Enteritis, GI statis

[thumpingBerry]

I bought and brought home an 8 week old Velveteen lop from a breeder on Saturday. She was skittish and scared with being in a new home, so I pretty much left her alone with food from the breeder, hay, and fresh water in her cage. I saw her eat a small strand of hay Saturday evening. Sunday evening I noticed clear jelly like poop and it didn't look like her hay or pellets have been touched. Yesterday morning, there was a little brownish tint in the poop/discharge. When I came home from work, it was back to being clear.

She has been sleeping most of the time with very little normal baby bunny activity. I have had her out a few times and it was clear to me this morning she was dehydrated and weakened. I had taken today and tomorrow off of work for some study time for a final test for a college class I am taking.

I debated my options (self treat with force feeding pellets, water, and giving her Neomycin Sulfate) or taking her to a vet. The vet I normally would use couldn't see her until Friday. I decided to take her to an emergency vet clinic that said they see exotics.

They gave me Critical Care to force feed, and Sulfa Trim, and gave her some sub-q fluids. They mentioned she may need to be on IV's to get through this but honestly I do not have the funds needed for that so am hoping that the Critical Care and antibiotic get her eating again.

Is there anything else I can do for her to help her get through this?

I lost my little baby French Angora about a week ago, just found him dead in his cage ... not having good luck with young bunnies right now.

 

[thumpingBerry]

I just returned from a couple of stores with unflavored Pedialyte and infant gas drops. My little Velveteen lop got a dose of infant gas drops to help with the bloating/gas.

I think it's been about 7 - 8 hours from her first force feeding. She is still having the clear mucousy poop. When should I see evidence that her intestines are still working and thus, I assume, brown mucousy poop?

The vet's instructions were to force feed her 3 times a day until she starts eating. But I'm at least planning to split that up more often, with more liquid to help with dehydration for at least the next day when I'm home before I have to go to work. I am seeing no sign she is drinking water at all.

 

[majorv]

Frankly, she'll die if you don't aggressively treat her. We've lost a couple of young ones to enteritis, and once it sets in there isn't a lot you can do. She must stay hydrated so if you can't do the IV's you need to be getting fluids into her somehow. The problem is if, if you have to force it in by syringe that's better than nothing but just adds to the stress (which is probably what started this). Not a good situation, I'm afraid.

 

[majorv]

I wanted to add that given how quickly she developed this after you got her, if this doesn't end well, you need to contact the breeder for a replacement. I'm not sure this little one was completely healthy when you got her. Good luck, I hope she makes it.

 

[thumpingBerry]

I suspect this may have started even before I got her, without the breeder knowing. But I will try to do what I can to get her through this.

On the up side (I think) ... I think I felt poop in her intestines. She appears to not be as dehydrated (although using the Pedialyte with the Critical Care may have helped). I did have her in with a baby female Holland Lop but just separated them to monitor her better.

Soon after, she showed a bit of energy, even jumping around her cage a bit and pawing at the corner. That's the most I've seen out of her.

She is a sweet girl who has shown she loves attention (she doesn't like being force fed, though) and I just hope I can get her through this.

 

[Azerane]

I don't have any more advice to offer, but sending best wishes for her.

 

[thumpingBerry]

She is still not drinking anything, yet she licks the cage bars as if she is thirsty. She has a water bowl as well as a water bottle that she did drink from before. I don't think she's eating anything on her own, presumably due to still being somewhat dehydrated. Her poops are soft, but brown with little to no mucuous now.

Any advice on how to get her to drink water again on her own?

 

[majorv]

You can try putting a little apple juice or something sweet in it but not much! Best to use pedialyte and try syringing it if she refuses to drink.

 

[thumpingBerry]

I came home from work to find ... many brown, mostly round, (but still soft) poops. And she's EATING! There was some water gone from the little bowl I have in her cage.

 

[thumpingBerry]

I have now seen her drinking from her water bowl. Attached is a picture of my Pansy girl taken a couple of days ago (and yes, part of the bottom cage wire is covered with a nice fleece blanket to lay on in her cage so she isn't laying/walking on wire all the time).

 

[majorv]

I'm glad she is getting better!

 

[edwinf8936]

Your vet should let you try giving the IV fluids yourself. My vet had me do this once and it probably saved his life.
It is not hard to do, just takes a little determination. The cost would be the IV bag and the needles, probably doing it daily for 4 or 5 days. The needle is just inserted under the skin, not in a vein.