Post Spay Problems

[strings393]

I got my dear little Piglet spayed today. Her brother Roo was neutered today as well. Piglets Spay took place this morning. But Roo's neuter didn't happen until the afternoon. So I wasn't able to pick them up until 6pm. It's now 11 where I am and Piglet has eaten nothing since arriving home. I called the vet and asked if she are after her surgery. My vet said only a little. She was sent home with pain meds, but I'm not supposed to start them until morning. She's also on antibiotics and I have her those at 9. Any suggestions for a plan of action? She is kind of limping around her cage. I've tried to tempt her with spinach and carrots but she isn't having it. I have critical care as a last resort. She isn't drinking water either. I'm freaking out because, her sister died when they were just a few weeks old and her sister decided to stop nursing.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I would not worry too much until morning. They are still a bit groggy from the surgery, so need time to fully come out of it and feel a bit more normal. Each rabbit is a bit different, some are eating right away and others might not eat on their own for a day or 2.
If they haven't eaten anything by morning and show little or no interest in food, then you should syringe feed them. It helps get the GI tract going and can help stark an appetite. Pain meds do help too as a rabbit in pain won't eat.
Give them some veggies, pellets, and hay for overnight. Don't give too much as you want to see if they have eaten any and don't want it to spoil either.
Boys usually do bounce back faster, so he might start eating before her.

 

[strings393]

Ok so it's morning it's been about 24 hours since Piglet's surgery. She has still eaten hardly anything. I got her to take a few bites of her favorite treat. She had eaten a few pieces of Timothy hay and taken a few sips of water. Is it normal for her to be drinking and eating so little still? I called my vet and she won't be in until Monday. I'm waiting for a call back from another one of the vets at the practice who is rabbit savvy. She is also grooming herself allot. Especially around her stomach

 

[JBun]

The nausea from the anesthesia can affect some rabbits differently, and it may take them longer to really get their appetite back, as well as the pain they may be experiencing. Pain meds will help with that, but you just have to wait for the nausea to subside. I had one bun that didn't get back to eating normally for more than 48 hours, but I could get him to eat a little bit of leafy greens throughout the day. So every half hour or so, I would offer him some more. Sometimes you can get them to eat it if you stick it right in their face and they get annoyed enough to take it. If you can't get her eating enough though, then you will need to start syringe feeding, but it's best not to stress a bun with that if you don't have to, if you can get her eating enough to keep the GI moving and keep her hydrated.

Since she seems to be messing a bit with the incision site, you will also need to keep a very close eye on it to make sure she isn't chewing it open.

 

[bellaterra214]

A spay procedure is normally more invasive than a neuter and it takes a bit for them to bounce back. My females took an average of 3-5 days, before I started seeing their normal schedule come back.

Keep bribing her with her favorite foods and hays, and if is she is not drinking water, make sure her veggies are wet. You can either leave them wet after washing or use a spray bottle. It should help with her water intake.

She's going to be pretty uncomfortable for the first few days and not at all like your cuddly bunny before the spay. Keep giving her the medicine and it should help her get back to her normal self.

 

[Sweetie]

I would keep her hydrated as much as you can. Don't let her groom her stomach area. You don't want her to open the incision. It takes a few days for female rabbits to get back to normal after a spay, but keep her hydrated. The anaestetic(sp) dehydrates them. A dehydrated bunny is not good at all.

 

[strings393]

Hey everyone thank you for all the advice. Piglet is doing much better today. She is eating on her own. She just still isn't drinking allot of water. She isn't interested in her water bottle and has issues with spilling bowls of water in her cage (leaving her and her cage soaked). So every few hours I've been offering her a measuring cup of water which she'll lap up. I've been checking her stomach and she hasn't bothered it at all. I've actually have a different question. I got her brother Roo neutered on the same day Piglet was fixed. I've been checking his testicles and one looks almost like it hasn't been fixed (I know she fixed it I can see the incision) however the other is receding and I can hardly see if amongst the fur. Is that a sign of swelling in the other one? Roo has been eating and drinking like normal since his surgery. Today he was even giving me the; "please let me out I want to run and play" face today. He is not liking his 7 day bed rest.

 

[strings393]

Here are the fluff monsters! Piglets the first, Roo second.

 

[Sweetie]

Awwww they are adorable. Maybe someone can chime in about Roo's testicle. Because I am not sure about it. Keep Piglet hydrated, also keep enticing her to drink on her own. I am glad that she is eating on her own.

 

[bellaterra214]

Can you possibly post a picture of it?

Males can typically go back to their normal schedule by day 1. They bounce back much more quickly than the females. As soon as the anesthesia and pain meds leave their systems, they are back to normal if ev erything went smoothly. Mine didn't even act like they got a neuter by the next day. The pain meds help keep them going, so much to stay on schedule with those.