not eating after spay

[bumpybunny]

my rabbit was spayed today and we just brought her home about an hour ago. she’s been drinking water but not eating. i offered her banana (her favorite) and some lettuce but she just turns her head away. the vet wouldn’t give me pain medicine even after i asked multiple times. they said she got a shot during the surgery to help with the pain, but rabbits bounce right back after surgery so she wouldnt need any medicine. should i start force feeding her mashed up pellets yet? or wait a little while? the vet is an hour away so im not able to take her back there. she has also been licking her belly near where the stitches are, should i let her do that or stop her? i have a cone just in case she tries to chew them.

[LBJ10]

Hmm… fussing with stitches can be a sign of discomfort. I’m surprised your vet didn’t send any pain medication home. Sometimes boys can get by with just a long lasting shot since the surgery is much less invasive. But it’s definitely recommended for girls.

How is your bunny now? It’s normal for them to not want to eat right when they get home, but she should start eating within a few hours. If you can’t get her to eat, then yes, you may need to supplement with some Critical Care.

I wouldn’t use an e-collar if possible. A little bit of licking isn’t going to hurt anything, but aggressive licking and chewing is a problem. You could make a vest with an old sock. That would be safer.

[bumpybunny]

everytime i saw her licking her belly i stopped her and now i havent seen her do it for a while.

she ate her breakfast (1 tablespoon of pellets) at 5am this morning, they said to bring food and didnt give me back the veggies i brought when i picked her up, but then the person at the desk told me they dont feed rabbits after surgery? so im not sure how long its been since she has eaten. she has lettuce and hay in her cage but is refusing to eat either. she is drinking water though. when i called the vet they told me that i should wait until tomorrow before i start syringe feeding her is that too long?

she’s been laying in the corner of her cage not moving very much but she does get up every once in a while to poop in her litter box or switch corners. i have a heating pad under her blanket in one corner but she doesnt seem like she wants it there so i think she’s warm enough?

i dont have critical care but i read that i can mash some pellets in water and use that. im seeing different things from different places, should i try to syringe feed her now or wait until morning to see if she’s eating by then?

[Bam]

How is your bun doing now?

[bumpybunny]

she seems a little bit better, a couple hours ago i got her to eat a few pieces of grass and a couple bites of lettuce but she hasnt ate since then. she’s still using the litterbox some but not pooping nearly as much as she usually does which is expected since she isnt eating. shes mostly just been laying in the corner of her cage. i did hear her grind her teeth a few times too which i read is a sign of pain, do you know if theres anything safe i could get at the store to help her with the pain?

[Bam]

I think you should call your vet and ask for a prescription for Meloxicam (Metacam, loxicom are common brand names). Tell them exactly what you’ve said here, that she’s not eating, not moving around much and that you’ve heard her chop her teeth. Not all rabbits “bounce back” after a spay. Some do, but others don’t and what you’re describing are indications of pain/ discomfort. They shouldn’t deny such a request, since your bun clearly doesn’t feel well. There are no good alternatives that you can get without a prescription.

Keep offering her her favorite food, syringe feed pellet mush if she’s only eating very little. It’s great that she’s pooping, but as you say, since she hasnt eaten much, there isn’t a lot of poop being produced.

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