Albus is ill.

[Paradigm]

I’m 98% sure it’s my own fault – I’ve been ill and stressed with moving recently and we ran out of hay but I haven’t replaced it yet. I’ve been giving them fresh grass instead and spacing out fresh greens to keep their tummies moving.

But now we’re not in a studio, I can’t see them from my bed and didn’t check on them between this morning and this evening. I don’t even remember checking them this morning but their water bowl had too much water in for me not to have.(They’re not outside yet as we’re waiting on new flooring for their house.)

Anyway, I knew something was wrong the second I saw him – he was all hunched up, fur in a fluff, eyes glazed (as though he hadn’t groomed), ears relatively cold (compared to Charlie) and didn’t even blink when I put fresh pellets and water in. It also seems he’s had mushy cecotropes and just been sitting in them – except where George and Charlie have taken it as an opportunity extra tasty treat. He is still pooping even now – just mushy ones so… at least there is stuff moving through his gut, I suppose.

I thought he was about to die there and then at one point.

I’ve given him some metacam (though I’m not sure how much he consumed) and Recovery Plus (alternate brand of critical care). I called up the vet who offered him an appointment but said she reckons call back in the morning. I ended up cancelling the appointment and am hoping dearly that I made the right choice.

He seemed to perk up a little just after I called the vets/30-40 minutes post metacam and started cleaning the Recovery Plus off his front paws.  

So, well wishes for little Albie, please.

[jerseygirl]

{{{Vibes}}} for Albus ! Please keep us updated, Paradigm

[Benthebunny]

You mentioned his ears were cold and he was lethargic and not eating. He *might* be going into stasis. Poop is good. You said it was mushy. How? Like was it watery? I think you should call your vet. Is he shifting his weight?

[Paradigm]

No, not watery. Just mushy. Comes out in a roughly pellet shape (at about the right size) but is easily squished into a mush pat rather than crumbling. By the smell of it, he’s not been eating his cecotropes either (although the other rabbits have been eating some for him).

Vet reckons he should be okay until morning since he’s had some food so he’s got a provisional appointment for 9:45 but we won’t be charged if we cancel.

He seems marginally better – he didn’t attempt to spit his last feed out or hold it in his mouth for ages (yay for actually eating) and hopped away with angry feed stamping. (Earlier he was just sitting in a huddle on the towel I put him down on.)

[Benthebunny]

i think taking him to that little visit is best.  Maybe warm him up a bit?

[Q8bunny]

(((feel better soon)))

[Paradigm]

I wrapped him up in a towel for a while but loose enough for him to get out before I called the vet. He doesn’t want to be wrapped now though.

I managed to get him to eat about 7.5ml of recovery plus and 2ml simithicone in case he’s got gas. I fed him up to 10ml but he started to spit it out towards the end. He’s only about 1kg, so that’s a decent amount for one sitting.

He’s dry (but a bit gross) now. Think he sat in either wee or tipped up his water bowl earlier (he’s got a thing about running through water when healthy, the menace).

Still not voluntarily eating but he considered a few pieces. He picks them up, chucks them aside and then uses his front feet to push through them. Most interest he’s shown in food all day.

Poops are now smaller than before but comparatively more solid – they’ve got some resistance to them rather than going flat.

[jerseygirl]

You did well to get that into him. Syringe feeding is tricky!

Has he been sensitive to green feed before?

[Paradigm]

He’s not, no. I think Charlie has been before now – so I’m always careful to restrict him. I’ve been thinking it over and Albus escaped the other day and ate half green chili which he fished out of a bin bag that was on it’s way out. That might have caused it. If not, I suppose greens without hay could have done it.

Poor Mr Roger used to need syringe feeding about twice a month before he died in surgery to remove a tumour, so I’ve got as much as a knack for it as I’m going to get, I think! He was obliging towards the end, though.

By this morning he was back to his normal self, so it seems it was caught in time. Phew.

[LBJ10]

Glad he’s doing better.

[jerseygirl]

[Bam]

Happy to hear it =)

[Author]

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