Dippy's not eating as much

[Becca]

Okay I am super scared

Becuase I've had that horrible fluey/cold thing that has been going round and I haven't been allowed to go outside in the cold, so Mum has been feeding the rabbits. I went out this morning and Dippy was sitting the corner, like he has been for a couple of days. He hadn't eaten all his food which straight away worried more, and some of you know he hasnt been eating hay.

Mum said she might of put too much in, but *might* doesn't mean anything and how much is too much? Usually his bowl his clean and usually he comes up and starts eating straight away whereas today he just stayed in the corner.

I'm scared people, help! This morning I gave him a handful of pellets and some dried grass in hope he might eat some.

 

[Flashy]

Did you take my advice and get his teeth checked out?

 

[PepnFluff]

Yea like Flashy said, i'd be thinking teeth the same thing happened with Fluff and he had spurs on his teeth................

 

[Becca]

Not yet, I said to mum when I came in Can we take Dippy to the vet to get his teeth checked and she said Why and I said becuase he's not eating much and she said Well not now. :X

I'll ask her again to book an appointment.

 

[Flashy]

He does sound like he is showing the early signs of spurs, which is a change in diet behaviour and then gut slowdown.

The gut slowdown, unless sorted can lead to stasis. We are going through this with Cloud at the moment, although Cloud has seen a vet (bit more about it in my blog).

He needs a vet because he is clearly uncomfortable. If it's not teeth, then hopefully they can figure out what it is, but to me, it sounds classic spurs.

 

[Becca]

:shock:


*MUUUUUUMM* Shouts...

 

[Flashy]

Parents are generally not fans of shouting lol, why not go and find her and talk to her.

 

[Becca]

Mum said we havent got enough money so we can't :grumpy: :cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1::cry1:

 

[dquesnel]

Hi Becca, I moved this to the infirmary where it will be better answered for you.

The above posts are right and Flashy gave great advice. It may be his teeth, it may be other things too. It depends how long you have seen his eating slow down, and also if he will eat any other types of food. Since he hasn't been eating hay, it could be a sign that his teeth were bothering him first and now they are hurting more when he eats his pellets too. It is hard to know without a really good mouth exam.

One of my rabbits first started picking at his hay, then his pellets, and it got so bad that he also wanted to stop eating his greens and water, all in a matter of days while I waited for his dental appointment. He was a young rabbit like Dippy. Some rabbits are very sensitive to mouth issues and the sooner they can get in for a vet visit the better. It may help your mum make the appointment quicker if she realizes that it could cost more in the long run to get Dippy wel if there is a waitl- he may slide into GI stasis and that would be a lot worse. You are very good for seeing that Dippy is feeling unwell as sometimes people don't see slowdown right away.

It may also be something other than his teeth but it certainly sounds like dental issues, so make sure the vet does not rule everything else too until a complete and thorough exam has been done.

 

[Becca]

Thanks guys, and thanks for moving this to the infirmary, I wasn't sure where to post it.

I'll make sure he can still get to greens, water, pellets and hay - I'll also put a water bowl in so its easier for him to drink.

I also heard that when a rabbit gets anorexic its very diffiuclt to get them back to normal again. Is that true?

I don't want him to get to thin or get Stasis.

 

[dquesnel]

Becca wrote:

I also heard that when a rabbit gets anorexic its very diffiuclt to get them back to normal again. Is that true?

I don't want him to get to thin or get Stasis.

It can be difficult to get them normal again. I don't understand the whole "Turtle and the Hare" story as I swear that rabbits take everything at snail speed sometimes! It is true that it can be really difficult to get a rabbit well again after stasis. It may take days or months. That is why it is recommended to find out the cause of an ailment as quickly as possible so that stasis may be prevented.

I think your intentions for now are good Becca, by keeping him as hydrated as possible (with water dishes and greens) it will help his gut from being empty and keep everything in there moving. If you see that he is not pooping for 12+ hours however, I would treat it as an emergency and bring him to the vet with that in mind. Hopefully the vet will allow payments so your parents don't have to pay all at once.

