I'm still a little concerned about Bandit. He's pooping well, though they seem to be a little smaller than usual, and still sometimes during the day they can be a little soft. I spread his pellet amount over several times during the day, the pellets that I gave him this morning, he still hadn't finished eating at around 7pm, and usually he devours his pellets, he hasn't been eating them all from his treat ball either. He's still eating hay (hard to tell if it's less than normal at the moment), eats his salad no problem, and the salad is less than it was because I cut it down a little. He doesn't seem gassy at all, and no loud tummy gurgles, but I still feel like something's not right. Maybe it's paranoia, who knows. He's also doing these funny little stretches, he'll be sitting upright and will stretch his front legs as well as his back legs out in front of him while yawning/gaping. I've never noticed him doing it before until a couple of days ago, and maybe it's just because I've been observing him more, but it just seems a little odd to me.
Stasis, pineapple juice & Critical Care
- Thread starter Azerane
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Imbrium
Jennifer
it's not that uncommon for a rabbit to occasionally go off pellets for a couple days - as long as he's eating hay and veggies, I wouldn't worry too much.
did he get back to eating pellets normally after his bout with stasis and now he's stopped eating them again... or did he never really get back to eating them normally to begin with? if it's the latter, most people find that pellets are the very last thing their rabbits get back to eating normally after they've been sick or had surgery or whatever else might've interfered with their appetite for a bit.
I think I forgot to mention it earlier in the thread... have you tried giving him some probiotics? (bene-bac, probios, that sort of thing; you can sometimes buy them from petco or a feed store and failing that, they can be found online (heck, I sell 'em in my online store
)) probiotics can be quite helpful for a variety of tummy/GI issues and at the very least, they can't hurt.
Nala actually yawns that same way fairly often, it's super adorable!
if you're really worried, you can always call the vet and see if they think you should bring him back in or just keep a close eye on him for now.
did he get back to eating pellets normally after his bout with stasis and now he's stopped eating them again... or did he never really get back to eating them normally to begin with? if it's the latter, most people find that pellets are the very last thing their rabbits get back to eating normally after they've been sick or had surgery or whatever else might've interfered with their appetite for a bit.
I think I forgot to mention it earlier in the thread... have you tried giving him some probiotics? (bene-bac, probios, that sort of thing; you can sometimes buy them from petco or a feed store and failing that, they can be found online (heck, I sell 'em in my online store
)) probiotics can be quite helpful for a variety of tummy/GI issues and at the very least, they can't hurt.Nala actually yawns that same way fairly often, it's super adorable!
if you're really worried, you can always call the vet and see if they think you should bring him back in or just keep a close eye on him for now.
it's not that uncommon for a rabbit to occasionally go off pellets for a couple days - as long as he's eating hay and veggies, I wouldn't worry too much.
did he get back to eating pellets normally after his bout with stasis and now he's stopped eating them again... or did he never really get back to eating them normally to begin with? if it's the latter, most people find that pellets are the very last thing their rabbits get back to eating normally after they've been sick or had surgery or whatever else might've interfered with their appetite for a bit.
I think I forgot to mention it earlier in the thread... have you tried giving him some probiotics? (bene-bac, probios, that sort of thing; you can sometimes buy them from petco or a feed store and failing that, they can be found online (heck, I sell 'em in my online store
He has shown a lot of interest in pellets after his stasis, but never as much as he had before, so perhaps you are right that he simply just hasn't gotten back into the swing of things yet.
I haven't tried a probiotic either, will have to look at the feed store here and see if they sell any, that way I have it on hand if I need it. So you can give them whenever you think their tummy is upset? Just to help balance out the bacteria?
Oh it is adorable, it just concerned me because I'd never seen him do it before, then it was several times in one day. Glad to know Bandit isn't the only one though. Also, Nala is a great name, assuming named after the Lion King, my favourite Disney movie
Imbrium
Jennifer
yeah - probiotics are very safe and help make sure that there's enough good bacteria in the digestive system
tonyshuman
Well-Known Member
I would look for probiotics for sure, and make sure there are no tooth issues or sores in the mouth (if possible). They may have to sedate him to get a good look in there, but it's probably worth it since going off pellets is commonly caused by problems with the molars.
