Please help! (RIP)

[Just10]

My bunny is sick for the 2nd time in 3 days. I keep him outside in his cage because my house is small and I don't have room for him in here all the time. When I went to get him to bring him in for awhile he was laying on his side, not able to move. This is the 2nd time it happened. His belly is extremely soft, and empty feeling. I don't know what could be wrong? Please help.

 

[Flashy]

You need to take your bunny to a Rabbit Savvy vet.

This post will get moved to the infirmary.

Can you tell us more about your bun?

Can you please answer these questions for us? It might help us understand a bit more. Really though, your rabbit needs to see a vet urgently, from the sounds of it.



If you're posting about a sick bunny in the Infirmary, please provide the following information:

- Location

- Description (Breed, color., weight)

- Age

- spayed/neutered?

- Notes on Fecal and Urinary Output
- are the bunny's poops and pees normal?
- When did they last use their litterbox?
- Any unusual behavior?

- Medical History -- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before?

- Diet - what does your bunny eat?
- when and what did s/he eat last?

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally?

- are there any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach?

- has the rabbit been outdoors?

 

[Flashy]

Oh, and welcome to the forum I'm sorry its not under better circumstances, but I hope that we can provide something positive for you, even if it is just support for the moment, and then maybe knowledge later on.

 

[Just10]

Thanks! Sorry for the lack of info, I just found out he was sick again and I needed help fast.
He is about 2 months old
Not sprayed or nuttered
No foods around the house he could get into
I live in Florida, so I'm thinking the heat may be a cause
I'm also thinking pineapple could have been the cause
I read that pineapple is healthy for them in small doses, so I feed him pineapple every now and then
His poop was like diarrhea the first time, now it's normal.
His pee seems to be normal
He lives outdoors in a cage closed off from other animals and bugs
I fed him last night around 6 or 7
He has never been to the vet before
I'm not sure on the breed, but he's a light brown color
I've uploaded a pic of him here
http://tinypic.com/r/mkbwqo/5
taken a couple weeks ago
He isn't moving at all, and when he does it's to eat, but he only moves his head. About an hour later he got up and ran around like everything was fine the first time. I don't know what it could be!
Thanks!

 

[Pipp]

Yes, please put your location in your profile, and answer Flashy's questions.

Is he in a hot area? Hot weather? Any sign of a wet muzzle, anything like that?

Overheated bunnies need air flow -- a fan and a cool room -- and almost any sick bunny will need hydration. If he's too weak to drink a little water on his own, he needs a vet to give him fluids under the skin with an injection or infusion.

If you have Pedialyte or you're very close to a store that carries it, its a drink for dehydrated babies. Gatorade will do in a pinch. Maybe he'll drink some on his own or willingly out of an eye dropper or feeding syringe (without the needle).

Don't force him if he's limp, it can go in his lungs.


sas ray:

 

[Flashy]

Ok, he needs to go to the vet. Do you have a good one?

How hot is it there for you? Are you taking any precautions to help him keep cool? Is he in a shaded area? Is there any sort of drooling around the face?

Can you bring him inside? It might give you a better idea of what's going on and might mean you can explain to us a bit easier.

Has he been introduced to any new food recently?

 

[Just10]

Yeah I brought him inside as soon as I saw him sick. He's now laying down with water by him and the air is on. It's very hot here, but I have him in a shaded area along with a tarp over his cage so mosquitoes don't get him. I don't have a way to get him to the vet for a couple hours, and I'm low on cash, would it be a lot of money?

 

[Flashy]

Could you maybe get the air moving around him? How is his breathing? fast? through his mouth? any drooling or anything? Are his ears hot? Shakey?

Maybe have a look at these links.

Heat Stress in Rabbits and Cooling a rabbit

Potentially though it could be something else.

It may also be useful for you to read this Can't afford a vet.

 

[Just10]

I do believe its the heat. There's no drooling or a wet nozzle, but he was panting some what fast, now it's slowing down. Once he starts eating and cools off, he acts normal again. Right now he's eating and resting. I'll keep you guys posted on how he is
Thank you so much for all the help and advice!

 

[Flashy]

Keep the air moving and maybe stroke his ears with a wet cloth. Also, if he lets you, maybe drape a cool, damp towel over him. Also make sure he is on a cool surface.

If he is struggling this much outside you will need to look at either adjusting his setup or finding a way to bring him in. Also make sure you are giving him lots of things that can help him cool down during the day.

 

[Pipp]

I don't think you can keep him outside. Rabbits are 'air cooled', he'll need ventilation, a tarp won't work. Without it, he'll get too much sun.

Unless you have some really shady, cool areas well-protected from predators, and you can keep a supply of frozen water bottles in his cage or other cooling tricks, you'll continue to have this problem and even if he survives the 'bouts', I'm sure his system will be ultimately damaged.

Can he live indoors?


sas :expressionless:

 

[Just10]

He can stay overnight indoors. But the cage won't fit in here, I live in a small apartment. My backyard is extremely shady. When it rains, he doesn't even really get wet because of the trees blocking the rain. I'm going to try a fan out there, along with some ice or something to keep the water cool.

 

[Flashy]

What accommodation is it that he has? Can you maybe post a pic?

He shouldn't be getting wet at all in a hutch, so it sounds like maybe he is in an indoor cage outside?

I find that freezing and cold bricks work well for my rabbits. Also, when they are in a run on the grass apparently a towel on the grass that is soaking wet with cold water is something they like too (I found that out today).

 

[Just10]

I can take a picture when I get my camera back. His cage has a top over it, so he can't really get wet. I usually bring him in when it rains either way. It's around 5 feet wide and 5 feet high. I keep 2 things of water in there, 1 in a bowel, and the other one of those hamster type water feeders. I also keep a dish of hay, some sort of fiber pellets, and fruits/veggies in there. I feed him about 3 times a day, the 3rd time being a smaller serving than the first 2.

 

[tonyshuman]

This really worries me. How long have you had him? The reason I ask is that if he's 2 months old and you've had him since before he was 8 weeks old, he may be prone to health problems because he was weaned early. Rabbits are not supposed to be sold before 8 months of age for this reason, in fact it is illegal in many states to do so. Will you be able to afford to neuter him? Are you sure you can't keep him inside, at least for the summer months? Florida is so hot and humid. When bunnies have to breathe with their mouths or are very lethargic, they can be very ill. It could just be overheating, but it could also be a breathing problem (perhaps an infection in the lungs). If he continues to overheat this frequently, it could put a lot of stress on his body and reduce his life expectancy a great deal. In fact, rabbits that live inside have a life expectancy increase of around 4-6 years (life expectancy outside: 2-4yrs, inside: 8-10). It's really important to be able to give him good veterinary care as well. He will need to be neutered soon in order to make his behavior pleasant (hormonal boy bunnies are not fun). Rabbits can be very expensive to take care of, and really should be kept in the house or a well ventilated shed to protect from predators and heat.

 

[Flashy]

If space is a problem inside, have you tried NIC grid cages? They can pretty much fit into whatever space you need them to.

 

[kirsterz09]

I've recently brought this ice pod for bunnies, you put it in the freezer and it stays cold for hours. It's made to help keep bunnies cool and prevent overheating. Maybe something like this will also help.

 

[Just10]

I haven't tried those cages. My mother and I are going to look for a small indoor cage for the days, since at night it's not hot. I got him from a friend, i'm not sure how old he was when I got him. I don't know how much it cost to neuter him. Does neutering help his health? There are no other bunnies in his cage so pregnancy wont be an issue or anything.
kirsterz09, how much is that? That sounds neat. I'm also putting a fan out by his cage for a few hours a day. It rains here a lot lately so I can't keep it out there all day.
Also, if the heat is the problem, would his stomach be affected? When I go to pick him up, his stomach is almost non existent. Like, it feels just like fur. But when he's not sick, it's healthy feeling.
Thanks again everyone for the advice!

 

[Pipp]

Boy rabbits are friendlier, cleaner and somewhat healthier when neutered (it's spaying female bunnies that's the most important for health reasons).

When he's around six months old and going through puberty, he may start acting up and be quite the little trouble maker for a few months before his hormones settle down. Most do. And he may get into the nasty habit of spraying urine. :yuck

But most importantly, he'll probably appreciate having a friend down the road -- bunnies are extremely social animals and get very lonely -- and you can really only bond neutered boys or a neutered boy and girl.

And in case he ever gets out, neutered boys will stick close to home, but intact guys will be off looking for a girlfriend and could be miles away before you can blink.

Can you put your location in your profile? People can let you know what their vets charged.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[Just10]

Pipp wrote:

Boy rabbits are friendlier, cleaner and somewhat healthier when neutered (it's spaying female bunnies that's the most important for health reasons).

When he's around six months old and going through puberty, he may start acting up and be quite the little trouble maker for a few months before his hormones settle down. Most do. And he may get into the nasty habit of spraying urine. :yuck

But most importantly, he'll probably appreciate having a friend down the road -- bunnies are extremely social animals and get very lonely -- and you can really only bond neutered boys or a neutered boy and girl.

And in case he ever gets out, neutered boys will stick close to home, but intact guys will be off looking for a girlfriend and could be miles away before you can blink.

Can you put your location in your profile? People can let you know what their vets charged.


sas :bunnydance:

Haha I see. Yeah, I'm actually looking for another bunny at this moment, but I'm not going to buy one until I sort out the heat problem. I just checked on him, he's doing fine :]
I also put my location in my profile!