Blackberry cannot walk, she is not eating (RESOLVED)

[country bunkin]

I lost my little Ostara on the 5th of May. He left behind his widow, Blackberry.

Now she had a rough couple of days, but her appetite never wavered and she's been playing and exploring by herself.

She ran laps friday night and had her pellets saturday morning. I was gone for most of the day. When I got home she was crouched behind her litter pan and didn't want her greens.

I gave her simethicone in case she had gas. A little while later she pushed really hard and let out a lot of dark yellow pee. I think it was the first time she had peed in hours.

She started darting around a little while later, and kept falling over. I got some pedialyte and held her and gave her some. She resisted at first but then readily took it. I gave her some pumpkin too. When I set her back down in front of her pen, she didn't know how to get in. She didn't seem to know where she was. She went over to another spot, falling over all the way. Her eyes were moving a lot.

We tried to get her attention but she seemed so far away. It took a long while before she really made contact with us again. I put her back into her pen.

Today she is the same. Crumpled up in a corner looking uncomfortable. She hasn't pooped but she has peed 2 more times. I gave her more pedialyte which she took. I offered her a couple pellets and she took those. But she can't walk, she keeps falling over. She drug herself back to the corner of the pen, where she still is.

She is maybe around 3 years old or so. She is not herself at all.

She's had GI stasis before and it was nothing like this. I think the gi stasis now is secondary to something else happening.

That's all I got right now. Vet tomorrow.

ETA: She is spayed. We just had a session with her and she made a poop. She is still falling over, though.

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

There are several things that are possible but my first thoughtwas an ear infection. Look very carefully at her eyes. Watch for any movement when she is being held or sitting still. The movement may be very slight. If she has that, it is called nystagmus and most likely indicates a vestibular infection.

But...you mentioned her straining to urinate...and her symptoms could be pain from a urinary tract issue. Rabbits can develop a condition in which there are a lot of crystals in the urine which will result in sludge building up in the bladder....and they can also get stones just like humans (I know them all too well). Regardless, it's painful.

Needless to say, and as you stated, get to a vet tomorrow. In the mean time, offer her lots of leafy greens which will help with hydrations. Romaine lettuce is probably the best you could offer in case it's sludge. I suspect your vet will palpitate the bladder. I would suggest a urinalysis to see what is going on. Make sure your vet checks rectal temperature. If sludge is suspected, it is very obvious on x-rays....can't miss it. Offer her lots of water. And if you can do so without stressing her too much, some unflavored Pedialyte might be of help. Do you have any pain meds on hand?

There ispossiblysomething a little more sinister here. I am not mentioning this to cause you any anxiety....but since she has been thru so much recently, I would at least consider the possibility of E Cuniculi. This little beast is normally controlled by the immune system but with the stress she has been under recently, a clinical appearance of this parasite is a distinct possibility. Nearly every domestic rabbit carries this parasite subclinically. Very few vets have ever actually seen a real case of EC and even fewer would know how to respond. EC has a way of covering itself by compromising the immune system to a point that it allows opportunistic bacteria to invade. Recognizing and treating this conditon, if it is present, will allow a much better odds of complete recovers.

Randy

 

[country bunkin]

I don't know if she will take the greens. I've been syringe feeding everything.

Actually, the one time she had GI stasis she had a hard time peeing then, too.

I've never been in a position to have pain meds for rabbits. She is still the same at the moment.

Thank you for replying.

 

[SOOOSKA]

Oh goodness, I sure hope she starts to feel better real soon.

I will say a prayer thatBlackberry gets better.

Susan:sickbunny:

 

[bunbunbinkie]

Poor Blackberry and poor you!I cannot even begin to imagine losing one bun and then another getting sick so soon afterwards.:bunnyhug:I wish I couldgive you more helpbut I cannot add anything to what Randy has already stated. I will keep you and Blackberry in my thoughts. Good Luck at the Vet tommorow, I'll be praying for you and your girlie.

ray:

 

[Pipp]

country bunkin wrote:

Actually, the one time she had GI stasis she had a hard time peeing then, too.

GI Stasis is almost always a symptom of something else, so it's possible she had a sludge or infection issue then, too.

If she was treated with lots of fluids, I'm sure it helped both problems. Was she put on antibiotics?

Hope she's better soon!



sas ray:

 

[country bunkin]

Pipp, when she had GI Stasis before, it was a very brief thing. About 4 days. One day she skipped a meal and I knew something was up. I got pumpkin and pedialyte to get things moving and within a few days she was back to normal. Yes, I saw a vet at that time and he told me to keep doing what I was doing.

 

[pla725]

How is Blackberry doing this morning?

 

[Haley]

Oh dear, Im so sorry youre going through this with your girl so soon after losing her mate. I really hope its something that can be easily helped.

Please let us know how your vet appt goes. I'll be praying for your girl.

Haley

 

[country bunkin]

BB is a contradiction right now. Last night I got her out and had her in my arms, a position she usually hates. She let us feed her hay! that way. And boy did she munch it. She made 2 more poops.

We brought her into the living room to see how she would act. She sat there for a minute then ran back toward her room where her pen is then starting falling over again, but made it back to the corner.

Today, my husband pointed out she was on her top platform. I thought that was a sign she was better. But she still didn't want pellets and she's sitting in the corner up there.

She's going to the vet in a bit.

Thank you so much everyone. This is so puzzling to me and like nothing I've gone through.

 

[country bunkin]

Bad news. My vet stopped seeing rabbits. There is only one place I know of a few cities away and I don't know where it is, how to get to it, and my husband has to work tonight.

 

[SOOOSKA]

Holy Jeez, this is an Emergency. I wouldn't be too impressed with that Vet. Gosh i thought they were there for the good of the animals.

Susan:?

 

[country bunkin]

I know. He actually got extra education to learn about rabbits. He's the only person in the area I know of who knows jack about them. I've been taking them to him for years! He spayed/neutered them for crying out loud!

 

[Leaf]

Will this link help you? http://www.alabamaears.org/



All of these shelters in Alabama take rabbits so they may know of vets to use:

http://www.alabamaears.org/othershelters.html

 

[pla725]

Try this site too:

http://www.aemv.org/vetlist.cfm

Only three vets listed in AL.

 

[BSAR]

Sounds like she is paralyzed or something. Could idea to get her to the nearest vet asap!! That other vet soundslike a jokesince he stopped seeing rabbits when he basically specialized in them!

Hope Blackberry feels better soon!

BSAR

 

[country bunkin]

Don't worry. My husband looked at the map at the place a few cities away and said I think you can get there ok. I've never gone long distances by myself. So I called the place and they had a 4 pm appt. available and they said it was ok if I was late.

I took him to work in one city then doubled back on the interstate and got to the vet's office without getting lost. She is staying overnight to get some fluids, critical care, an x-ray, etc.

I should hear something tomorrow morning. The place is as cat & bird clinic in Hartselle, AL. A vet there has been seeing rabbits for years and my guinea pig friend takes her pigs there as well.

 

[pla725]

At least Blackberry is in good hands. Keep us posted. I will Blackberry and you in my thoughts.

The vet is listed on the Alabama HRS site. Good choice.

 

[country bunkin]

I wasn't about to take her to anyone that didn't actually know rabbits. They could cause way more damage than what's already wrong.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Let us know how Blackberry is doing in the morning. I hope she's doin' great!