So, I tried getting some simethicone into Bandit because he's been a little gassy today and still has some soft pellets. What I'm wondering, is how on earth do I successfully get the whole 1ml/cc inside him, lol. We probably only got about .2ml in him. My fiance just noticed that on this website http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html it says to use 1-2cc (20mg/ml suspension), and he read that ours is actually 100mg/ml suspension, so that means we only need to be getting .2ml into Bandit when we give it to him right? Just as well I hardly got any in.
I would appreciate some tips on how to best hold him though. I had him on my lap, with his bum against my stomach and my left arm along his side and holding his neck/head while dosing with the right. Trouble is, he flicks his head around too easily. Also, bunny mouths are much too small and hard to access
Edit: I will try looking for a probiotic tomorrow, I don't think it's his teeth as when he had his health check just over a month ago they looked at them, then when I took him into the vet last week for his stasis she also checked his teeth to make sure there was nothing wrong.
I would appreciate some tips on how to best hold him though. I had him on my lap, with his bum against my stomach and my left arm along his side and holding his neck/head while dosing with the right. Trouble is, he flicks his head around too easily. Also, bunny mouths are much too small and hard to access
Edit: I will try looking for a probiotic tomorrow, I don't think it's his teeth as when he had his health check just over a month ago they looked at them, then when I took him into the vet last week for his stasis she also checked his teeth to make sure there was nothing wrong.
Yeah, it's hard to remember that simethicone might be a different concentration in different countries, so it sounds like you ended up doing the right dosage anyway. Supposedly even if it's overdosed short term, it's not going to do any harm. You can try burrito wrapping him to give meds, some rabbits are really squirmy. I have a smaller rabbit, and I just held his head neck area firmly, and squirted it slowly, in the side of his mouth, but he didn't fight me too much, and now he loves the taste of it and takes it willingly.
I would think that he should be feeling all better by now. Are you still feeding any veggies every day, and have you decreased his pellet amounts at all? With him still having soft poop, you may want to try cutting veggies out of his diet for a couple days, to see if that clears up the soft poop. It may be that one of them is still causing a problem for him.
You may be able to find probiotic gel at a feed store, pet store, or even a vet office. You can even use a non dairy one used for people.
I would think that he should be feeling all better by now. Are you still feeding any veggies every day, and have you decreased his pellet amounts at all? With him still having soft poop, you may want to try cutting veggies out of his diet for a couple days, to see if that clears up the soft poop. It may be that one of them is still causing a problem for him.
You may be able to find probiotic gel at a feed store, pet store, or even a vet office. You can even use a non dairy one used for people.
missyscove
Christina - Moderator
That's correct. I've only ever seen it in 20 mg/ml, but if yours is 100 mg/ml you wouldn't need as much.
Are you using a syringe? I'll usually sit on the floor with my knees up by my chest and pin my rabbits between my knees and chest.
Wrapping him in a blanket like a bunny burrito might help too.
Imbrium
Jennifer
if you skip to near the end of this video on syringe-feeding, she shows how to give meds:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGZVYVm5Bg[/ame]
the gist of it is to hold him still and stick the syringe in the gap between his front and back teeth and squirt the meds in sideways
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGZVYVm5Bg[/ame]
the gist of it is to hold him still and stick the syringe in the gap between his front and back teeth and squirt the meds in sideways
Thanks for the advice guys and the link to the vid, most complying rabbit I've ever seen, lol. I actually managed to get the second dose into him by putting it on a piece of parsley, since it was quite thick it just sat on top and Bandit happily ate the parsley, no fuss, no mess. About an hour after the second dose he seemed to have picked up quite a bit, whether it was simply the time of day I'm not sure, but he was very alert and curious, a bit more so than he has been recently I think.
Previously, I had reduced the size of his salad quite substantially (since I cut out the bok choy), but this morning I had actually cut out his salad altogether because of the ongoing troubles. I hadn't changed the amount of pellets, should I have? He's been well today though, all of his droppings have been pretty much normal in size/shape/consistency and less smelly. Will give him a couple of weeks and then pick one green to try re-introducing him too, except this time I'm going to go snail's pace slow!
Previously, I had reduced the size of his salad quite substantially (since I cut out the bok choy), but this morning I had actually cut out his salad altogether because of the ongoing troubles. I hadn't changed the amount of pellets, should I have? He's been well today though, all of his droppings have been pretty much normal in size/shape/consistency and less smelly. Will give him a couple of weeks and then pick one green to try re-introducing him too, except this time I'm going to go snail's pace slow!
