# very sick rabbit



## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Hi my sister in law has a rabbit, which is very ill she has lost a third of her body weight and isnt eating or drinking the vet says she has a chest infection or pnumonia what do you think her chances of recovering are, she is 4 yrs old. Dont know if this is helpful to know but 2 weeks ago she had an hysterectomy as a precautionary measure. THANKS


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

What treatment is she on?


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Antibiotics


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## Matrix/Logan (May 7, 2009)

I have to say if she isn't eating her chances are not too good, rabbits can die if they stop eating for 12 hours as the gut stops working. It is a must that this rabbit be made to eat something, the easiest and best thing to get them going is to syringe feed her with baby food (the powdered boxed form)oatmeal and apple is a favourite, beleive me i have done this many times before!! Just mix with water to a consistency that will go into a syringe.
What antibiotic is she on?? Baytril is the best for this type of problem in a rabbit and giving it in daily injection form is the most effective way until you get the guts moving properly.

Good luck, i hope you get this advice in time.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

If she isnt eating, then she needs to be syringe fed every one to two hours, otherwise she will go into GI. You can soak the pellet mix (if she gets one) until its a mush, or use a vegetarian baby food, although a proper animal feed is better. Some vets will be able to give you a powder you can make up.

If shes on antibiotics, its a good idea to use probiotics, such as Fibreplex, as the treatment can strip the gut. 

Some vets will prescribe oral Metaclopramide, which stimulates the gut, and often gets them eating again.

As to her chance of survival, i wouldnt like to say. If you can get the infection/problem under control, and ensure that her gut keeps ticking over, then i dont see why not. It depends on how severe it is.


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Matrix/Logan said:


> I have to say if she isn't eating her chances are not too good, rabbits can die if they stop eating for 12 hours as the gut stops working. It is a must that this rabbit be made to eat something, the easiest and best thing to get them going is to syringe feed her with baby food (the powdered boxed form)oatmeal and apple is a favourite, beleive me i have done this many times before!! Just mix with water to a consistency that will go into a syringe.
> What antibiotic is she on?? Baytril is the best for this type of problem in a rabbit and giving it in daily injection form is the most effective way until you get the guts moving properly.
> 
> Good luck, i hope you get this advice in time.


Thank you so much i have just text her as she cannot speak to anyone she is so upset blaming herself for letting her have the op, she is a house rabbit and has spent the whole of her life with my s.i.l she is devastated so thank you again its much appreciated.


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## Matrix/Logan (May 7, 2009)

That's ok i just hope she is ok. I know how you all feel, but try to tell her not to feel guilty about the spaying and blame herself i have had 5 spayed and only had this problem with one of them but she did pull through although it was hard work it was worth it in the end. 

Also to get her interested in drinking again she could try putting pineapple juice in the water bottle and holding it in front of her, they like the sweetness and it has antioxident properties that stimulate appetite.

Good luck, keep us posted, i feel really upset for her worrying like this it's just horrible to see them poorly.


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Matrix/Logan said:


> That's ok i just hope she is ok. I know how you all feel, but try to tell her not to feel guilty about the spaying and blame herself i have had 5 spayed and only had this problem with one of them but she did pull through although it was hard work it was worth it in the end.
> 
> Also to get her interested in drinking again she could try putting pineapple juice in the water bottle and holding it in front of her, they like the sweetness and it has antioxident properties that stimulate appetite.
> 
> Good luck, keep us posted, i feel really upset for her worrying like this it's just horrible to see them poorly.


Just had a message back from my sister inlaw she also says thanks very much she is on baytril and she says she will be waiting for the shop to open for the food and pineapple juice


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

If you use baby food, you MUST use a fibre supplement.


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Nonnie said:


> If you use baby food, you MUST use a fibre supplement.


Ok ile let her know that as well thankyou


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## ouisie (Apr 13, 2009)

I don't know enough to be able to offer any advice but I wanted to say I hope she gets better soon.


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

i hope she is ok huni, let us know how she gets on xx


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## mollyismyworld (May 2, 2009)

Hope your sister's bunny gets well again HM. xx (in law) xx


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## Cavalierlover123 (May 27, 2009)

Hows the bunny?


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## rebenda (Jan 1, 2009)

aww hope the buns doing ok today and gets better i dont know if pet shops sell this as i got it from work (vets) its called rabbit recovery and its like powdered (sp?) rabbit food where you add some warm water and makes it into a paste when we get a rabbit in that isnt eating we always use this and the metaclopamide inj. like someone already said we give it syringe every 2 hours if rabbit wont take it sat up good idea is to wrap her in towel hold her on her back like a baby if that makes sence and then tend to take it like that.

just to add av be careful with holding rabbit like that that u dont go in the airway but it tends to make them take the food themselves


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Thankyou everyone your advice is so generous, so helpful ile let you all know how she is when i can get hold of mt s.i.l


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

I have just had the news that bunny has eaten voluntarily today so they are hoping she has turned a corner, and its the start of her recovering. Does anyone feel this may be the end of it or is she still in danger.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

haeveymolly said:


> I have just had the news that bunny has eaten voluntarily today so they are hoping she has turned a corner, and its the start of her recovering. Does anyone feel this may be the end of it or is she still in danger.


