Resolved: Dotty isn't eating :(

[mouse_chalk]

Dotty- an 18-month old, spayed female Giant Papillon/Checkered Giant, didn't touch her breakfast this morning.

She wouldn't take any treats, which is when I started to get worried about her, wont touch hay, veggies or pellets. We gave her Infacol (Simeticone), 2 doses, and then with the second dose, Metacam in case it was gas, which can be painful, because she was lying hunched up on the floor squishing her belly to the ground. Plus tummy rubs in a warm towel.

I didn't want to overreact, but I also didn't want it to go on this evening and possibly turn into an out-of-hours visit, so we took her to the vet this afternoon to be on the safe side (Steve is in London today so my mum drove us, bless her).

The vet can't find any obvious signs of pain- she didn't flinch at all when she was examined, no obvious lumps or bumps or anything. Her teeth look fine that she can see (she had a very slight molar spur back in March that was filed as she had some other tests). Her tummy sounded very quiet, when you can usually hear some level of gurgling in there- she sleeps right next to my pillow often so I hear it! The vet gave an injection of Zantac and gave us more to give her 12-hourly, plus we're to keep up with Metacam daily and start syringe feeding her critical care, and water, etc. I think what caused the vet not to be overly concerned is that when I put her carrier on the table, she started eating a piece of hay! :grumpy:

When she got home she went straight to her comfy sleeping place between our pillows and snuggled down under the duvet. I annoyed her with some veggies and she ate a piece of lettuce, but she wont eat any more than that I did put my head next to her belly and heard some quiet gut sounds though, which weren't there before.

I'm about to go and see if I can get some water into her.

She hasn't pooped at all either today.


Oh, and also, I've just found that our critical care went out of date in October. Would it be ok to use still, or better not to risk it? They didn't have any left at the vets, only an alternative brand that comes in teeny sachets...


*sigh*

 

[hartleybun]

:bunnyhug:i saw this on FB - hoping she's nibbling something to eat by now. bunnies certainly put us thru it! it must be frustrating when the vet cant find anything wrong! i know you've thought of this, but could she have eaten something she shouldnt have?

noserubs and hugs coming your way

 

[mouse_chalk]

hartleybun wrote:

:bunnyhug:i saw this on FB - hoping she's nibbling something to eat by now. bunnies certainly put us thru it! it must be frustrating when the vet cant find anything wrong! i know you've thought of this, but could she have eaten something she shouldnt have?

noserubs and hugs coming your way

Thanks Donna- I was on my phone earlier, hence I posted on FB and not on here. Have only just made it to my laptop for the first time today, been busy Dotty-watching and getting to the vets took ages in school-let-out traffic

I looked around our bedroom and there's nothing about that she could have eaten. None of the mats have been chewed, there's no 'human stuff' in any reach at all, all wires are out of the way- our bedroom is basically owned by Dotty, there's more of her stuff in there than there is ours!


I'm keeping her warm as well- the heating's on fairly high, and I haven't put a heat pad or anything down for her yet because last I looked she was on our bed with the covers over her up to her shoulders lol...

 

[Elf Mommy]

I hope she feels better soon. It sounds like the blues to me.
...Maybe you should get another big bunny friend for her!

 

[JimD]

Sending strong karma and prayers!!!!

 

[SweetSassy]

:hug: Hope she feels better soon.

 

[tonyshuman]

It sounds like you've done about everything there is to make her feel better. The only other things I might do are to syringe her some dioralyte or water. One of our other UK members also talks about a baby med called "Gripe water" and it being good for this kind of thing, but I don't know what it is so I can't say what it's for right now.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

oh no hope she starts eating for you soon

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Jen wanted to ask have you tried giving her some pumpkin? does she like it, will she eat it?

 

[mouse_chalk]

tonyshuman wrote:

It sounds like you've done about everything there is to make her feel better. The only other things I might do are to syringe her some dioralyte or water. One of our other UK members also talks about a baby med called "Gripe water" and it being good for this kind of thing, but I don't know what it is so I can't say what it's for right now.

I've just syringed her about 35cc of the dioralyte solution- she took it quite willingly from a syringe, so I kept refilling until she'd had enough, since she hasn't drank all day.

Flashy mentioned the Gripe Water to me too when Snowy had an 'episode' the other week so I picked some up at the supermarket the other day but I've no idea how much to give *hopes that Flashy may come online and read this*. I think she said that it has a similar effect to simeticone, but also a warming effect as well?

She ate a tiny mouthful of oats from me but wouldn't touch anymore. She also did one solitary poop, on the bed, but just the one. The good news is that it's her usual size and nicely formed, although not so soft as it usually is and a bit stickier than usual :?

