Diarrhea in new bunny

[BrittanyA]

Hey guys. My daughter got a bunny at the beginning of February, and the little guy is having bad belly problems. Everything was normal around 3pm before I went to work, but when I checked on him tonight around 8, he was covered (in mean, COVERED) in diarrhea, and I noticed he hadn’t eaten anything today. He was acting very weak, but I got him cleaned up and he still had some spunk during that process. Afterwards I noticed he was shivering like crazy, and he’s still not acting like himself (IE no binky bunny, no licking my hand, no coming to greet me).

Everything I’ve read online says to take him to the vet asap, which I plan to at 8am when they open. I’ve always read to take away his food, only give him hay and water, which I did, but he hasn’t touched either. He’s almost 3 months old, a mixed breed, and only weighs 1lb.
I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and knows any other tricks?

Also, I called the emergency vet number and they have no one comfortable with treating a bunny. His diet hasn’t changed. He’s snuggled with me under a blanket right now, asleep.

I’ve read the stories about how fatal diarrhea can be in a bunny, and how they need to see a vet right away, but like i said, I don’t have one available in my area until 8am. Please spare me the horror stories, I’m just looking for anything else I can do for him. Please. This bunny is such a huge part of our family now, and I feel so helpless.

[Azerane]

Hello there,

I am sorry to hear about the troubles with your new bunny. As you know, diarrhoea is considered an emergency situation in rabbits and I can see you have looked into that. It’s a shame that the vet doesn’t have anyone to help you. Any advice I give can obviously not replace vet care, even with the best advice your bunny is still in a very serious situation.

My first recommendation is to syringe feed him some water to ensure that he’s not getting too dehydrated, it’s not ideal, but without a vet to give subcutaneous fluids, it’s the best you can do. A plastic syringe (without the needle on the end of course) and the syringe slowly into the mouth (from the side, behind the front teeth). You want to squirt it in slowly and at the sideways angle, you don’t want to direct it towards the back of their throat in case he aspirates the fluid which can lead to pneumonia. I’m not sure how much to give, hopefully another member can do that. But it’s probably easier to visually see how much is a good amount to give then to put an amount on it in mls.

If he’s cold, you’ll need to keep him warm, a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or blanket and propped against him, even just holding him against you, wrapped in a blanket will help. Keeping him warm can be crucial if his temperature has dropped that much, you’ll know because his ears will feel icy cold. That being said, you don’t want to overheat him either, snuggle him for a while, but don’t forceably keep him propped against a hot water bottle for hours on end.

Do you have any critical care on hand or can you get some from the emergency vet? If not, you can soak his pellets in some water to form a runny mash and syringe feed that into the side of the mouth like with the water in order to ensure there’s still food and fibre going into his gut. He can’t continue to go without eating or you risk GI stasis/shutdown.

What is his diet like normally? What do you feed and in what amounts? Assuming he is young, he could also have coccidiosis, which is common in young rabbits and can cause diarrhoea: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Protozoal_diseases/Cocc_en.htm

[jerseygirl]

How scary for you! Sending lots of {{{vibes}}} for your bunny.

I’m glad to read he is snuggling with you under the blanket.

I’m so disappointed that yet again, emergency places turn a rabbit owner away. Surely they can provide some level of care, especially for shock. Putting animal on warming pad and providing IV or subQ fluid.. Vets also have access to professional literature and networks where they can ask treatment advice from vets with rabbit experience.
I’m really sorry you were not given any help.
I wonder if just turning up with a poorly rabbit, they would be less likely to turn people away.

Are there other out of hour clinic that could help?
I recommend you print of this information if possible. It may be useful if you can get into a vet now. Or even for your regular vet.
Emergency protocol for diarrhoea in infant and juvenile rabbits-author: Dana Krempels
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/squirts.pdf

If the diarrhoea was more of a dark brown smelly mess, it could be cecal dysbiosis.
And as Azerane mentioned, intestinal coccidia.

[jerseygirl]

More info. Probably more then anyone ever wanted to know about rabbit poop! But valuable information, all the same.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/

[BrittanyA]

Thank you both so much. I never thought about a heating pad! I don’t have one, but I do have a sock filled with rice that I microwave and put on sore muscles, I wonder if that would work. It doesn’t get too hot, and of course I would be in the room with him while he used it.
It’s so frustrating trying to find a vet that treats rabbits!! I was very lucky to find a good one in my area, I just have to go by the office hours. Agh.

[jerseygirl]

Your own body heat would be working wonders. Ive used wheat heat bags before, for the rabbits. I think I put it under a towel, and they had the option to move away from it if got too warm. But I like just holding them where possible.

