Help My Dutch Rabbit stopped pooping

Question
ok, here we go........

A few weeks my rabbit stopped eating, and then I noticed that he stopped pooping too. I gave him about a day or two, I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well.  I called a vet when I saw he wasn't improving.  They thought he had a hairball, so they gave me some liquid food for him and some liquid pain killers, hoping he would improve.  I gave him a couple more days, and he still wasn't pooping, so off to the vet we went. This time the vet put him under and tried to break-up the blockage by massaging his abdomen, and put a tube down his throat and give him some medicine to help break up the hairball.
He thought he had broken it up (4cm), he sent me on my way, and said the next step would be surgery, if this didn't work.  

It took about 3 days for him to start eating again, and he started pooping very small pellets. I thought he was on his way. After about 3 to 5 days he gradually stopped pooping as much although he still would eat.  Now he doesn't poop at all, but still will eat some vegies and apples. He hops around the house like he's fine.  He uses the litter box, but all that comes out is urine.  

Can you help me?

We can't afford to take him to the vet anymore, we have spent almost $500 on him so far.  

BTW.. He use to eat Timothy hay all day long,
since this whole thing started he won't touch it.

Answer
Dear Lisa,

Your bunny is suffering from chronic ileus, which is not a disease in and of itself, but it is a symptom of another health problem, as yet undiagnosed.  Please read:

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

and print the following for your vet, if s/he is receptive to such things:

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

You don't say how old your bunny is, but many rabbits develop molar problems even if they have perfectly straight front teeth.  Please read:

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

and

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

Since diet and dental problems are two of the leading causes of ileus.  Please also go here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

to find another vet who might be able to give you a second opinion.  The "hairball" diagnosis is characteristic of a vet who is not very "up" on recent advances in rabbit medicine (as you'll read in the ileus article), and your bunny might be better off in the care of someone who is more familiar with common rabbit maladies such as molar spurs and ileus.

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

Dana