RESOLVED: Snowy is really 'off'

[mouse_chalk]

Steve slept in a bit this morning, so was a bit late feeding the buns. Usually, Snowy is jumping up at him for food, and if it's late she's trying to beat the door down for it. But this morning, he said she just wouldn't touch it..

I came down about an hour ago, and she's just sat in the corner of the cage, looking sleepy. She wont move unless you really budge her bum. We put food right in front of her and she just pushes it away. I picked her up and she felt a bit cold, but warmed up in the towel I had her wrapped in. Her tummy feels soft and squishy as normal, and she didn't seem to be in any discomfort from her legs, but when she hops, she seems really dopey, and a bit unco-ordinated?

She's just peed a little bit in the middle of the floor, which is unlike her. she usually uses her litter tray religiously...

Steve has just booked an appointment with the vets for 4.20. Might be premature, but I'd rather make sure she's ok before the weekend starts etc, given her recent problems.

By the way, the culture hasn't yet come back, but the bloods came back normal.

I'm watching her now and she just keeps changing positions, like she's uncomfortable?

Poor Snowy

 

[ChandieLee]

Aw. Poor Snowy. I hope everything turns out okay. ray:

 

[Maureen Las]

Why don't you give her some simethicone just in case she could have gas?/

 

[mouse_chalk]

angieluv wrote:

Why don't you give her some simethicone just in case she could have gas?/

I don't know why, I forgot I even had any of that.... thanks Maureen!

Do you think I may be overreacting a little? I can't tell if I am or not.... Steve is really worried...

Her vets appt is in one hour now. Should I go ahead and give her some Infacol (simeticone) now anyway or wait for them?

Trouble is, it's late on a friday afternoon so if we don't go in now, it's going to be difficult all weekend to get her seen- our vets are open on a saturday but it's really busy then...

Arrrgh! :?

 

[Jenk]

mouse_chalk wrote:

I'm watching her now and she just keeps changing positions, like she's uncomfortable?

Poor Snowy

That's exactly how Emma behaved one day just a week ago. She immediately hopped into her bed by 9 am (very unusual for her), and she didn't want to move for food or anything. When she finally did move to another area of her cage floor, she then changed positions every few minutes (or so it seemed).

I gave her two doses of Simethicone (about an hour apart), and she I went overboard and also gave her one feeding of Critical Care. Ironically, she perked up shortly thereafter, and I avoided my bazillion-and-one vet visit. So far, she's been better this week, even though I still suspect there's some underlying issue with her.

Good luck with Snowy. If Simethicone doesn't seem to help her, then, yeah, I'd break down and make a vet visit.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Just got back from the vets...

He couldn't feel any sort of mass or obstruction etc just from feeling her stomach, and doesn't think she's in any pain yet. Her temperature is normal, but he did say it could just be that she was stressed and the surgery room was warm?

He's given us Zantac syrup, has anyone heard of that? I'm looking it up and I can find that it's to protect the stomach lining, but not much else- that's all the vet said. We gave her some there and she seemed to take it ok...

He said to try and give her some probiotic, BioLapis if we can as well, although we've never had much luck with that before! :? If we don't have any luck getting food into her at all we're to go back tomorrow...

Its been... 17 hours since she last ate anything? Not sure about drinking, and she definately hasn't passed any poo since 11am (it's 5pm here now)... :?

 

[mouse_chalk]

She's still refusing anything- even wet carrot tops that we just went out to get- normally she loves these :?

She keeps dipping her head to the water bowl like she might be about to drink but then she doesn't? Any ideas on this?

I've thought about giving her some fluids- we don't have pedialyte here but I have dioralyte, is that the same thing? I remember there was a thread with how to make it yoursef somewhere, but the search isn't working and I can't find it... :?

Think I might try and give her some babyfood or critical care in a minute. I completely forgot to ask about fluids at the vets...

 

[Becca]

OMG Jen as soon as i saw Snowy is really off i came straight to it

I really hope she feels better :?

I'm worried for you!

:shock:

 

[Maureen Las]

Give her fluids per syringe..if you don't have pedialyte read the ingredients on the other products and see if it is an electrolyte drink. You can also wet the pellets into a slurry and syringe feed her that..also baby food. unflavored pumkin is easy and great to syringe.

if she has not eaten she will get a fatty liver and then you will have a problem greater than the present one.

if you have cc you can put a little banana in it androll it into balls she may eat that ..
you need to start feeding and hydrating her.

wet greens is great , a piece of apple ..get her gut moving

 

[mouse_chalk]

Just managed to get 15mls of water in her.... I was careful, but she seemed really thirsty- she just lapped it out of the syringe. Wont drink from the bowl in her cage though :?

The critical care and baby food were less successful though- she didn't like them at all...

I may be completely overreacting here, I'm just worried, as it's so unlike her to be like this. Trying to keep calm though so she doesn't see I'm stressed

:tears2:

 

[BSAR]

Poor Snowy. I hope she gets better soon.ray:

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Zantac is like an antacid over here.

I sure hope she's ok.ray:

 

[mouse_chalk]

angieluv wrote:

Give her fluids per syringe..if you don't have pedialyte read the ingredients on the other products and see if it is an electrolyte drink. You can also wet the pellets into a slurry and syringe feed her that..also baby food. unflavored pumkin is easy and great to syringe.

if she has not eaten she will get a fatty liver and then you will have a problem greater than the present one.

if you have cc you can put a little banana in it androll it into balls she may eat that ..
you need to start feeding and hydrating her.

wet greens is great , a piece of apple ..get her gut moving

Cross-posted there, but it seems I've already done most of what you suggest!

The Dioralyte says 'oral electrolyte powder' and the ingredients are...
glucose, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, disodium hydrogen citrate...

I only ask if it's the same because I swear that I read a discussion on here where someone from the UK said that it was the same... but I want to make double sure before I give her anything...

Her favourite 'treat' (we don't give any other treats than fruit normally) is a tiny pinch of oats, but I'm not sure whether to give that or not in case it upsets her gut further? She normally loves them and has no problems eating them...

We don't have banana.... she's eaten it before but not a big fan... I may send Steve out for some though...

She point blank refuses the greens, herbs and apple....

Thanks Maureen, I really appreciate the suggestions! :hug:

 

[mouse_chalk]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Zantac is like an antacid over here.

I sure hope she's ok.ray:

Thank you! I thought something like that... I've heard of it in humans, but never had it myself... It's minty flavour, so she took it quite easily at the vets....

 

[mouse_chalk]

I was just lying down next to her, petting her- something which shows she's definately ill as she would never normally stay still for that...

Anyway, I heard her stomach making gurgly sounds.

I figure that even if it isn't gas, some Simeticone can't hurt... So I just *tried* to give her 1 ml (according to the library article on gas/bloat etc). Tried is the operative word, because she did not like that one bit... She swallowed most of it, eventually, but let a lot gurgle out the side of her mouth...

I'm really worried guys! If it is gas, I'm sorry if it seems like I'm overreacting- I have no experience with it. And the last time a bunny stopped eating, it was Chalk... and that very nearly did not have a happy ending. Although I'm trying to be rational here- that was rare and an exception, and very very unlikely to be the case again. I just want to get her better!!

 

[TinysMom]

This is more of a question for the infirmary mods - please don't do it till they say "yes"...

I know that a rabbit that is in pain won't usually want to eat much. Sometimes when I give gas meds and stuff, I'll give a tad bit of painkiller....

Would the infirmary mods recommend this - or not?

I have found that for my rabbits - it works well (I crush up a baby aspirin I think in a bit of water and syringe it into them).....but I don't want to give bad advice...

 

[mouse_chalk]

TinysMom wrote:

This is more of a question for the infirmary mods - please don't do it till they say "yes"...

I know that a rabbit that is in pain won't usually want to eat much. Sometimes when I give gas meds and stuff, I'll give a tad bit of painkiller....

Would the infirmary mods recommend this - or not?

I have found that for my rabbits - it works well (I crush up a baby aspirin I think in a bit of water and syringe it into them).....but I don't want to give bad advice...

Thanks Peg, I appreciate your input. I had wondered that as well, but didn't want to give it without the advice to.

All I have on hand is Metacam...

I'll be interested to hear what the others have to say- thanks!

Edit: their dinner is down now, Steve put it right in front of Snowy, where she's been hiding behind the window- all her favourite veg. The other 3 are crowded round gobbling it down but she wont even look at it...

 

[Jenk]

mouse_chalk wrote:

I'm really worried guys! If it is gas, I'm sorry if it seems like I'm overreacting- I have no experience with it. And the last time a bunny stopped eating, it was Chalk... and that very nearly did not have a happy ending. Although I'm trying to be rational here- that was rare and an exception, and very very unlikely to be the case again. I just want to get her better!!

You're preaching to this choir. I completely understand your worry. (I may hold the record for the most vet visits made within a year's time--most of which were due to my overly-worried state.)

How is your girl doing now? Let us know if the first few doses of Simethicone seem to ease her discomfort.

I find that it's much easier to overly worryabout rabbits than, say,cats and dogs. I've worriedabout all current/previous pets--butmy rabbits take the cake in terms of consuming (and jijacking) my mental state.

I understand the need to find balance in terms of determining what's an emergency and what isn't. It doesn't help that Zoe sucks up discomfort fairly well, while Emma doesn't handle even gas discomfort well. (She just *BOOM!* stops eating/drinking and looks really ill. So I tend to freakwhenever she stops eating/drinking and starts flopping in different positions on the ground. )

 

[Maureen Las]

Randy just wrote a whole half page on the danger of NSAID (ASA is included), but if you have some metacam that would be OK if you can give some food with it metacam is an NSAID too,

I was also suggesting that people use small doses of ibuprofen and ASA when they DIDN't . have metacam and /or a vet but randy doesn't like ASA much for rabbits. the problems with it at this point is that you give it on an empty stomach then it will irritate it.
i feel that pain meds would help also but if they are taking her to the vt soon maybe they could hold off.

i think they are takin her to the vet soon.
I have given baby ASA in an emergency and it didn't hurt fo ra couple doses.

Answer to you peg is that i think the bun would benefit from pain meds but I don't know what kind
:?

 

[slavetoabunny]

Will she let you give her a tummy rub? If it's gas, this can help get it moving. Some people have used an electric toothbrush of the tummy - the vibration has a positive effect.

I am not recommending this either - but the last time Sparky stopped eating I gave her some Metacam. She really perked up after getting it.

I hope Snowy feels better soon. I don't think there is one of us here that doesn't know exactly the worry you are going throught right now.