Lego's not feeling well. Help?

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MagnoliaDee

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Hi everyone. My bunny Lego (11 years old) is not feeling well. She has been having tummy trouble more often the older she gets. It's always been something I have been able to help her with... a bit of gas drops and a lot of belly rubs, and we can get her back on her feet for a couple more weeks/months. But this time I am dealing with something new. Her bottom is urine soaked... and she's having really mushy poos/diarrhea. She's still eating her veggies, but has diminished interest in her pellets. One big problem I've been having the past year+ or so is that she's really gotten picky about her hay. I can't seem to find one she will really eat. I usally get Oxbow, but tried a couple others (brands and kinds) hoping, but no luck. When she's get a problem going I would pull out the pumpkin. But the last time I couldn't get her off of it without her going right back into problems. So I've just decided to give her a little bit each morning. She's still interested in her pumpkin.

We are not in a rabbit savvy area, but I was able to make an appointment with the one we do have for next Tuesday. Is this likely going to be too long? Is it o'kay to give her a butt bath until I get her in? (she got one last night).

Anyone have any suggestions for what I can/should do?

Thanks,
Sandra

poop.jpg
 
Sorry no one has responded yet.
As long as she's eating and pooping I wouldn't call it an emergency. Do your best to keep her clean and dry, maybe offer extra bedding to help absorb her urine. Does she use a litter box? As far as the urine goes if she's an older bun with older joints she may have trouble hopping in and out of her box and might need one with a lower entry. It's definitely a good idea to see a vet about it. Definitely consider dental issues as well if she's being picky about what she eats.
 
If she is not eating that much hay, that could explain the soft poops/diahrrea. I would want to get her in to the vets. It does sound like something is not right and has not been right for a while if she has had reoccurring GI Issues.

I'm sorry I cannot be of more help. Hopefully before long someone with more knowledge/experience will come along.

It might help if you could give as many details as you can about her feedings. What she normally eats, exactly? How much? How often? Her weight if you know it.

I hope you can get this figured out and she recovers well.
 
I looked up your buns symptoms online and this is what I found. I hope it helps or gives you an idea but in the meantime just to err on the side of caution, I would call your local vet and at least talk to them and see about bringing your baby in to get checked out. I hope this helps and please keep us posted on what is going on with Lego ok?

Take care
Vanessa


Rabbit soaked with urine... what does this mean?

Finding a bunny with a backside or underside soaked in urine is cause for concern and can leave the pet parent confused as to why this is happening. Bunnies are generally very clean animals, but when their fur is soaked in urine it's called "Urine Scald. "

We recently found one of our therapy bunnies with this very problem, 2 months after he was treated for nystagmis (dizziness). To my knowledge, the nystagmis and the urine scald have no correlation.

A rabbit wetting itself means something is wrong with the rabbit's health and if you leave the bunny soaked in urine it results in a very painful skin rash (similar to diaper rash).

Step 1: Call the Vet and make an appointment
If it is obvious that there is blood in the urine and on the bunny, tell the vet it's an emergency and your animal must receive veterinary care ASAP. Otherwise, you can wait until the vet's first available appointment.

So you've called the vet and made an appointment, what next?

Step 2: Wash your rabbit's bottom in an Oatmeal & Aloe Vera shampoo made for dogs, cats, puppies, or kittens. Avoid any shampoo with flea medications, as it can be toxic. You must get the urine off. The water should be lukewarm in temperature and after you apply the shampoo to the affected area, allow it to sit 5 minutes. Oatmeal with Aloe Vera shampoo is very soothing to the skin. But it's important to note, that the aloe in the shampoo is at very low concentrations. If you think you're going to run out to your yard and pick Aloe Vera to rub onto the bunny's skin or add to the shampoo, STOP! Straight aloe vera applied to a rabbit is toxic if they lick it off. In light of this, too much of a good thing (Aloe) is a bad thing indeed.

Washing a bunny's bottom is a challenge; unless they are used to having baths, they're not going to want to have anything to do with it (and will put a lot of effort to get away from the water). Be patient with your bunny and gentle throughout the process of giving it a bath. Remember that they can be quite fragile and scare easily, so don't rush the process. Remaining calm, talking in a quiet tone (your very young children will refer to it as your "inside" voice) helps them to remain calm. After 5 minutes has passed, rinse off all the shampoo. Then towel dry the wet area as best as you can.

