Diego doesn’t feel good?

[alicat]

Last night when I got home from work I noticed that Diego hadn’t eaten much of her hay or torn it out of the hay holder like she usually does.  I gave her pellets to her and went to bed.  When I got up this morning she had only eaten about half of her pellets and still hasn’t dug her hay out (she usually likes to make as big of a mess as possible).  She has peed in her litterbox but has hardly pooped.  I gave her some parsley this morning and she happily ate that.  SInce then she has eaten maybe four pieces of hay and I gave her a papaya tablet.  She is being very lazy and laying stretched out in a box, she usually spends her morning running around and then sitting in a little bunny ball on top of her cage.

Yesterday I got her a new litterbox, which is she is using.  That is the only “change” that she could be protesting.  She has also started shedding this week.

What should I do?

FYI– she is 9 a nine month old mini rex spayed female

[jerseygirl]

Is she stretched out but moving about a bit, readjusting? If so, she could be a little uncomfortable with gas. A tummy massage would help some. Sometimes around a shed they can lose the appetite also. Try giving the more of food she will go for at this time. I find after a serve of greens, my bunny will toilet so if Diego is going for parsley, give her some more. Other than that, be vigilant and if she stops eating and pooping altogether and that goes on for longer than 12 hours, time to take her to the vet.

You could try popping her old litter box back in to see if she uses it. You never do know with these buns!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hi alicat, do you give Diego any fresh greens to eat? Try some parsely to get the appetite going again. Kate has some good questions too I am wondering about, if your bunny is hunched up, all stretched out etc. is the activity level normal?

[alicat]

Well, I just got home from work and I am very relieved to see Diego up and perky again (I work at a restaurant so its weird hours). This afternoon I was worried sick, she was just stretched out with her head to the side… she was not looking so good . Before I went to work I gave her some more parsley and a papaya tablet. She ate that fine so I figured she’d be okay for a few hours while I was gone. I just walked in and immediately she got up and went to her door, she has cleaned up the pellets from last night and picked at the hay some. She is nibbling right now so I think we are doing alright (knock on wood).
I am new to the bunny thing, I have had Diego Rabbit since last September and this was our first time that she seemed kind of sick. She didn’t even react like this when she got spayed. So I was wondering… I have seen simethicon recommended for the little buns, is this something that is only available from the vet? Is it something that I can keep around, just in case, or does it go bad pretty quick? Also– what would be the situation where you would use simethicon? Any ideas on what triggers these little episodes?
Oh yeah… it looks like she’s pooping again. good sign, right?
thanks– ali

[jerseygirl]

Funny, I just finished reading an article on GI stasis for myself. I think you’ll find it useful too. Smithecone is infant gas drops and is likely in supermarkets and chemist. Sometimes by another name – smithecone is the active ingredient.

Glad Diego is better. She may have just had low energy. When they’re ill or uncomfortable they’ll often be hunched up and hiding away.

Here the article I just read: http://www.mybunny.org/info/gi_stasis.htm

[alicat]

Thanks jerseygirl– I will read that article. I am glad that Diego is feeling better, but it really made me aware that I need to know what to expect and know how to handle it the best I can. I haven’t had Diego for that long, but she is just so much fun and if something happened to her it would just break my heart..
uh-oh— as I’m typing, Diego just jumped onto my sleeping cat, the cat flew across the room in surprise- landed in her own water dish…then leaped up and knocked over a broom– what a mess!! I now have a soaking wet cat/kitchen and what looks to be a smug bunny. Yep– she is getting back to her mischief and I couldn’t be more relieved

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LOL I’m glad to hear it!!

[BinkyBunny]

jerseygirl is right, you can usually get smithecone in the baby section of your grocery or drugstore. One example is “Lil’ Tummys” for infant gas. It’s smart to have stuff ready to go for the future.

I am glad that Diego is feeling better!

[bunnytowne]

she likes to jump on the sleeping cat.   rofl…  Yep sounds like she is doing real good now.  Hurrah.

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