I need to sign off now and go to bed but more people will be on soon as it will be morning over here in a little while. Try to stay calm for now as if you are upset, Dippy may sense that. I think he will be ok for the next bit as you are giving him the food he will eat and lots of water. So try to be cool, and make sure your mum knows that you are being preventative right now as if it waits he may get less well. Good luck!

 

[PepnFluff]

Yea as everyone else said keep him hydrated etc I was told to mix pellets with water and then feed it, someone else may want to verify that....For me usually giving the parents the worst case scenario works. I'm not sure if your parents said you havn't got enough money coz they havn't or if they think it's not enough of a reason to go... You could ask for a trip to the vet for your christmas present from them or your grandparents, nothing like seeing a eating bunny Goo luck with the situation

 

[Flashy]

Becca, could you use his neuter money to pay for it and then save up again? It sounds like his mouth is really hurting him, and the sooner you get it done the better. Once you notice it normally means they just have spurs there, however if you notice and leave it, then that can develop into more serious things, like injuries to the mouth, abscesses, tooth root problems which can lead to eye and nose problems too. It really is a case of the sooner the cheaper.

Not sure if your family is on any benefits or anything, but if you are you can try the PDSA-I'm on mum's laptop and so can't find it right now (she is trying to upload something and I'm slowing it down), but it might be worth a read.

Yes, I agree with Pepnfluff about the pellets. Soak them in water and give them to him as a slurry. He also needs pain meds too, and he needs something like fibreplex to help his gut. I would be happy to donate you one of those if you want, because it could hlep him get moving again (obviously I would just need your address, so check with your mum about that).

All those tips I gave you for hay, I would suggest using them, especially the hay smoothie because if he can't eat it properly, that is better than nothing. Also try cutting it up small.

 

[Becca]

Thanks guys, I have some little cartons of apple juice, you know the green ones with the bendy straw that you stick in the top. Can I dilute that and soak the hay in it? How much apple juice? How much water and how much hay?

 

[Flashy]

I have just given Cloud some 'apple water' and I used just the tiniest amount of apple juicew (just enough to slightly change the smell of the water), so that's what I would suggest as an amount. Obviously it is sugary so that is a risk and can upset the gut, so youmay want to not do that until his gut is in better shape.

 

[Becca]

How will I get him to eat hay then?

 

[W5Skittles]

he needs to see a vet hun i know its all down to your mum maybe she doesnt know the extent of the problem i know my mum said 'they will be fine' and then took them down when they were at deaths door!

It does sound like tooth problems and if it isthey need sorted now andnot left i left my girls teeth once and her mouth abcessed and she got mouth ulcers :Xif you leaveit its possible dippy will looseweight and if he needs a dental it will be more risky under aneasthetic if hes underweight.

if your mum doesnt have the money maybe getting more rabbits isnt the best idea hun. if dippy has dental problems then its possible Benji will get them to.

also if dippy does have dental problems i would contat the breeder yougot him from maybe its a genetic disorder thats been hidden in the line.

 

[Flashy]

Hay is not your immediate priority, in my opinion, his immediate priority is a, to get his gut moving properly (as in he needs rehydration, he needs fluids, he needs pain relief, he needs exercise, as well as hay, but not purely hay), and his next priority is to get the teeth sorted. Obviously he does need to eat hay, but you have to weigh up the risks as to whether or not giving sugary stuff is going to help or hinder. You could maybe try vanilla or chamomile teaor mint tea or something. I have given apple water because I know I am doing all the right things to get Cloud's gut sorted ready for his dental on Friday. You are in a different situation with Dippy.

This could end up being a regular thing, and as Skittles said, Benjamin might need them too, and so if you can't afford this, how can you afford more buns? If they need a monthly dental or a three monthly dental or something, that soon mounts up money wise.

 

[Becca]

I'll make the pellet mixture, How much water should I put in? Should they be soggy and sqishy?

 

[Becca]

I just went out to check on him and he hasn't eaten anything He has drank a bit though..



ETA: I can see him through the window and he's eating now...