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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Abscess Surgery

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    • kmurphy
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        Last week I brought Kraken my bunny back to college with me. It’s quite a long trip (7 hours) but he seemed to do alright and he has made the trip before. However, a few days after I noticed an abscess on his chin and immediately called the vet and got an appointment. He ended up having an abscess and he got it removed on Thursday. He has been doing ok but really fights us to take his meds. He absolutely doesn’t trust us anymore because we are always picking him up and he is in a strange environment.

        How long will it be before he settles down and trusts us? Also, he hasn’t been eating a lot of hay. When I found the abscess I thought that was the reason he wasn’t eating as much but the abscess wasn’t from his teeth and the vet said it shouldn’t affect his eating. He is eating some hay just not as much as I would like and his poop is now smaller and harder. Will he eventually pick back up and trust us more? Should I try a new type of hay? Sorry for all the questions its just difficult to have a sick and scared bunny…


      • BarbaraC
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        77 posts Send Private Message

          First of all, I love your bunny’s name! {{{Kraken}}}

          It is extremely important to keep him eating. If a bunny stops eating for 12 hours he can go into GI Statis which can be fatal. You should follow up with your vet and make sure he or she understands the situation.

          Some bunnies will never stop eating no matter how sick they are while others stop at the slightest discomfort. So although the abscess was not from his teeth the pain it caused combined with the trauma of the 7 hour car ride, the vet appointment and the removal procedure, not to mention the car rides to and from the vet, would be enough to cause me to stop eating.

          If he isn’t eating it is normal that his poops would be smaller and harder but it is a good sign that he is still pooping. If he isn’t eating anything you should immediately start him on some critical care. You can certainly try switching his hay or enticing him to eat with treats like his favorite veggies, bananas or berries. You shouldn’t give him too much fruit but a tablespoon of fruit once a day shouldn’t cause any harm. If he appears to be in pain you can ask his vet for a couple of days worth of mild pain meds for him. This might also help him to start eating again.

          When one of my bunnies was sick recently we had to give him meds and critical care. He also hated this and for a solid month he would run away from us if he thought we might pick him up. He has always hated being picked up and this experience only reinforced that instinct. Every bunny will be different but it too Finn at least two months to trust that we weren’t going to try to pick him and force meds on him.

          Good luck with Kraken and keep us updated.


        • kmurphy
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          177 posts Send Private Message

            Thanks so much for the reply! Kraken is eating some pellets and a little bit of hay but definitely not as much as before. He ate some lettuce and a little piece of apple . He nibbled on his apple sticks so I’m hoping that will help a bit with his fiber intake. I’m still concerned, but I don’t think we have a huge problem.
            I think I will pick up more hay for him even though it will be more expensive because the only place we can get hay is a pet store rather than the bale of horse hay he has now.
            He was on Metacam for the past three days and today was his first day off pain meds. I don’t think he needs to be on them anymore because his appetite was the same on the Metacam as it is now. He definitely is worried when we are around him because he hates the antibiotic and he thinks we will pick him up. This evening he even squeaked when we picked him up in a towel. It’s just so sad seeing him so stressed!
            Thanks for all the support!


          • BarbaraC
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            77 posts Send Private Message

              After the first 2 times of trying to get Finn to take his meds he would hide in a corner of his condo and run from us. I ended up injecting his meds into a banana. I could kind of smash the banana around them so they wouldn’t ooze out everywhere. I would then hand feed this to him to make sure he got all of the medication. This worked to get his meds in him but I think it also helped rebuild the trust a little too. Just be patient with him and he will learn to trust you again.


            • Mr Jingles
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              69 posts Send Private Message

                Hi!! My bun has had issues setting hay since he was born. He eats it for a few month then something happens and we go to vet then he stops for a few months. A few months back Mr Jingles had an abscess( tested negative for pasterella). He had surgery to have it removed and had a drain put in. Twice a day it took two of us to flush it. Every time I walked into a room(he is free roaming), he would run for fear of my picking him up to flush his boo boo. The went on for over a month. Prior to surgery he was setting hay and now he stopped again. He does eat a few pellets and greens daily. Four months later and he still barely touches the hay. We are at the vet every month to get his teeth filed down( was born with teeth problem). He as still has a lump where abscess was but there is no puss or infection left so as long as it doesn’t get bigger, he is ok. It took Mr Jingles a little over a month to like me again. Now he just follows me every where and as much as he hates to be picked up, he doesn’t fight me any more and will allow me cuddle for a few minutes. Be patient. Try all types of hay, see what works best. Also as far as the poops are, it’s prob from the medication. Good luck!

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            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Abscess Surgery