I just asked about the pellets cause if taking away greens didn't get his poop back to normal, the next thing to try is reducing pellets. Glad to hear he's doing good.
Imbrium
Jennifer
yeah, it's a nice video as far as showing the gist of things, but I thought it would've been *far* more helpful if the rabbit used wasn't so calm and compliant about the whole process, lol.
how much pellets are you feeding him? if it's within the HRS guidelines (1/4-1/2c per 5 lbs body weight per day), then I see no reason to decrease them as long as his poops are looking the way they should.
how much pellets are you feeding him? if it's within the HRS guidelines (1/4-1/2c per 5 lbs body weight per day), then I see no reason to decrease them as long as his poops are looking the way they should.
Geoff
Well-Known Member
Not sure how many other posts you all have read about GI stasis and I hate to bore you with repeating myself again and again... and just to remind you all, I am NOT a rabbit expert... just one who has been treating rabbits for many years and have been learning from the veterinary rabbit experts out there. My opinions are basically theirs, but many of their 'opinions' are based on many years of experience and factual data resulting from research they have done at the univeristies they work in, or through private funding. And my ideas about how to treat rabbits are always changing based on 1) how my rabbit patients respond to my and other's treatments and 2) the latest trends and ideas the experts write about on treating rabbit diseases.
1. at this time there seems to be no data showing that there is any benefit whatsoever of giving rabbits pineapple or papaya juice or tablets, other than helping to maintain a certain acidity to the stomachs of rabbits that have lost their acidity for some reason or other (not a very common situation actually). Pineapple and papaya enzymes, though fairly potent, are worthless in 'digesting' or disolving hair- even products like Draino struggle with breaking down the proteins in hair and these products would NOT be good for rabbit stomachs. Many experiments, from simply putting rabbit hair in a bowl of pineapple or papaya juice for prolonged periods of time, to more sophisticated studies have pretty conclusively shown these products ineffectiveness at doing anything in terms of breaking down hair or 'hairballs'. Anyway, the presence of hair or 'hairballs' in the gi tract of a rabbit does not seem to have much, if anything, to do with GI stasis anyway. Only rarely is hair actually involved in a true blockage, and the current feeling is that these blockages with hair are only secondary problems complicating an already abnormal gastrointestinal motility resulting from improper dietary fiber intake.
Pineapple juice is a source of water, though water itself would be preferrable. However, it is not easy sometimes to make a rabbit drink water, particularly when their guts are uncomfortable, and it is often easier to get them to drink something sweet, such as pineapple juice, instead. The benefit of the water they ingest versus the down side of all the sugar they intake doing this is a bit unclear, and I am not sure how bad just several doses of sugary fluid is for rabbits. I will just say water is always preferable over pineapple juice, IF a rabbit will drink it.
2. As for the down side to giving rabbits pineapple juice or tablets, that is a bit more controversial. Sugar is not something a rabbit needs in their GI tract, particularly when it is not working properly, but it is not clear that it is always harmful, particurlarly in small amounts. Sugars, like those found in these fruits, are not ideal for the rabbit liver, either. Probably very small amounts of sugary treats are not that harmful but still not recommended.
3. Though I have said this several times, pellets are NOT considered necessary for rabbits. And a rabbit suffering from some gastrointestinal malady, such as ileus/gut stasis should probably not be getting ANY pellets at all. A gut that is slow or 'stopped' benefits from the presence of long fibers and moisture, neither found in pellets. If you insist in feeding your rabbits pellets, at least stop when/if they are showing any signs of stasis such as decreased appetite, small or scant stools, bloating, abdominal pain, decreased water consumption etc. Most of the veterinary rabbit specialists are in the 'no pellet' boat right now, though it took them some time to get there. But I don't know if they are all militantly NO PELLETs yet. Some are, but most are a bit less adamant about this part of a rabbit's diet. So if I see a client's rabbit that has no digestive issues whatsoever, and they are feeding their rabbit a small amount of pellets regularly, I try not to argue with them. But if their rabbit had a history of gut stasis, even once, I would urge them to adopt a pellet-free diet from that point on. Better to avoid gut stasis altogether than have to treat it over and over again. I have very few rabbit patients that suffer from gut stasis that eat only hay and greens and get plenty of exercise. I do sometimes see rabbits a bit on the thin side on these diets and sometimes I see some weight gain with a few added pellets a day. Those are the exceptions rather than the rule, though.
