Depression or sickness?

[Alice]

I have a 2 year old unspayed male rabbit. For the last 3 days he has been upset, but it has gotten progressively worse.

A bit of a timeline:
10 days ago he met with a female rabbit, because her owner wanted baby rabbits. He had previously met her last autumn, amd they had 13 cute little ones. This time he spent 4 days with her, then we took him home when her owner said they started ignoring each other. He was fine when we got him home, just humped a lot.
5 days ago I left on a 4 day vacation, and he remained home with my parents and my sister to care for him.
3 days ago he started getting a bit apathetic.
2 days ago he started staying in the same spot for hours, and eating less.
36 hours ago he stopped eating (except maybe I think about 3 pieces of hay). He also stopped drinking water, but it is difficult to say since he has a big bottle. Maybe he had a few drops of water.
24 hours ago he stopped pooping, and peeing too.

I have been to two vets. One about 16 hours ago, who said he looked fine phisically, and only gave him an injection with some vitamins to boost his appetite.
The second vet saw him 6 hours later, since we got worried because the bunny’s condition didn’t improve. He also said he saw nothing wrong phisically, and that he was most likely just sad because he missed the female rabbit (the vet also pointed out his genital area was a bit red, most likely because of constant arousal and cleaning). This time he also got a bit of glucose and NaCl solution in an injection.

This morning his condition is the same, if not worse. He tried jumping but was too weak and missed the step. He is like a doll, you can drag him around and he won’t move at all, when before he would have been kicking constantly. He will stay in the same spot for hours on end, with his head down and eyes almost closed. I also think his breathing became a bit more laboured this morning, but nothing too extreme.

I am very worried and not sure what I should do. I don’t want to stress him too much in case he is just sad, but at the same time I am worried we are missing something and he is actually sick.
Was thinking to take him again to the vet today to get some blood work done. What do you think?

Thank you!

[OnyxMoon]

Please take him back to the vet, he sounds like he is having GI Stasis or just general stomach issues. If your bunny ever stops eating/drinking, and pooping/peeing especially, for longer than 12-24 hours, take them to the vet. Just make sure the vets you’re taking him to are rabbit savvy, lots pretend/try to be rabbit savvy.

I would definitely get blood work done. Best of luck, and keep us updated!

[Alice]

Devastated to say we lost him a few hours after the message was posted. It was just an hour before his new vet appointment.

For anyone who experiences similar symptoms, don’t be fooled and do a thorough checkup.

[DanaNM]

I’m very sorry for your loss.

Your bunny vet does not sound bunny savvy at all, because a bunny not eating for more than 12 hours is an emergency, and very unlikely to be just sad. Bunnies can get grumpy, but it should never last more than an hour or two. It’s more likely that when you were gone on vacation he did not get proper care, or he was not well looked after when he was at the other home. Stasis can also be brought on by stress, so the whole ordeal may have been too stressful for him.

Depending on the exact issue, a common prescription to treat GI stasis would be motility medication, pain medication, fluids, and syringe feeding.

Bunnies hide their symptoms very well, so as soon as he started acting “apathetic” and eating less, he should have seen a vet.

Not trying to make you feel bad, but just letting you know in case you ever get another bunny.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Oh no, that’s horrible! I’m so sorry for your loss :'(

It’s a sad situation that many vets don’t know how to treat a rabbit properly. Rabbits are a special field within vet care, and the vet needs to have special training with exotic animals. Rabbits are extremely delicate animals who tend to hide symptoms out of survival instinct. Being a prey animal they will hide signs until the situation is so critical that it has become an emergency. This is one of the reasons why we’re such advocates for indoor buns: you’ll notice small changes in behaviour early on. Suddenly being less active should be a reason to keep a close eye on your bunny. Not eating or peeing = emergency!

If you’re considering getting another bunny some time in the future you can find a list of rabbit-savvy vets here on the forum. If you want to make a special memorial for your bun you’re welcome to post in the Rainbow Bridge section. I’d love to see some pictures of your bun

[Alice]

Thank you all for your kind thoughts.
I would have loved too if we could have kept him indoors, but my parents wouldn’t let me. I feel so terrible now, keep going over everything and thinking what I could have done differently.

I have two more bunnies, from his first litter. They were kept separate from him, since they were females, with plans to bond them as soon as he was neutered.

One of them seems to have lost her appetite too, and I am honestly lost. Could this be contagious? What could I do? I have searched for specialized vets for bunnies but I have found none available until Monday, amd I worry it will be too late by then. It just seems like a neverending nightmare.

[OnyxMoon]

I’m so sorry to hear this, very heartbreaking to lose a beloved bun. 

If the female is also having issues, it wouldn’t hurt to treat it like it is stasis until you know for sure. Give him some belly rubs, syringe feed her critical care or pellet mash (even plain pureed pumpkin or baby food) and give her a warm bottle to snuggle against. Keep a close eye on her though, if her symptoms get worse take her to an emergency vet if you have one near you.

And don’t beat yourself up too bad, yes things could have ended better but you did what you could do at the time. It’s not your fault, bunnies hide their symptoms so well, and GI Stasis is so tricky. If anything the vets you were taking him too should’ve disclosed they are not experienced with rabbits before you booked the appointment. Good luck! <3

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Oh dear, it could be a contagious thing. Diseases can be transferred to other rabbits even if they’re not in the same hutch. Viruses or bacteria can be in the soil or on your shoes, clothing or hands. Are your rabbits vaccinated? Rabbits should be vaccinated yearly for VHD/RHD and Myxomatosis. Rabbits may also suffer from E. cuniculi which is very contagious. Sadly there’s no vaccination available for that.

