My bunny’s tongue is very cold :/

[Deedee45]

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well,

I’m writing this message because I couldn’t find anything online. I was in the living room all day to take care of my new puppy so I didn’t spend much time with my bunny today (he wasn’t alone he had my other bunny for company). When I took him, I found him a bit “slow”. He keeps laying down and seems a bit under the weather. His ears feel a normal temperature (or a bit on the chiller side), but his tongue when he gives me kisses feels very cold which is completely unusual (first time I’ve felt it). He also shakes a bit before laying down.
Should I be worried?

Thank you in advance

[Deedee45]

Little update: I gave him a banana which is his favorite but he didn’t even nibble on it once. He laid back down and I just noticed he’s a bit incontinent. He made 3 little pee drops which he never does. I’m definitely bringing him to the vet tomorrow (it’s night time at the moment so I can’t now) but does it sound really bad?

[Wick & Fable]

“slow” is a bit worrisome. Is it perhaps a time he is usually not so active? Do you see a good amount of healthy poop in his litterbox? Will he take a treat if you offer it? Is it still cold now or is improving?

I have never heard of a cold tongue, but I imagine that deals with body temperature/circulation. In humans, it’s supposedly in response to stress. Does the tongue look a different color? This is a bit unrelated, but I wonder if perhaps he choked on something in your absence and is maybe recovering from it. Are his lips a different color?

If there are any signs of lack of oxygen, I would suggest going to a vet as soon as possible. There may be something going on that requires immediate attention or something did happen and the consequences need to be assessed.

 

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.

[Wick & Fable]

Ah, you updated while I was commenting. Here’s the reality of things: ultimately, if a rabbit does not eat for approaching 12 hours, that is an emergency that needs to be resolved stat. Some rabbits experience instances of gas pain (like humans), not eat, and it will pass in a couple hours. Some instances however, waiting will not help and they need medical intervention help, so waiting can be a poor decision. We are not vets, so the safest recommendation is to go earlier than later. There’s no guarantee a spot will be open if it gets very serious.

Since there is a cold tongue, which is based in blood-circulation, I would suggest going to a vet now if you can. The ideal is an emergency clinic that has an exotic vet.

If going to a vet now is not an option, there are a couple things to consider and do to keep him as stable as possible until then: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Gastrointestinal_stasis — look at At Home Treatment section. This is on the basis of keeping his gut moving. If there is something else going on, these recommendations won’t help it, but at the minimum, we want to make sure his GI system is moving and doesn’t stop.

You want to assess if your rabbit is bloated/has a blockage. This will determine if it’s safe to forcefeed or not if he hasn’t eaten in a while: https://youtu.be/iVW6Rw5rZzo — If you believe there is bloat, he needs to go a vet asap and you want to eliminate water intake (mentioned in the video)

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.

[Deedee45]

Hi and thank you for the fast answer

Unfortunately going to the vet now isn’t an option because where I’m from there is no vet emergency room open at night
I followed the video’s instruction and didn’t feel anything hard which reassured me because I did give him a bit of water before posting here.
I checked his tongue and it is still cold but doesn’t seem to have changed color, it looks normal and pink. I checked the website and unfortunately don’t have a way of checking his temperature but I wrapped him in a blanket and he seems content as he is in the “meatloaf” position. He grinded his teeth which I usually would’ve assumed it was agreable but I think I read it can be a sign of pain? I’m feeling pretty powerless right now as I can’t do anything concrete to help my small boy

[DanaNM]

I see this was last posted a bit ago, how is he doing now?

I haven’t heard of this happening and it seems very unusual, but I agree that it could be a sign of an overall low body temp, which is often a response to pain or shock (especially with the other symptoms you are seeing).

Supportive care until you can get him to the vet will be important (and getting to the vet ASAP), so I think wrapping him in a blanket was a good idea. You can also wrap a warm water bottle in a towel and place it near him, but you’ll want to allow him a way to move away if he gets too warm.

You can also try giving him a little fluids (warmed to body temp). Either water, diluted pedialyte, or “hay tea”. He might drink hay tea on his own (bunnies seem to know what’s good for them when they are sick). https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/hay-tea-for-anybunny-who-doesnt-drink-enough-especially-for-ill-or-recovering-rabbits/

Does it seem like he is having trouble swallowing or anything like that? Do you know when the last time he ate was? I would be careful with syringe feeding because of the tongue issue, but if it seems like he can swallow you could syringe feed a tiny bit at a time and see how he does (like 1 mL).

. . . 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.  