4. Speaking of exercise, I think it is one of the more overlooked part of a rabbits care. Rabbits that move around a lot and keep 'fit' tend to have less abnormal gastrointestinal episodes. Whether this is just my feeling about this, or actual fact, I cannot say.. yet. but I think we need to try harder sometimes to get rabbits to be more active (without stressing them out of course).
5. the use of Metoclopramide (Metamide) or Reglan is also controversial now (something I didn't think a few years ago). I had always assumed all those rabbits I treated with this motility modifier that got better from my treatment, were benefitting from the use of this drug. Until I read that a lot of the experts now felt this product did nothing useful for rabbits at all. So I reluctantly stopped using it and noticed my patients were improving despite my not using it... which means all the other patients in the past were getting better despite my using it. In other words, I don't think I did much, if any harm, using it, but nor do I believe anymore that it was really helping, either. If your veterinarian wants to treat your rabbits' GI problems with metoclopromide, I don't really see how it is harmful (unless, under those few circumstances when there is a physical blockage or true bloat... then it might be a problem)... but it's use is coming under question nowadays.
Anyway, those are my random comments about rabbit GI stasis today. I am glad your rabbit is better and I sure hope it stays that way.
1. at this time there seems to be no data showing that there is any benefit whatsoever of giving rabbits pineapple or papaya juice or tablets, other than helping to maintain a certain acidity to the stomachs of rabbits that have lost their acidity for some reason or other (not a very common situation actually). Pineapple and papaya enzymes, though fairly potent, are worthless in 'digesting' or disolving hair- even products like Draino struggle with breaking down the proteins in hair and these products would NOT be good for rabbit stomachs. Many experiments, from simply putting rabbit hair in a bowl of pineapple or papaya juice for prolonged periods of time, to more sophisticated studies have pretty conclusively shown these products ineffectiveness at doing anything in terms of breaking down hair or 'hairballs'. Anyway, the presence of hair or 'hairballs' in the gi tract of a rabbit does not seem to have much, if anything, to do with GI stasis anyway. Only rarely is hair actually involved in a true blockage, and the current feeling is that these blockages with hair are only secondary problems complicating an already abnormal gastrointestinal motility resulting from improper dietary fiber intake.
Pineapple juice is a source of water, though water itself would be preferrable. However, it is not easy sometimes to make a rabbit drink water, particularly when their guts are uncomfortable, and it is often easier to get them to drink something sweet, such as pineapple juice, instead. The benefit of the water they ingest versus the down side of all the sugar they intake doing this is a bit unclear, and I am not sure how bad just several doses of sugary fluid is for rabbits. I will just say water is always preferable over pineapple juice, IF a rabbit will drink it.
2. As for the down side to giving rabbits pineapple juice or tablets, that is a bit more controversial. Sugar is not something a rabbit needs in their GI tract, particularly when it is not working properly, but it is not clear that it is always harmful, particurlarly in small amounts. Sugars, like those found in these fruits, are not ideal for the rabbit liver, either. Probably very small amounts of sugary treats are not that harmful but still not recommended.
3. Though I have said this several times, pellets are NOT considered necessary for rabbits. And a rabbit suffering from some gastrointestinal malady, such as ileus/gut stasis should probably not be getting ANY pellets at all. A gut that is slow or 'stopped' benefits from the presence of long fibers and moisture, neither found in pellets. If you insist in feeding your rabbits pellets, at least stop when/if they are showing any signs of stasis such as decreased appetite, small or scant stools, bloating, abdominal pain, decreased water consumption etc. Most of the veterinary rabbit specialists are in the 'no pellet' boat right now, though it took them some time to get there. But I don't know if they are all militantly NO PELLETs yet. Some are, but most are a bit less adamant about this part of a rabbit's diet. So if I see a client's rabbit that has no digestive issues whatsoever, and they are feeding their rabbit a small amount of pellets regularly, I try not to argue with them. But if their rabbit had a history of gut stasis, even once, I would urge them to adopt a pellet-free diet from that point on. Better to avoid gut stasis altogether than have to treat it over and over again. I have very few rabbit patients that suffer from gut stasis that eat only hay and greens and get plenty of exercise. I do sometimes see rabbits a bit on the thin side on these diets and sometimes I see some weight gain with a few added pellets a day. Those are the exceptions rather than the rule, though.
