How much pumpkin is too much?

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Today Sabrina was spayed and she seems to be doing well. I am posting in the nutrition sections because all she will eat is pumpkin. How much is too much? She has only had about a tablespoon so far but she has now gone from a few bites every 1/2 hour to big bites every 5-10 mins. Is there a point that I should cut her off? Or can she keep eating the 3 tablespoons that I have defrosted right now until she is full?

Thanks!
Lauren

 

[naturestee]

If that's all she wants to eat, try grinding up some of her pellets and mixing them into the pumpkin.

She could also be displaying symptoms of the dreaded SBS- Spoiled Bunny Syndrome. She's learned that you pity her and will keep giving her the good stuff so she's using it to her advantage. It's not a big deal unless she keeps doing this through the next day. I'd let her have another tablespoon, then hold out for a while to get her to eat stuff she's more used to.

My spayed girls loved to be pampered after their surgeries. Try feeding her pellets or pieces of hay from your hand.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

my little finicky critters donot like pumpkin,,this is interesting/little sabrina likes pumpkin...pumpkin can be fed to/for rehab of rabbits,when not eating..ie.sick,etc.,,timothy/orchard grass(hay)-is a non digestible fiber--which needs to be offered 24/7 and makes up 70% of the diet,,,if the diet is offset with large quanities of digesstible fiber it could disrupt the gi tract-movement for poops_(stasis)...in moderation the pumpkin is good and gives her more water too...sincerely james waller

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Yes, it may be a bit of SBS! I put a bit of hay in front of her but she isn't really interested. She also ate 2 sprigs of parsley. Hopefully her appetite will be back to normal in the morning! However I am thinking that some Gas-X might be in order...any advice on that one?

 

[tonyshuman]

Hi, posting these things I also posted in the side chat bar so that you can read them later:

4 Dec 09, 02:48 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: Hi Sabrina, how's the patient?
4 Dec 09, 02:49 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: I see she was spayed just a few hours ago--it's normal for them to not want to eat after that
4 Dec 09, 02:50 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: it's most important for her to have some liquid, like waterr, or pedialyte if you can get it
4 Dec 09, 02:50 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: I'd try to get 5-10mL of liquid into her, and then more Metacam if she hasn't had her dose for the day yet
4 Dec 09, 02:51 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: also if you have it, a dose of simethicone can help--it helped us when Benjamin didn't want to eat after his neuter.
4 Dec 09, 02:52 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: gentle tummy massages and heat can also help, like LOWAPB said.
4 Dec 09, 02:52 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: it's normal for bunnies to not want to eat immediately following surgery, especially spays--so don't worry if she's not eating as long as she's pooping, active, drinking, and acting normally
4 Dec 09, 02:53 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: There are things you can do to try to get her to eat, like what we've mentioned, but it's not a thing to panic about yet
4 Dec 09, 02:55 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: the stress of the whole experience and going under/coming out of anesthesia can be a bit stressful for them
4 Dec 09, 02:56 AM
[×] [o] tonyshuman: I think as long as you've seen her eat a little (like you have), seen a few poops, and are sure she's got some fluid in her along with the proper pain meds that she should have, I wouldn't worry about her tonight

Good luck and please keep us updatred.

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Hi Tonyshuman...sorry I must ave dozed off there for a bit. Thank you so much for the advice! At that point (almost 3 am my time) she still had only had the one drink. I am happy to report that now at 6, she was able to have a decent size drink. She also ate a little bit of greens which is good because her tummy probably needs a break from pumpkin! She seems a lot happier now and is not in a constant state of bunny loaf! I didn't check the incision sight right now but I will when the sun comes up.

She had some soft/misshapen stools when I was up to check on her but I read in the library that it is normal after surgery to see that. So I am not too concerned.

My dad is going to go to the pharmacy and get her some pedialite and gas x and then drop it off at my apartment on his way to work!

Sorry mods that this has turned into a bit of an infirmary thread, it meant to just start out as a question about pumpkin!

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

Hows she doing now?

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

She is doing pretty well. She ate about a handful of pellets, a bit of parsley, and a baby carrot (as her treat) since my last post. She ate a little bit of hay too. She had a few cecals but didn't eat them (she pooed them into her litter box) so I will go out and grab her some benebac this afternoon just to make sure that all is in order in that department. She has made several pees too and will drink when I hold her water up to her but not on her own. She's not curling up to her rice sock anymore so I am taking that as a sign that she is feeling pretty good.

She is definitely starting to get back to her normal self now, thanks so much for all of your help and advice last night and today!

 

[tonyshuman]

I'm glad she's doing better. It's great that she's been eating, drinking, and pooing. A few uneaten cecals is normal after the stress of surgery, plus she might be a bit sore and not want to reach all the way down there. It sounds like she's through the worst of it, and should come around fine!

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Thanks for the reassurance. She was digging on her floor which usually means that she wants out, so I complied and let her out for the first time, she hopped right out and straight to her favorite nap spot. A few minutes later she ran back in for bathroom break, so I think that those are all good signs. I have also added a water bowl on her lower level in case she is down there and too sore to hop up to get her water on the second level.

thanks again!

Lauren

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Here is another quick update...she is doing really well. Still not 100% there yet since her poos are still smaller and misshapen, but her spirits are much higher. I let her out again tonight and she hopped up onto her perch (aka the bench in my front hall). She is still not thrilled with eating pellets but she has eaten a decent amount of greens. Thanks everyone for all of your advice!

Lauren

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

I would be careful with how much freedom she gets. You don't want her to hurt her incisions if there is any.

Glad she's feeling better

 

[tonyshuman]

Yeah, a lot of hopping isn't the best idea, but I can understand that you want her to be able to sit in her spot. Glad she's doing better!

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Thanks guys...I guess that was a Rookie mistake! I will make sure not to let her into the bedroom or living rooms where she will jump up onto the furniture there which is much higher than her bench.

She still isn't very interested in her pellets...although she did eat some hay overnight. I'm going to try grinding up her pellets and mixing them in with some pumpkin as naturestee suggested.

Will it be harmful if I give her some benebac? I don't know if she needs it or not and if it is harmful if you give it to them when they don't need it. Also which is better to give pineapple juice or pedialyte? She still isn't drinking as much as she usually does so I think that putting something in her water so that she gets the most benefit out of it might be helpful.

Thanks a million everyone, I don't know what I would do if I hadn't discovered RO.

Lauren
Lauren

 

[Maureen Las]

Glad that she is improving

 

[aurora369]

Giving the benebac will not harm her. It helps to acidify the gut to promote good bacteria rather than bad bacteria that can develop in a slow gut. Go ahead and giver her some.

As for fluids, I would offer her a second dish with some water spiked with fruit juice or offer her a bowl of pedialyte. If you do want to do pinapple juice, it needs to be fresh squeezed and not from a can. Make sure she still has plain water in her bottle in case she doesn't like what you have offered.

-Dawn

 

[~*sAbRiNa*~]

Thanks Dawn, I will give her the benebac today and a second dish with some pedialyte.

She is back to her crazy little self again today! She was running around like a lunatic this morning when I let her out, so I am guess that she is feeling great. She also finally ate some pellets!

She also managed to nibble one of her stitches over night but I called the vet's as soon as I noticed it and they said that as long as the skin isn't gaping the internal stitches will be enough to hold it, but that if she grabs another one she will need a cone :wink