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Rabbit stopped eating!

22 10:48:32

Question
I become concerned when my 10wk old rabbit stopped eating and was moving around very little, sitting hunched with eyes half shut and took her to the vets. The vets was unsure and felt her stomach which is bloated, gave her three injections to help alleviate problem but this did not work and I took her back the next day and she has now been at the vets for the past 4 days on a drip. I've been told she is eating a little but has a lot of jelly-like stools and is not responding as well as expected to the medicine, the vet suggested it could be her immune system? could this be so, and is there anything else I can do Flopsy?

Answer
Dear Joanne,

I know I'm not getting the whole story, but from the sound of this (Flopsy is on no more than a drip?  Is she on antibiotics?  Pain medication?  Did the vets suggest that she may be suffering from ileus?  What did they tell you was wrong besides "her immune system"?), you may want to get Flopsy into the clinic of veterinarians who are more experienced with rabbit medicine for a second opinion.  

A lethargic, inappetent 10 week old rabbit with mucous stools is suffering from enteritis (inflammation of the intestinal lining), and there are very well established protocols for this that an experienced rabbit vet will know.  If you'd like to find one for a second opinion, you can use the list linked here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The problem is not likely to be her immune system, except insofar as it may have failed her in preventing an infection of some kind.  If she was not eating and not pooping, she was suffering from ileus, possibly due to some other problem (e.g., an infection).  The primary problem must be found and treated, and the intestinal problems will be easier to resolve once she's on the mend.  Pain management is essential in treating rabbits, especially for intestinal disorders.  It can make all the difference in the world!  

Please read:

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

and

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

and

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

If your vets are amenable to receiving information from clients, you might wish to share this:

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

I hope this will help!

Dana