Step 3: Blow dry!
What? Did she just say blow dry? YES! Turn your hairdryer on to the lowest setting and begin drying your bunny's fur. Constantly test the temperature with the back of your hand, and if the skin on the back of your hand gets too hot, it's WAY TOO HOT for your bunny. In which case, distance the blow dryer from its' backside. Getting a bunny dry this way takes time, so make time in your schedule to dry it properly. Don't count on your bunny to do the work for you, thinking it will groom itself dry. It won't. If the bunny's bottom is wet, it wasn't able to clean it in the first place.

***It is so important for the backside to be dry and not leave it damp. The dampness creates the skin rash, and in severe cases, a skin rash on your bunny leaves it prone to infection causing the skin to literally fall off. Imagine how painful that would be. When I blow dry my bunny, I gently brush the fur (with a plastic bristle brush... do not use a metal brush). This seems to calm the bunny and make it an enjoyable event.

Step 4: Once your bunny's bottom is dry, apply a diaper rash cream equivalent to Desitin to any area where the skin is reddened. This is a zinc oxide cream and will help soothe the skin rash.

Step 5: REPEAT the bath every time that the bunny's underside or backside is wet with urine (NO EXCEPTION). If you don't keep it up, flies may be attracted to your rabbit and the result is "fly strike." Fly Strike is when flies lay eggs that hatch into maggots. The maggots could find their way into the rabbit which can result in death.

CAUSES OF URINE SCALD
Your vet will make a better determination of the cause of this problem, which include, but are not limited to:

URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Bacteria in the bladder or kidneys can create the infection. A urinalysis is needed to detect the existence of white blood cells.

Treatment: The vet will prescribe an antibiotic and possibly a pain medication.

(In my rabbit's situation, he had a UTI).

BLADDER SLUDGE
Rabbits excrete excess calcium and oxalate salts through the urinary tract. Normal urine will have a residue that appears "chalky." If the calcium and oxalate salts build up, it becomes too excessive for the urinary tract and can result in a thick, curry-colored sludge that sometimes has a consistency similar to toothpaste. Sludge buildup can be very painful and can cause urine leakage and incontinence.

Treatment includes: subcutaneous fluids to flush the bladder and/or a small dose of Valium (diazepam) to relax the bladder's sphincter.

BACK INJURY
An injury to your rabbit's back can result in nerve damage, even paralysis. Sometimes there's no obvious sign of a trauma and the injury could be due to aging, disc degeneration, or other skeletal problems. X-rays will provide a diagnosis.

Treatment: daily baths, anti-inflammatory, pain medication (Medicam)

KIDNEY STONE / BLOCKAGE
When calcium and oxalate salts create a mass, this is known as a stone and creates the blockage within the kidney or bladder. X-rays are needed to determine if this is the cause.

Treatment: surgery

ARTHRITIS
Arthritis of the spine or pelvis prevents a rabbit to posture correctly for urination. As a result, the rabbit's urine soaks into the fur creating Urine Scald. Arthritis is also diagnosed through X-rays.

Treatment: a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Banamine (flunixin meglumine) or Rimadyl (carprofen).

INCONTINENCE
Hormonal imbalances can cause incontinence and your vet will need to take blood work to determine if this is the cause.

Treatment: DES, a synthetic hormone

OBESITY
Is your rabbit obese (grossly overweight)? It might be so fat that it doesn't have the energy to posture correctly to urinate.

Treatment: daily baths, diet - feed 1/8 cup pellets per 5 lbs daily and all the timothy or orchard hay they want. Avoid treats such as bananas, apples, bread, cheerios, strawberries, grapes... instead, provide lettuce (romaine, green or red), parsley, basil or cilantro. Substitute sweets for greens.
 
Here is some more info I found also:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html

Vanessa

Urine Scald: A Symptom of a Greater Problem

by Dana Krempels, Ph.D.
University of Miami Biology Department
House Rabbit Society of Miami
A rabbit suffering from urinary tract problems may experience loss of fur in the genital region and hindquarters. The baldness and red, irritated skin are caused by "urine scald," and it can happen to any bunny whose urine soaks into the fur around her vent and is in constant contact with her delicate skin.
There are many possible reasons for a rabbit to dribble urine and/or sit in urine, and the only way to know for sure is have your rabbit completely examined by a veterinarian experienced in rabbit medicine.

Some possible causes of urinary incontinence (and hence, urine scald) to consider are the following.