4. Speaking of exercise, I think it is one of the more overlooked part of a rabbits care. Rabbits that move around a lot and keep 'fit' tend to have less abnormal gastrointestinal episodes. Whether this is just my feeling about this, or actual fact, I cannot say.. yet. but I think we need to try harder sometimes to get rabbits to be more active (without stressing them out of course).
5. the use of Metoclopramide (Metamide) or Reglan is also controversial now (something I didn't think a few years ago). I had always assumed all those rabbits I treated with this motility modifier that got better from my treatment, were benefitting from the use of this drug. Until I read that a lot of the experts now felt this product did nothing useful for rabbits at all. So I reluctantly stopped using it and noticed my patients were improving despite my not using it... which means all the other patients in the past were getting better despite my using it. In other words, I don't think I did much, if any harm, using it, but nor do I believe anymore that it was really helping, either. If your veterinarian wants to treat your rabbits' GI problems with metoclopromide, I don't really see how it is harmful (unless, under those few circumstances when there is a physical blockage or true bloat... then it might be a problem)... but it's use is coming under question nowadays.
Anyway, those are my random comments about rabbit GI stasis today. I am glad your rabbit is better and I sure hope it stays that way.
molly
Well-Known Member
I agree with everything Geoff said, I wish more people would realize just how harmful pellets can be (especially if fed in too large quantities) and how important exercise is.
I do think papaya tablets are worth giving though. There isn't clinical evidence they work but there does seem to be a benefit in some rabbits (my vet has told me this and we have seen that they often do make a difference with the shelter buns) and they're unlikely to do harm.
I do think papaya tablets are worth giving though. There isn't clinical evidence they work but there does seem to be a benefit in some rabbits (my vet has told me this and we have seen that they often do make a difference with the shelter buns) and they're unlikely to do harm.
My male Lionhead - aged 1 1/2 yrs - gradually stopped taking his evening snack: apple peel, and pretty quickly (2 or 3 days) I realised it was because he couldn't bite/chew. Took him to the vet and she said he had malocclusion in his front middle (2) teeth; they were bowing outwards. She said it was not a big problem and proceeded to cut them; she did this in 2 goes: one, then the second and visa versa. I night add that this was the standby vet, as the full-time one had a day off. (Hus weight had dropped from the usual 2.5 kg to 2.2 kg).
I took him home and he was eating better, but only 50% odd, but this gradually tailed off after a week or so, so I took him back to the vet; the full-time one was there then. She had another go at cutting the teeth: one was slightly longer than the other. (His weight was now 2 kg). I took him home again, but he wasn't eating much better, so I took him back to the vet a 3rd time. This time, she had another vet in attendance - who visited there twice a week. This time the again cut his teeth, but the new vet filed them down as well. (His weight was 1.9 kg).
I might add that during this time, he was drinking (water) like crazy, and I noticed that while refilling his bowl - 3-5 times a day - that it was dirty, in that he seemed to continually be flushing out his mouth. However, his overall appearance was bad, he was looking ill and furthermore the fur under his jaw was permanently wet due to him drooling.
I was looking online almost daily by this time, and the thing I kept coming up with (rabbit drinks but doesn't eat) was Gi Statis, so I again took him to the vet, informing her of the rabbit's general condition and she almost immediately came up with "Gi Statis". She said she needed to Xray his stomach. The result showed that he was totally full of gas, and she said this was the reason he wasn't eating. (His weight was now 1.7 kg). She prescribed me the Critical care powder, but wasn't much use in her advice on how to give it: saying to mix it 1 part to 2 parts of water. This proved impossible to administer with the largest size syringe: too thick. I soon found that the thing to do was to mix it 1 part CC to 3 parts or 4 (warm/hot) water and then shake the plastic bottle vigorously to mix it up, let it cool and them fill the syringe. My procedure for administering the CC is as follows:
Have the syringe already filled and resting on a plate on a low (plastic garden furniture-type) table. Have a chair by the table. Pick up the rabbit and sit down with him resting on your lap, so that (if you are right-handed) his head is facing your left side. Very important: Start rubbing his belly with the fingers of your right hand and do this for a few minutes. Now you can start with the CC; lift / support the front of his body with your right hand and syringe in the CC with your left hand. You can also keep rubbing his belly with your right hand. As soon as he starts taking the CC, his stomach will start rumbling.
