Water/diarrhea

[Nessa1487]

As most of you know, Skippy was neuteredyesterday morning..he's perked up a lot since..he is eating well,sleeping well, and he gets up and plays some too..But, he does stillhave slight diarrhea, it isn't really watery, but it's still diarrhea,and I know he isn't drinking hardly any water..my husband held thewater bottle up to him and he had some last night, but I haven't seenor heard him drink any since..is there a way I can encourage him todrink water?

I called the vet this afternoon, she wasn't in...but, I wanted to checkto see if anyone knew. I would greatly appreciate it, I'm concernedabout my baby!!

 

[JimD]

It could just be a reaction to the surgery.

I added some vanilla to S'more's water when she had GI issues. She hadstopped eating and drinking. She seemed to like the taste and dranksome right away on her own.

You can also try dipping some veggies in water and seeing if he'll eatthem. I've always had good luck with parsley. The parsley will helpprompt him to eat, too.

And then there's always syringing as a last resort.

 

[Nessa1487]

I gave him a carrot or two, both had water onthem..and his lettuce he gets always has water on it...and he eatsthose up fast. I don't have a syringe..maybe I should get one?

 

[naturestee]

Has he been eating more veggies compared topellets and hay than normal? I had this problem with Fey andSprite after their spays because literally all they ate the first daywas veggies.

Try giving him a water bowl. Many buns will drink more from abowl than from a bottle. If that doesn't work, you can tryputting some flavored Pedialyte or vanilla-spiked water in a bowl forhim. If he won't drink at all and won't eat veggies, you'llneed to use a syringe. It's a good idea to have one aroundfor emergencies anyway.

If he's not eating or drinking at all, you'll need to take him to a vet.

 

[Nessa1487]

well, I called the vet office. The vet is busy,but the vet assistant said to put a little bit of salt on his food tomake him want to drink more water. Is this safe?

 

[JimD]

Nessa1487 wrote:

well, I called the vet office. The vet is busy, but the vetassistant said to put a little bit of salt on his food to make him wantto drink more water. Is this safe?

I don't see why not. S'more has had a salt lickfor a coupleof years now (the only bun that does), but I haven't really noticed herdrinking any more than the others.

Has he peed at all?

Try giving him some veggies with high water content...like celary with the strings removed.

You could give hime some rolled osts for the runny poops. They may also make him thirsty.

If you need a syringe, you can always pick one up at the localdrugstore. I've used one made for kids meds before with good results.

 

[Nessa1487]

I'm having my husband pick up salt licks forSkippy tonight...He had a couple of baby carrots with water onthem..and also romaine lettuce with water on the leaves..He doesn'twant much to do with his pellets..but, he's been eating the hay. We hadhim drinkin water a little earlier today..but, it wasn't enough to keephim hydrated..He peed when he got home yesterday from the vet.

I think that collar is what's keeping him from eating and drinkingmore..He's small, and he keeps tripping on it..I really wish I couldtake it off, because it's irritating him..But, I'm afraid of taking itoff and him hurting himself..but from what a lot of people keep tellingme, their bunnies never had a collar on like that.. I really don't knowif I should or not. :/

 

[naturestee]

He has a collar? Has he been bugginghis wound? What did your vet use to close theincision? It should be safe to take the collar off, just keepan eye on him. E-collars are very stressful for rabbits andshouldn't be used unless they're actually necessary.

 

[Nessa1487]

Yeah, he has an E-Collar. I really don't likethat it's on him. He hasn't touched his wound, he wants to clean hisface and scratch his neck, but the collar makes it so he can't. Poorlittle dude. :/ I'm not sure what they used to close the incision, I'dhave to check. I have to check on him in a little bit any way.

The vet said to keep it on a week. Atleast a week in any case. If theyused Stitches would it be safe to take the collar off? Because, hereally doesn't like it..I know he's unhappy with it on..He keepstripping over it..I feel so bad..

 

[naturestee]

Normal stitches should be fine, same withinternal dissolving stitches, surgical glue, or surgicalstaples. There was one person here who's vet doesn't closethe incision with anything, and if that's the case I might leave thecollar on for at least another day or two. Really though, themajority of bunnies do not bother their spay/neuter stitches.I don't know why your vet insisted on an e-collar.

 

[JimD]

How's Skippy today?

Binkie had to have a collar on after she ripped her stiches out. Shehad to wear it for almost 2 weeks. She HATED it, but got use to itafter the first couple of days. She learned how to scoop up her pelletslike a little snow plow, and to even use it as a "serving tray" for herromaine.
She was most frustrated because she could groom/clean herself properly.She's very finicky about keeping clean. She would go through all of themotions...kinda like "phantom cleaning", but acully only be cleaningthe outside of the collar. I think she groomed non-stop for about 3hours when we finally took the collar off.

~Jim

 

[Nessa1487]

He still is barely drinking water, and he stillhas slight diarrhea, gets a bit worse, then it gets a bit better.Called the vet again, she said to give him plain yogurt, about an 1/8thof a teaspoon, and then put a little bit of salt in it. The yogurt willtighten up the stool, and the salt will make him want to drink more.

If not that, she said to try putting a little pedialyte in his water toflavor it like someone mentioned here. I tried the vanilla thing, hewasn't interested. But, she said if it gets real bad, bring him in andthey will inject him with fluids. poor little guy.

As for the collar..She said I could take it off, if he starts diggingat his stitches put it right back on. If not, just put it on when Isleep or when I'm not home. But, she said he MIGHT not be drinkingwater because he can't move well in his collar.

I just hope he gets better soon, I feel so bad for the little dude.

 

[Nessa1487]

He seems to like the pedialyte with water, but he still isn't drinking a lot..maybe he'll get better today!!

 

[JimD]

How's Skippy?

 

[Nessa1487]

Skippy is loads better, he eats, drinks and doeseverything by himself..no more awful collar!!! He's almost back tonormal, but I'm sure to keep an eye on him.

 

[JimD]

:woohoo