something wrong with Hershel?

[gmacarroll]

I just got Hershel on friday, and since then i've noticed that he has been peeing and pooping less than what he normally does. I got him from the humane society where i work, and so i know his bathroom habits (he was a very dirty boy, peed and pooped everywhere). He also doesn't seem to be eating very much He's on different food then what we feed them at the shelter (I bought him a really good timothy hay based pellet). I'm not sure if it just seem like he's going to the bathroom less because he is in a bigger area and has full run of the basement when i'm home (so for several hours a night) or if the medication/stress etc...have caused him to stop going to the washroom. He runs around like nobodies business and seems to be feeling well otherwise.

another thing-he used to be really good at taking his medicine (he has medicine for an eye problem he has, and is now also on a pain killer for after the surgery) but now he shakes his head and just generally seems to hate taking his meds. I'm guessing that is semi normal (who likes taking meds right?!?) but i'm also aware that behavior changes like that can mean he's sick....He has a vet apt. on thursday, but do you think i should see if i can get him in earlier???

 

[SweetSassy]

If he has an appt anyway, it wouldn't hurt to get him in earlier. Maybe he's just stressed from going from the shelter to your house.



If he's not eating and not going to the bathroom, He may have a blockage. That's probably why he don't want to take his medicine. I would get him in to the vet sooner.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

we like to think of shelters as a good place,for the most part-this may be true-./.but behind the scenes we have massive stress,(hygiene)/bacterial problems,perfect situation for an outbreak of kennel cough,coccidia,etc..,i highly recommend a full exam for the rabbit by a competent exotic specialist//not a want a be dvm/faith healer/.sounds like upper respiratory,and gi tract poblems/,murphy,s-law states anything left to itself will go from bad to worse,,you have taken the first steo follow through with a good exam,teeth,gums,throat,nails,gi tract,body.temp,poops,,search for mites,fleas,,give him a good start,,a little money now,,is well spent,,good diet,70% fiber..ie..timothy/orchard grass,,good quality(low fat)-pellet,,ie.purina rabbit chow,,some fruit tree branches/twigs,for chewing,,dandylions,clovers,grass,,sincerely james waller

 

[tonyshuman]

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!

 

[gmacarroll]

It's definitely not a URV, he isn't sneezing or showing any other symptoms of a respiratory problem. He did have a full physical while at the shelter (we have an exotic vet that comes in and does exams on them). He has a problem with excess porphorin pigments in his urine (which makes it red) and he has problems with one of his eyes (it weeps all the time). I'm just wondering if it's something from the neuter...he seems fine otherwise. He also loves my guinea pigs food-he found some and started chowing down on it, so maybe it's just the brand of rabbit pellets i got him that he doesn't like??

 

[tonyshuman]

Hmm... I wouldn't let him eat the guinea pig food due to their different nutritional requirements.

I worry that the watery eye is a tooth root problem. The roots of rabbits' teeth can grow up into the area around the eye, or can become infected and impact the tear duct. It's possible that he's not eating as much because he's in pain from this, even though he's on a pain med. I think you should try the GI slowdown/gas treatments I mentioned for now, and if that doesn't work, a vet should be consulted and you need to have a good look taken at those tooth roots. That means a dental x-ray. You can't see tooth root problems without an x-ray.

edit: I had to LOL at your "faith healers" comment, James!