Eating is a great sign that she is feeling better.

I wouldnt assume that shes out of danger, so would still offer palative care. With any that ive dealt with, they've always carried on with fibreplex/probitic/syringe feed every 4 hours for 48 hours, even if they are eating on their own. It would be easy for her to go downhill again if she isnt watched and monitored carefully.

Great news though, and fingers crossed for her. Hopefully the anti-biotics are on top of the infection.


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Great News, hope the bunny makes a full recovery really soon and tell your sis in law to keep up the good work and make sure you post some pics soon!


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## flufffluff39 (May 25, 2009)

Yeh as she is not eating you want to get her salt levels up. Take her to the vets and they will give you water which you have to syringe feed her. Do not just give her salt water. The water the vets give you is like the stuff we have through an introvenus drip when were not feeling to good...hope this is helpfull


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

flufffluff39 said:


> Yeh as she is not eating you want to get her salt levels up. Take her to the vets and they will give you water which you have to syringe feed her. Do not just give her salt water. The water the vets give you is like the stuff we have through an introvenus drip when were not feeling to good...hope this is helpfull


I did wonder why the vets hadnt kept her in and put her on a drip with them stressing that they must get her to eat.


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## Matrix/Logan (May 7, 2009)

That sounds more positive, generally when they start to eat they have turned a corner and just keep improving, try her with tempting foods such as greated carrot and dandelion leaves.

The reason vets try not to keep rabbits in is because it is almost impossible to keep a drip in a rabbit for one as their veins are so tiny and they have to try and put them in their ears and obviously it's not easy to tape them in there!! And also they get very stressed away from their own environment so home is generally the best place for them!! (this is my experience as a veterinary nurse anyway)

Hope she continues to make a full recovery.
X X


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Matrix/Logan said:


> That sounds more positive, generally when they start to eat they have turned a corner and just keep improving, try her with tempting foods such as greated carrot and dandelion leaves.
> 
> The reason vets try not to keep rabbits in is because it is almost impossible to keep a drip in a rabbit for one as their veins are so tiny and they have to try and put them in their ears and obviously it's not easy to tape them in there!! And also they get very stressed away from their own environment so home is generally the best place for them!! (this is my experience as a veterinary nurse anyway)
> 
> ...


I can understand that and her being a house rabbit as well she is around them most of the time, she was moving around more last night not eaten a lot but a little is better than she was.


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## Matrix/Logan (May 7, 2009)

What is the news on the bunny?? Did she make a full recovery? I hope she did, havn't heard from you so i hope it's not bad news!


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

just to add, when mine gave up eating last year(he has fully recovered now) i used bran mash(bran flakes and hot water) mixed with pineapple juice for flavour, he was being syringe fed by me about 4-6 times a day, and he hated it, but it got his stomach moving and after 2 days, he would eat the bran mash on his own, glad to say he is fine - they thought it was pneumonia originally, but it was a blockage in his abdomen when they x-rayed him, he has bran mash at least every other day for fibre just to be on the safe side, plus he loves it!

*Heidi*


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

To all you members who gave me lots of valuable advice to give to my sister in law, the rabbit had done very well up to yesterday.

Yesterday her chest became very ruttley and she wasnt well at all so she took her to a vets in lemington spa who is a specialist in rabbits he diagnosed a severe chest infection again, has prescribed antibiotics and told my s.i.l that if there is no improvemennt by the end of the week, taking into account the pnumonia she had, that the kindest thing would be to have her p.t.s. they are so upset.:sad:


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## Matrix/Logan (May 7, 2009)

Oh no!! 
So sorry to hear that, i hope she makes a major improvement on the antibiotics and they don't end up having to have her put to sleep, that would be awful to lose her now bless her. 
I will be thinking of her and sending hugs to all of you and them.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

oh no, i have fingers and toes crossed that she pulls through poor thing, do keep us posted, we are all sending positive thoughts,xxxxx


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

Fingers crossed she starts to improve.


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Thankyou everyone

I heard wrong yesterday, it is a week on friday when she finishes the antibiotics, so lets hope, it doesnt sound like she will make it that ling she had put on weight when she started eating but although she is still eating she has begun to lose weight again, my s.i.l rang the ves to say that she has noticed weight loss today and sounds like she is burning up calories just working hard to breath. She must be a very tough bun or they are a lot tougher than i ever thought.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

aww bless poor little thing, we are all praying for her,xx


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