Our 3 lb female lionhead stopped eating. She has a bad flea infestation. Vet told us to use a tube of Vectra, which seems weird. Have read most recommend Revolution or Advantage. She is taking meds for GI stasis and getting critical care and liquid veggies. What is the correct dose pls for such a tiny bunny for Revolution and Advantage (is this the kitten type?). She had X-rays and blood tests and had tooth checks…fleas seem to be the problem.
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I have no information or idea if that treatment is considered safe for rabbits. I would personally stick with Revolution or other similar selamectin flea treatment, that is known to be generally safe for rabbits, and is better than Advantage in my opinion. Usual rabbit dose is 18mg/kg topical spot on application (follow directions).
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Fleas
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Fleas
JBun, thank you very much for the link and info! We ended up using an Advantage for small kittens only containing imidacloprid because we couldn’t get Revolution at least until tomorrow. Poor Abby probably has flea anemia (should get blood test results tomorrow). Will follow the recommendations for treating her environment.
Abby is still not eating. Am trying to get critical care and veggie juice in her but she willfully spits most of it out. She grudgingly ate a couple of parsley and carrot top stems I hand fed her but refused the green soft parts. Sparse poops. Vet said her test results just show mild flea anemia. No vets open for two more days. She won’t eat timothy hay or orchard grass. Is on meloxicam and cisapride and coprocessor eye drops. Any suggestions? She still has flea poop in her fur but I see no live fleas.
If she's swallowing some of it, consistently giving some every few hours will add up. And hopefully she gets enough to keep her gut moving. Just be very careful about going slow and allowing her time to swallow between each mouthful, or there's a greater risk of causing aspiration.
If she just won't eat it. You could try making a pellet mush with her usual pellets soaked in warm water and see if she'll eat that.
If she isn't swallowing any, or barely any, you would need to contact your vet or an emergency vet. They would likely need to do sub q or IV fluids, and possibly other interventions because of her lack of eating. There's just no way for you to get food down her at home if she absolutely refuses.
If she just won't eat it. You could try making a pellet mush with her usual pellets soaked in warm water and see if she'll eat that.
If she isn't swallowing any, or barely any, you would need to contact your vet or an emergency vet. They would likely need to do sub q or IV fluids, and possibly other interventions because of her lack of eating. There's just no way for you to get food down her at home if she absolutely refuses.
JBun,
Am calling vet tomorrow (none open this weekend).
She ate leftover veggies during the night but her poop is very squishy and wet. She doesn’t want to eat hay. I made her eat some critical care and ground up veggie juice last night. After she is eating reliably, will take away some of the veggies and try to get her to eat hay. She doesn’t want pellets right now either. I got her to eat some hand fed carrot top and parsley stems last night. She seems better with no more live fleas. Will stop the meloxicam in case it is decreasing her appetite. You’re right, if she refuses to eat, there is no way to get her to eat at home. She had fluids Thursday at the vet’s. Will see tomorrow if she needs to go back for more. Thank you for your help!
