my rabbit is acting strange

Question
My rabbit is lying on her stomach with her legs flat out behing her and her head on the floor.  She seems to be shaking & twitching on and off. She had diarhea this morning but is not going any more. She is drinking.  Is she sick?  Does she need a vet?

Answer
The twitching, if it is not a habit of hers, and if she does not usually lie in this position, indicate that there is something wrong with her. I would definitely suggest a trip to the vet. You mention that she's drinking--is she eating? She needs to have food in her stomach. Rabbits cannot fast more than about 24 hours safely.

I hope you already have a good veterinarian for your rabbit. If you have not taken your bunny to the vet before, please try to find one who is experienced with rabbits. Many vets who are very good with dogs and cats are not knowledgeable about rabbits, especially the latest information. The page http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html has suggestions on how to find
one. There is a list of some vets at http://www.rabbit.org/care/vets.html and another organization's list at http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/PB_vets.html

You can also contact a nearby House Rabbit Society chapter or other rabbit group for suggestions on good local vets. HRS has a page listing contacts for their own chapters. If there is not one near you, you can look for a nearby independent group using the HRS contacts page http://www.rabbit.org/links/index.html

If you need to supplement your rabbit's eating, one quick and easy recipe is to soak about 2 - 3 tablespoons of pellets in about 1/2 cup of Pedialyte or chamomile tea until soft and fluffy. The pellets will fluff more quickly in slightly warmed solution, but overheating may destroy some of the nutrient content of the pellets. Mix the pellet fluff with vegetable baby food or canned pumpkin until it forms a somewhat liquid paste (you may need to add more liquid). Allow to cool before using a large-bore feeding syringe (available at most pharmacies).

Insert the tip of the syringe into the space behind the incisors and squeeze gently sideways to avoid squirting food down the trachea (windpipe). Give only 1-2 cc at a time, allowing the bunny a chance to chew and swallow. Aspiration of food can be life threatening, so do this with great care!

Good luck.

Gina