I need advice please

[Rita87]

I need your advise please 

it started about 2 weeks ago when my rabbit(1 and a half year neutered male)
stopped eating his hay and he was just eating his pellets and fruits such as apple or banana ,and started to drink too much water and urinating to much ,we took him to the vet who did a urinal test and he said there was nothing wrong and he is just drinking much because he is eating food with too much salt ,and advised as to give him pellets  with less salt in it so we switched to another brand (selective) .few days later he was still drinking much water and grooming himself too much and refusing to eat his hay .I tried to make him eat it by mixing it with his pellets but when he ate hay he was just dropping it down his mouth and would not eat it again and his poop was small and sticking to each other.So I decided to take him to another vet,she examined  his cheeks under his eyes and his teeth and jaw (just with her hands without any instruments ) and also his stomach and she said that he has gases and gave me a medicine for his GI tract .that was last Thursday ,now his poop is sometimes small ,sometimes sticky and sometimes a little bigger with tear shape .but the problem is a noticed that when he is sitting he looks like he is bending towards his left side more than usual ( I put his photo with the post) and still grooming himself too much and drinking water more than usual and his appetite is not stable sometimes he eats and sometimes no,and ofcourse only pellets and treats and refuse the hay completely 

I am still giving him the medicine wich the vet described

what should I do ? should I wait? should I take him to the vet again ? I am really sad and confused and don’t know what to do

 

[jerseygirl]

It really sounds like classic symptoms of some dental problems. I don’t think the vets have been thorough enough in checking the mouth.
The gas and tummy problems likely a result of him not eating the hay.
Do you have any syringe formula like critical care you can give him? It doesn’t have to be given by syringe. Some rabbit will eat a thicker mix of it from a plate.

He looks as if he’s starting to tilt his head too. Usually this is related to vestibular disorder. Most often, inner ear infection.

In people, dental pain can radiate to the ear and other areas. Pain from earache can also cause oral pain- though less common. I wonder if it is the same for rabbits?
Regardless, having him on a suitable pain med may help getting him eating hay and keep his gut moving adequately.

Are you comfortable posting the general area where you live? Maybe we can help you locate a good rabbit vet.

{{{Sweet little bun}}}

[Rita87]

Thank you so much for your reply , I live in the Netherlands , I have just noticed that his left cheek is swollen , I am taking him early morning to the vet ,I fed him some parsley ,apple and carrot and i am getting him the critical care tomorrow 

is there something that can i do till morning , it is not dangerous to wait till morning right?

[Rita87]

sorry I forgot to mention that by morning I mean within about 12 hours 

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

I agree, it sounds a lot like dental problems. Odd that these vets didn’t check this more thoroughly. Many vets don’t have the needed experience for treating rabbits, because rabbits are considered an exotic species. Is your vet anywhere on this list? http://www.konijnen.nl/nieuw/konijnendokter_ed.php
If not, you may decide going for another vet. Ask if they frequently do rabbit dental work, it’s something not every rabbit vet does. Another quick knowledge check is to ask the vet if a rabbit should be brought in fasted (nuchter) before a dental operation under full sedation (narcose). If the answer is “yes”, walk out: these people don’t know their basic bun-ology.

About the emergency situation: it can wait until morning as long as your rabbit is eating, drinking, pooping, normally active and has a normal temperature. If his condition worsens overnight (going limp, stopping eating, going cold, not pooping) then this is an emergency. Try to keep a close eye on him and try to keep him eating. It helps if you scoop out his litterbox frequently so you can monitor his output. Be prepared for a possible emergency by having everything on hand for if you need to take him to the vet.

Waiting for the vet with a sick bunny makes for horrible and very long nights, so I’m wishing you and your bun all the best. I hope he can be properly treated tomorrow.

[Rita87]

Thank you Ellie,and thank you for the list ,going to check it right now 

I am really so worried ,I will follow your advises and hope everything will be ok till morning 

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

We all understand how horrible it is when your little fluff is ill, you care so much about him and you’re worried sick. Try to keep him eating with tasty treats which are easy to chew. It doesn’t really matter what he eats, as long as his gut is moving and he can keep his energy up. He’ll definitely appreciate extra attention too, rabbits know that we are taking care of them.
Also: trust your instincts: if you have the idea that his condition is changing fast, see the emergency vet. Each city has an emergency vet during non-office hours, the number of this vet will be on your vet’s answering machine. It’s handy to keep this number ready in case it’s needed. Also think of a comfortable way of getting there if the need arises. Nights are getting pretty cold lately and it’s best if he doesn’t have to be outdoors longer than necessary.

Use the time to read up on dental issues, and also on treatment procedures. And remember: fasting a rabbit before surgery is dangerous. Dogs, cats and humans can vomit, so we need to be fasted because vomiting when anaesthetised can make us choke. Rabbits physically can’t vomit so they’re safe. In fact: they’re even safer if their digestive system is kept moving so they don’t develop stasis.

[Dee]

First thing I thought of was teeth, too. It is so frustrating that many vets “see rabbits” and take our $$ but don’t know much about them! It is very hard for a vet to see way back in a rabbit’s mouth without a special tool and usually sedation, but the symptoms should have tipped the vets off to check further. There could be what is called “molar spurs” way back in your bunny’s mouth. Those are sharp points on the molars that cut into the tongue and make chewing painful and eventually impossible for a bunny ?.

Good for you for knowing that something isn’t right, and persisting in getting your rabbit help! I hope that the vet you see next will prescribe the correct treatment and your sweet bunny will soon be on the road to recovery.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

All too true Dee Our vet uses a special tool with a light and a magnifying glass to check Breintjes rear teeth. It looks a bit like the tool a doctor uses to inspect someone’s ear or throat, but a bit longer. It’s hard to check his teeth but even harder to get the thing back, Breintje usually bites down on it and doesn’t let go. The rascal…

[Rita87]

Thank you all for your responses and your help and Support ,Sylvester had a surgery today to remove his abscess. he had a very hard abscess on his left cheek under his eye.Unfortunately the doctor didn’t know the reason of it .He didn’t find any teeth problem .he told us to keep a close eye on him and to bring him next week to check if everything is ok.His eye is a little bit swollen and he can’t close it ,the vet said it is normal due to the surgery and it will gradually be back to normal,but I feel really sad to see him like this .his appetite is low but we are trying to encourage him to eat .I am sad and a little bit angry because maybe if he was diagnosed correctly the first or second time,his condition wouldn’t reach this stage,yet I am grateful that he is okay now <3 would you please pray for us for a full recovery of Sylvester <3 he is family for us, and I think all of you know how we feel right now

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Thanks for the update, I was wondering how things were going.
Happy to hear that Sylvester was treated, and I’m hoping for a speedy recovery! (((((vibes for Sylvester)))))

And of course he’s family, people who don’t treat their rabbits as family are the odd ones according to me. They’re really missing out on one of the most wonderful pets known to man! Cute, caring, affectionate and super clever, what’s not to like? ^_^
It’s really sad indeed that both the general public and vets are so poorly informed about rabbits. There’s room for a lot of improvement, and I hope that you’ve found a trustworthy and knowledgeable vet now.

[jerseygirl]

Thanks for the update, Rita. I know, it can look awful when they’ve had this surgery on the face. Sending many {{{Vibes}}} for Sylvester!

Ellie, thanks so much for providing that vet list.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

You’re welcome JG I looked in the “vet resources” topic and saw that there wan’t anything yet for the low countries. There’s info in it for the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium). Vet resources has also been updated for a couple of weeks now.

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