any help much appreciated *RIP Mr Bun R*

[lindymars]

hi there



my bunnyhad a stroke and had meningitis in the summer. after much tlc he pulled through, the vet gave him a 50:50 chance of making it through the night and he did. he still suffers from the wabbles but was back to his usual cheeky self. we had to do things like carry him up and down the stairs (he is a house rabbit.)but he was still wanting out, answering when it was time to go out, to bed, to get up in the morning etc.recently tho he deteriorated and had eaten far less than normal. I took him to the vet and he thinks he had kidney/liver failure following his illness. I was given tablets to give him to try and increase his appetite but so far this had not worked...he got such a thorough examination that i think he may be a) sore and b)blinded by the light to check his eyes. the vet said everything by that i mean his teeth ears and eyes are all fine but the membranes are very pail and obviously very very thin....i am offering everyhing but he isnt interest.:sad:



i know eventually we will have to make the decision of asking him to carry on but for the immediate future i would like to give him the best chance possible....



does anyone have any ideas or suggestions of things i can try to get his appetite back

 

[polly]

they tend to be more drawn to herbs and veg when they don't have much appetite.

I take it there is no lumpy bits or a tight feeling in your bunnies tummy? cause that can be a blockage or gas.

If its that you can give simethicone to help move the gas and tummy rubs also heat is good if they are not feeling well a heat pad or Pips remedy dry rice in a sock and microwave for a short time.

You could also mush up some pellets and try to syringe feed to at least get some food into him, I always mix in critical care. maybe a bit of probiotic in the water. And if you usually give water in a bottle give a bowl as well.

Hope that helps for a start there are some really experienced on here hopefully they will be along soon

 

[Bo B Bunny]

poor baby. Can you give him some of the malt flavored nutri cal to just get him some nutrients for now? then offer some fresh greens?

 

[lindymars]

thanks i will try the probiotic tonight...he gets all his water in a bowl so will see. i have tried him with parsley and all his favourites but will only take a tiny little cornflake at a time from his dried food..the vet checked him thoroughly and everything is fine...thanks for your help we really appreciate it

 

[TK Bunnies]

Poor little guy.

Is he drinking?

Would siringe feeding him help?

I wish I could be more help.

Hang in there little guy,

-TK

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

Several things you said kinda brings me to several questions. First, how was a stroke and meningitis diagnosed? What are his symptoms other than loss of appetite? A blood panel and urinalysiscan easily determine the renal function. The symptoms you have mentioned so far lead me to a protozoan infection. Rabbits don't technically have strokes and I have never heard of a rabbit having meningitis (but I am not a doctor either). I might be reading between the lines here...but since you mention you have to carry your rabbit....does that mean he has some degree of paresis in his rear legs? If so....and your comments about meningitis (a brain infection), instability, possible renal and/or liver issues along with the loss of appetite....that sounds like an active E Cuniculi infection. If this is the case, it might be a better course of action to work on the infecton also...the root cause. EC is a wasting disease that takes the body but not the mind...something like ALS in humans. They usually have the initial onset, then the immune system fights back and things will at least stabilize if not improve and then it returns as the EC counter attacks against the immune system and things will start to deteriorate over time.Your rabbit probably feels really bad. If he does have kidney issues...he will feel really bad. It seems that others have already given good advice on offering some nourishment...and that is vitally important. I suspect he needs fluids and that will help him. A little shot of B Comp may be of help. There is not really a magic drug to make him eat. But my gut feeling here is that this bun may have some serious issues going on here. Not attempting to discredit your vet...but this might be a case for a very rabbit savvy vet. I don't have a good feeling based on your comments. If you would, put your location in your profile. Some of us might know of a doctor that can offer a second opinion on your bun's situation. If this were my rabbit....I would be asking for some more diagnosticsto find the cause and treat accordingly. Best wishes.

Randy

 

[naturestee]

I actually had the same thoughts as Randy while I was reading your post. What area are you located in? Is there a different vet who specializes in rabbits that you could take him to?

I also agree that strong-smelling herbs such as cilantro and parsley might tempt him. You could also give him some Nutrical, which is a supplement for cats and dogs that can also be given to rabbits, just squish a little on his paw. It has B vitamins (easier to do at home than a shot) as well as some calories and other stuff that can help a sick animal. It's supposed to stimulate the appetite, probably from the B vitamins. Also, if he isn't able to eat his cecals due to mobility problems he will not have been getting the B vitamins he needs and will need a supplement- ask your vet what you could give on a more frequent basis.

 

[lindymars]

my we bunny gave up last night...so very sad...he wouldnt take any water or food at all yesterday...i just new he was ready. when we got home last night he had managed to get himself through to the kitchen where he passed...i am sad he was alone at such a horrible time but people have told me he would have kept going until he was alone...



thanks for all the kind advice



RIP mr bun

 

[ra7751]

:bigtears:

 

[polly]

So sorry Binky freeMr Bun:rainbow: