sudden change in behaviour

[mochasmom]

Mochaccino is a 3 years old French Lop. He suddenly changed his behaviour 2 months ago. He lives in my bedroom, in a open cage. I never had problems with him, nor with his temper, or his feeding, him using his litter box, etc. He used to be a playfull bunny. Loved to dance around my feet, while i change my clothes in the morning. He "made love" frecuently to his big 20" rubber balls. He waited for me to come from work, every night, laying at my bedroom door. I went on a three week trip, and when i came back he was a different bunny. Since then, he never played again with his balls, or with me. Although he still loves his petting sessions by my side or on my lap, and let me carry him, without making much of a fuss. When i was a way he was under my mothers care, who loves him and takes care of him just like me. She tells me that Mochas behaviour was normal all through those 3 weeks.
Another worry: four three days ago, i woke up to find that he didnt ate or drank anything through the night. He didnt pee, or poo. I took him to the veterinary inmediatly, she made a urine test, and found he have a mild infeccion. She administrated Mochaccino an antibiotic, for three days.He is gaining apetite little by little, but refuses to drink water from his bottle or his bowl. Ive been giving him water from a siringe, and today he started to drink from his bowl but only if i insist holding it under his chin.His droppings are abnormal: darker than before, just a few a day, and not round. He urinates just once a day. Mochaccino diet has always been: hay, pellets, fruit, vegetables.
He has always been a healthy and happy rabbit. Dont know what to do. I want to see him running, jumping and playing again. Any ideas?

 

[Pipp]

Hi, welcome to RO.

He could have initially been stressed and moping because his mate disappeared (in his mind), that will cause depression.

Once they get stressed, they're more susceptible to infections.

Does your vet know much about rabbits? Was he checked for stones?

What kind of antibiotic was it? A three-day course is unusual. It may be that it's a type that upsets his GI tract.

Is he eating hay, vegetables and pellets in the same proportions? If he's eating more veggies and less hay, the poops will be darker, maybe less round.

Hope he gets better soon!


sas :clover:

 

[Pipp]

PS: Moving this to the Infirmary.

 

[tonyshuman]

I would make sure your vet knows how little he is drinking and peeing. He may need sub-q fluids to help him get over the bladder infection. One large dose of sub-q's can sometimes help flush out the system, or he might need them daily/every few days for a week or so.

You can add a second bowl of water to his area, with a few drops of fruit juice in it (cranberry would be great), to entice him to drink more.

He may also need pain medication for the infection. Bladder infections are so painful, and it sounds like that's altering his behavior, and it also makes you not want to pee, which you need to do to get over the infection.