Bladder sludge

All rabbits normally excrete excess calcium and oxalate salts via the urinary tract, and the residue of normal urine will often appear "chalky." However, when excessive amounts of calcium/oxalate salts precipitate in the urinary tract, they sometimes manifest as a thick, curry-colored "sludge" that sometimes has a consistency as thick as toothpaste. This can be very painful in the bladder and when it is passed, and sludge buildup can cause urine leakage and incontinence.
Although some vets suggest reducing dietary intake of calcium to help control this problem, we have not found any correlation between dietary intake of calcium and severity of sludge. Rather, this seems to be a metabolic problem suffered by a few individual rabbits, and may be an endocrine problem, rather than a dietary one.

Treatment for bladder sludge may include bladder flushes (in severe cases), or simply helping the bunny flush the bladder by administering subcutaneous fluids and a small dose of diazepam (Valium) to help relax the bladder sphincters. Your vet will know best how to treat your rabbit's particular problem, if this is what it turns out to be.

Bladder stone (urolith)
Diagnosed via radiography, a bladder stone is a mass of calcium and/or oxalate salts that has precipitated into a solid mass. Like sludge, a urolith can cause urinary incontinence and dribbling. Unfortunately, the only viable treatment at this time is surgical removal.
Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Bacteria can infect the urinary tract (kidneys and/or bladder), just as they can many other organ systems. The best way to diagnose this particular ailment is via cystocentesis: inserting a sterile needle into the bladder and extracting a sterile sample into a syringe. This is then sent to a laboratory for Culture and Sensitivity Testing. This will reveal (1) what species of bacteria is causing the infection and (2) which rabbit-save antibiotics (with good urinary tract penetration) will kill them.
Unfortunately, urinary tract infections are sometimes caused by "fastidious anaerobes": bacteria that die upon the slightest exposure to oxygen. If this is the case, then the culture and sensitivity test will come back negative. However, your vet may be able to determine if a UTI is likely by examining the urine under the microscope for signs of blood and white blood cells in the urine. If there is a good chance that your bunny has a UTI, even if the culture comes back negative, your vet might wish to put her on a course of antibiotics such as chloramphenicol, which is effective against many anaerobes and also concentrates well in the urinary tract. Your vet is the best person to advise you on the proper course of action in case of a UTI.

Arthritis of the spine or pelvis
Arthritis of the spine or pelvis can result in the rabbit's inability to posture correctly for urination. This can cause urine to collect in the fur and soak into it, causing urine scald.
Arthritis can be diagnosed via radiography, and can often be helped tremendously with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as carprofen (Rimadyl) or flunixin meglumine (Banamine).

Rear limb/pelvic paresis
Paresis is defined as a weakness without total loss of movement in a particular area of the body. This problem is not uncommon in older rabbits, and some even lose the use of their hind legs. The problem may be caused by arthritis, disc degeneration or other skeletal problems. Some vets suspect that a central nervous system/renal system parasite known as Encephalitozoon cuniculi might be responsible for this condition, but there is still no conclusive clinical evidence to support this contention.
Some people have reported excellent improvement of paresis with acupuncture and massage, whereas others have seen improvement with short-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. corticosteroids, which should not be used long term). This also helps with urinary tract continence.

E. cuniculi is being experimentally treated with any one of several related drugs (albendazole, fenbendazole, oxibendazole, etc.), and although some individuals have reported improvement in the condition after using these drugs, there are still no studies to show conclusively that such treatments are effective.

Uterine cancer

Unspayed female rabbits have a very high risk of developing uterine cancer, and a large tumor can sometimes interfere with normal urination. All female rabbits should be spayed for their health and longevity.
Our vets have noted that removal of the cancerous uterus (via spay operation) usually solves the problem, and they have not noted a high degree of metastasis (spreading) in this type of cancer, once the uterus is removed. Spaying is the best treatment option for this problem.

Incontinence due to hormone imbalance
Because rabbit spaying is a relatively recent notion, data are not yet complete on the long-term effects of early spay. In at least one case, incontinence believed to have been due to hormonal imbalance was successfully treated with DES, a synthetic estrogen.
While your veterinarian is performing diagnostic tests to determine the reason for your rabbit's urine scald, your job will be to keep her comfortable, clean and dry. You can do this by giving her regular "butt baths" when she is soiled (follow the link for instructions), and by administering analgesia (e.g., Banamine) as per your veterinarian's instructions.
The Color of Urine
Healthy rabbits excrete excess calcium salts via the renal system, and this can give the urine a chalky or opaque appearance. The urine will often dry to a white, chalky residue. Unless the residue is thick, pasty, and the color of mustard powder, this is normal, and should not be considered "sludge."
Normal rabbit urine is usually pale yellow in color, but upon exposure to the atmosphere, compounds in the urine may oxidize to darker yellow, orange, red, or even dark brown. This isn't unusual, and--by itself--is not necessarily a sign of a health problem. Blood in the urine, unless it is from a hemorraghing uterus or very serious problem, is usually not readily visible to the naked eye. Test strips are available at most pharmacies that will tell you whether there is blood in the urine or not, but your vet is the best judge of whether your bunny's urine is normal.

Urine that is very dark immediately when it emerges may indicate that the bunny is dehydrated, and should receive more water, either by mouth or--in more serious cases--via administration of subcutaneous Lactated Ringer Solution.
 
A rabbit becoming picky about certain foods that it normally would eat, can mean there is something off about the food or your rabbit has developed dental problems, such as molar spurs. With your bun being older, dental problems are a very good possibility.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

The mushy poop could be due to decreased fiber and hay from possible dental issues, but there are other things that can cause it as well, especially if you are seeing actual watery diarrhea. If this is the case, continued diarrhea can be dangerous and needs immediate treatment.

The urinary incontinence could be from a UTI or bladder sludge, or it could be due to arthritis. So you will want the vet to check for these things and give the appropriate meds.
 
Thanks for the replies guys! I really appreciate it!! We had our vet appointment this morning. She had a look at her tummy, which she said was full of gas. So I'm to continue the oval drops. Also she's going to give me something to help get the bad bacteria under control. She said she didn't feel like she had a lot of food in her tummy. She's been eating her veggies and *some* pellets... but up to now, it was a no go on the hay.

She looked at her teeth and they looked good she said... a tiny little bit of spurs on the left back molar, but nothing that would cause her problems to eat her hay.

Since Lego has been urinating all over she wanted to do a blood screen to see how her kidneys are doing... which we did. Most of her levels were just out of the good range, so no concern there, but her albumin level was really low. So she's making some calls to find out what she can. She may want to do a urine test to see if she's leaking protein out of her urine, or via her gut. I'm waiting to hear back from her, but it may take a bit because she has to call California.

They also gave her a butt rinse. She no longer urine coated, but her tail is a bit damp and she (of course) smells of urine. She is pooping formed poops, tho they are not great poops.

The vet asked what veggies I feed her (parsley, kale, endive, celery leaves, romaine, green and red lettuces). And she said it's not a good idea to give a lot of Kale, as it can be problematic for gas, so I'll cut that out.

Other than hay and veggies I also have been giving her a bit of pumpkin every morning. Now I know this is not ideal... and I only used it when we got into GI problems, but the last time I tried to stop it, she went right back into GI problems. So I've been continuing it. I'd like to cut it out... but I don't want to cause further issues. I'm going to try to cut it down. She also gets oxbow timmy pellets. I give her 1 tbsp. in the morning, and if she's eaten it all, then I give her another tbsp. If not, then I don't give her any more.

She is 11 years old, and the girl in my avatar. She's supposed to be about 3.5 lbs, but this morning she was 3.1something.

I've been putting her on the dryer, and turning it on, for the agitation and heat. Then I've been giving her the ovol and tummy rubs.

Hope this all helps!

Thanks again,
Sandra
 
I'm glad you got her in to see your vet and got the blood work done, especially since she's a senior rabbit. Definitely keep me updated on that low albumin, I'd like to know what your vet thinks about that.
 
I'm glad to hear that you got her to the vet and basically at this point it's not anything that is life threatening. albumin in humans is nutritional levels which is how healthy you are. In rabbits I'm not positive if the levels are indicative of the same.
I'm interested in looking that up to find out.

Good luck with her and it sounds like the vet is on the right track to find out what is going on.

Hang in there, she is a cutie!

Vanessa
 
Thanks again guys... I will definitely update what she finds out.

On another note, I'm wondering if getting Lego some Benebac would be in order? The vet said the med she's giving her is an antibiotic.

Thoughts?

Also any suggestions for getting a hay stubborn girl to eat her hay?

Thanks again,
Sandra
 
There's no real proof that probiotics help rabbits, since there aren't any on the market really formulated for rabbits anymore, but some bene bac wouldn't hurt either.

I think you already said you were offering different kinds of hay which would be my first recommendation. If she's still being pretty active, you could try giving her more options to forage for things by like hiding her pellets in her pile of hay or stuffing toilet paper tubes, etc. Sometimes if it's more fun they get more excited. I know some people have misted hay with apple juice to get their buns to eat it.
 
