Help behavior after neutering

[dieselbunny]

My 8 month old rabbit was neutered today and he is currently shaking and breathing hard or fast…are these normal reactions after neutering?…what should I expect?…he has drank water but not ate anything…I have had him home about 8 hours now…

[Bam]

How is your bunny doing now?

I hope he has eaten something. If he wont eat on his own you need to syringe feed him Critical Care or pellet mush (pellets soaked in water). The symptoms (shaking and breathing fast) could mean that he’s in pain and/or cold. Rabbits can get cold after surgery, and if they do, they must be warmed up.

[dieselbunny]

That night he got a shot for pain and that helped but he hasn’t eaten or drank since…I did syringe feed pellets/water blend but it got to the point he wouldn’t even take that so he went back to the vet and got fluids and had so e blood work done…any tips for syringe feeding?

[SlinkyKat]

When I’ve had to syringe feed bunnies they hate it and they hate me for it. But to make it less stressful I’ve tried a couple things that worked really well for me and my buns. 

If possible I let them stay in a spot they’re comfortable in, like their cage. Obviously, that’s not always possible but just try your best to have it be a calm environment.

If its an absolute nightmare to syringe feed them, like it was for one of my buns when he desperately needed the CC, what I did was mash some banana in, he was nearly eating it on his own. If you don’t like giving them bananas just treats they like work. As long as they’re “mashable” treats

 If you’re having to give him “a lot” of CC, short breaks in between filled with pets and comforting would probably make it easier on them.

Good luck! I hope your bun starts feeling better. 

[dieselbunny]

Thank you so much!…I also syringe feed him mashed banana and carrots…he has ate some romaine when prompted but not much…today he won’t take any…should I begin syringe feeding again?…I just don’t know what to do…

[Mikey]

If hes not eating today, he needs to see a vet ASAP. Its likely hes gone into stasis, and when not taken care of soon enough, it can cause death. Shaking and heavy breathing is a sign of pain and/or high fever.

[Deleted User]

I agree with Mikey. The fact that he stopped eating again means he is very likely in the beginning of stasis. He should definitely be taken to the vet. There could be an underlying cause to the stasis related to the neuter. Have you been checking the site? Does it look infected? The vet may want to keep him overnight for observation.
Bombur had stasis after his neuter as a result of the beginning of infection to the site. He was on several pain meds, a motility drug, an antibiotic, and CC. He turned around in no time.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sorry he’s still unwell. I agree with the others. Bunnies that stop eating can go downhill fairly quickly. Best to have a vet asses him and give any necessary meds/fluids.

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