# My rabbit hasn't been pooping, eating and moving much since yesterday! HELP!



## clwmzh

My rabbit is not pooping, eating and moving much. Since yesterday morning, I realized he hasn't been touching his food (pellets & hay). I tried giving him his favourite treat (dried papaya) but he refused. 

I went straight to the vet, the doctor checked my bun's teeth and felt his tummy. She said "caecum doesn't feel right." I asked whether my bun's bloated, but she said no. 

My bun's got SQ fluid at the vet yesterday, and I bought the Critical Care formula. I've been feeding it to him every 3 hours, but he strongly refuses to eat. (maybe he hates the taste?  ) 

Today, He has urinated 3 times (darker colour than usual), pooped 2 cecotropes, but no sign of normal poops. 

I gave him some cilantro (his another favourite), did eat!! but soon stopped. In the evening, I did see him eat ONE piece of dried papaya. He's still not eating his pellets and hay. I don't know whether he's drinking..so I syringe feed him a bit today. 

Vet didn't tell me much, so I don't know whether my bun has a blockage or GI stasis... 

Is it okay to keep force feeding critical care even if he has GI stasis or ....blockage? 
Are there any other medications that I can get from the pharmacy and try feeding it to my bun? 

Anybody help please  


Other info: 
my bun's six years old
male - neutered


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## fesixunderground

so you took him to the vet and the vet didn't think it was gut stasis? because it sounds awfully like that. is there another vet you can take it to today?

rabbits have quite a small window of time to get their guts back in order and if it was me i'd be either taking him/her to a different vet or taking him back to your vet and insisting they check him over again especially as its the bank holiday weekend. I'd be at the very least asking that they give your bun some painkillers or put it on a drip to get its guts moving.

i'd also avoid papaya for the time being i think it will make him gassier.

Summersky gave some excellent advice earlier:



> Then we try and encourage bunny to take on fluid.
> 
> - try giving an extra bowl of water with a dash of cranberry juice in
> 
> - syringe in water
> 
> - try and tempt with fresh foods that they are used to, but dip in water
> 
> - offer fresh grass
> 
> - don't give dry pellets, but soak same in cooled boiled water, and offer on a plate
> 
> - or syringe in little and often
> 
> - offer pure fruit baby food on a plate, or syringe in little and often
> 
> - give sub cu fluid if you are trained and confident.
> 
> Flooding the gut with fluid, even if the bunny itself is not dehydrated, can be enough to get things moving again.
> 
> Watch closely for poo - it may be small, but any poo is a positive sign. No poo at all is very concerning.


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## clwmzh

Thanks for your suggestions! 

I heard about metacam and metaclopromide.. will these med help for my bun? 
I don't think I'm going to go back to that vet... I did get a feeling that the doctor wasn't that confident about bunnies. -_- 

I'll remove papaya, and I'll synringe feed him some more water before I go to bed...


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## fesixunderground

i'm not confident enough to advise you on meds but im sure Summersky or someone else will be able to.

If you don't trust that vet anymore i'd look for a different one and take him there asap


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## Funky

If this is your first time I would not recommend to give your bunny metacam and metaclopromide-you need to get it from vet anyway
We were taking our bunny to our local vet and he has seen him and didnt give him anything than next day same story-it was Friday evening and we have decided to call vets about 17 miles always as thus had emergency-he almost died because of incompetency of the vet here!
They told us his guts stopped and it was not guarantee he gets better but fortunately he did-bit he had all injection as they working quicker he has been syringe fed and he had fluid given to him through drip!
If I were you I would find other vet and take your bunny there immediately


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## Lopside

you need to get to another vet asap, pain relief is one of the most important aspects of treatment. Get water syringed into him if nothing else to rehydrate him. Hope he is ok


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## Summersky

The vet did right by giving your bun sub cu fluids to start with, but a good vet would also normally prescribe Metacam (painkiller), which is absolutely crucial, as a rabbit can shut down very quickly through pain, and a gut stimulant to get things moving. 

So I think you need to quickly find another vet, that is more rabbit savvy.

One of our rabbits has had 2 episodes in recent months, and has needed to be admitted each time for IV fluid, because sub cu, Metacam, etc. wasn't enough. 

When she came home, we had to continue with syringe feeding, painkillers etc.. She was pooing, but they were tiny, and she was still out of sorts - until she passed a huge poo clod. Then she was back to normal.

She has made a good recovery though.  - but you need to act quickly.

At least something is passing through your bunny - any signs of tiny poo?

(sorry, we get a bit poo and obsessed on here )

It is normal for wee to change colour when on a different diet, or on meds.

Another thing you can syringe in, is pure fruit, baby food - I buy Ella's Kitchen sachets of Apples, Apples, Apples at the local supermarket.

Do let us know how you get on at the vets.


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## sskmick

I was just thinking how does a person know which vet is a rabbit savvy vet? Does anyone have a list of rabbit savvy vets in the UK. Perhaps the list could be a sticky thread.

I do hope the OP quickly finds a rabbit savvy vet.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.


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## fesixunderground

sskmick said:


> I was just thinking how does a person know which vet is a rabbit savvy vet? Does anyone have a list of rabbit savvy vets in the UK. Perhaps the list could be a sticky thread.
> 
> I do hope the OP quickly finds a rabbit savvy vet.
> 
> I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.


Maybe someone should make a sticky thread for regions. The one i go to is fabulous but is in the north east and now i've moved to north yorkshire i need to find another for emergencies


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## Summersky

Ideally, a good rabbit vet will be exotic trained.

Ours isn't trained in exotics, but there are 2 vets who are really good with them - I think they have learnt a lot through our buns too!

There is also a specialist in our area, for referrals. 

It would be good to have a list.