Have you tried the old I'll mix herbs and other tasty stuff in with your hay trick? Like mixing mint, basil, other herbs or cilantro, parsley etc into the mix?
Along with mixing alfalfa and other hay into the mix that might work? It's worth a shot..

Vanessa
 
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Great tips guys... At lunch I'm going to get some apple juice to mist her hay with. And I also love the hiding her herbs in the hay idea... never would have thought of that... but it's brilliant!

Thanks so much!!
Sandra
 
Well, we are closing in on two weeks of trying to help Lego and in my opinion we are no better off. I'm trying to keep positive, but I'm really getting a knot in my belly over this. I've tried the spraying apple juice on the hay and mixing her herbs in, but it's not worked. She still will not eat any hay. She has been picking at her pellets, and will eat veggies... tho even the veggies she's not eating them all. And for some reason she's sitting in the dish and peeing and pooping all over them. Another odd behavior she's doing is that she seems to want to be high. She's taken over my kitty's area, which is up a ramp. Not sure if this is because there is a towel up there, and not lower in the room.

She's been on an antibiotic since Wednesday night last week, and it is due to end this Thursday morning. I've been giving her .5 ml of ovol twice a day, but her belly keeps filling back up with gas. Her second appointment was last Saturday and the vet was not encouraged, as her belly was full of gas and her bum was all gross again, so she needed another rinsing off. This morning I noticed that her bum is gross yet again, so I'll have to rinse her off tonight when I have help. At her 2nd app't the vet decided to give us some metacam... so she got 5 doses (1 per day). That will run out tonight or tomorrow.

I've been using a back massager against her belly to help relive the gas.

I'm really trying not to despare, but finding that a bit difficult at this point. I've ordered yet another hay, and some banana flavoured critical care... just in case.

Anyone here have experience with something like this... the belly filling back up with gas repeatedly? I can here it in there, while I'm using the massager. She's having some really tiny poops, some normal sized (but dark and wet) ones, and also some really messy ones.

I can give you the name of the antibiotic she's on when I get home tonight. I'm just worried that we're not making any progress... and if I can't stop her belly from continually filling up with gas, well what then??
 
What was the reason your vet prescribed an antibiotic and which one is it? Was your bun also put on a gut motility med? Was a fecal test ever done?

The gas problem is likely due to either an imbalance in the gut microflora, or a sensitivity to something she is eating? The antibiotic could be contributing to the continued gut problems and can also sometimes cause nausea and lack of appetite.

I would suggest getting your metacam refilled. Pain meds is not something you want to be without while your bun continues to feel unwell.

I don't know if you are syringe feeding your bun, but if she isn't eating enough on her own, then it is something that you will need to be doing. What foods is she eating each day?
 
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So the vet prescribed the antibiotic due to the symptoms Lego was having... and I can tell you which one once I get home. She said that gut motility drugs were no longer recommended (ie Reglan) due to the pain they can cause if there is a blockage, or problem further down the GI tract. No fecal test done... she was considering doing a urine test, but did not.

How long can I keep her on Metacam? Is once a day o'kay, or should it be twice a day... our vet said she would do that if necessary.

I'm just waiting for the critical care to come in now... and then I will try to give that to her as well. I'm pretty sure she's not getting enough food as is.

So right now she's eating a few pellets (Oxbow Timmy)... I'd say anywhere from 0 up to 1 tbsp. per day. And she's willing to eat her veggies... Romaine, Parsley, Green/Red Leaf, Dandilion, Dill, Cilantro. I was feeding Kale and our vet said to cut that out as it can produce gas. She won't eat her hay no matter if I hide her greens in it or spray it with apple juice.
 
I should add that I was giving her pumpkin every morning as I used it the last time she had a bit of stasis. I used it in these instances... then cut it out after. But the last time I tried to cut it out, each and every time she'd go back into stasis, so I just continued it. I know this isn't good, but didn't know what else to do, and she seemed to do o'kay with it. Now I'm trying to cut it out again.

Oh, and she's taking her meds no problem at all... they taste good to her.
 
o'kay... the antibiotic is called Metronidazole... and I remember her saying that it would help reduce the bad bacteria in her gut.
 
There are a few things that seem to be going on with your bun. She has a microflora imbalance in her gut from not enough fiber/too much sugar and carbs, and so she is getting mushy poop. There could also be parasites/bacteria contributing. The continued problems with not eating much and not wanting to eat hay, could have to do with a continued upset stomach, though dental issues may still possibly be the cause. Or there may be some other underlying health problem that is causing the eating problems to continue. Is she still having urine issues?

