Rabbit is ill

Question
I was wondering how long after the initial treatment for inner ear infection will my rabbits appetite return.  she will eat some timothy, and I am feeding her with assistance some ground up pellets in water, and baby food carrots.  she went to the vet on monday, and is currently on medication (orally) plus ear wash and ear salve twice daily.  she has lost weight, but not much. Just wondering how long this process usually lasts.  she is 7 months old.  Just a white rabbit. 3.23 lbs.

Answer
Dear Nancy,

When a bunny is ill and in pain, a very common physiological reaction is for the GI system to shut down and go into a condition known as ileus.  This can be life-threatening if not treated immediately and aggressively:

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

So please check with your vet to see if your bunny might need to be on intestinal motility drugs and gentle tummy massage while the antibiotics do their work on the ear infection.

Ear infections can take a while to cure.  In the meantime, please ask about analgesics to control pain. Banamine is excellent for this purpose, and we have used it extensively in rabbits with great results. Meloxicam is also very good.

I hope this helps.

Dana