RWAF should really make one available, but they only hold a list of vets who pay to be on their list.


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## fesixunderground

My vets are Jacqui Pattison's and their original clinic is great for dogs and cats then they opened on in Ingleby Barwick and they specialise in exotics and small animals and i can't recommend them highly enough. The clinic is spotless and really modern and there's at least 2 vets there who specialise in small animals.

If its just something routine i haul mine for the hour drive just to see them but i need to locate somewhere in north yorkshire thats rabbit savvy for emergencies


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## clwmzh

Oh my, thank you for all your suggestions! I'm actually living in Canada, I didn't realize that this was UK forum until I posted the question. I'm truly touched by all of your posts. 

This morning (huge time difference I guess; I DID SEE SOME POOPS! However, they were mostly cecotropes and tiny choco puffs.. However, didn't touch any pellets, didn't seem to eat much hay as well. I think he did eat a tiny bit of cilantro and carrots. 

I fed him some critical care this morning.. but he is resisting way more than yesterday. Am I feeding it wrong? or does he seriously hate this food? Any tips for feeding critical care to bunnies that are really stubborn? 
(I have a hard time finding the opening in his mouth b/c he wouldn't open his jaws for me..) 

I've been searching for rabbit savvy vets, but very limited...and don't know whether I should trust them.. However, I will take my bun to the vet if nothing improves within few hours..


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## clwmzh

Oh another question, 

So, if he is sort of pooping tiny bit and mostly cecotropes, and his tummy is soft (definitely not full/bloated), is this sign of GI stasis? if a bunny has a GI stasis, do they have soft tummy? or do they usually have bloated tummy? 

Also, it's painful to watch(and feed) my bun eat that critical care thing..Although he is resisting so much, should I be still force feeding him?


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## fesixunderground

he might not be eating if he doesnt think he will pass it or he might be in too much pain. It is a UK forum but i think taking him to the vet (a different one) is your best course of action and if you can get him to take on some liquids would be the best thing while you're trying to find a vet.


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## Summersky

We have a lot of experience betweeen us, but only a vet can feel and diagnose.

He is bound to have a big tummy ache at the very least, and really needs painkillers for several days.

Yes, it is always a worry that bunny has a complete blockage, but usually it is that, for whatever reason, the rabbits guts have ground to a halt and need helping along. 

Fluids are critical, but it is not unusual for a bunny to fight the syringe. In fact, it is a good sign in some ways, as it means he has a lot of fight in him.

You could try diluting anything you give him more, so that it is more liquid.

Have you been advised to do this every few hours? and through the night?

Have you tried offering fresh grass and dandelion leaves? A poorly rabbit can sometimes be tempted by them. Or apple leaves? Or blackberry leaves? (cut out the spiky bits). Anything rabbit friendly with fluid in, other than gassy greens.

We also try putting down a plate of pellets with cooled boiled water poured on, to see if that tempts. 

Some people find that a very gentle tummy massage (if bunny is compliant) can help, although we don't do that with ours

Also there is likely to be an underlying reason - maybe diet, maybe a change in routines - or very possibly dental issues. 

Did the vet look at his teeth to see if he had spurs on back teeth that might have affected how he was eating?


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## Funky

Summersky said:


> Ideally, a good rabbit vet will be exotic trained.
> 
> Ours isn't trained in exotics, but there are 2 vets who are really good with them - I think they have learnt a lot through our buns too!
> 
> There is also a specialist in our area, for referrals.
> 
> It would be good to have a list.
> 
> RWAF should really make one available, but they only hold a list of vets who pay to be on their list.


Our vets are good but we have been referred once to rabbit savvy vet in Cambridge and not long ago when Funky had runny poo vet said if things he prescribed wont help he will send us to exotic vet in Newmarket -about 45minutea drive from us.
Few of the vets in our surgery are better with bunnies than others but they all try best!


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## Summersky

Funky said:


> Our vets are good but we have been referred once to rabbit savvy vet in Cambridge and not long ago when Funky had runny poo vet said if things he prescribed wont help he will send us to exotic vet in Newmarket -about 45minutea drive from us.
> Few of the vets in our surgery are better with bunnies than others but they all try best!


Yes.

We are further away, but one of ours has just come back from Dick White's, after our vets suggested a referral.

They were able to run more tests, although I have to say that they have confirmed what our vets diagnosed anyway, which was reassuring.

We now have a bunny who is allergic to hay :yikes: :yikes: :yikes:

Still trying to get our head around that one.

He has a badly inflamed trachea, is on steroids, and has to be nebulised.

Owing rabbits is a steep learning curve sometimes.

Dick White Referrals - Veterinary Specialists | Veterinary Referrals | Home


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## clwmzh

I finally found one doctor in my area who's known to have experience with bunnies! I just got back from the vet, and got some gut stimulator med. 

Just before leaving the house, my bun finally pooped few small pieces of mucusy poop! (What a relief! at least...) So I took those pieces with me to the vet, and the doctor felt his tummy, took another look in his mouth, felt his tummy again etc. She said my bun's passing poops so he doesn't have total blockage, he doesn't have bloated stomach... so we're going to try giving him some cisapride (gut stimulant) and see whether his pooping improves by Monday. 

Oh yes, and my bun got another sub Q fluid to make sure he stays hydrated. 

Feels better coming back from the vet, and seeing my bun's small poops...but still got to be careful. 

Again, thank you for all your feedbacks!


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## Summersky

It sounds like it is going in the right direction, which is great.

With one of our bunnies, we saved some poo from each day. On thefirst day, it was tiny, then gradually, over several days, it very gradually returned to normal size.


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## fesixunderground

we do love poops on this forum  :thumbup:

glad to hear you managed to find a more rabbit friendly vet. Hope your little man doesnt take long to mend


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