I believe my Rabbit is sick, but I cannot spot any symptoms...

[Naraku]

I am very sorry about making ignorant topics, but I am really afraid for my Bunny, Cotton.

She is 1 year and 9-months-old, and I take very good care of her, and her Brother and Sister. She is half Netherland Dwarf, and half New Zealand-Black; her Parents were both Black-haired, but she has short, white & gray wool-like fur. I give her clean water each day, Rabbit pellets mostly, but I also feed her Alfalfa and Timothy Hay, Celery, Carrots and Apples . She is fairly big, and has a slightly big tummy.

Anyway, I fed her about 10 hours ago, and I noticed that she is was sitting in the corner, breathing heavily and slightly closing her eyes at times. Because all of my Rabbits were lying down,looking half-asleep at the same time (like they always do), I did not worry. When I came back a few hours later, she was still doing this. I believe she did not eat much of her food, but she probably drank some water. Her droppings and Urin look normal, she does NOT have a runny nose or watery eyes, and when I held her, shewas still as strong as she always is. Also, I removed her from the Case, then she just hopped right in after about a minute (normal)-- and in the same spot, too. So, she acts pretty normal and is NOT weak, but why is she breathing hard and looking tired? I have seen her EXACTLY this way while she was about to give birth, but I truly believe that I havekept her AWAY from Gary, her Brother...


So, other than Pregnancy, is there anything else that can be wrong with her? I never could imagine losing my beloved Cotton...I can list 100 reasons why I love her so much.


Please help meIt is nearing the weekend, and I may not be able to take her to the Vet until Monday (assuming my Parents will take me).

P.S. I really thank everyone who helped me with the topic about Sara. I now have a Cage for Gary, and I will make sure that they will never get a chance to mate through a cage.

 

[Pipp]

Does her tummy seem bigger than usual?

You may want to try some baby gas medication containing Simethicone. Even if that's not the problem, it won't hur ther.

sas

 

[Naraku]

Pipp wrote:

Does her tummy seem bigger than usual?

You may want to try some baby gas medication containingSimethicone. Even if that's not the problem, it won't hurther.

sas

I cannot tell..Her tummy is always big. However, it may seem bigger than usual before smaller. Oh yes, she is holding her head up very high, and she is also opening her mounth at random. What does this mean??

Thank you, I will see if I have some. I still need other opinions, though.

P.S. I forgot to say, last night, I bought some Kitty Litter and used it in her cage because she usually makes a big mess everyday. The Kitty Litter's scent is fairly strong, but I used to use it in her cage about a year ago, and neither of her Brothers and Sisters got sick. So, can this be the cause-- even though I had used it over 10 times, a long time ago?

 

[naturestee]

I agree with Pipp- try the gas meds.She is acting like my Mocha does during gas attacks. Is she leaving the same number of poops as normal?

I would take out the kitty litter immediately. It can be very dangerous if it is eaten. It could possibly cause a blockage if she ate enough of it. That does not mean this is the cause, but I would definately take it out and be aware that it is a possibility. If you need to use litter with her, try a wood pellet litter like Woody Pet or Eagle Valley ABM. You can get a big bag for $5 or so, and it's safe and very absorbant.

 

[Naraku]

So far, I have not seen her leave any droppings, and she has been inside of the house for over 6 hours.However, she rarely urinates, etc while inside of the house.

Alright, I will try Gas meds. Can she die from this problem? What will happen if she continues to breathe hard all night?Right now, it is nearly 1:00AM, and I am freaking out.

Thank you.

 

[Pipp]

Depending on what you mean by'opening her mouth at random', that could be a sign of a very sick bunny. Based on that info, I'd get her to a vet first asap.Hopefully they're open on a Saturday. Most are around here.

It depends what's wrong with her, and there's no way of telling for sure unless she's seen by a vet. If she has gas from something she ate (has she had any new veggies or a lot of new grass or anything?), then the Simethicone should really help.

If she goes 24 hours without eating or pooping, it will be an emergency no matter what.

Is she drinking? Were her poops a normal size last time she pooped?

It could already be an emergency if she is pregnant and has a stuck kit or something like that, but you're going to have to check that out from there. Does she seem to be straining at all? Here's an article on diagnosing pregnancy:

http://islandgems.net/palpating.html

Is her mouth or chest wet at all? That would be a sign of overheating.

Is she grinding her teeth? That's a sign of pain.

There are just too many variables. We can only hopeshe's okay and it's just a bit of gas, but I wouldn't take that chance.



sas

 

[Pipp]

Per chance did you feed her a stock of celeryright before this happened? I had a bunny that either got the strings caught in his teeth or his throat, and he acted a little like that. Just in case, maybecheck her mouth and teeth thebestyou can.

sas

 

[Naraku]

Pipp wrote:

Depending on what you mean by'opening her mouth at random', that could be a sign of a very sick bunny. Based on that info, I'd get her to a vet first asap.Hopefully they're open on a Saturday. Most are around here.