The metacam depends on how your bun responds to it and what your vet prescribes. Does she seem better a few hours after giving it to her, and does it seem to wear off later in the day? If so, she may need it twice a day.

The metronidazole is to cover the possibility of clostridium bacteria in the digestive tract. It would have been much better for your vet to have done a fecal test and only to have prescribed this if clostridium was found. The problem with metronidazole is that I'm pretty sure it doesn't take care of e. coli bacteria, and this can be a common one to cause problems in rabbits. Then there is also a protozoal parasite called coccidia, that can also cause serious digestive problems in rabbits. I think at this point that it would be a really good idea to have further tests done. A basic fecal float test would be a good one to start with, though you may need other testing done. A fecal sample taken from 3 days in a row, can help the test to be more accurate.

If the fecal test doesn't show any signs of bacteria or parasite problems, then you may need to have some xrays done as well as a dental under GA. Though your vet didn't think the spurs found should be causing any problems, even a small spur can cause some buns to go off their food. Plus it is difficult to really do a thorough exam of the back teeth, with a rabbit still conscious. But because of your rabbits age and weakened state, you should be aware that a GA would also be very risky.

From your posts, it doesn't sound like you have been syringe feeding at all. And it doesn't seem like your bun is eating a sufficient amount of food each day. So, if she isn't eating enough on her own, then you need to be syringe feeding her as well, to help prevent weight loss as well as possible stasis issues. Plain canned pumpkin is just fine to be giving to your bun if it doesn't seem to cause additional digestive problems for her. Don't cut it out. It is a pretty good alternative when there is no critical care handy. When you get the critical care mix, that will be a better alternative, but until then give the pumpkin, and even syringe it if you need to. You should be fine giving more than a couple tbsp. a day. Also you need to make sure she is getting plenty of fluids, or you need to syringe those as well. Just remember to syringe slowly and give your bun time to swallow, so nothing is aspirated.

So now the gas, hay, and diet issues. Sometimes these digestive problems can be a bit complex. So just setting aside the possible dental issues as a cause for the eating problems. Your bun needs to be eating more hay and fiber. I know you want her to, but I'm saying this because it is an essential part of possibly correcting all of these digestive issues. With any luck, the critical care won't contribute to the digestive problems and will help start correcting them once you can start giving it to her.

Gas problems are often due to a sensitivity to a veggie, or from a bacterial imbalance in the gut. To get the gas under control, you need to have the fecal done to cross off the bacteria/parasites being the cause. Once that's eliminated, often the next step is to feed only grass hay and cut pellets out of the diet, as well as any treats that are sugary and starchy, including any veggies like carrots. Most pellets have sugars, grains, and soy in them. These can contribute to the bacterial imbalance. Some rabbits can also become permanently sensitive and intolerant to having pellets. I have one bun that gets very sick if he has pellets, so he is on a strict hay and veg diet. Because of your buns severe digestive problems, it is probably a good idea to eliminate veggies as well, in case any of them is the cause of the continued gas problems. So you can see why hay eating is an important element. Most non grain grass hays are well tolerated, so you cut back to one thing, hay. It's an elimination diet, and it makes it easier pinpointing problem foods if you are only feeding one base food and start to see an improvement. When you get the critical care in, you may want to cut veggies and everything else out, besides the critical care, to see if that makes any difference. If your bun won't eat very much of it on her own, then you need to make sure to syringe feed throughout the day, and enough that she is getting the needed nutrients and fluids.
http://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/

One hay alternative that may work for your bun is compressed plain hay pellets. If you have a tractor supply or livestock feed store nearby, they will often have large bags of compressed timothy hay pellets. It's just timothy hay and nothing else added. I have a bun that didn't used to eat hay. He got sick, couldn't have pellets, wouldn't eat hay, so I had to have something to feed him, and this is what I tried, and it worked. You can even soak them in warm water, so they are soft, if you need to so she will eat them(freshly done each day to prevent mold). Another thing that might work is trying alfalfa hay. Rabbits tend to really like it. But it shouldn't be used if there are bladder sludge issues, and also be aware that it can sometimes cause digestive upset for some buns, and is best introduced slowly into the diet.

If you are able to get the gas problems under control, and she still won't eat very well on her own, I would suspect that it's not diet related and so the additional testing under GA would probably be necessary.
 
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