Please call a rabbit savvy vet (see Vet Resources on this website), and ask if they both need to be seen. Wishing you all the best, this must be so difficult

[Alice]

I took her to the vet today.

There was blood on the thermometer when the vet pulled it out, and the bun has a mild fever.
The blood work was mostly ok, but showed the liver was affected.

We gave her and her sister (who also stopped eating today) some antibiotics and some i.v. glucose and hydration.

Do you think is there anything else I could do? I have lost my trust in that vet and I am not confident there is not something she missed.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Glad to hear that you took them to a vet, and I fear that it’s something contagious indeed since they’re both ill now. I’d look in this topic to see if there’s a rabbit specialist in your area, and make an emergency appointment for the girls as soon as possible: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/116849/Default.aspx#278011

Most vets have only the most basic knowledge about rabbit care, but that’s not enough by far You’re going to need a real specialist to get rabbits treated.

[LittlePuffyTail]

So sorry about the loss of your bunny?

I’m curious as to what your general area is, as mentioned there are contagious diseases in certain countries.

[Alice]

Thank you again for your kind thoughts. I am so focused now on treating the two buns that there was barely any time for grieving. It will probably hit again later when things finally slow down.

I live in Romania. Eastern Europe. There are hardly any good exotic pets vets here, a lot of them just pretend to be. I have been today to the Veterinary School to speak with somebody who is supposedly good with bunnies. Tomorrow I will take the buns for an examination too.

A little update:
I took both of them to the vet the next day. They got antibiotics, antiinflamatories and antihemorragics and also hydration and electrolytes and stuff. There was some pee in the cage but I am unsure which one of them did it. I tried separating them but they seem happier together. Both of them also made a few poop pellets.

Today one of them had a stool made almost entirely from mucus.

The vet I talked with today saw the photo of the stool and said it reminded him of stasis mucus, so he recommended giving some liquid paraffin. I gave each of them 2.5 ml 5 hours ago but there has been no effect yet.
One of the buns also has a tummy that is harder than usual today. I couldn’t really figure out if it is with gas or liquid, but I gave her some massages.

I feed both of them a variant of Critical Care and syringe feed them water.

This is the 4th day of no eating and barely any poop. I really hope we will get some answers tomorrow.

Does anybody have any tips on how to better handle this situation? Thank you.

Later edit: I also just gave both of them some Symethicone, for one to treat the bloating and for the other one as a preventive measure.

[DanaNM]

Mucous is quite common with stasis.

Request motility medication (cisapride and metaclopromide are commonly used in rabbits) and pain medication (Metacam, meloxicam generic is common) when you talk to the vet again. Pain medication can make a huge difference.

Antibiotics can sometimes make things better, sometimes worse. Which antibiotic did they prescribe?

Keep up with the tummy rubs and keep up the syringe feeding! Encourage them to move around if possible. You can also massage along the spine muscles, this can stimulate the GI tract and help with gas.

Poor babies, I hope you get to the bottom of this.

((((Vibes for you bunnies))))

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Alice]

Enrofloxacin is the antibiotic they used. I gave them 5 days of antibiotic and then stopped.

At the new vet they prescribed metoclopramide and a probiotic. I also continued with the subcutaneous glucose and hydratiom, and gave them two more days of liquid paraffin (5ml), along with symethicone.

One of the bunnies seems to be fine now. She eats almost normally, and makes a lot of poop.

The other … not so much.
Yesterday after a tummy massage she also made a lot of poo, some with mucus, some soft. There was also some diarrhea later.
Today she didn’t eat anything, nor has she pooped (only a few drops af diarrhea). I am not sure if the stasis is gone and is now replaced with diarrhea or if yesterday was just an episode and the stasis is still here.

Should I give her some peppermint tea instead of water to help with the watery poo?

She doesn’t look okay at all, no appetite and seems to have cramps of some sort. She hunches over and raises her tail like she wants to poop, but nothing comes out.

[DanaNM]

Mucous and soft poos can happen during stasis recovery, as the gut gets moving again in fits and starts.

Peppermint tea can help with gas, but I wouldn’t completely substitute her water, just offer it in addition.

Are you syringe feeding? It is important to keep her very hydrated for both diarrhea and stasis recovery, so you can make her critical care more watery than normal.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m sorry. Any update?

[Alice]

Not much of an update really, the situation is pretty much the same.

One bun has made a full recovery. She is happily running around, eating and pooping.

The other bun still has limited appetite. She eats by herself some greens (parsley and alfalfa) maybe once or twice a day. I think there has actually been a decrease in appetite over the last 3 days. She makes 2-3 poops a day, but is still pretty bloated. She sits in one spot and barely moves for hours. I am getting worried because this is already the 9th day of barely eating and pooping and she doesn’t seem to improve.

So far I’ve tried:

Enrofloxacin,
Metoclopramide,
Symethicone,
Liquid Paraffin (and then two days of diarrhea treatment with diosmectite and peppermint tea when she started pooping water),
antispastic medicine for pain (drotaverine)
Metronidazole (today is the second day).
Tummy massages.

Is there anything I’m missing? I don’t know what to try anymore, and her condition isn’t improving with anything.
Thank you!

[Alice]

We lost her yesterday. It was so sudden. One minute she was running around and 5 minutes later when we checked on her it was already too late.

Thank you everyone for all the advice and support

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

That’s so sad, after all you did to try and keep her healthy I know she must have felt that she was in good hands. Binky free sweet one!

[DanaNM]

I’m so sorry

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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