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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 DIET & CARE Sick bunny with low temp.

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    • Binkers
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        We just came back from the ER vet because my bunny has the “runs”. We have to administer critical care and antibiotic. In addition we have to keep his temp. Up. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to do this? At the hospital they used a warming bed and suggested adding a heating pad to his cage. We have a wire bottomed cage so the vet suggested we place a heating pad to the bottom and to one side of the cage to help keep him warm. Anyone know what a safe heating pad would be? Any suggestions are appreciated TIA.


      • Bam
        Moderator
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          You can use a plastic or rubber hot water bottle and wrap a fleece blankie around it. There are special heatpads for small pets called Snuggle Safe that vets use. You can use a normal PET bottle with not so hot water in it and wrap a fleece blankie around it. You can also sit the bunny in your lap and wrap him in a fleece blankie and try to warm him up with your own body-heat. Sometimes that’s comforting to a bunny, to be close another living being.

          It really is super-important that you keep him warm now. Bunnies tend to get hypothermic when they’re unwell and that worsens the problem. Is this a very young bunny?


        • Binkers
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            Thanks Bam for posting. He’s 13 weeks old. We found a reptile heating pad but I’m
            Not sure if I should use it. I would prefer to hold him like you said but at the same time I don’t want to stress him out .


          • Bam
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            16835 posts Send Private Message

              How is he doing now?


            • Binkers
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                Sadly, he passed and we are besides ourselves trying to figure out what happened. Clearly it was the diarrhea but we can’t figure out what caused it. No sudden change in diet, he was only eating alfalfa hay and oxbow young rabbit food, both suggested by my exotic vet.

                He was the sweetest little thing with a wonderful temperament. I have had two other house rabbits in the past and both lived a good 6/7 solid years and NEVER had Dirreaha. We decided it was time to add a pet to our family so since my husband and I both had house rabbits before we went with it. This is the second rabbit from the same breeder that passed in this manner in two months. I am at a loss.

                My profile picture is my Toby. ?


              • Mikey
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                  If its been two rabbits from the same breeder, it leads me to believe that something was wrong with them genetically. Does the breeder know this happened to you twice? They may not know they are carrying and selling sick rabbits

                  (((((binky free little bun!)))))


                • Bam
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                    I’m so sorry to hear this. This is unfortunately not super-uncommon in very young rabbits and it’s not something you did, and it is REALLY difficult and requires both good care and lots of good luck to save a very young bunny that has come down with diarrhea. 

                    If you want to read about this, here’s a good article by Dana Krempels, a biologist who is like THE expert on bunny health: 

                    Loose stools baby bun
                    Scroll to “Runny Stools: When things go wrong”. 
                    Coccidosis, caused by a micro-organism, that D Krempels mention at the end of the section, is not uncommon in rabbits from rabbitries. I would not rule out the possibility that the breeder has this problem in his/her rabbitry. It’s difficult to get rid of. I’d recommend you choose another breeder or adopt a more mature bunny, if you want to open your home to another bun. (This is perhaps not sth you want to think about now, so close after this tragic event.) 

                    If you adopt a more mature rabbit, it’s unlikely you’ll have to go through this again, because true diarrhea is as a rule a disease of the very young. 

                    Thank you for taking this bun to the ER vet and for doing all you could for him. 


                  • Binkers
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                      Thank you BAM and yes I totally agree. I have info for another breeder in the neighboring state. I cannot got thru this again with my 9 year old daughter. I feel horrible for her since this is NOT the kind of experience I had clearly hoped for. I am also very concerned for all the other rabbits and their forever families who may unknowingly, be facing the same fate as my bun and family.

                      I have a call into my exotic vet to discuss what happened and after I get all the info gathered together for the ER and my regular vet I plan on calling the breeder. If she has Eimeria in her rabbity she needs to know although I can’t imagine she doesn’t know this already. Although this has been a horrible tragedy and experience I have learned so much more which I know will help me be an even better bunny mom. I am so glad to have found this site as well! Thank you all. ❤️?


                    • jerseygirl
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                        Oh Im so sorry you’ve had to go through this again. How sad! ***Binky free Toby***

                        Just further on intestinal coccidia; it is sometimes a practice of rabbitries to give medicated water or feed containing anti coccidials. These may help infection remain subclinical but not eradicate it completely. Then once a young rabbit leaves, the parasite can reach a level where it will cause intestinal disease. 

                        If you are thinking in the future to welcome another rabbit into your home, do consider an adult from a rescue if you have one close by. They can be a lovely temperament and usually are already desexed and health checked. There are sometimes junior rabbits available too. : )
                        Something to consider when the time is right. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.


                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                        18092 posts Send Private Message

                          I’m very sorry for your loss.

                          (((((Binky Free))))))

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                      Forum DIET & CARE Sick bunny with low temp.