Weight Loss after Major Operation. What to do?

[Makhwushi]

Hi,

I am the owner of a nine year-old Dutch (we think/were told) lop. About a month ago he underwent a major operation which involved neutering and the removal of a benign abcess from just above and behind his right-front leg. Having been given only 60% odds through by the vet due to his age, he did well to come through, but since then he's been a lot less mobile, and he's lost a lot of weight. He was about 3.7kg just after the operation, he's now down to the about 3kg and feels very thin and frail. He also has some kind of issue in his eye/nasal tract which has been giving him runny eyes which was supposed to be resolved in the operation but has persisted.

His last check up was a week ago, when he was prescribed metacam (a painkiller) and veraflox (an antibiotic). The vet said at that point that, given the weight loss, it could simply be that there's some other issue that's slowly getting the better of him. It's been a struggle to administer the medicine at times, particularly the veraflox. He's had them via wholemeal bread which he generally loves and has always worked when he's needed anything in the past, but has generally avoided the bread with the veraflox which has a kind of creamy consistency and doesn't absorb well. He still wants to eat most things but only in small quantities, but the last 18 hours or so he's eaten very little. I took him outside on the lawn and he ate grass for a good 20 minutes solid then and has been eating more I've got for him quite a bit since.

So my question is, what things could I try to feed him or try to do for him to help him gain weight, if anything? Of course by this stage it may simply be that he's reaching a natural end, but he's still eating plenty of grass when offered (eats it like he's starved), and I want to do all I possibly can for him.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

You could syringe feed him critical care, baby food, mashed up pellets, canned pumpkin, pineapple juice, and foods high in moisture and fiber.

Is he eating his pellets and hay? If he's only eating veggies and grass and ignoring pellets and hay (harder to eat) he may have something wrong with his teeth. If he stops eating bring him to the vet immediately. If you can tell he is abruptly eating less then I would suggest a visit to the vet, when they stop eating it can be very severe. But like you said it could be his natural end, most rabbits live 9 to 12 years. Best of luck!!

 

[surf_storm]

My 8 month old nethie dwarf stopped eating after getting desexed and I had to syringe feed her Oxbow Critical Care it gave all the nessissary nutrients she needed to keep her going until she felt like eating again

 

[Makhwushi]

Thanks for your replies, appreciated.

He had his teeth checked only last week during a thorough checkup at the vets and they said they looked good. It's only really in the last day or so that he's been off most things bar grass; prior to that he was eating a bit of everything, just not in the previous quantities.

My bigger concern aside from what he's eating and not eating and why is that of his general quality of life; he's seemed to get progressively weaker, and more so in the last few days; he can struggle to stand up from a lying down position and really struggle to climb onto his platform in his cage when I put him in there. I don't know whether it's a more general weakening (possibly linked to the weight loss and whatever is causing that) or some kind of worsening back problem for him.

I'm calling the vet first thing to see what they say. They're the same ones who performed his operation and who we've been taking him to since.

Thanks once again for your suggestions and input, I appreciate it.

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

He may be getting weaker on his legs and find it takes more effort to rise from a seated or reclining position. He could also have a bit of arthritis which is common in older rabbits. That makes some maneuvers painful.

Just like people, some older rabbits may not eat as much or their aging digestive systems may not take full advantage of the calories they consume. Try adding more pellets to his diet, alfalfa or timothy based. You could also offer him plain alfalfa.

Significant weight loss can indicate illness & I think that's what's going on with your bun? It's a great idea to talk to your vet and get their opinion!

 

[Makhwushi]

He may be getting weaker on his legs and find it takes more effort to rise from a seated or reclining position. He could also have a bit of arthritis which is common in older rabbits. That makes some maneuvers painful.

Just like people, some older rabbits may not eat as much or their aging digestive systems may not take full advantage of the calories they consume. Try adding more pellets to his diet, alfalfa or timothy based. You could also offer him plain alfalfa.

Significant weight loss can indicate illness & I think that's what's going on with your bun? It's a great idea to talk to your vet and get their opinion!

Yea, I hope it's just something like the former, though given that he's come down from about 8.25lbs immediately post-op at the end of May to maybe 6.5-6.75lbs now, I fear the latter. He's booked in for later today, we'll see what they say. He was better in the day or so after they gave him vitamin and steroid injections last week. Depending on what they say we may try to boost his height (the loss of which may explain the frailty I suppose) with Critical Care or similar. Still enjoying grass when offered and his longstanding favourite curly kale.

 

[Makhwushi]

Right, well he's battling on and receiving a good amount of syringed recovery food (Supreme Science recovery), and co-operating brilliantly with the regular doses (every 1-2 hours), and this plus metacam, veraflox, and perhaps even the benefit of plenty of attention from us all seems to have encouraged his appetite generally. He tends not to eat what's left beside him of his own accord, but is eating good amounts of carrot tops, apple, kale, and yoghurt drops (good if nothing else to help him gain a bit of weight and mass perhaps) when offered them.

However, setting aside whether there's something malignant within him steadily getting the better of him, externally, my big worry is his hind legs, particularly on the right. As he's lost weight and got weaker, it really drags when he tries to move and sits limp and outward quite often when he settles. He's generally quite stationary and often doesn't move well when he does move. Is there anything that could be done to aid with this bar seeing if gaining weight and strength in the coming days may help? Even some sort of massage or something like that?

The right-rear leg has looked a little weaker for a couple of years now, since he was about 7. It certainly hasn't stopped him getting about and causing mischief until his general health deteriorated a bit in the last couple of months, but when I'd pick him up to sit him on my shoulder it was noticeable that it'd often hand slightly limp compared to his left hind leg. Could this be indicative of arthritis, a local bone issue, or a spinal issue?

Thanks once again for any suggestions or advice.

 

[Makhwushi]

Additionally, it's also a concern that his front legs sometimes spread quite wide either side of him when he lies down. Firstly it looks uncomfortable for him, but secondly, I wonder whether this is just an indication of a general loss of strength or feeling in his front legs?

Again, any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Makhwushi]

I'm sad but also a little relieved to say that Thumper's time came earlier this morning. He wouldn't swallow his recovery food in the end yesterday and was ultimately getting weaker sadly. Still, we had nine wonderful years with him and he passed at home in his favourite place just underneath the drinks cabinet in the living room.

Thanks to all who've offered advice regarding treatment and solutions this past few months.

 

[surf_storm]

I am so sorry to hear that,our thoughts are with you in this hard time
~Shell and Shida

 

[pani]

Binky free, Thumper.

I'm sorry for your loss, but thankful you had nine years together.

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

I'm so sorry for your loss, but he lived a wonderful life.

 

[Makhwushi]

Thanks. He was ever so brave and co-operative with all the visits to the vet and having the recovery food syringed into his mouth in his last weeks. It was horrible seeing him deteriorate but he went here with us in his favourite place and I think maybe by the end he was just weak and exhausted rather than really in pain. I don't know but I hope so. We were lucky to have him in our lives and he was spoilt rotten in every way throughout. The time comes for all of us in the end, whatever species we are.