(RIP) Kate isn't thriving

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CKGS

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Guys I need some help. I went and got her some benebac but haven't given her any yet. But anyways here is the problem.

Kate seemed to eat a little the first 2 days but not very much. She was eating some hay though so I just kept watching her output which seemed fairly normal to me anyway.

I found out she is actually younger than first told. She is only 5 weeks supposedly although I am wondering. Stories seem to change....

She is losing some mass and I can feel her hips and ribs more prominetly now. She isn't starving I don't think but she doesn't act like she did the first day. I know she was probably scared then but she actually explored some and now when we hold her or let her out she just sits and barely moves at all.

My question is what can I do for her?
 
I wanted to add that she is eating but I am afraid it isn't enough. She seems tired all the time even at night when the other buns have tons of energy it seems.
 
I called the vet and he is supposed to return my call. I have no idea what to think. My family thinks I'm just paranoid and that she hasn't lost weight. She is awfully quiet and still most of the time though. It worries me. Maybe I am paranoid from losing Abby so suddently. I hope that's it.
 
Prefering hay is good. Some bunnies will eat less when in a new home. Some bunnies are not effected. She is eatting, drinking and pooping so that is good. Connor was 5wks when I got him and here he is almost 4yrs later.
 
So maybe I'm just overreacting... I am scared now I think. I took Tony in to the vet today just to make sure he was okay. I wish I had done that with Abby... A huge lesson learned. Maybe her heart problem would have been detected earlier...
 
Could she be dehydrated? If your using a water bottle it may be too difficult for her to use at this age, try offering a heavy bowl of water and see her reaction.
 
I just wrote a big long response to another post of a bunny who just came home and isn't eating as much, so I'll copy-paste that here.

"The stress of moving could have caused this, combined with the change in pellet. Ideally, you should change the pellet over a week or two so as not to upset the stomach.

By now, stress over a new place would have subsided, so I'm guessing it's the pellet change. I assume he's been seen recently by a good vet (at the shelter).

The new food may be giving him gas or slowdown. I suspect gas because it's common when switching pellets and having stress, and he doesn't have a total stoppage of poo. Try giving him some simethicone--I use Mylicon, made for babies, in a liquid solution. I give 1mL/hr for the first 3 hours, and do gentle tummy massages, and offer a warm rice sock. This is just an old sock filled with uncooked rice put in the microwave for 1-2min. The heat helps with gas.

Another thing to give him is Bene-Bac. It's a probiotic and I give it to my guys whenever their tummies are a bit off--funny poos, lots of uneaten cecals, hairy poos, gas, etc. I prefer to get the big old syringe with each gram marked on the plunger that's made for dogs and cats. There are also small tubes of it made for dogs and cats that are fine. Some bunnies don't like the gel type, so some stores have it in powder form in the small animal section. It's best to get the dog/cat or small animal one, not the avian/reptile one in my opinion, but if all you can get is avian/reptile the ingredients are pretty similar. There's a similar product at farm supply stores called ProBios, which has the same ingredients as the mammal Bene-Bac and is in a gel that is made for horses.

Keep an eye on his input/output, and if the gas meds and Bene-Bac don't turn him around in 24 hours, he should see a vet. The fact that he's peeing less is worrisome, because that may mean he's drinking less too. The most important component of a rabbit's GI tract seems to be water, strangely enough. If he's not drinking a lot, try offering water in a bowl and a bottle, as he may prefer one over the other. You can also spike in a little apple or cranberry juice (not too much--I'd say dilute it 1:4 at least--the sugar can slow down the GI a little) or add a drop of vanilla flavoring to make his water tastier. Another option is to offer him unsweetened pedialyte. If he doesn't improve by vet time, he'll probably need sub-cutaneous fluids.

Another thing that some members swear by is fresh pineapple juice. You have to get a fresh pineapple and squeeze it, or offer him chunks of it. It has enzymes that supposedly help with digestion, and it contains water too. Again, though, there's a lot of sugar in it, so don't go overboard with it. The members who use it think that the enzyme and water in it outweigh the risks of adding sugar to an already slow GI tract. I prefer to give it as chunks because they have a bit more fiber.

And yet, another option is canned pumpkin. I put a little on a plate and it's tasty wet fiber that they seem to love. Make sure it doesn't have pie spices in it though.

Now that you've got a long shopping list, I'll end my novel! Good luck! "


Bene-Bac is good--give her a gram a day until she eats more. I hope you didn't do a rapid pellet change with her? I agree that water is a bigger deal. It sounds to me like maybe Kate has a tiny bit of gas or is in the early stages of slowdown, so offering her some of the things I mentioned (not forcing them on her--the stress would be counter-productive) along with Bene-Bac could help. I wouldn't do a simethicone treatment until you've given at least one dose of Bene-Bac without improvement.
 
She has had a diet change as they didn't give any of her feed to my family when she was picked up. They didn't know any better and just took her, young age and all. I wouldn't have gotten her because of her age but love her now and am glad to have her.
 
Try a tiny bit of steam rolled oats and shredded carrots. I'd also have a fecal test done to rule out parasites.

Pam
 
Thanks everyone. She is going to be seeing the vet for a fecal test Pam. I have her an appt friday.
I am hoping that I am just too quick to think the worst now. She is still eating and her output seems really good. She is peeing and pooing quite a bit actually. Her stools aren't runny nor mushy so that seems good.

I am going to ask the vet also but I have another question. She will pee and sit in it. I have never seen any of my other buns do this. Is it because she's so young? She has the nastiest bottom and back leg everyday. I have washed that area many, many times-everyday to be exact. I am attempting to litter train her and this is sorta throwing a damper on it- or her in all reality. Lol.
 
Hmm... Urinary incontinence can be a sign of a urinary tract infection. I assume that she sometimes pees outside the box, and that's when she sits in it? If she's not litter trained at all, she's probably just too young to be trained and that's why she's peeing everywhere and sitting in it. However, if she usually pees in the box except when she pees and sits in it, it could be a sign of a UTI.
 
Is she sitting in the litterbox in her pee? or just wherever she goes pee?



I would be worried about her little butt getting sore. I don't know if they call it urine scald. Even with you washing it everyday.
 

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