[Deedee45]

He is still wrapped up in a blanket but I’ll put a heated plush next to him for a bit more warmth. I just started making hay tea so I will try giving him some and will keep updating. He drank about 3 tea spoons of water about thirty minutes ago and he didn’t seem to have a problem with that. I’m not sure what the last time he ate was as I always have available food for them but it’s been at least 4 hours.

I will keep updating and thank you very much for the help I feel less alone

[Deedee45]

So I just gave him avout 6 full tea spoon of hay tea and he seemed to enjoy it. He’s doing a semi cleaning right now (laying down while cleaning his nose with his front paws) because a bit of tea dripped on him so at least he’s a bit “aware” and not completely lethargic.

[DanaNM]

Drinking on his own is very good! And doing a bit of grooming is also great!

I think it would be safe to keep offering him hay tea, especially if he’s drinking it on his own.

You might also periodically offer some favorite herbs or hay strands to see if he will eat a bit on his own.

. . . 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.  

[Deedee45]

I think I’ll wake up every hour during the night to feed him some hay tea and hopefully tomorrow morning as soon as the vet opens we’ll be in. Thank you all for you advice and your time I really really appreciate it

[Wick & Fable]

Great that there are positive signs like grooming and willingness to drink the hay tea. I agree that in addition to hydration, you’ll want to try and feed him regularly. If he’s unwilling to eat and it’s been a while, you can make a pellet mash by soaking pellets in water and try force feeding him a bit with a syringe. Again, this is if he doesn’t start willingly eating on his own.

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.

[Deedee45]

It’s currently 2:55 am so I’m coming with a little update. The hay tea feeding I did an hour ago barely took, but when I woke up I saw my bunny being a bit more active, and he gladly lapped at the tea. I had a bit of a scare because I tried the “is it bloat” method again because he spat a bit of tea out and felt a hard lump but I think it was too small to be his stomach. I’m hearing a lot of gurgling going on in his stomach so I massaged it a bit as shown in the video and hopefully it was gas all along that he is now passing. I’m still going to be waking up hourly and going to the vet to stay on the safe side but it seems to be getting better

[Wick & Fable]

Thanks for the update. Hopefully this is the only sleepless night you’ll need to tolerate after today’s event. Seeing more activity is really good — that movement is going to be good to get him moving.

I would also get a bit of “ah” if I tried the bloat method and tea came out + lump, but the gurgling is a sign that stuff is moving. You’re close to the morning, so keep at it and stay strong mister bun!!

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.

[DanaNM]

Keep up the good work! Movement and activity are all good!

I have been in your exact shoes too many times, sending positive vibes your way!

. . . 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.  

[Deedee45]

Hello everyone and thank you the support!

Around 4am he started getting more active and gladly lapped at the hay tea. He’s not doing the “I’m too weak to stand so I’ll lay weirdly” anymore. My mother came in my room to see him and he jumped up to go sniff her and greet her.

I called my vet and he said considering he got better on his own we just had to watch him and check how he was doing (I still would’ve rather had him check in case it actually was bloat…)

I gave my boy a piece of banana and he chewed some happily, not much but still a big improvement.

 

 

Ohh and his tongue is warm again yayy

[Wick & Fable]

Oh that’s so amazing to hear. It sounds like he had a pretty significant bout of gastric distress but hes working through it. Great job helping him throughout the night.

Keep taking a look for poops. He might have some gnarly ones soon.

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.

[Deedee45]

He’s now acting and eating normally, I’ll still keep a close eye on him but sincerely thank you everyone who commented.

I barely slept a wink and I was worried out of my mind but your advices really helped me keep calm!

Hope everyone has an amazing rest of their day <3

[Wick & Fable]

That is so great to hear. This will also be nice to have public, as cold tongue is not a symptom commonly reported, so this experience may help others in the future. Thanks for keeping us updated!

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.

[DanaNM]

That is so wonderful to hear!

Do you happen to have simethicone in your bunny first aid kit? It can be helpful when you suspect gas, and doesn’t do harm if it isn’t needed.

Some other good things to have on hand are a thermometer (a soft one, like for oral use with babies), supplies for syringe feeding, and even lactated ringers (from your vet).

. . . 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.  

[Deedee45]

I don’t have that product but I’ll sure ask my vet about it. I have a thermometer but it’s meant for adult humans so I’ll just get a baby one.

Thank you so much!

[DanaNM]

Simethicone is sold as baby gas drops at pharmacies. Some vets are on board with it, some aren’t (LOL), but it has a lot of anecdotal support in the bunny community!

. . . 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.  

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