It depends what's wrong with her, and there's no way of telling for sure unless she's seen by a vet. If she has gas from something she ate (has she had any new veggies or a lot of new grass or anything?), then the Simethicone should really help.

If she goes 24 hours without eating or pooping, it will be an emergency no matter what.

Is she drinking? Were her poops a normal size last time she pooped?

It could already be an emergency if she is pregnant and has a stuck kit or something like that, but you're going to have to check that out from there. Does she seem to be straining at all? Here's an article on diagnosing pregnancy:

http://islandgems.net/palpating.html

Is her mouth or chest wet at all? That would be a sign of overheating.

Is she grinding her teeth? That's a sign of pain.

There are just too many variables. We can only hopeshe's okay and it's just a bit of gas, but I wouldn't take that chance.



sas

Sometimes, she opens and closes her mouth; as if she is talking or something. It does not exactly look as though she is gasping for air. I am sorry for not making much sense.

Well, I have been feeding her Carrots,Apples,Breadand small amounts of Rabbit pellets for the past few days. I hope that it IS gas...I hate not knowing what is wrong with her.

I believe she ate a little around 1:00PM (12 hours ago), and she drank water a few hours ago. The last time she had droppings, they were normal sized and also had NO HAIR in them.

Straining as in struggling to walk, run or stand? She does seem a bit stiff, but her reflexes are normal and she is perfectly strong and alert. If she has a stuck Kit,should I be able to see it? I tried looking twice, but it looks normal. However, that area is pink, and I heard that when a Doe is close to giving birth, it is pink. I checked her Sister's, and her's is very pale pink.

Neither her mouth nor her chest is wet. I also checked for teeth grinding, and I have not felt nor heard any. I checked her Sister and Brother to make sure their's are all the same-- so no one is grinding their teeth.

Alright, I will definitely give her Gas Meds in the morning, because they are in my Parent's room (they are asleep). I hope we have the correct type. How long should they take to work? And I will also see if I can take her to the Vet. I still do not understand why she is not eating, but appears to be almost normal.

Peace

 

[Pipp]

Straining as in trying to push out a kit. But I think she'd be a lot worse by now if that was the case.

See if you have any better luck coaxingher to eat soft foods like grated carrot or banana or something. If she's moving her mouth, it may be a tooth problem. Bunnies will stop eating even if its something caught in their teeth, or if they have a molar spur or any kind of adental problem.

If she's drinking, you're ahead of the game, that's the most important thing.

The baby gas meds will work within an hour, so you'll know soon enough. If you have Ovol there, you can give her a dropperful every hour for three hours. Other brands will probably be the same.

Can you hear her stomachgurgling?

(And if you're feeding her carrots, apples and bread, no wonder she has a big tummy).

sas

 

[Naraku]

Earlier, I found out that all of the Vets in my area are full or closed. None of them are open on Sunday, and two of them are full next week, too. So, I need to keep her fairly healthy until Monday.

I will give her soft foods...She has to eat if she wants to live. Her panting is not as bad as it was yesterday, and she is not really holding her head up high anymore, either. She is also more alert than she was yesterday. However, she is refusing to eat and drink now.When I try to give her food and water, she turns away fast, and jumps sometimes. If the Gas Meds do not work, then I believe something is wrong with her mouth or throat. I tried checking her teeth and mouth(not thoroughly, because I lack experience), and they appeared to be normal. Even though she is not eating, it is good to know that her tummy is still fairly full from over 24 hours ago.

And my Sister said that she *thought* she heard her tummy gurgling,but I am not sure whether I did or not.Anyway, thanks for the advice; I will try to keep her good until I can get her to the Vet.

Peace.

 

[Pipp]

Naraku wrote:

Even though she is not eating, it is good to know that her tummy is still fairly full from over 24 hours ago.

Rabbits digest their food quickly and need something in the digestive tract all the time in order to keep it moving. Once it stops moving, it's very hard to get it started again, and it can cause other problems. Being full 24 hours ago means nothing --not eating or drinking for 24 hours is very serious.

Have you tried the gas meds yet?

You're going to have to start handling her if she's not eating or drinking on her own. Best to go get some Pedialyte, she may drink that out of a syringe or dropper on her own. If not,you're going to have to (gently)'force' feed her.You may have to mix up some well ground up pellets soaked in water and maybe banana or pineapple or something else she likes.

sas

 

[Pipp]

PS: My main bunny Pipp has a history of molar spurs, she always seems to be bothered by them starting on weekend when the vet closes,and I have to keep trying to keep food in her for a couple of days.It took a while,but I've been able to convince her that canned pumpkin tastes good and doesn't have to be chewed.That and the Pedialyte has kept her going. Maybe that will work forCotton,too.

