Very sick rabbit. Please help!

[Heidi29]

:sickbunny:
It all started with a cut on Heidi's lip, which got infected. We brought her to the vet and he prescribed antibiotics, which made her more sick. She could only eat and drink from a syringe. We brought her back and he prescribed different antibiotics, they seemed to have a better effect and she ate some lettuce by herself. But then things got. Very bad very fast. She stopped eating, her eye got infected and she was less active. We rushed her back to a different vet. Who said the other vet had been completely wrong with what he gave to her and had killed all the good bacteria in her stomach. She gave me medicine to give via syringe, and eye drops and that seemed to help. She also said to give her some probiotic yoghurt. That was a few days ago, now she fights all food and doesn't want to move. She is extremely thin and I don't know what to do. She has green mucus around her poop. Can anyone help?

She also has a lump under her chin, and the new vet believes she need a back tooth taken out. For this to happen I have to travel to a city 2 hours away and it will cost a couple of hundred. And giving her condition there isn't much hope she'll live

 

[Aki]

I'm very sorry about what's happening to your rabbit. It's always awful to see our pets being sick and not knowing what to do about it.
The main problem with rabbits is that finding a rabbit savvy vet is really hard. I've myself recently moved from Paris to a small city and I think I'll go back to Paris if one of my rabbits ever needs medical attention because I don't trust the local vets at all. I am not a professional, but I would be very wary of a vet who gives yoghurt to a rabbit - from the articles I've read, the rabbit's stomach is too acid for a yoghurt to do any good (the acid destroys the lactobacillus) which means that vet doesn't probably knows much about rabbits.
If I were you, I would try to ask around (on this forum too) if anyone knows a good vet in your area to have a 3rd opinion. I'm sorry I can't help you more. I hope Heidi gets better...

 

[Heidi29]

Thanks Aki, I was a bit wary of the yoghurt too. And there is no vet under an hour away, who would see Heidi other than these 2 as they said they don't deal with small pets. Thanks for your advice anyway.

 

[majorv]

Can you get some Critical Care to syringe feed her as soon as possible? Also, probiotics like benebac usually needs to be given with antibiotics to offset the effects it has on the gut. It's possible the lump is a tooth but it could also be a tumor. I'm wondering if the initial infection might've spread. It doesn't sound good for her right now.

 

[Heidi29]

Can you get some Critical Care to syringe feed her as soon as possible? Also, probiotics like benebac usually needs to be given with antibiotics to offset the effects it has on the gut. It's possible the lump is a tooth but it could also be a tumor. I'm wondering if the initial infection might've spread. It doesn't sound good for her right now.

There is no critical care sold in my country, but it can order it online. My only worry is she might not last that long. Do I need to go back to my vet to get benebac? Or is it something sold online/in shops?

 

[Heidi29]

https://www.viovet.co.uk/Protexin_Bio-Lapis_for_Rabbits/c10535/

Would this be something similar to benebac?

 

[JBun]

I'm afraid that your bun really does need to be seen by a rabbit savvy vet immediately, and sometimes it may mean having to travel a distance to see one. Even though it can stress a rabbit, in some instances taking that risk may be necessary so that you can get to a vet that actually knows what they are doing and will provide the appropriate care for your bun. The other alternative is if your local vet can contact a rabbit specialist and consult with them as to what the appropriate treatment would be at this point.

It sounds like the initial antibiotic disrupted the digestive flora, and in rabbits this is something that can actually prove fatal if not corrected right away. This is because pathogenic bacteria like e. coli and clostridium can take over, as can the protozoa coccidia. Once this happens a rabbit can go downhill very quickly. Signs this is occurring are mushy poop or diarrhea, mucous in the poop, blood in the poop, lack of appetite, abdominal pain To have a chance of correcting this, the correct medications need to be given. The other mouth infection may need to be treated with a separate antibiotic. Your rabbit also needs pain medication, fluids, and feeding. It may even be necessary to admit your rabbit if her condition at this point is critical, which is sounds like it possibly is. Right now you don't need to be worrying about tooth removal. Most important thing at this point is correcting her digestive issue and getting any infection treated and under control, then once she is doing better, if there are any dental issues they can be dealt with.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Abscess/skin_abscess.htm

Yes, the protexin is a probiotic. There is also something called Fibreplex that may also be helpful to your bun. But most important is getting the appropriate vet treatment. If you give your general location, someone may be able to suggest a good vet near you.

 

[Heidi29]

I'm afraid that your bun really does need to be seen by a rabbit savvy vet immediately, and sometimes it may mean having to travel a distance to see one. Even though it can stress a rabbit, in some instances taking that risk may be necessary so that you can get to a vet that actually knows what they are doing and will provide the appropriate care for your bun. The other alternative is if your local vet can contact a rabbit specialist and consult with them as to what the appropriate treatment would be at this point.

It sounds like the initial antibiotic disrupted the digestive flora, and in rabbits this is something that can actually prove fatal if not corrected right away. This is because pathogenic bacteria like e. coli and clostridium can take over, as can the protozoa coccidia. Once this happens a rabbit can go downhill very quickly. Signs this is occurring are mushy poop or diarrhea, mucous in the poop, blood in the poop, lack of appetite, abdominal pain To have a chance of correcting this, the correct medications need to be given. The other mouth infection may need to be treated with a separate antibiotic. Your rabbit also needs pain medication, fluids, and feeding. It may even be necessary to admit your rabbit if her condition at this point is critical, which is sounds like it possibly is. Right now you don't need to be worrying about tooth removal. Most important thing at this point is correcting her digestive issue and getting any infection treated and under control, then once she is doing better, if there are any dental issues they can be dealt with.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Generalities/Enteritis_en.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Bacterial/Abscess/skin_abscess.htm

Yes, the protexin is a probiotic. There is also something called Fibreplex that may also be helpful to your bun. But most important is getting the appropriate vet treatment. If you give your general location, someone may be able to suggest a good vet near you.

Thank you so much for your information. It has been two weeks since her initial antibiotic, and it think she might have progressed to far to be saved. She now doesn't have the energy to move, and I think she is having seizures. I can't go anywhere tonight, as I don't drive. But any advice to make her comfortable? If she makes it through the night I ll get her straight to the vet in the morning. I'm in the south eat of Ireland if anyone knows any good vets.

 

[JBun]

If you have an out of hours vet nearby, you may want to get your bun seen tonight, to at least get some fluids. It's likely she's dehydrated and the fluids would be very helpful. They may also be able to test her feces for coccidia, and if she is infected, give you some septrin to treat it. If you don't already have pain meds, it would be good to get her that as well. She probably needs something stronger than metacam at this point, tramadol or buprenorphine is what is usually used for rabbits. Though at this point she may be beyond treatment, and pts may also be a consideration.

If there is absolutely no way to get to a vet, keep her warm as they can get hypothermic when sick. You could also try some electrolytes as she is likely dehydrated. You want to do these things right away, especially the electrolytes.

If you are near Bray, there is this one that I found a recommendation for.
Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland- Bairbre O’Malley

Or you can look at these lists to see if there is anything, though they are a bit outdated.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=42352
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=13398&page=3

I'm really sorry and hope your bun pulls through and you can get her the help she needs.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[Heidi29]

Heidi passed away Last Night about an Hour After my Last reply. Thanks to everyone who helped.

 

[majorv]

Very sorry to hear that, but from your description in your first post I was afraid it was too late. :feelbetter: