Not eating or drinking and has diahrrea

[goofy4utwo]

 I got a dwarf rabbit on May 23 and on May 27 I woke up to his cage being full of diahrrea. He was doing well until that day. Now he isnt eating or drinking or pooping. He seems to get the diahrrea late at nite when Im sleeping. I have been taking him to the vet since the 27th they have been giving him fluids today I took a fecal sample in to them why they didnt take one on their own I dont know. Im waiting for them to call me with the results. He isnt moving around much it is depressing me watching him and not knowing what is wrong with him.  He is such a cuddle bug he is seriously the sweetest bunny I have ever had.

Jennifer

[JK]

Wow this sounds like an emergency to me. Is this vet a rabbit savvy vet? If not, you need to see one ASAP! I have emailed the Community Leaders to hopefully help here since I do not know what you should do. Poor little bun.  I hope you get help soon. Oh and welcome here!

[Bunstheboss]

Hi Jennifer. I am so sorry to hear your bunny is ill!! He is already getting medical attention, which is great. Now, do you know if the vet is a rabbit savvy vet? If hei is not, I would not waste any more time and go to a different one, a specialist in rabbits. To be honest, I would go to a different vet anyway, since I would not want to waste any more time for him to get the right treatment. If he was my rabbit, I’d be rushing to a new vet right away. Good luck!!!

[goofy4utwo]

Well see I bought him from petco and they pay the vet bill for the first 15days. The vet I go to does see rabbits on a normal basis, that is why Im starting to get inpatient with them. the vet closes in 1hr and I plan to call again like 10mins before they close, if they havent called me back. I just dont understand why he is so sick all of a sudden.

[JK]

I don’t blame you for being impatient.  Petco is not the greatest place to get a rabbit unfortunately. I’m sure the conditions and the food they feed them is not ideal BUT thank god you got him outta there. I’m crossing my fingers for you that things will turn around soon.  Keep us posted.

[JK]

I meant to ask you before what exactly are you feeding your bun prior to the diarrhea? Their diet should be primarily timothy hay, a small amount of timothy based pellets and fresh greens. 

[Bunstheboss]

Try to find another vet. I would not wait for the ones at PetCo. All the best!!

[goofy4utwo]

Yeah honestly every other rabbit I got when I was growing up I got at the flea market. We went to petco for a fish and came out with the bunny. I was the one that fell in love with him. Now that I have him I was researching stuff and found local adoption place for bunnies so if I ever want another that is where I will be going. Thanks I will keep you posted…

[goofy4utwo]

 That is exactly what I was feeding him. That is why I just dont understand why he is all of a sudden sick.

[JK]

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

Here’s a good article on poop written by a very reputable biologist who specializes in rabbits. It may shed a little light until you talk to the vet. 

[BinkyBunny]

This is VERY serious. I mean we are talking life and death here. I so hope your regular vet can get this under control quickly!  And if it were me, if the petstore vet could not get this under control, I would see another vet, and if they got your bunny back in shape, I would then try and get a reinbursement from the petstore for the vet. 

What were their recommendations for diet? Have there been any drastic changes from what the pet store was feeding, and what you are feeding?

[osprey]

 I am glad that the vet is doing a fecal test.  The symptoms sound a lot like Coccidia to me.  A fecal test should show if this is the case.

 

[goofy4utwo]

I called the vet back before they closed and drilled in their heads that he isnt eating and his conditions and they said well you need to bring him in so we can keep him over night…. DUH like should have yesterday they tested the poop and said he had a parasite and said nothing more so we will see. The vet Im taking him to isnt in petco is a community vet. So hopefully now that they know he is really sick they will make him better so I can enjoy him and he can enjoy life..

[BinkyBunny]

Good for you for making them do a fecal test!  Did they say which parasite? Many are easily treatable, but it’s when they wait to the point that the rabbit becomes as sick as yours, not eating or pooping, that makes this so serious! So hopefully, they will get him healthy again soon.