Fussing over them is the key. Good luck with her. ray::clover:

sas

 

[Naraku]

I tried the Gas Meds this morning,and they may or may not have helped. My Mother told me to let her out in the yard for about an hour, and she ran and jumped like normal. She is still panting, of course, but like I said before, she is mostly normal.

An hour ago, my Sister and I fed her crushed/wet Rabbit pellets through a dropper, and as soon as we fed her a few mouthfuls,she started leaving droppings for the first time in over 30 hours. She also urinated twice today, which is good, in my opinion. One thing that bothers me is, whenever she chews, she makes a loud and unusual sound--what does it mean? Her urine is its normal color, and soareher droppings, but I will not get my hopes up...

Is it possible that she has Snuffles? Or she has to have watery eyes and a wet nose in order to have it? I sure hope that she does not have it. Her eyes are clear & wide, nose is dry, but the nostrils are barely moist (I believe Sara, Chocolate and Gary's are the same way).


If she starts to eat on her own, I will feel a lot more comfortable...I am paranoid due to losing so many baby Rabbits this month and in the last...

Peace!

 

[naturestee]

She's pretty!

I'm not sure what the sounds are when she's eating. If she had snuffles, she would have some sort of eye or nasal discharge or she would be sneezing. It could be that she has molar spurs and the sound is from the way she chews to avoid the pain. You wouldn't be able to see molar spurs on your own. You need special equipment as they're small, and sometimes to get a good look at the very back teeth the rabbit needs to be under anesthesia.So that's definately something for a vet to check out.

Keep feeding her the soft food, as much as she's willing to eat. She may eveneat it if you put it in her bowl,especially if you mix a little of something she likes in there like a fragrant herb or a bit of pumpkin or fruit.

 

[Spring]

Is the sound like a squeeky sound sort of? I had this when Pepsi was chewing food when she really didn't want to eat but I sternly made her. Keep an eye on her. It's good that her poops are normal and she's active. Keep her eating no matter what. Try hourly with things to see if she'll eat them. If you don't feel that she's drinking enough, syringe feed her some water because being hydrated helps in these situations. Hope she's ok!I don't think she has snuffles.

 

[Naraku]

Spring wrote:

Is the sound like a squeaky sound sort of? I had this when Pepsi was chewing food when she really didn't want to eat but I sternly made her.Keep an eye on her. It's good that her poops are normal and she's active. Keep her eating no matter what. Try hourly with things to see if she'll eat them. If you don't feel that she's drinking enough,syringe feed her some water because being hydrated helps in these situations. Hope she's ok!I don't think she has snuffles.

I believe it is *a bit* of a squeaky sound, however, it is more like a crackling, loud sound-- like a broken tooth or something(I doubt it is a broken tooth, though).

Her breathing is pretty much back to normal, but she still is not eating. SheTRIES to eat, but it is like something is stopping her from doing so. She actually drank water on her own, though. Now, I believe that her true problem is mouth/tooth-related. Maybe she did have gas too, but thatmight be gone.Are there any householdmedicines that I can use on her, in case sheIS having trouble with her mouth? If she will start eating and drinkingon her own, then she will appear normal...

Peace!

 

[Spring]

Keep her eating smooth stuff that she doesn't need to chew. By the sounds of it, she has a tooth problem. I would get her mouth checked out by a vet. If she attempts to eat on her own, I don't think it could be anything releated to gas or something. I know with my bunny shesometimes eats and then doesn't feel like itwhen it's in hermouth and it falls out, but the vet checked her teeth and said everything looked fine.

Get her pellets, let them soak in boiling water and thenmush them up after they become bloated andsoft then add a bit more cool water to cool it down then syringe it to her. She needs to keep eating untill youcan get her to a vet.

Can you get her to a vet?

 

[Pipp]

I agree, sounds like a tooth problem, and they don't get better on their own. Time to see a vet I'm afraid!

You have to get her in before she loses weight from not being able to eat, so she can tolerate the surgery if she needs some. It may just be a simple matter of clipping her teeth (which is easy to do without surgery), or they may need to knock her out just brieflyand do somefiling. Its also possible she's got an abscess, so that's another reason to get her checked out asap.

Let us know how it goes...



sas and the gang

 

[Naraku]

Alright....

I am pleased to announce that Cotton is back to her oldself, and mainlybecause of you nice people. I assume that she DID have a Gas problem and/or possibly a minor mouth/tooth problem.However, if she does not appear to be feeling this good tomorrow, I will take her to the Vet for a check-up-- just to be safe. I was very afraid for her...

I would like to thank every kind-hearted person who gave me advice and showed concern for Cotton^_^ Again, thank you very, very,much, and I hope that your Bunnies will live long and happy lives as well!

Peace!

 

[naturestee]

That's great news! I'm so glad to hear she's feeling better!