Mister sick and no vet open today....Don't know what to do

[NewBunMomma]

Mister is about 2 years old. He is a neutered male and I'm unsure on the breed. He's just a tan short haired bunny. Last night when we got home we noticed he was acting very different. He would just lay in his cage and not get up. I offered him a carrot, which ALWAYS get's him excited, but he just slowly came up, sniffed it, and refused it. (He has never refused a carrot a day in his life). He seems to be producing the same amount of poops, although he has been depositing them outside the box instead of in. This morning, I noticed he has not eaten very many pellets, so I let him have a little free roam since I thought maybe he was depressed about something and that always makes him happy. But he just went into a corner, peed a tiny bit (he never pees outside his box), laid down and now really won't get up. His ears are up and he lays in a 'relaxed' position (feet stretched out behind him), but it's very obvious SOMETHING is wrong. There doesn't seem to be any external injuries, so the only thing my husband and I can think of it some kind of intestinal issue. Maybe a fur blockage or UTI or stones. Unfortunately, the vet is closed since it is the holiday weekend. I'm very worried about him. He gets a bowl of timothy hay (as much as he can eat), and 2 1/4 cups of pellets (I think they are alfalfa pellets) and a fresh bowl of water daily. Occasionally he gets a piece of baby carrot. Anyone have any ideas? We will be taking him to the vet in the morning if he still acts this way, but I'm worried about him getting worse in the night.

 

[ra7751]

Based on the limited information....and that huge amount of pellets.....my first thought would be GI. Sounds like possibly gas. I would certainly get a few doses of simethicone in him.....simethicone won't hurt even if it's off base. Movement is good. A heating pad may help. And a tummy massage. There really isn't usually a "fur blockage" technically speaking as rabbits usually don't get hair balls like dogs/cats. They can get impactions from a combination of ingesta, fur, undigested food and anything else the might swallow. In the case of impactions, hydration is the key. And hydration can also displace gas in the GI.

My suggestion is to get some simethicone in him. Allow him to run as much as he wants...and encourage running without stressing him. Hay should be offered free choice. Doesn't matter the size but the amount of pellets thay he is getting is far too much....my pair of 25 pound Flemish don't get that much in several days. Excess pellets also means excess proteins and that can stress the renal system. I would start cutting back tremendously on pellets...don't do it all at once....do it over the period of a week to ten day. And if it's gas, being on a heating pad on lowest setting (but monitor closely as burns can occur even on low) may be comforting. I would suggest getting him hydrated. If you have the capability of doing sub-q or IV infusions....might be a good idea to consider doing so. If not, offer leafy green veggies such as romaine lettuce or dandelions. These veggies are mostly water and will help with hydration.

And if he is acting the same in the morning, as you plan, seek the assistance of a skilled rabbit vet.

Randy

 

[NorthernAutumn]

RO Library: Gas Protocol
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11931&forum_id=10

 

[NewBunMomma]

Thanks Randy and NorthernAutumn. I was never sure how much to give him in the way of pellets. He would finish off the amount I gave him in about 24 hours. I will begin to cut back immediately, going slow at first. Thankfully, he drank some water a few moments ago. I will be heading to the store to pick up some simethicone. Any advice on how to give? Just syringe it into his mouth slowly? I've tried tummy rubbing and the heat pad but he seems to want nothing to do with either. Thanks again for the advice, hopefully he will be feeling better soon.

 

[aurora369]

The baby drops normally come with an eye dropper. I use that dropper to give them the simethicone.

I insert the dropper behind the front teeth, into the gap between incisors and molars, and slowly squirt the meds into the rabbit's mouth.

I normally place the rabbit on a towel or blanket in front of me, and with the bum facing me, put my knees on either side so they can't back up. I then lean over the bunny and use one hand to try and lift the chin up a bit and the other hand to administer the medicine.

-Dawn

 

[Flash Gordon]

i buy the gas x cherry flavor tablets ..and give my bun a quarter of one of em...even when hes feeling icky he will eat it right up...they also like the mint flavor...when ur a new bunny parent sometimes the liquid is hard to get into them so this is my suggestion for u.