My Rabbits Sick...

Question
I have a 3 year-old cross-breed rabbit.He used to be an active rabbit...until yesterday...I found out he's sick and I brought him to a vet.The vet said he had flams / lung infection.

The vet gave me 3 syringes with orange-coloured medicine.He told me to feed my rabbit with these medicines daily once.

I'm just a 15 year old kid and don't know what's the medicine's name and it's function...

My rabbit's symptoms : Loss of apetitte, Unusual behaviour (He used to lick me but know he looks like he doesn't have the mood to play with me), Inactive, Light body weight,Looks weak.

What should I do? I'm scared...Please help me...


Answer
Dear Nicholas,

You might be only 15, but you can learn from the vet more about what is going on with your bunny.  Please ask the vet the name of the medication as well as what it does.  Don't be shy; many vets will be very happy to teach you.

Please read:

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

and also ask the vet about subcutaneous fluid therapy if he feels light/weak.  A rabbit with pneumonia (lung infection) needs fluids to help loosen the pus and mucus, and this is critical to recovery.

If this really is deep in the lungs, please ask about nebulization with a mask and the following medication:

5cc sterile saline solution with:
1.0 cc amikacin (50mg/ml antibiotic)
0.5 cc aminophylline (to open the airways)
0.2 cc Mucomyst (acetyl cysteine) (to loosen mucus)

A 10 minute session on a nebulizer with this "cocktail" will help your bunny feel better and get the medicine where it needs to be.  Please ask the vet about this!

If you are not sure your vet is an expert with rabbits, then please use the list linked here to find another vet for a second opinion (and possibly more aggressive treatment, which sounds necessary from your description).

www.rabbit.org/vets

If you use a vet who sees mostly dogs/cats, then not only will the vet perhaps not know the best treatment for a rabbit, but he also may not take a rabbit very seriously as a patient.  (Some vets are like that--though not all!)

Be sure your bunny has a vet who cares, and will be aggressive with treatment to save him.

I hope this helps.

Dana