Noonoo's just not acting himself today.

[Dittani]

Noonoo is usually a boisterous, playful, lively little bunny, but today he's been keeping to himself a lot, just laying on the middle floor of his cage. He hasn't eaten as much as usual, and it's impossible to keep a track of how much he's pooping because Noonoo and Nala share a litter box. He wasn't really that interested in his nightime treats, only nibbling on a few bits of dried banana then going back to his spot in his cage.

Do your bunnies have a tendancy to become anti-social from time to time? He does have a chronic ear infection that is being treated (again) with strong antibiotics, but they've never affected his personality before. I checked his teeth to see if that was why he hasn't eaten as much, and his front ones are fine (he wouldn't let me see the back ones). He isn't grinding his teeth or hunched over, and I can't see any obvious signs of pain or discomfort. Am I just being a paranoid [relatively] new mother, or should I be worried? Do you think it could be GI issues?

Please help, because i'm distraught that my little boy might be ill.

 

[Pipp]

All of mine have been a bit off with the heat, but generally, lethargy and loss of appetite could be a warning sign that they're ailing. You're really going to have to check his output to make sure he's pooping and peeing normally. Small poops or no poops are the for-sure trouble signs.

And really try and make sure he's drinking. I've been putting well-watered down apple or carrot juice out for my hydration-challenged dwarf, that seems to be working.

A couple things to watch for: picking up food like he's hungry and thendropping it is usuallya tooth issue. And if he can't seem to get comfortable, he's getting up and lying down a lot, and stretched out on his tummy, that's possiblygas.

The antibiotics have been known to cause a tummy upset and decrease in appetite. Has the type ofmeds or the dose changed? It couldbe thathe's been eating lessbecause of the heat,and that in turn is causing him to have theantilbiotics on an emptier than usual tummy. But these are all just guesses.

Will he eat a little canned pumpkin? That would be good for him. Try and get him drinking and moving around, and definitely monitor his poop,even if it means separating them for a little bit. And make sure you have baby gas meds and maybe some Pedialyte handy.

Hope he's okay.

sas

 

[naturestee]

:yeahthat

How's he doing today?

 

[Pipp]

This was posted over at the Etherbun Yahoo Group by Rami, an extremely knowledgeable poster. It may or may not be relevant, but Ithought I'dpass it on.

sas

>I am very reluctant to start again with
> the Baytrilpills if he stops eating.

Often a decrease in appetite is observed 48-72 hours after starting the
administration of an antibiotic. A lot of people stop the treatment, fearing
digestive problem. This is a wrong attitude. Indeed, one should keep in mind
that 48 to 72 hours is the time where the antibiotics reaches the aimed
levels in the blood circulationfiltered= killing the
bacteria.
Bacteria that are dying can release toxins or other molecules in the blood.
The later can make the rabbit feel uncomfortable, and lead to a decrease of
appetite. When one continues to give the antibiotic accompanied with
supportive measures, like fluids, hand-feeding, one will observe that , the
rabbit will fell much better after 72 h. and will start eating by itself
again. The rest of the treatment is usually uneventful from this point, with
the rabbit slowly recovering.

Rami

 

[Dittani]

Thank you so much for your responses.
He's doing better today, and whilst he hasn't eaten a lot, he seems a bit more social. There seem to be about the number of new poops that there should be in their litter box (accounting for both of them), and their water dish has gone down a regular amount. It can't be the heat because we keep the house at 67 degrees, and they have a little fan in their room that Noonoo loves sitting by.
I will get some canned pumpkin right away - thank you for that. Does it help with gas, or is it just a general digestion aid? I'm guessing the sugar-free version is best.

I'll try and give them both their evening treats now, then report back with how receptive he was to them. Thank you all again for your help.

 

[Pipp]

Canned pumpkin (and yes, the pure pumpkin kind, not the sugary pie-filling) adds moist fiber, so it's good for digestion issues, although I think it's a little high in carbs and natural sugars to be a regularstaple.

It's not a gas treatment. For that you need a baby gas med that contains Simethicone. I use Ovol. And be forewarned that the dosage for a rabbit is actually much higher than for a human baby. I give my small bunnies 3/4 of a dropperful every hour for up to three hoursif they're having a gas attack.

The Pedialyte is good for dehydration andto help hydrate furballs and other masses that may not be moving properly through the digestive tract.

Another aid for a listless bunny may beNutrical, assuming the rabbit isn't overweight and/or suffering from diet-related 'poppy butt'. It's a calorie-heavy supplement (formulated for cats and dogs but it works for rabbits) that has been known to increase a bunny's appetite. But I'd be a lot more comfortable knowing the cause of his problem beforegoing overboardwith any treatment. Treating the symptomscan mask the real problem.

Hopefully it's justthe heat or the antibiotics. Good luck with him.

sas

 

[Dittani]

I've just had a look at Nala's teeth, and one of her bottom teeth (in the front) is coming in at a weird angle again. She's already had to have it trimmed below the gumline, so the vet will probably have to remove it completely I'm going to take her in first thing in the morning, and will take Noonoo with us. They're bonded partners, so I wouldn't separate them anyway.

I'm so worried, and kicking myself that I didn't see it sooner. I'm such a bad mother - I can't believe i've let this go for so long without noticing. :sigh

 

[Pipp]

I don't notice Pipp's teeth problems until she stops eating completely and her poops get small. Unless you have a weird bunny,they don't like you looking at their teeth, so it's an easy thing to miss.

It sounds like sheonly just started showing symptoms, so you're right on top of it.

Here's hopethere's a quick fix for her out there, poor little girl. For both of them.



sas

 

[Dittani]

I've made an appointment for both of them for tomorrow morning, so I will let you know how it goes. Thank you for your help and support - it means a lot to me.

She seems to be eating ok, and her poops are normal sized and firm. She just about gave me a heart attack earlier; I went looking for her because I hadn't seen her for a while, and she was lying down behind the couch in a complete and utter 'oh my GOD she's dead' dead bunny flop. :X I've never seen her do that before - she was laying on her side, head down on it's side, eyes wide open. Tears were already welling in my eyes before I realised that she was breathing, and she looked up at me as if to say 'what's wrong, mom?'

:?

 

[Pet_Bunny]

Dittani wrote:

she looked up at me as if to say 'what's wrong, mom?

They are out to rule the world. :roflmao:

Rainbows!

Edit: Good Luck with the appointment. We'll be thinking of Noonoo and Nala.

 

[Dittani]

Just to update:

Nala had her tooth trimmed, and the vet wants to give it one more chance at re-growing normally before she extracts it completely. Fingers crossed, eh? :?

She checked them both over, and said that with the exception of their ears and Nala's snaggle tooth, they're in great physical condition. She even asked what we are feeding them, because their coats look so thick and shiny, and they're really muscular and toned!

Their ear infections aren't clearing up. They aren't getting worse, which is obviously a good thing, but they aren't getting better either. After the wedding in September, when we'll be able to afford it, they'll both have to have surgery to clean their inner ears :sigh . My poor babies...

 

[Pet_Bunny]

What ever you're feeding them I hope Nala's teeth grows back straight.

Did the Vet clean their ears, or just gave them an ear check-up?

Rainbows!

 

[Dittani]

The vet didn't clean them, because the kind of cleaning that their ears would require also requires that they be anesthatised. It costs a lot and they both need it done,
so we're saving up for it. Right now their on aural antibiotics indefinately to stop the infection from getting worse.