[Pongo]

Awww I’m so sorry it sounds like your bunny might have a GI stasis or something else going on since he’s so young and it would be unusual for him to get a GI stasis at this age which are treatable if that’s what he has. Do you guys let him run around and if so have you noticed if he’s eaten anything he shouldn’t have like phone cords, dryer sheets? That could block his digestive system

[Pongo]

And you mentioned that your having a hard time finding vets for bunnies in your area look for exotic vets and when you do take him to the vet make sure the doc gives you some Critical Care formula
I hope your bun gets to feeling better

[RabbitPam]

I second Azaerane’s suggestion to gently syringe feed him water. Not too much, not too cold or warm, and definitely slowly into the side of his mouth just behind his teeth. If he licks it while you do it that’s a good sign, and let him take as much as he is willing. Dehydration will be the biggest risk, depending on what has been causing the illness in the first place. (If you don’t have a syringe, you can get one at a pharmacy if you ask for one, or sometimes one comes packaged in baby gas relief products.

I also second JG’s outrage at the emergency vet. I would try calling other vets that usually treat dogs and cats, but have emergency hours. I had a vet once who had one staff member that was more familiar with bunnies, and therefore was able to help me. Also, some vets will treat emergencies because the most life threatening issues can be similar enough that they can get him out of the woods. By the way, rabbit vets are called Exotics, so try a search for that specifically in your area. And my current vet is a bird specialist, but she treats any animals except dogs and cats, so you might call a bird vet if one is listed and ask.

You are clearly doing all you can, so hang in there. We have a thing here where we send {{{{{{{{{{{healing vibes}}}}}}}}}}. Sometimes it helps.

[BrittanyA]

Thank you all for the advice and good thoughts! The diarrhea finally stopped around midnight and I was able to get him to drink.
He’s acting normal today but now his poops have a brown/green mucus that attaches them, and that’s getting stuck to his bum.
From everything I’ve seen online, it says hay and water diet, that he needs the fiber. But he’s never been a hay eater, even tho it’s always available. Will he get hungry enough to eat it, or is there something else I can give him?
Thanks again!! This site is really helpful

[Azerane]

I’m glad that the diarrhoea has stopped overnight and he’s been drinking. I would still strongly advise seeing a vet, he may still be dehydrated and there may be an underlying illness that needs treating with meds.

Hay does need to be the primary part of their diet, it is particularly important for good gut health, as the indigestible fibre is what keeps the gut moving and the poops well formed. What sort of hay are you feeding? Some rabbits can be quite picking and will only eat certain types. You can try, timothy, oaten, meadow, orchard, bermuda, wheaten etc. Mine eat it more often when I top it up frequently, so try offering fresh hay multiple times a day as well. If he absolutely refuses hay, you can try offering some fresh grass, but with a stomach upset already, introducing a new green can do more harm than good.

Assuming he’s also getting pellets, he may be filling up on those and therefore not eating the hay, depending on how many pellets you’re feeding you could also cut back on those a bit to help encourage eating hay. Dietary recommendations for rabbits under 6 months is generally to have pellets available to them at all times, however not all rabbits are good at regulating their intake and eating pellets exclusively can not only cause gut problems, but also dental problems down the track.

[BrittanyA]

He only jumps around in my daughters bedroom, and only if someone is in there with him. From what I noticed he didn’t eat anything, there isn’t really anything he could get into, the only thing is that he sometimes will pull up carpet and try to eat it, but we’re always in there and can stop him or pull it out of his mouth.

[BrittanyA]

I’ve tried Timothy hay, botanical, and alfalfa and he never touched any of it. Hes getting a mixed food with pellets, as well as seeds, dried fruits, etc., for food, as well as oats mixed in.
His belly is so gurgly today.

[BrittanyA]

Oh, I did recently start doing more pellets and picking out the other things, because I noticed he was eating around the pellets and wouldn’t even touch them. I did that about a month ago now

[Pongo]

If he’s not eating his hay that’s pretty concerning and I still advise you to go see a vet bunnies eat most of the day and for most bunnies poop 200-400 times a day feed him leafy greens vegetables snacks like cheerios or those yogurt snacks they sale for bunnies anything to keep his system going because a bunny that’s eating is a bunny that will survive but you want them eating a good amount

[Pongo]

Also his hay is his should be his main meal and should be something he always wants to eat pellets are kind of the last thing bunnies go to but their, their for just kind of a healthy snack not his main fiber. So like I said if he’s not eating well or eating his hay that’s very concerning and he could have a underlying disease since he’s so young

[Azerane]

Please do not feed the yoghurt snacks for bunnies, they are not suitable for rabbits.

