Sick Rabbit Any Ideas?

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

When I went to get rabbit food at the feedstore last saturday, they were all but out of the purina (the food I feed my bunnies) so I bought the only bag they had and they gave me this garbage bag too that they said was "just a purina bag that had ripped open and been scooped up". Well, I compared that stuff with the purina when I got home and I don't no what it is (even if it's rabbit food) and fearing it's like calf manna or something I won't feed it to them--FOR FEAR OF INTESTINAL UPSET AND THE GUT FLORA STOPPING. So after we finished the last of the real purina on wednesday, they just ate timothy hay-LOTS of it. All the bunnies (I have eight bunnies) seemed fine on that, but tonight, when I went outside to check them, my velveteen buck is in dire distress.He is skin and bones. I don't know how I couldn't have noticed it yesterday-he seemed fine and was eating hay. He's just kinda slumped over and when I tried to press his water bottle to his lips he wouldn't drink. He won't eat or move either. I pressed some timothy to his lips and he ate a blade- slowly. I've got him indoors now and am boiling some carrots to put in the blender and force feed him in a syringe. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WILL JUMP START HIS GUT AND GET HIM NUITRIENCE?! PLEASE, I'M SCARED I'M GONNA LOSE MY BUNNY!

*edited title for clarity and relevence**

 

[BirdBrain]

I don't know anything about bunnies, but what if you were to put some sugar in the water that you could use with a syringe to dribble it down his throat. That might give him enough energy to get some food down. Do you have any electrolytes for your chickens? The powdered electrolytes and minerals I am giving my meat chickens says you can give it to bunnies at a rate of 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. Will bunnies eat boiled eggs? I wish there was something more useful I could say. If nothing else, it will bump this up for someone else to comment. Let us know how things go.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

pumpkin pie filling

We had to force feed our netherland that once when she got stopped up (constipated). Our vet said this was a good way to get the guts moving again.

Bunnies dont like changes to their diet, if you have to change kibble brands, you have to make the change gradually by adding a little here and there not all at once.

 

[raindrop]

Can you feel anything in his abdomen? Like an large, firm mass?

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Oh yeah, is his poo hard little pellet or mushy? Also make sure he doesn't have pasty butt or a rash down there.

 

[PurpleChicken]

First, he needs rabbit food. Go buy some at Walmart if you have to.

Carrots are like sugar to bunnies and won't help. Leafy greens like
spinach and kale would be the most nutritious for him now. Romaine
lettuce is OK, not great. Celery doesn't have much nutrition but may
help keep him hydrated.

I'm not a rabbit expert, in fact I'm just learning myself, but I know rabbits
eat almost all their waking hours. Their metabolisms are very fast so
poor nutrition can kill quickly.

Your entire group of rabbits needs abbit pellets asap.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
That is really good to know.

 

[HatTrickSilkies]

GI Statis in rabbits is deadly and unfortunately comes on fast. You need to get simethicone (baby gas drops, Mylicon, any brand of "simethicone"). Typically I give about a 1/2 cc. or more three times a day. When they go off feed due to stomach upset of any kind, the gasses build up and he will refuse food and water due to the bloating. Once you relieve that, if he's not too far gone, he should come back around. In the meantime, you can offer him fresh spinach leaves or after he's had the gas drops a couple of times, you can gently syringe feed him pureed spinach (or baby food spinach if you're lucky enough to find it).

I would also suggest putting pedialyte in his water and if he uses a bottle, also offer him water in a crock or bowl. Also, continue to offer him fresh timothy hay, his pellets and also calf manna if you have it (it won't hurt him). Just a couple pellets at a time.

Now, that is assuming this is GI Stasis, if he has an intestinal blockage (fur ball), you really should get him to a vet. It does sound with the change in feed, GI Statis and typically after a couple of doses of simethicone they start to respond.

Good Luck

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Personally (and I know there are lots of people who know more about it than I do) I would be worried that with the huge amount of timothy hay he has been eating (and nothing else) he developed diarrhea. He could be severely dehydrated from that.

 

[ruth]

If he is too weak to eat on his own, you can give it some milk in a dropper if you have to but like PC said - run out to Super WalMart and get some rabbit food especially if they've been out since Wed.