Sending healing vibes for you bunny and peace and calm vibes to you! I know this whole thing must be very upsetting.

Keep us updated.

[goofy4utwo]

 No they didnt tell me what parasite. Im hoping that it isnt too bad yet, since it has been going on for 3full days. He was grinding his teeth a lot today and was hurdled up in a little ball sleeping all day. I think that the vet not ever calling me back is really RUDE and wrong, but I wasnt gonna just wait for them LOL… Hopefully he is better soon.

[BinkyBunny]

Awe, grinding his teeth means he was in pain. I’m so sorry he was/is going through that.

His life may be saved because of your persistence and good judgement to push things.

[goofy4utwo]

 Well the Dr went in to see my bunny and she called me and said that the parasite that he has wouldnt be causing him to be this bad…. They put him in an incebater however you spell that.. They said his temperature was down. He drank a whole bowl of water for them which I found strange because he hasnt been drinking at home. But she said at this point she cant believe that he has gone this bad since I have been taking him in this last 3days to get fluids and all, so she said we will see how he does over nite  and that she thinks his chances of dying is 50-50 which to me is not good.

[charlie82]

Sorry to hear about your bunny. How old is he?

Have they tested him for coccidiosis and mucoid enteritis? If he has had sever diarroeah the fluids will he was given would most likely not have been enough for his body to absorb what he actually needed…unless he was on an IV drip constantly. Do you know if they have got him on antibiotics also and pain relief also?

[JK]

This vet sounds incredibly incompetent! Did they put him on antibiotics and like Charlie asked on any pain meds? I would see someone else ASAP. Where are you located? And what is the name of the parasite? I’m furious at this vet!

[Beka27]

oh my. i just saw this! any update from overnight?

[rabbitsmba]

We are all keeping our fingers crossed for your little baby. Your persistence and dedication to this little one is impressive and if his survival will all be because of you! Good for you for being so diligent and be sure to give your bunny get well kisses from me. Poor thing….

[Sarita]

I hope he’s okay and it sounds like you are doing your due diligence for your baby. I’m sending vibes for your little bunny that he pulls through.

[goofy4utwo]

 Well here is the update he made it through the night thankgoodness, The Dr said that he was sitting up more today and that he is still guzzling a lot of water down which is great since he wasnt drinking at home. They said the parasite was the coccidia, they have put him on antibiotics and they are keeping him overnight again. She said that it is still kind of soon to know how he will do. She also said that he is still got a little diarrhea but it isnt as runny which is good too. I think that is it hopefully he will get better quick and I can bring him home I miss the little guy.

Jenn

[goofy4utwo]

 Well here is the update he made it through the night thankgoodness, The Dr said that he was sitting up more today and that he is still guzzling a lot of water down which is great since he wasnt drinking at home. They said the parasite was the coccidia, they have put him on antibiotics and they are keeping him overnight again. She said that it is still kind of soon to know how he will do. She also said that he is still got a little diarrhea but it isnt as runny which is good too. I think that is it hopefully he will get better quick and I can bring him home I miss the little guy. Oh  I was curious how do rabbits get this? Could he have possibly had it when I bought him?

Jenn

[Sarita]

Many young rabbits get coccidia it’s common and treatable so I’m glad he is getting treatment. I’ve had a few rabbits from shelters who had this and once treated they were good to go. He most likely had it when you got him.

I’m glad you baby is doing well too.

[goofy4utwo]

I forgot to tell you is age he is about 18weeks now

[JK]

Oh thank god.  I was so worried about him!  I sure hope he continues to get better!

[osprey]

I know this has been hard on you, but luckily coccidia is easily treated with a 7 – 10 day course of an antibiotic called Albon.  This is a common disease in rabbits, and is particularly hard on young ones.  It is very contagious, transmitted by contact with the feces of an infected rabbit.  People cannot catch this disease from a rabbit.  My experience is similar to Sarita’s, almost all bunnies that my rescue takes in that have spent time on the street or in a shelter have coccidia.  He had it before you got him, either from the breeder or the pet store.