The muesli mix is definitely a concern, though may not be the sole cause of the issues. Have you been to the vet yet? You definitely want to get him onto a plain pellet only, no seeds, no dried fruit, no oats etc. All of that is junk food for rabbits. As you have seen they will selectively eat what they want, when the most important part of the mix is the pellet which is high in fibre and has good nutrient balance. Get him onto the pellet exclusively and keep trying with the hay, he really needs to start eating hay to help his gut.

[BrittanyA]

I took him to the vet at the beginning of march, just to check him out and give me any information she could on taking care of him. She didn’t seem concerned with the food he was eating, but I think switching slowly over to only pellets like I’m doing is the way to go.
I will try to keep only hay and water in there for now. But as I said, he’s never shown any interest in hay, other than to nest and sleep on it, so if he still doesn’t eat it I have to give him other options.
Also, the vet as well as the exotic animal employee at the store I buy his food at, said oats help keep diarrhea away. They both told me it’s what they mix with pellets for their bunnies and rabbits, is there any online info I could check out that specifically says not to feed them that?
Thanks!

[Azerane]

I meant have you been to the vet today, in case he needs sub-q fluids or meds.

Only pellets is the way to go. I have never heard of oats being used to keep diarrhoea away, I have heard of people using them (about 1-2 teaspoons a day) for when weight gain was needed. Because that’s what they’re most likely to do, is simply cause weight gain. But they’re not really part of a staple diet otherwise. As a treat, yes. A diet with 80-90% hay is the best way to keep diarrhoea at bay. Hay and water in his cage is good, but like you said, you don’t want him to starve so if he doesn’t eat the hay definitely give him pellets to keep his gut moving.

[sarahthegemini]

There’s tons of different hays you could try. You could also try just changing how you offer the hay. My bunnies never cared for hay racks for example. 

Pellets that are full of seeds and nuts etc ate awful so it’s good to transition from those to plain pellets. Please do not feed yoghurt treats or cheerios or junk like that. Hay, veggies and a few pellets are all that’s needed.

[Pongo]

My vet told me exclusively that it was okay to feed my rabbit yogurt treats and dried strawberries and cheerios when he had a GI stasis just to get him to eat anything that would keep his system going and keep producing droppings. They even told me to bring his favorite snack for after he wakes up when he gets neutered which is cheerios. My question is are any of you guys veterinarians? Or just think you guys know a lot about bunnies

Azerane and Sarahthegemini

[Luna]

Glad to hear his diarrhea stopped, and hopefully he is on the mend . It may sound cumbersome, but different hay, or hay in different feeders, or feeders in different places might help induce your bun to eat more hay in the future.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Pongo on 4/03/2017 7:11 AM

My vet told me exclusively that it was okay to feed my rabbit yogurt treats and dried strawberries and cheerios when he had a GI stasis just to get him to eat anything that would keep his system going and keep producing droppings. They even told me to bring his favorite snack for after he wakes up when he gets neutered which is cheerios. My question is are any of you guys veterinarians? Or just think you guys know a lot about bunnies

Azerane and Sarahthegemini

A vet nurse has told me once before that bread crusts and custard creams can be given. Doesn’t mean I’m going too without conducting my own research  Yoghurt drops are not suitable, bunnies are herbivores and do not naturally have dairy products. Just because they’re sold at a pet shop doesn’t mean they’re okay. If I had a stasis issue the last things I would feed would be unsuitable foods like yoghurt drops and cheerios because they can cause problems as it is. Let alone when the tummy is upset.

[Azerane]

Pongo, no we are not vets. I certainly understand that when a bun is in GI stasis that having anything that bun will eat is a really good thing. I wasn’t saying it to argue with you, I mentioned it out of concern for the original poster’s rabbit. My main concern is that a young rabbit that has diarrhoea means that it is already quite ill, adding new foods that aren’t suitable for a rabbit’s system are only likely to make that worse and I didn’t want the baby to have another case of diarrhoea.

I simply don’t see it being beneficial to feed something in those situations that could make matters worse. Particularly the yoghurt drops because buns really aren’t designed to digest dairy. What you do at recommendation of your vet is up to you, but I have also been told by vets not to feed yoghurt drops.

[RabbitPam]

Please let us know what the vet said is/was wrong with him. He still needs to be seen (though i am so glad he’s out of the woods) because there’s a good chance it will reoccur if left undiagnosed.

I recommend Orchard Grass as a new hay to try. Many picky bunnies love it, mine include.

Pongo, may i remind you that we allow our members to disagree, but we ask that you maintain respectful civility in your replies. GI issues can be life threatening and what is acceptible for one bunny may not be for another. Our first recommendation is always to see your own vet for any illness, which BrittanyA said initially she plans to do. Usually simplifying a diet to hay and water will ease distress while waiting for an appointment.

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