I kept this procedure up for a week or so, but he wasn't getting any better; in fact he was further deteriorating, and his jaw was soaked permanently. I might add that on 2 occasions in the afternoon, he went to lay down in a place the other side of the garden where he hardly ever visited and lay down behind a large plant pot. In fact, my wife was worried one day because she couldn't find him. On each occasion, I brought him back to the other side of the house and admistered the CC. I again took him to the vet and told her about his worsening condition and asked her to Xray his jaw/teeth. She actually (couldn't believe it) this and said just to bring him back in one week's time. I repeated my suggestion/request, but she wasn't interested. The funny thing was that there weren't any other people with animals in the waiting room.
Exactly 6 days later - I was away - my wife called me and said she was en-route to the vets with the rabbit. I told her to wait till tomorrow because I was going to take him to the "animal hospital" (as opposed to this vet clinic). She said no, so I told her to take him to the animal hospital - and not to bother with the vet clinic as they were a total waste of time.
To cut a long story short, his back-upper molars ALSO HAD MALOCCLUSION. He was scheduled for an opperation to cut these back 2 days later, and had the operation successfully. I have been nursing him back to health, giving him 5 medicines twice a day. Right now, exactly six days after his operation, he has regained his strenght, increased his weight (a little) totally ceased drooling and he is eating like there is not tomorrow!
I took him home and he was eating better, but only 50% odd, but this gradually tailed off after a week or so, so I took him back to the vet; the full-time one was there then. She had another go at cutting the teeth: one was slightly longer than the other. (His weight was now 2 kg). I took him home again, but he wasn't eating much better, so I took him back to the vet a 3rd time. This time, she had another vet in attendance - who visited there twice a week. This time the again cut his teeth, but the new vet filed them down as well. (His weight was 1.9 kg).
I might add that during this time, he was drinking (water) like crazy, and I noticed that while refilling his bowl - 3-5 times a day - that it was dirty, in that he seemed to continually be flushing out his mouth. However, his overall appearance was bad, he was looking ill and furthermore the fur under his jaw was permanently wet due to him drooling.
I was looking online almost daily by this time, and the thing I kept coming up with (rabbit drinks but doesn't eat) was Gi Statis, so I again took him to the vet, informing her of the rabbit's general condition and she almost immediately came up with "Gi Statis". She said she needed to Xray his stomach. The result showed that he was totally full of gas, and she said this was the reason he wasn't eating. (His weight was now 1.7 kg). She prescribed me the Critical care powder, but wasn't much use in her advice on how to give it: saying to mix it 1 part to 2 parts of water. This proved impossible to administer with the largest size syringe: too thick. I soon found that the thing to do was to mix it 1 part CC to 3 parts or 4 (warm/hot) water and then shake the plastic bottle vigorously to mix it up, let it cool and them fill the syringe. My procedure for administering the CC is as follows:
Have the syringe already filled and resting on a plate on a low (plastic garden furniture-type) table. Have a chair by the table. Pick up the rabbit and sit down with him resting on your lap, so that (if you are right-handed) his head is facing your left side. Very important: Start rubbing his belly with the fingers of your right hand and do this for a few minutes. Now you can start with the CC; lift / support the front of his body with your right hand and syringe in the CC with your left hand. You can also keep rubbing his belly with your right hand. As soon as he starts taking the CC, his stomach will start rumbling.
I kept this procedure up for a week or so, but he wasn't getting any better; in fact he was further deteriorating, and his jaw was soaked permanently. I might add that on 2 occasions in the afternoon, he went to lay down in a place the other side of the garden where he hardly ever visited and lay down behind a large plant pot. In fact, my wife was worried one day because she couldn't find him. On each occasion, I brought him back to the other side of the house and admistered the CC. I again took him to the vet and told her about his worsening condition and asked her to Xray his jaw/teeth. She actually (couldn't believe it) this and said just to bring him back in one week's time. I repeated my suggestion/request, but she wasn't interested. The funny thing was that there weren't any other people with animals in the waiting room.
