My rabbits is not eating or going to the toilet

Question
Dana,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I spent the whole day yesterday coaxing Oscar with fresh juicy basil leaves and dill ( as suggested on your ileus article) He started eating them and by the evening he was pooping lots as normal! I am so relieved! However this morning, I gave him his dry food and a selection of basil, dill and parsley as normal and he is refusing to eat again. Perhaps I am being overly worried? Will it take him a day or 2 to get back to normal completely? He seemed just fine yesterday evening but today is uninterested in his food.

Thank you so much, its so good to know there are people out there who know so much and our willing to share their knowledge on rabbits!

Becky



Followup To
Question -
I really hope you can help me. It is Monday morning now and last Friday my male 9 month old rabbit was neutered. He has not eaten anything or pooped since I got him home Friday evening. I called my vet yesterday and he gave me some carrot puree baby food to syringe into his mouth. My rabbit is absolutely fighting not to take this and I feel me doing this is stressing him further.Heis a very timid rabbit by nature and I don't know if the whole ordeal just completely freaked him out. But I really don't know what to do, he can't go on not eating or popping. He is still washing and seems fairly alert but he won't come out of his cage either. I really don't want to take him back to the vets unless it is essential as this will stress him even more.
Please can you advice me? I would be so grateful, I am worried sick.

Thank you,

Becky
Answer -
Dear Becky,

If it's been three days and he's still not eating or pooping, that's too long.  You need to get him to a different vet for diagnosis and treatment of ileus:

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

and please print this for the vet:

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

The condition can be life-threatening if not treated promptly and aggressively, and the key things you need to do now are:

1.  administer gentle abdominal massage (as per article)
2.  simethicone drops (to help with gas pain)
3.  check his temperature:  www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html and keep it normal
4.  get him some analgesia from the vet (Banamine is excellent for this problem, though not safe for dogs and cats.  It's great for horses and rabbits!)

This will get you started, but please follow the directions in the ileus article to get bun back on the road to recovery.  If you need a different rabbit vet, you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions, but waste no time in starting treatments yourself, as per the articles above.

Dana

Answer
Dear Becky,

You're a good bunny mom to be concerned, and no, I don't think you're overly concerned.  Oscar is obviously still not himself, and if he's not eating this long after his surgery, it is cause for concern.  I would call up the vet and ask for analgesia.  Be sure to check his surgery site to make sure there has been no undue hemorrhaging, or worse, herniation of internal organs through the inguinal canal. This is rare in rabbits, but it can happen.

If there is intermittent herniation, this could explain his intermittent inappetence.  :(

Please have a look at the first post I sent, and do check that referral list for a good rabbit vet.  I would not let this go unexamined by a good bunny vet.  Oscar should be recovered from surgery by now, and the fact that he isn't is certainly cause for concern.

Please write again if you have more questions.

Dana