Is something wrong with my bunny?

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xBumblexBee

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I just bought a 5 week year old bunny. I'm pretty sure she is a Holland Lop if that matters. Starting last night and today, I have noticed that her poop isn't the hard pellets anymore. They are very soft, and stick to her bum. I know about the cecotropes, and I see that there are some of those, but her poops are very fluid, and there is a fair bit of mucous. She just kind of sits there, but mostly explores the room. I'm trying to get her to eat her hay. She won't eat it from me, and I don't know if she is eating it herself. I know she is drinking a lot of water. What should I do? :(
 
This could be very serious. Can you get her to a vet? She's going to need a lot of fiber and fluids and medication depending on what they determine is the problem. :( Keep her warm.

More info on the way.


sas :pray:
 
It is common for a rabbit that is barely weaned to have a very fragile unstable GI tract ; diarrhea in an infant is really serious; she is going to need fluids with electrolytes to keep her from becoming dehydrated from diarrhea.
If she is actively drinking get some pedialyte and put it in another water bottle or bowl to see if she will drink that instead of plain water.

There is also a product named benebac that is sold at petstores like Petco ; it is a probiotic that contains live microorganisms that help the GI tract produce beneficial bacteria and can stabilize the ph in the gut ; it is sold in mini tubes for small mammals and also in a powder form for cats and dogs ; the dog and cat benebac can be used on a rabbit. If you can get it give her a dose.
There is also a product called the Biosponge which is an oral formula usually used in horses ( but effective in treating many mammals) which helps bind the toxins being produced in the GI tract ( usually clostridium) and eliminate it from the body.
People who own horses may have some of this formula and could give you a small amount to use.

Metronidazole also can help an inflamed GI tract but that would come fromthe vet

Ican give you a link to explain this condition, however,I realize that the materials needed to treat it are not readily availabe to a layperson and would need to be prescribed by a rabbit saavy vet

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html


In the meantime continue to attempt to give her hay rather than anyother foods and keep fluids going in
 
Thanks you guys. :) She seems a bit more lively, but still won't really eat. Seems to be drinking water fine so. Angieluv, where could I get some of those products, like the pedialyte?
 
You can get pedialyte almost anywhere..like Walmart, any pharmacy

What it really is is an electrolyte drink that is made for infants who are vomiting and have diarrhea.
http://pedialyte.com/
it doesn't have to be that trade name but a generic or something similar

Idon't know if it is the same name in Canada but what you are looking for is an electrolyte drink for infants and children.

benebac

http://www.jefferspet.com/bene-bac-for-smaller-animals/cp/4157/camid/

Don't know if you have the same name there but something similar.

The most important microorganism in the benebac for rabbits is lactobacillus casei. You may be able to get something similar at a health food store but benebac is sold at chain petstores.
Get the best hay that you can; the better the quality the better chance that she will eat some.

Good Luck with this ; it can be a difficult situation

pet stores sell the kits too young
 
I'm going to go to the pet store with a friend and tell them this. The vet phoned and said that if she got sick very fast (it happened in hours) then nothing really could have saved her, and she may have caught something at the store, so I may have not been able to save her. :( There was literally nothing we could really do with it being a holiday weekend. Like I said, bad timing. :( My mom did actually comfort me by saying this, "This was probably the best weekend of her life, if you never bought her, then she may have still been in the store, and found dead today. When she was with you, you cuddled her, played with her, watched tv with her, and cared for her." That made me feel a bit better. :(
 
You did everything you could. Its so sad, pet stores get little babies and don't take proper care of them. Then they pass the illness onto you. You should complain to the owner and tell everyone you know not to shop there. You would have better luck with a good breeder and a 8 to 10 week old.
 
My mom went to the pet store, I had school so. But the guy said that he felt sorry for me and the next time they get rabbits, I get first pick of any one for free. They said that the two they had (mine and the other dwarf) seemed a bit different from the others they have sold (they didn't eat as much). I think those are the youngest ones they have sold. I noticed the one before those two came in was much bigger and older (looked like my Cadbury) They said they will wait a while before they sell them now.
 
Make sure you get a rabbit that is older than 8 weeks. That is an age after which their GIs are at least a bit more stable.
 

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