my sick bunny

Question
Hey there, I'm desperate.  I can't afford to take my rabbit to the vet right away because I don't get paid for 5 days and they don't do billing, so I need some advice and quick.  My seven-year-old dutch doe is usually spastic, full of energy and eager to gulp down her treats each day, consisting or bananas, clovers, butterfly bush blooms etc etc.  Well, today her eyes are half closed, creating a tired look, though they do pop wide open if she is disturbed.  She is resting her whole body on the floor of her hutch rather than standing on all fours, and she hasn't eaten in about twenty hours.  She won't take any treats and I noticed, today, for the first time, that she is quite thin.  I can see and feel her ribs.  All this may be nothing.  Maybe shes old, and thats why shes thinning.  Maybe she was kept awake all night by a stray dog (it's happened before) so shes subdued today?  I can't help but worry because my vet says bring her in right away - but that is most unfortunately not possible.  One more thing - her vulva is bright red whereas it is usually a light pink or even white color.  I would appreciate your feedback more than you can know.  If possible can you send your reply to my email, jeffluvsmimi@gmail.com

Answer
Dear Jeff,

Please read this right away:

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

and find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The vets who told you to bring her right in were correct:  you need to get her in to the vet
NOW if you are to save her life.  Any number of things could be wrong, but if she is not
eating nor producing fecal pellets, then she could already be suffering from ileus due to
the pain/stress of whatever is wrong:

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

Please get her to the vet, even if you have to pay them later.  The fact that her vulva is
red and swollen is a hint that something is wrong there, anything from uterine cancer to a
severe urinary tract problem (stones, infection, sludge) that need treatment:

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

If the weather is very hot where you are, she could be suffering from heat stroke, and needs
to be inside NOW where it's air conditioned.  Many rabbits die from heat this time of year,
and they should not be outdoors if the temperature is higher than about 80 Farenheit.

A stray dog harrassing her can cause enough stress to kill her, too.  So you really need to
get her inside where she's safe, and keep her there. Rabbits are easy to litterbox train,
once spayed/neutered.

I wish I could tell you there was something constructive you could do without taking her to
the vet, but there isn't.  She needs professional help NOW.  I hope you will be able to
provide her with the care she needs.

I hope this helps.

Dana


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dana Krempels, Ph.D.                                ^
University of Miami Department of Biology           ^
H.A.R.E. (Houserabbit Adoption, Rescue & Education) ^
dana@bio.miami.edu                                  ^
                                                   ^
       Compassion towards animals is essentially   ^
       bound up with goodness of character.        ^
       Whoever is cruel to them                    ^
       cannot be good to men.                      ^
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