Lulu's not drinking

[LuluBunny]

Lulu got spayed yesterday. She's not eating like she usually does, but she's nibbling a little and her poops look normal. I'm concerned because she's not drinking anything, and she hasn't peed at all. Whatever she's chosen to eat has been more of a dry food -- the veggies have gone totally ignored.

Should I be concerned about dehydration? Is there something I can do?

 

[FallenRabbit]

You need to give her fluids. Other members will be able to help you with that. I would also call the vet and ask him, because it might be linked to the spaying. Syringe water into him through his mouth, you can use other types of fluids but I'm not sure what the specific name of it is..

 

[missyscove]

If she usually has a bottle, try offering her a bowl of water. You can also try offering her a second bowl spiked with just a splash of juice to make it extra tasty. It's okay if she's eating a little less than normal, as long as she's still eating.
Did you get sent home with pain meds? If she's not on pain meds, I would recommend calling the vet and asking for some as that may be what's keeping her from eating and drinking normally.
If you have a syringe you can try holding her and syringing her a little bit of water. There's a space in her mouth between where her front incisors are and where her molars are. You'll want to put the tip of the syringe there and gently syringe her the water.

 

[Imbrium]

definitely pester the vets if they didn't send you home with some metacam - it should be given for 3-4 days after a spay. I've heard that they tend to prefer a bowl over a bottle right after a spay... I tested mine out with a bowl in advance to make sure they'd drink from it and they liked it so much, I made a permanent switch.

I had to syringe-feed my girls after their spays because they didn't have their appetites back for the first day and ended up syringing liquids as well because I didn't feel like they were drinking enough. you can use water or pedialyte.

as a note, when syringing liquids, I *highly* recommend having the bunny wrapped in a towel and wearing a shirt you don't mind getting wet because it can get messy, lol (they tend to dribble half the liquid back out of their mouth and sometimes they shake their head with their mouth open and fling liquid around)

here's a great video on syringe-feeding that also shows the bunny burrito technique near the end:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGZVYVm5Bg[/ame]

 

[LuluBunny]

She has both a water bowl and bottle. I don't own a syringe, so that's not an option, but I will try adding some fruit juice to her water bowl.

 

[ladysown]

you can get a syringe free at the vet.
or you can spoon water into the pouch of her cheeck.
OR you can wet down some parsley and waggle it at her until she's annoyed enough to nip at it.

What often works for rabbits not wanting to drink is lipton iced tea, watered down to 1/3 strength.

 

[LuluBunny]

Thanks for all your help! Ended up getting her some medication and she's doing really well now. Still not really drinking, but I've been wetting down her veggies and she's been scarfing them up.

 

[ladysown]

I have a query... how many veggies are you giving her?

If you give sufficient veggies, particularly if wet down, she shouldn't need to drink very much as she'll be getting the bulk of her water from her feed.

AND what kind of veggies are you giving her? Carrots, apples, fruits...tend to turn into sugars (not so good for struggling buns). Lettuces, carrot greens, parsleys, apple branches and such like are better for bunny tummies.

 

[LuluBunny]

I have a query... how many veggies are you giving her?

If you give sufficient veggies, particularly if wet down, she shouldn't need to drink very much as she'll be getting the bulk of her water from her feed.

AND what kind of veggies are you giving her? Carrots, apples, fruits...tend to turn into sugars (not so good for struggling buns). Lettuces, carrot greens, parsleys, apple branches and such like are better for bunny tummies.

I've been giving her quite a lot to make up for the water she's not drinking. Mostly cilantro and parsley, but also some cucumber and green pepper. I try to limit her sweets to one or two skinny baby carrots and a small sliver of apple a day. I can already see a huge improvement.

 

[ladysown]

then she should be fine.

In some countries, if the rabbits are mostly fed a forage they aren't even offered water as they get it all from their forage.

Mind you do need to feed them GOOD forage. So fresh grasses, parsley, dandelions, cilantro, Carrot tops and so forth. Throw in some apple branches, hay, and what not and you should be good.

Pellets (or well balanced grain mix)/mineral block/etc as well mind you.

 

[LuluBunny]

She also gets lots of hay and a serving of pellets every day. She has a good diet. I think she probably thinks she doesn't get enough treats... so spoiled.