One important thing to note about coccidia: it is very contagious, and the parasites are relatively long lived.  A rabbit getting treated for it can reinfect themselves from their own previously infected poop once treatment stops.  Please be sure to disinfect his living quarters really well before he comes back home, particularly any place that the runny poop came in contact with.  I think a 50/50 bleach slution will kill the parasite, does anyone know for sure?

 

 

[goofy4utwo]

 I was wondering what to clean the aread with cause the Dr was like soapy hot water and I thought to myself well that doesnt sound like it would kill the parasite.  God knows I dont want him to go through this again so I want to make sure everything  is cleaned properly. I didnt know if bleach was too much for the rabbit or not. So anyone know please let me know so I can clean it well.

Thanks

[Bunnies4ever]

Wow osprey! That’s really scary. I’ve been extremely lucky that none of my buns have caught that. It’s one (of many reasons), that we’re on this forum. At least if anything happens, I’ll already by clued in what it is and I can get them to the vet pronto!

[osprey]

The only thing I found on the web after a quick search suggests 8 ounces of bleach in a gallon of water, leave the solution in contact with the surface for at least 15 minutes.

[goofy4utwo]

ok thanks I will keep checking back here in case someone says anything else on how to clean it.

[skunklionshow]

OMG!  I’m so glad that you have been an advocate for your little baby, thank goodness you found each other.  Im not sure if Petco will care, but I think you should warn them that this may be lurking in their bunny environment.  Someone not as clever as you may end up w/ a dead rabbit.  I’m sending you lots of warm thoughts.  Please continue to keep us posted!

[Scarlet_Rose]

I am so sorry to hear about your baby. I agree with Osprey, it is likely your rabbit had it before you got them. The bleach to water solution I use to sanitize is 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water. A 50/50 solution is really, really strong and I would not leave any pet in a room that you used that strong of a solution in, and really it’s best to vacate animals from the area, and each piece/item that you go to take out, sanitize first so you don’t spread it to another room, let it dry outside of the room, sanitize the whole room, air it out thoroughly then bring everything back into the room. Then you can go into maintenance mode during treatment to keep up the sanitization and after your rabbit is over it, do it all over again for good measure. Anyway, this is the method I follow and it served me well. Others may have more suggestions. I hope this helps and lots of good bunny ****healing vibes**** for your baby.

[goofy4utwo]

 Thanks Im going to start cleaning it all up, the thought of parasites being in the cage really grosses me out. Im assuming I should use  a sponge to wash it down with the bleach water then throw it all away after I get done? I havent had a call since this morning about Radar so hopefully that is good. How long does this parasite live when outside of the host? God I just hope that I clean everything well enough. I know that I was holding him and got it on me and lord it probably got on the carpet too..  so any ideas for the carpet just in case?

 

[BinkyBunny]

Since I don’t know exactly for sure if it’s coccidia or not, I can only answer to what  I have just researched…on coccidia. 

I find conflicting information about how long it can live outside of the host.  From what I have read, if the conditions are right (damp, warm) then it can live for a year. But if it’s a dry environment, it won’t survive. So, a good cleaning of your rugs, thorough drying should help to eliminate it or at least lessen it. The other thing I learned is that the meds that they give help the animal’s own immune system fight it off, so if there is just a little left even after cleaning, and the animal is healthy, then they should be able to fight it off.

Rugs can be harder to deal with and I did find this article which recommends a particular solution for rugs. . http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cats-1606/Coccidiosis-1.htm

I don’t know anything about that solution or even if what your bunny has is coccidia, you will need to confirm all of this with your vet.  Let us know what your vet says, and what the vet also says about eliminating it from your home.

[goofy4utwo]

 Yes it is coccidia. I washed his whole cage down with bleach and water so hopefully it is good to go now. I havent heard anything else yet about Radar  I will be calling them in the morning if they dont call me first. Thanks so much for all of the great information that you all have given me.

