Lethargic, No Appetite

[Dreamer6514]

Hi,

I'm fostering Coco who I've had for almost a year now. He likes to lay around a lot but he also gets excited and snoops around. He was normal during the day but in the evening, I noticed that he didn't get up when he we brought vegetables and he usually gets really excited about that. He also didn't care for any treats, he just wants to lay down. He's done this once before and turned out fine, but I'm worried because he seems even less enthusiastic this time.

It's only been a few hours, he hasn't eaten or done anything but I will monitor his food and poop overnight. I know that lethargy can be a serious sign of dying or sickness so I am wondering how long I should monitor him before taking him to the vet. How worried should I be?

 

[Mehidk]

I would keep an eye out overnight on the eating and pooping. If there’s no change, then give him some gas drops as he might be having gas issues and give some critical care. Is he an older bunny?

 

[Dreamer6514]

I would keep an eye out overnight on the eating and pooping. If there’s no change, then give him some gas drops as he might be having gas issues and give some critical care. Is he an older bunny?

No, he is probably about 3. I haven't heard any sounds from him that may indicate gas problems, but I'm new to this so does that mean he still may have gas problems? Also, where can I get gas drops?

 

[Mehidk]

Sometimes you may not hear anything, you just gotta watch their behavior. If they’re not moving, not wanting to eat their normal food, treats or even hay and especially not pooping is an indicator that they could be in the stages of GI stasis.

You can use gas drops (simethicone is what it’s called). I use the brand infant mylicon and it can be found in Safeway, Walmart, Target, Amazon etc.

https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/

 

[Preitler]

First thing I would do right now is make him move somewhat. make him hop around for a few minutes every now and then. A gentle tummy massage can keep things going too. You'll see after a minute if he likes it. I offer mine a little kitchen oatmeal, half a tablespoon, and plants they really like, leaves of roses, apple trees, ash or willow, butterbur, narrowleaf plantain etc. just to keep them eating.
Also, Simethicone (about 20mg 2-3x per day, different brands vary a lot in concentration, sold as baby gas drops, infant colic relief etc., check that it contains simethicone) doesn't hurt. It's not a miracle cure, it just helps to pass gas somewhat.

When you already see that the rabbit is in pain (reason for his behaviour) I would not wait and watch if it gets worse. At least do those simple things as soon as you see something's a tad off, when it gets obvious it's already high time to do something, they hide pain too well.
If it doesn't help within a few hours I'm off to the vet with them asap.

 

[Dreamer6514]

He is not eating any of his hay or his favorite snacks, but he has moved a little bit. I will get gas drops for if this happens in the future, but I will take him to the vet if he is not better by morning. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Your rabbit probably has Gi-stasis. Gi-stasis is fatal if left untreated, but there are several things you can do to help him. I would not syringe feed just yet.

• Give infant gas drops (you can buy them from Walmart or a pharmacy). You can give him 1-2 ml every hour for 3 hours, and then 1-2 ml every 3-8 hours or as needed. If you don't have gas drops you can brew fennel seeds, peppermint tea, or chamomile tea in hot water and syringe feed it to your rabbit after it is cooled. NO HONEY. Syringe it to your rabbit every hour. These should help get gas out. It is a substitute for Infant Gas Drops.
• Give tummy massages to get the gas moving.
• Make your rabbit run around. It may be that you must push him around and make him mad in order to get him moving, but it will be worth it. Moving around will get his gut moving.
• Give fresh pineapple juice. It can help with dissolving hair in the intestines which could be clogging him up. If you don’t have fresh pineapple you can use canned pineapple, but it does not work as well.
• Give fresh veggies (Romaine lettuce, cilantro, and parsley. No kale or cabbages). Soak them in water for a minute and feed them to your rabbit while wet that way your rabbit gets water. You can crush some pellets and put the pellet powder on the wet veggies.

If your rabbit has not eaten or pooped in 8-12 hours follow the instructions below:

• Get the rabbit to a vet. If taking him in is not possible, call the vet.
• Syringe feed Critical Care 6 times a day. If you don’t have Critical Care you need to soak pellets in water until they are mushy. Then smash them in the water until you have a mixture the consistency of pancake batter.
• Syringe water 6 times a day. Fill a bowl with water so that the rabbit can drink freely. Add some apple juice or pineapple juice to make it more appealing.

If you need to order Critical Care, here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FKACXO/?coliid=I1XGIN0R5O7U7D&colid=1WPEFZJ54GMSE&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it.

 

[Dreamer6514]

Thanks for the help guys! He's better now without having to take him to the vet and I'm better prepared for when this happens again. I really appreciate it!