rabbit will not eat

Question
hello
my rabbit started having eye discharge so we took her to the vet. he gave her some ointment that ended up drying her eye and giving her a white layer in her eye. we went back because we did not like how her eye looked so he gave us some drops and antibiotics. he did not say anything about her not eating when i told him. we are taking her to another vet that specializes on small animals tomorrow. i was just wondering what kind of food can i grind so i can syringe feed her thanks.

Answer
Dear Cindy,

If your bunny has pus discharge from her eye and is not eating, she may have a molar root abscess.  This will require serious antibiotics (our vets usually prescribe dual-acting Penicillin-G Procaine injections every 48 hours) and long-term treatment.  Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

and

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/jawabscess.html

But of more immediate concern is her not eating.  Pain/stress can trigger ileus in rabbits, which means the intestine stops its normal muscular movements.  This can cause fatal complications, and it is vital to reverse the ileus before it becomes life-threatening.  Please read this immediately:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

and try to share this with the vet (if s/eh is receptive to receiving things from strangers on the internet), if s/he is unfamiliar with the condition:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.pdf

Of all the treatments in the article, I've found that the quickest to take effect is the shallow enema described therein.  Gentle tummy massage (kneading hands and electric vibration) are also very helpful.

I hope your bunny will be fine with the new vet.  But if you are not sure s/he is experienced with rabbits, check here for another for a second opinion:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps.

Dana