[BinkyBunny]

Oye! Right, I just went back and read that you already wrote that! Sorry I missed that.

[goofy4utwo]

 Well the vet said they are keeping Radar all weekend because he still isnt able to keep his body temperature regulated out of the incebater sooo Im sad.. They said he is starting to eat a little on his own but still not enough. so Im really trying to stay positive since he is getting treatment.

Jenn

[Scarlet_Rose]

Come on Radar, you can pull through! MAJOR ***bunny healing vibes***

I forgot to mention that you let the bleach soak for 10 minutes. Sorry!  I think it will be O.K. as for the carpet, I am not sure if a certain temperature of water will help destroy it or not, like a steam cleaner.

[BinkyBunny]

HEALING VIBES!!! Poor little guy! I’m so sorry goofy4utwo that you have to go through this. It’s good to hear that he is starting to eat a little on his own. That’s a positive step.

[Gravehearted]

how is he doing? please keep us posted

[JK]

I’m dying to know what happened???? How is the little one???????????? Please update!

[babybunsmum]

(((((((((healing vibes for your bunbun)))))))))  i hope he got better over the weekend.  poor thing! 

[goofy4utwo]

 SORRY for slacking I have been busy. I got to bring Radar home last nite and he is doing much better. He is eating, drinking, and pooping normal. The vet told me to put him somewhere with less noise HA since I have a 3 and 6yr old I dont really know if there is really such place in my home. But I put him in my room and boy he kept me up all night playing and drinking. He did have one little runny poop last nite but it was just a little and it did have some lumps to it. But this morning he pooped normal again. They also sent me home with medicine to give him 2times a day, so so far it is looking good thankgod. After looking at all of the pics on here of bunnies I was really gettin upset.

[Sarita]

Thank you for the update. I’m so happy Radar is home and feeling better.

[JK]

Oh great news!!!! I’m so happy Radar is doing better.  I think you really caught things just in time!

[goofy4utwo]

 Thanks Im positive that if they wouldnt have taken him in on Thrusday that he would have died so thankgod Im a persistant person. Hopefully now I can start to bond with him again.

[MarkBun]

I believe that the ‘runny poop’ with lumps may have been a cecal – which is quite normal for buns to have. They usually reingest those.

If he’s keeping you up at night, you can try to put a sheet over his cage. This sometimes works. My buns quiet right down when I turn off the light and shut the door to the bedroom – I think they know it is nite nite time.

[MooBunnay]

Yay Radar! I’m so glad he’s feeling better I know what it is like having a bun in the bedroom, we’ve got two ourselves in the bedroom, and what we do is keep a fairly noisy fan running right next to our heads.

You did such a great job making sure that the vet took proper care of your bunny – congratulations on saving your little Radar’s life!

[BinkyBunny]

WHEW!!! I’m relieved to hear he is doing so much better. Yes, some quiet stress free time should help with his healing process. I know that has got to be difficult with your youngin’s around. Can you listen to headphones (music) while you sleep to drown out his nighttime activities?

[goofy4utwo]

 Well I must say that Radar is back to normal he is pooping like crazy and constantly eating and drinking. He is starting to give me a hard time taking his medicine but it just takes time and I get it down. He was sponky this morning trying to jump outta my arms when I was giving it to him and thumping on me then he calmed down and was snuggled on my lap and he starting licking me then he nibbled it is funny. Oh and he has been peeing in the litter box but he wont poop in there. He thinks it is his food dish he doesnt eat the pellets in the bowl only in the litter box.

[skunklionshow]

I am so glad to hear that Radar is recovering well!  You must be very relieved that he has started to bounce back.  Yeah!  Bunny kisses all around.

[goofy4utwo]

 Yes I am so happy he is better. He is finally gaining weight back too thankgoodness because he was all bones from being so sick. He is about plump now though… 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

OMG I just saw this!! How Scary!! I’m so glad Radar is doing so well now!! *HUGS*

[Author]

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