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Diarhea

22 11:21:02

Question
I have a black netherland dwarf bunny (approx. 10 weeks old).  Snicker's is very alert, eating regularly and active.  Today she has developed a little diarhea and I would like to know what can be done to eliminate problem.

Thank you for your help.  Any seeing how I lost a bunny to this problem within a few days of purchasing the bunny I would like to know if I just need to change the diet.  Should she be back on the basics:  rabbit pellets, timothy hay and water?

Answer
Dear Judy,

You are right to be concerned.  "Diarrhea" can quickly kill a very young rabbit, and I would recommend that you get Snickers to a good rabbit vete without delay.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Runny stool in juvenile and adult rabbits have different causes, and each one is treated differently.  In the case of a very young rabbit, there could be coccidia which need to be treated promptly.

The main danger with diarrhea in young rabbits is dehydration, which can be deadly in only a few hours.  It is vital to keep the bunny well hydrated, preferably with subcutaneous fluids from the vet, since a GI tract producing runny stool is probably compromised with respect to its ability to reabsorb liquids.  

You can read about some of the causes of runny stool here:

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

and find emergency treatments here:

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

I would recommend you get Snickers to a vet today, if possible, or at least try to consult with one over the phone.  If the diarrhea is severe, and you absolutely cannot get in touch with a vet, then a last resort effort to save her life would be to administer 1.0mg/kg of loperamide (brand name Immodium) just to stop the deadly diarrhea and buy some time until you can get to the vet.

I don't like to suggest medications, and do NOT suggest you do this without trying to get to the vet first.  But because it's a holiday weekend, I am afraid that if this condition worsens, it could be life-threatening.  In this case, I'd rather err on the side of saving Snickers.  But please try to get her to a vet ASAP, and make sure it's a vet who is familiar with rabbits, from the list above.

Don't give her any type of starchy treats.  Stick to timothy hay, dark greens (kale is good for now) and pellets, and be sure she has access to plenty of fresh, clean drinking water in a bowl.

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana