any suggestions for a rabbit suffering from the heat

[HeatherLynn]

Ok, well I have a dutch lop bunny that is pretty limp. It seems to have something going on one side. Not sure how to or if its possible to pull one through this. The heat has been wicked. It stays in the shade, has water, its been a bit off its feed with the heat but likes juicy fruit or veggies as a treat sometimes. It was on its side in the cage completely limp.

So far I have:

Given electrolytes
Gave some electrolytes with a bit of molasses. ( it worked on a doeling goat, I don't know what to do)
Brought inside into a cool quiet spot.
Went ahead and gave probiotics ( again I have no clue what to do so I am tossing what I have at it)
Gave more electrolytes and am repeating giving a little bit every 20 minutes. it can sorta sit up now but not move around really.

suggestions?

Update, he is eating an apple right now so I think thats good. I am giving the fluids by syringe orally and he is sucking at it so. still one side looks off. Not as bad but....I might just keep him inside till the heat breaks again.

He had another stroke and is barely breathing. I think its over. Never mind.

 

[fried green eggs]

I'm so sorry

 

[inthesticks]

I am very sorry about what has happened. In future with keeping bun buns outside, should always have some plastic bottles with water in the freezer for each day it's suppose to be really hot. When I was a kid I had a black rabbit & my sister had a brown rabbit- we had a big pen we would move all around the yard, well the heat came on real quick & I ended up loosing my poor baby to heat stroke as well. Again sorry that you & your bun had to go through this.

 

[HeatherLynn]

It went very poorly. I had it up, moving around, ate an apple slice and was nibbling on food, drank a little bit and then just had a spasm and fell over. Died in minutes. More than a touch upset this morning. Normally an animal that recovers that quickly and is eating on its own should not just drop like that.

 

[Ally Rose]

aw... i think thats exactly how my bunny died but we weren't aware that he was suffering. i will never have another bun live outside EVER EVER EVER again. Now i have a lion head and he lives inside. So so so soooooo sorry for your loss of your bunny!

 

[inthesticks]

Heat stroke is the worst a lot of buns that have a heat stroke are WAY more likely to have another one. It is a very sad day in bunny world. Now he's watching over you & all the buns around. ~RIP lil guy~

 

[HeatherLynn]

aw... i think thats exactly how my bunny died but we weren't aware that he was suffering. i will never have another bun live outside EVER EVER EVER again. Now i have a lion head and he lives inside. So so so soooooo sorry for your loss of your bunny!

Due to allergies a bunny inside is out for me. The indoors give me my break from pet allergies. As is my eyes still feel swollen from him being inside last night. Its so much easier for me to pet and hold outside and then run inside for a bit of meds. But I agree no more bunnies outside, we just can't have another.

 

[Ally Rose]

aw that stinks are you allergic to any other pets?

 

[HeatherLynn]

Oh yea, I am allergic to cats. I have 2. Allergic to the chickens even ( i think its all the feather dust honestly). I have 54. I have 9 geese and 16 ducks too lol. Being allergic doesn't stop me, I just try to keep them out of my living area. The kids wanted the bunny and I hated it having to be outside but it really hits me hard. My husband set up fans and we have shade trees and he stretched even more shade cloth ( commercial widths, its was HUGE). The weather just is too much. I have lost 2 animals to the heat so far. seems like no amount of ice and fans helps with some. I have a goat even that has to come inside and hang out in the bathroom during the hottest parts of the day. Tired of this heatwave. Its hitting everything too hard. Even giving electrolytes didn't save the ones I lost. Just not sure what I could have done different after it happened to save the bunny. That bothers me. That maybe I did something wrong.

 

[Ally Rose]

you didn't do ANYTHING wrong don't worry. Rabbits cannot control their body temp so when it got hot, your bun had no way of cooling down his/her body. Its not your fault, maybe it was time for your bun to go. and sorry about the other animals you lost during the heat wave.