Hello everyone! It’s been a long time (two years, in fact). I’m really happy to see that things are going well and the forums are still so active – there’s even a lot of familiar faces!
Ok. So I have a problem. I am feeling very frustrated and at a bit of a loss as to what to do… Sorry in advance for all the text!
On Halloween my fiance and I adopted an almost 3 year old lop bunny, Molly, from our local humane society with the intention of eventually bonding her to Benton, our established bunny. She was super sweet and friendly from the start, and settled in quickly. Things were going great until I noticed she was leaving her night droppings all over her cage… in the middle of the day! She would be fine in the morning, evening, and overnight. But in the afternoon I would find cecatropes all over her pen’s floor. I took her to the vet at the shelter for an exam and was told it was likely dietary related as rabbits have delicate stomachs. I had asked during adoption what her diet was in the shelter and mirrored it when I got home, hoping to gradually adjust it to match Benton’s. After a thorough examination the vet said I was doing the right thing but perhaps slow down with the diet progression as this was the likely cause.
This was a Thursday and I immediately re-adjusted her diet accordingly. By the end of the weekend her “diarrhea” was about the same but I was also finding uneaten cecatropes in the morning. Monday morning Molly didn’t come running out to greet me and was disinterested in her breakfast, only halfheartedly picking at it (she’s been a piggie since we brought her home). I called my actual vet and went in. After informing the vet of the situation and having a second exam completed, my vet came to the same conclusion but noted some gas in the belly. She gave me some medications for discomfort and to help with the gas, and told me to just give hay and pellets until her stomach settled. That night I gave Molly the first dose of medications (which she took no problem) and went to bed relieved.
Overnight she didn’t poop. Or over the course of the entire next day and night. She also continued to not eat and was very listless. I called the vet first thing Wednesday and they had me come in ASAP. Apparently her gut had stopped working (stasis?). They gave her a shot to “jump start” her gut, subcutaneous fluids, and some critical care. Then they returned her to me and said to keep with my current medication and hay/pellet regime, but to give critical care if she doesn’t eat. Finally yesterday and today she started leaving small, misshapen droppings in the morning (i only see them in the morning unfortunately) but the only food she eats is still critical care when i give it to her 3x per day (as per the vet). My last dose of medications is tonight and, while her mood seems to be improved and she’s becoming a little more active again, she’s still not eating on her own or pooping very much. I’m going to call the vet tomorrow to ask what the next step is, but I am just so worried. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before and feel lost. Does anyone have any advice? Does it sound like she’s getting better? Does it take awhile, even with medications, to get her appetite and poops back to normal? Anything I can do to encourage eating?
(Bonus picture of the patient after a feeding of critical care)