I gave her another dose of Infacol, too.


Thanks for all the good thoughts, guys. I really appreciate it! I'm on my own until late this evening when Steve gets back- he'd already arranged to meet a friend in London for dinner, although he wanted to cancel because he's worried about Dotters.


I need to find the thread I had when Dotty was in stasis after her spay- I seem to remember I made a pretty good bunny version of 'pesto' with herbs and water and stuff that she took quite well from a syringe. I might try that first over the critical care as it has more fluids and critical care can take a lot of moisture from the gut if my memory and lurk-reading of the infirmary serves me right? Either way I want to keep it as a last resort because it's so horrible to suck up the syringe and get out again :grumpy:

 

[mouse_chalk]

Luvmyzoocrew wrote:

Jen wanted to ask have you tried giving her some pumpkin? does she like it, will she eat it?

Pumpkin in cans isn't available over here I'm giving myself a good kicking that I didn't buy a fresh one at halloween and freeze it in icecube trays or something, because I haven't seen a single one about since

 

[tonyshuman]

Well, I don't think it contains simethicone, so I don't think it will overdose or snything. It's mostly herbal, but sometimes it has sodium bicarbonate in it (this I got from wikipedia). When you have a bunny stomach issue, the goal is usually to get the gut more acidic--that's what something like bio-lapis or a probiotic will do--they contain acid-producing bacteria. Sodium bicarbonate is a base, so it would do the opposite. I wouldn't give it if it contains the sodium bicarbonate, but I hope Flashy comes on and puts her 2c in.

To be honest I wouldn't do the oats--they're awfully full of carbs which can make gas worse--the bacteria that cause gas thrive on carbs. My guys only seem to get tummy upsets if I give them something too sugary or carb-y too--Frida got it once from a yogurt drop.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Poor Dotters Bunny health issues suck. I hope she starts nomming it up soon and that there isn't anything seriously wrong with her. I remember how much she scared everyone after her spay...

 

[mouse_chalk]

Slight improvement- I took her old veggies away and prepared her dinner as usual. When I took the bowl up she came out from under the bed quite perky looking, dug her head into the bowl and nibbled a bit of basil and a bit of parsley. Then, she looked as if she'd changed her mind. and disappeared back under the bed

She has been hopping around though- I can hear her footsteps, which is a lot more than she was doing earlier.

I haven't checked on her for an hour or so- I realised I hadn't had a single thing to eat or drink all day because I've been too busy worrying about and tending to Dotty. I didn't want Steve to come home and have to administer Infacol and tummy rubs to me so I made some dinner and had a sit down! I also figured with a bit of time alone she might come out and have a nom. I hope, anyway.

Claire- I know the oats weren't possibly the best thing for her, but I was kind of just doing it to test her, to see if she would be tempted by them. If she had perked up at the sight of them I wouldn't have fed more than a pinch. It didn't work really anyway!

Steve is bringing back more fresh herbs and carrot tops in a bit, so hopefully either those might tempt her, or I can make my 'bunny pesto' which from reading back, contained basil, carrot tops and water.


And thanks Shiloh, for thinking of Dotty when you have so much to deal with yourself already :hug:

 

[tonyshuman]

OIC, it's more of a treat test, then.

 

[JadeIcing]

Dotty ate the carrot tops Steve brought home!!

 

[missyscove]

Yay! Maybe she's just been holding out for her Dad.

 

[mouse_chalk]

JadeIcing wrote:

Dotty ate the carrot tops Steve brought home!!

Yeah she did!

He said she still wont come out from under the bed but he put carrot tops underneath there and she enthusiastically ate them all! She'd also eaten some more of the herbs from her dinner and a bit of the lettuce.

Good signs of improvement! We'll give more Infacol and Dioralyte later as we go to bed, as well as the dose of Zantac the vet prescribed.

I don't want to get too ahead of myself but I'm hoping that she'll get better and we wont have to go back to the vets tomorrow and consider ultrasounds/x-rays etc...

 

[mouse_chalk]

I'm very pleased to announce that when we came upstairs just
now to go to bed... Dotty had eaten ALL her food! All of her veggies and most of her pellets as normal.

She jumped onto the bed for a treat so I gave her one plus Zantac and another dose of infacol, just in case. Then she snuggled down next to me for noserubs, just like normal.

She's currently sitting in her litter tray (that has a pile of fresh healthy looking poops) munching hay

Hooray for my baby seeming better!!! I shall go to sleep a much happier Jen

 

[tonyshuman]

Woohoo!