Got a sick rabbit :(

[michellexgix]

I know this is a guinea pig forum but please please answer this.

So for the past three days my rabbit wasnt eaten much hay. His droppings also slowed down to nearly nothing. He was eating pellets and veggies fine. Latey though his droppings have been more but I just found a few that were wet and sticky.

Like the guinea pig I changed his bedding to fleece 8 days ago. I am thinking just now he may have eaten some fluff from the fleece and swallowed it. I had a look through his droppings and found a bit of hair and also something that I am not sure is hair or is fluff from fleece.

I have switched him back to pine wood shavings, something I said I would never do. Its just temporary though as if he is eaten the fleece bedding he needs to stop.

I will be bringing him to the vet in the morning and its my first time bringing him or any rabbit to the vet, and first time at this vet. Also its about 30/35 mins (providing we dont get lost) so any tips for bringing him? What will I put under him in the cat carrier? Obviously woodshavings will fall out and fleece may be the thing that caused this. But I will be with him in the car and can make sure he doesnt eat the fleece? Water bottle on it and then what else? Food dish with some pellets or vegetables?

Please what do you think this could be any please think about him xxx

[Silverbeat]

Use a towel in the carrier with him.
If it's a long trip bring some water but otherwise he's not going to eat so you don't need to bring anything but some hay.
Grind up some of his pellets in a blender to a fine powder. Mix it with some fruit-flavored baby food, or fruit like a small amount of banana. Mix with water and feed it to him via syringe.
Or if he will eat it on his own give it to him in a dish.
It is very important that his g.i. tract keeps moving, which means he needs to be eating. Don't overstuff him in case there is something blocking his tubes.
Please read this: GastroIntestinal Stasis: The Silent Killer

[michellexgix]

He is eaten pellets and all his vegetables fine, I had a look at his teeth and from what I can see they are fine, I can just see the front top two though as he doesnt like it.

[Deb's4Pigs]

It might have worked itself through. Is he still not eating hay? Are his poops better?

[michellexgix]

Hes pooing more, But not as much as before, hes also pooing more in his bed that he used to never poo in before. Hes sort of stickening to his bed than going round the cage. I looked through some more poo and saw some crinkly 'hair' which I am guessing is
I tried giving him romaine lettuce with loads of water but he wouldnt eat much of it, he is aqa picky eater anyhow.
I let him out for floor time while I setted up the carrier for tomorrow. he was acting normal when out of the cage.
I will let you all know how he gets on.

[Deb's4Pigs]

He might need a trip to the vet.

[michellexgix]

Yes, bringing him tomorrow.

I let him out again for a run around, pooing more etc. Hes pooing in his bed though which is not like him. Not eating more hay though.

[michellexgix]

Just back from the vets, Hes fine. She wasn't 100% sure what it was though. She said that it could be stress if anything happened even that we didnt realise it but could be stressful for him. Could also be his teeth part of his back teeth don't meet right. A small part of one of his tooth doesnt meat the top tooth so it isn't getting grinded down by the top tooth like it should be, its also quite sharp. She said this could be causing him pain. She also said it could be the fleece bedding but she didnt seem to think that too much.

She weighed him (1.22kg), listened to his heart beat for AGES, said she listened to his gut movements too, she looked at his front teeth and then at his back teeth through a small light thing she had.

She did not grasp him tooth down, for the reason that when she does have to she will grasp it down in a way that it will always have to be grasped down by her and wont happen naturally. So once she stops she will keep having to do it.

She did give him two injections, one with 'maxalon 10mg/2ml vial' and '.07ml metacam 5mg/ml inj/ml' these were given in the back of the neck. One was to help his gut movements and other was for pain. She also gave his nails a clip thank goodness as they needed it LOL.

Shes thinking the injection will work to help the gut movements and that it was just stress causing it. Of course if he hasnt gotton better or is getting worse to bring him back and his teeth may need to be done.

When I was going she told me to 'think about changing back to the original bedding' which I have done since yesterday, though only temporary as they are pine shavings and would rather use different bedding better for his health, I am thinking grass mats or something like that, problem is he isnt neutered so it will be mesy!!!
Gave me infomation to neuter him and aboutt he too anual injections they should get, forget the name. She had a look for leaflets on them diseases but couldnt find them so she said she would send them out to me!!!

She also said I seem like an experet rabbit owner and seem like I have alot of expierence with them :P

[Deb's4Pigs]

I'm glad he's doing well and the vet didn't find anything serious. I think over there you have to do annual shots. There are a couple diseases we don't have over here.

[michellexgix]

Yes, there are two annual vaccinations that people should get there rabbits vaccinated for.

Rabbit has passed droppings, seem to be a bit smaller than usual but at least hes passing some

Also picked him up a new toy today to chear him up after being in the vets and car and being sick

[pigsforlife]

Yes, there are two annual vaccinations that people should get there rabbits vaccinated for.

The number and types of vaccinations does vary from country to country though. Here in Australia, we can only get the VHD vaccine. The myxo one isn't available.

I am glad he is feeling better! They do worry us sometimes, don't they?

[michellexgix]

I supose it differs, she said the second one isnt as important as the first as she rarely sees it here (ireland) and saw alot more over in england where she used to work. Though I will still get it done.

Yes they do worry us hehe. The little guys. Hes pooing alot more, eatting hay is still a thing Im worried about and watching as of his teeth problems he has. Hope he doesnt need to get them filled down. She said when she starts she will always have to do it from now on, does anyone know how often she would have to?

[pigsforlife]

Yes they do worry us hehe. The little guys. Hes pooing alot more, eatting hay is still a thing Im worried about and watching as of his teeth problems he has. Hope he doesnt need to get them filled down. She said when she starts she will always have to do it from now on, does anyone know how often she would have to?

Depends on the rabbit - those that eat heaps of hay may not need it as often as those that don't eat as much hay. If he isnt eating much of his current hay, could you try a different kind?

[michellexgix]

I have tried a different kind in the past, mainly because the pet store was all out of my normal stuff. He didn't like it and eats the normal one better. I am hoping to buy some oxbow timothy hay for them but that is VERY expensive here as I got to ship it in and everything. So hoping that may be an xmas present for them, once i get the c&c cage out of the way, again very expensive as got to ship everything in then Ill save for the timothy hay