Exactly 6 days later - I was away - my wife called me and said she was en-route to the vets with the rabbit. I told her to wait till tomorrow because I was going to take him to the "animal hospital" (as opposed to this vet clinic). She said no, so I told her to take him to the animal hospital - and not to bother with the vet clinic as they were a total waste of time.
To cut a long story short, his back-upper molars ALSO HAD MALOCCLUSION. He was scheduled for an opperation to cut these back 2 days later, and had the operation successfully. I have been nursing him back to health, giving him 5 medicines twice a day. Right now, exactly six days after his operation, he has regained his strenght, increased his weight (a little) totally ceased drooling and he is eating like there is not tomorrow!
I am SO glad you finally found a vet that knew what they were doing, that found and corrected your buns problems. This is why it is so important to always advocate for your bun. You know your bun best and not many vets really are rabbit knowledgeable. Sometimes as owners, we have to push for the correct treatment to be done. I can't believe the first vets didn't check the molars.
I'm very glad your bun is doing better now
I'm very glad your bun is doing better now
Three weeks after he had his molars cut (under GA), he started to slow down on the evening apple-peel again, so I took him back to the doctor at the animal hospital. She said that it was the same problem again: the back molars, and she would need me to leave him there for the day to cut them again.
This I did; they called when he had recovered and she told me she had cut the 2 molars and one of the front teeth that had outgrown the other one. Took him home and he needed the same encouragement again to get him to eat: finely chopped food, porridge 3 times a day (instead of just for breakfast) and thinly sliced PEELED apple in the evenings. It took just over a week this time before he resumed normal eating; reason being I think that the doctor had cut the molars shorter this time (maybe she was thinking of my medical costs), but he got back to normal again and gained more weight. I also now include (tinned) pineapple now as a treat: half on one circular slices with some juice. He isn't interested in fresh pineapple at all!
I am continually monitoring his eating and he hasn't started showing any signs of the malocclusion yet - 4 weeks and counting.
This I did; they called when he had recovered and she told me she had cut the 2 molars and one of the front teeth that had outgrown the other one. Took him home and he needed the same encouragement again to get him to eat: finely chopped food, porridge 3 times a day (instead of just for breakfast) and thinly sliced PEELED apple in the evenings. It took just over a week this time before he resumed normal eating; reason being I think that the doctor had cut the molars shorter this time (maybe she was thinking of my medical costs), but he got back to normal again and gained more weight. I also now include (tinned) pineapple now as a treat: half on one circular slices with some juice. He isn't interested in fresh pineapple at all!
I am continually monitoring his eating and he hasn't started showing any signs of the malocclusion yet - 4 weeks and counting.
Six months in; Fluffy now weighs 2.5 to 2.6 kg, something which I still can't believe - considering he was down to 1.7 kg last September/October. I take him monthly to the doc at the animal hospital to check his teeth. The last 2 times (Feb. and April - missed May), she gave him a local and cut a strange solitary tooth at the back of his mouth - and presented me with the evidence on each occasion.
Footnote: He is now a dad - with his sister (I know, but everything is fine and the 2 kits - boy and girl - are absolutely perfect. I was going to get him neutered - took him on the 18th of April and the doc said the earliest she could do it was on the 30th at 5:00 pm, and that she could cut his tooth at the same time. This actually worked out fine, because in the end - after much consideration - I DECIDED AGAINST IT, and am very happy with my decision.
The thing is, I had his grandad (a Baby Rex) neutered after he had fathered two lots of babies, and I ended up being sorry I did; the thing is, besides for him getting two urinary tract infections in 2 weeks, immediately afterwards, he became very docile (too docile) and basically sleeps most of the time. To sum it all up, he is only half the man he used to be - and I am to blame.
Footnote: He is now a dad - with his sister (I know, but everything is fine and the 2 kits - boy and girl - are absolutely perfect. I was going to get him neutered - took him on the 18th of April and the doc said the earliest she could do it was on the 30th at 5:00 pm, and that she could cut his tooth at the same time. This actually worked out fine, because in the end - after much consideration - I DECIDED AGAINST IT, and am very happy with my decision.
The thing is, I had his grandad (a Baby Rex) neutered after he had fathered two lots of babies, and I ended up being sorry I did; the thing is, besides for him getting two urinary tract infections in 2 weeks, immediately afterwards, he became very docile (too docile) and basically sleeps most of the time. To sum it all up, he is only half the man he used to be - and I am to blame.
