its still not helping he is refusing to eat the pelets but will eat the fresh alffa we even cut back on that but we want him to be at least eating something can anyone help us out? he is a holland lop about 3 years old im sorry but thats all we know he was donated to the farm in october

 

[SweetSassy]

I would never cut back on hay. Being 3 years old he should get Timothy hay unlimited. Alfalfa is for young rabbits or a treat.



I just read your bunny has dirrehea. Can you take the bunny to the vet? I would push hay and not give veggies.

 

[aurora369]

I would be getting him on some sort of grass hay. Alfalfa hay is rich in proteins, and is actually a legume, not a grass.

Make sure he's getting lots of fluids. Keeping him well hydrated is very important.

If this has been going on for three weeks, I highly recommend taking him to a vet. He could use some sub-q fluids to make sure he's hydrated.

He probably has an over growth of bad bacteria in his gut that is causing his digestive system to be out of whack. If you can find some, some probiotics like Benebac or even plain acidopholus (no yogurt!) would be very beneficial.

-Dawn

 

[NorthernAutumn]

^^^ If those diet changes don't make the difference, you may be looking at intestinal parasites. Is this true runny stool, or is it cecal overload?

Here is the Lagomorph Library article on Diarrhea:here.

As the article indicates, true diarrhea in adult rabbits is quite uncommon. Rather, it is often caused by intestinal parasites.
A fecal float is typically done by the vet to detect parasitic invasion. A dewormer such as Panacur may be useful at that point.

All the best to bunny!

 

[Koumyou_69]

i ment to say 2ed cut hay not alffa we are on a farm lol so hay is never low i have checked his teeth and they seem fine i have a rabbit at home with bad teeth. im not sure what to do we are a non profite organization so we don have much money for a vet right now we have just been washing him every other day or so.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

It would be good to look at the above library article for the description of differences in stool. Can you describe it more? That would help infirmary mods narrow down the cause a bit...

 

[Maureen Las]

if he has actually had diarrhea this long it is going to catch up with him

can you even talk to a vet. ?
he could have a protozoal infection like coccidia which is treatable.
in the meantime do sub q fluids if you are able , otherwise syringe him as much pedialyte( infant electrolyte drink) as you can
and get a probiotic like benebac or if you are near a farm store you can get a probiotic in a tube for horses.( called probios here)
a vet could most likely give you a drug called metronidaozole (flagyl) which may help with what ever is going onhis gut.

the grass hays are better than the alfalfa.

You possibly could get a his stool tested by a vet if you can't do that there
are you a shelter or a sanctuary ?

 

[Koumyou_69]

we are a farm this is handy-accable i know we have a vet for our big animals but i dont think they look at the bunnies and small animals. im thinking about taking him to see my vet on my own buck if it doesn't stop soon its really bothering me that he has had it for a little over three weeks now and nothing has been done about it. i have given him alot of hay and have been watching him for the past hour he ate about 10 pelets then nothing more its the most i have seen him eat in over a week

he has also been drinking alot we have been checking that to make sure he gets fresh water every morning

 

[tonyshuman]

Horses are actually a lot like rabbits, so a horse vet may be helpful if you can't find any others. I'm not sure exactly what the issue is here--he has diarrhea? For how long? He's not eating? If he has had diarrhea for 3 weeks, he needs to see a vet for a fecal test and perhaps some antibiotics (metronidazole--antibiotic, antiparasitic, and gut antiinflammatory).