Bunny not eating or drinking

Question
Hello,
My bunny Midnight loves greens & veggies, however, on Monday I gave her this organic salad mix that I got from Safeway & some Parsley and by Tuesday she appeared to be having the runs.  A little mushy poop, but she was mostly leaking liquids (not pee) all over.  And by Wednesday & Thursday not eating or drinking.  What can I do to help her?  I feel helpless & not knowing what to do. I'm taking her to the vet tonight to check as well.

Answer
Dear Fiona,

If this happaned right after she had the salad from Safeway, I'd worry about E. coli overload.  Organic produce is great because it doesn't have pesticide residues, but it can have other hazards, such as E. coli and other bacteria.  It's always *very* important to wash any kind of greens--even organic--before serving them, and to be sure they are *very* fresh.  

If your bunny is not eating or drinking and still has runny stool, you should consider it an emergency and get her to a good rabbit vet ASAP.  If your vet is not experienced with rabbits, then s/he might not know proper treatment for this condition.  To find a good rabbit vet in your area, use the list linked here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and read the following articles immediately:

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

and especially:

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

Read this immediately:

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

to learn how to take her temperature.  Her body temperature is a *critical* marker of her current state of health or unhealth, and if she is hypothermic, all efforts must be made to bring her body temperature back up to normal before any medications will be fully effective.  

If your vet is not familiar with ileus, please print this and share:

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

If your bunny has had runny stool for this long, she is very likely dehydrated and you should ask the vet about administering the following:

1.  subcutaneous lactated ringer solution
2.  pediatric simethicone suspension (for gas pain)
3.  analgesia (metacam or Banamine are excellent for
   rabbits)
4.  intestinal motility drugs (Reglan and/or cisapride)
5.  cholestyramine resin (Questran) to adsorb enterotoxins
   produced by dangerous bacteria (e.g., Clostridium)

You can start to do the protocols in the ileus article now, particularly the gentle abdominal massage to get the intestines moving again.  As counterintuitive as this might sound, her runny stool is not due to an overactivity of the gut, but rather more likely to a cessation of normal peristalsis (a rabbit's most common response to severe stress/illness/pain).

I hope this helps get you started, but the most critical thing is to get her to the vet NOW.  Please don't wait another minute, as a bunny in this condition is in grave danger.

Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana