please help me

Question
Hi
 I am 15 and i have a 3 year old dutch rabbit. The thing is she isnt eating alot at all. I would leave her a full fresh bowl of food in the morning..and when i got back from the stables at about 3:30pm the food is hardley touched. Also she is breathing really fast. She will even do this when she hasnt even been let out all day. I dont no what is wrong with her. She does have fits but i have taken her to the vets and that say there is nothing they can do about it.

What do i do about her breathing, why she wont eat. I dont really want to take her to the vet because she hates it. She hates it that much she will sometimes have a fit.

I dont no what to do.Can you please help me. I love her so much i dont want her to die.

         from amie   thankyou

Answer
Dear Amie,

Is the bunny outdoors?  If so, it may be that she is suffering from heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.  Please get her indoors in the air conditioning immediately.  If it's warmer than 80 Farenheit, it's too hot for her to be outside.

To learn how to take her body temperature, please read this immediately:

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

Knowing her body temperature and then doing something aboutit if it's abnormal can mean the difference between life and death.  If she is extremely overheated, there are instructions on how to quickly cool her, but she should be taken to a vet for subcutaneous fluids and other supportive care.

If her breathing is labored, she may be suffering from an upper respiratory infection.  But rapid breathing suggests to me that she is just extremely hot, and needs to be protected from the summer extreme temperatures.

I'm not sure what you mean by "having fits," but if the vets just have a look and then say there's nothing they can do about it, then you *definitely* need to find a vet who takes a rabbit more seriously!  Please use the list linked here to find a good vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and if you can't find one there, please write back and tell me your approximate location so I can help with a referral.  

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

Dana