Help: Post-op Bunny Very Strange Behaviour

[ruskabuns]

My poor baby Pumpkin is not feeling so good. She went in for a tear duct flush, and the vet said she had to go under general anaesthetic for it. Ever since she has been acting very weird. Here are the symptoms….

Eats only in small bursts – she eats what you offer her (but not hay) for about 5 seconds then immediately runs off

Hiding in corners- she ONLY sits with her head facing a dark corner and does not want to sit in plain sight. This is really weird.

She was limping, but now is using both feet, but shuffling and not hopping properly

She is NOT grinding her teeth in pain, and as I said she seems to have appetite, she eats enthusiastically but only for 5 seconds before running to sit in a corner

We took her to a rabbit savvy vet, he felt her legs and joints and we got x rays – her legs are fine according to that, so no broken bones. He was very puzzled and advised to leave it for a bit with painkillers. The original vet who did the op are also confused.

Is it possible she has a nerve issue after an injection? A spinal problem? Brain damage?

Please help… have you seen this behaviour before? We are so worried for her, she is not herself at all.

THANK you!

[Luna]

Poor bun! How long ago was the anaesthetic given? Did she act similarly after she went under when she was spayed? ((((Pumpkin))))

[ruskabuns]

Hi Luna, she was recovered a bit faster after spaying and she did not display this strange behaviour. It was given last Friday.

[Luna]

I’m sorry ruskabuns, I really don’t have knowledge on this issue , but I’m hoping that with the additional background you gave it will help another member weigh in.

[Wick & Fable]

If you know where they did the injection (call and ask potentially), maybe try taking a look at the injection site to see if there is anything abnormal around or at the injection site.

It sounds a bit like depression, not because I’m experienced with what rabbit depression looks like, but just based on me trying to consider why she’s doing the behaviors she is.

Wick typically shuffles when he’s being a bit more careful about where he’s going, so a weird terrain, potentially dangerous area, etc.. Wick will occasionally want to have his head partially covered by my hand when being pet out of wanting comfort. When Wick knows topical treatment time is about to happen, he always goes and stays out of site in the hallway, under the bed, or in his cardboard maze.
— If I were to apply Wick-logic to your baby, I’d say she’s afraid of going through something again and is looking for comfort in solidarity/herself, while also expressing some discomfort with her environment. A combination of the ostrich head-in-the-sand tactic, as well as trying to hide from dangers.

How is your relationship with her before this? Is she a rabbit that responds well to you going up and petting and cuddling her? If so, I suggest trying that to see if it helps alleviate her mood, if that’s what’s causing this. When Wick is feeling ill, I’ll spend a lot more time petting him and cuddling him, while also respecting his space when he nudges me away and goes to a more solitary space.

Does she still face corners in low-lit areas? I wonder if she’s developed a sensitivity to light, or a bad association with light (i.e. maybe bright vet ceiling lights were present during the procedure and she’s afraid of lights; this is similar to the conditioning Wick has with topical treatment because I use my cell=phone light as an overhead light, and seeing that turn on signals him to hide). If this seems like it makes sense, I would gently advise some exposure training, where you put her in an xpen with no corners, but be there with her and have food there, and help bring back the association that lights are not bad. Small sessions, short sessions, etc. always keeping in mind rabbit stress levels and discomfort are important.

A lot of my random thoughts are coming from what associations she may have learned or picked up through a potentially traumatizing event (me dismissing health complications, though it’s definitely a must to rule these out; hopefully other members will help you with that as well). It may be worth putting her in a totally different environment and seeing if she still has natural curiosity to look around. If so, that’s pretty positive and it shows her behavior is linked more towards her discomfort in her home environment, as a result of whats happened.

Best of luck, keep us updated, and provide as much information as you can! Best wishes and vibes!!!!

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.

[ruskabuns]

Hi thanks for your detailed post!

So, we don’t know where she was injected but I will try to find out ASAP from my usual vet.
We can rule out the following; tooth issues and broken/fractured bones – both checked by X ray and rabbit savvy vet to approval.

She only puts her head in dark areas, you are right. I can see how this might be depression induced, or trauma induced. However I cant understand her eating habits – eating for just 5 or so seconds then running away. When she eats she does it very enthusiastically, only to interrupt herself and go to a dark corner. Her stools are very small right now due to this eating issue.

Our relationship is good but she is from a bad home where she was kept in a tiny cage with no exercise. She is a lot happier with us, she is free roam and started doing binkies. She has always been shy but this is something else. 

She likes the company so i’ll spend more time with her for sure during this period.

Thanks so much again

[Wick & Fable]

Rabbits are religious in getting tunnel visioned by stimuli. I can imagine her eating initially because she immediately thinks “oo, food!”, but once she has a bite and the novelty wears off, she’s reminded of her discomfort and goes back. Maybe try placing the food in her corner and seeing if she’ll continually graze that way. With this method, she can constantly switch between hunger and safety, so that may encourage more stable eating for the time being?

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.

[ruskabuns]

It is very strange – she eats ravenously then acts like she is in bad stasis and totally stops. She will not eat continually, the only exception being when I hand feed her individual strands of hay … ! She is still acting this way and we are still confused. Hopefully I can get an update soon from the vet. Thanks again

[ruskabuns]

Update, vet was quite certain this was a stomach issue, due to very bad bloat. This might explain her awkward movement. She had motility drugs and appears to have increased appetite because of that, so let’s see how it goes. She still favours corners though, probably out of begin scared.

[ruskabuns]

Update – motility drugs have helped her a lot – the awkward moving could have been due to her bloated stomach and her hiding was due to pain and fear. She has just started to eat on her own again which is encouraging and her poos are looking better!

[BB8]

I’m glad Pumpkin is doing better!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad to hear she’s feeling better.

[Bam]

Keep recovering (((((Pumpkin))))

[Luna]

I’m so glad the vet figured out what was wrong and that Pumpkin is feeling well again .

[Author]

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