Sick bunny, drooling

[SkylerAndLola]

I have a vet visit already set up this afternoon but thought maybe I could get some insight or advice during the longest 3 hours of my life.

Skyler is a wonderful 5yo, 5lbs grey Netherland Dwarf house bunny who always has a solid appetite and cheerful energetic personality. I noticed yesterday that he wasn’t eating nearly as much pellets or water as before. He still had a voracious appetite for lettuce and by the evening he was eating pellets and water again. Figured he was okay but made a note of the time anyway.

This morning he didn’t touch the pellets and so I immediately scheduled an emergency vet visit with our local exotics miracle worker and fed him a syringe of Critical Care and he ate some lettuce. Vet isn’t available until the afternoon (she’s a mobile vet and had a full day of calls lined up) but Skyler was doing okay with a meal of CC so far.

Two hours later I noticed Skyler was drooling and would not eat lettuce. I freaked out because my beloved guinea pig showed the same symptoms hours before she passed away. Vet advised via phone call to try more CC and keep him warm and quiet. He’s still drooling a bit though resting and will get up every now and then to hop to a new towel to sleep on. Haven’t been able to get another syringe in his mouth but at the same time don’t want to cause him stress.

I’m just playing the waiting game at this point and hoping for the best. In the 5 years I’ve been Skyler’s and Lola’s hooman Binky Bunny’s community has taught me most everything I know about my bunnies. Maybe someone can give me advice on what to do in the meantime before the vet visit, I’ve just about exhausted Google for the morning.

[DanaNM]

Sorry your bunny is doing poorly.

It could be a dental problem (molar spurs, or an abscess, or something else). Dental pain can snowball to stasis and other problems, but could be the root problem, so make sure the vet does a thorough dental exam. The far back molars can’t be seen without anesthesia, so if the vet thinks they may be at play he might need to be sedated for x-rays or a deeper exam.

I would keep syringe feeding him, as it is important that he keeps food and fluids in his stomach to prevent full on stasis. What are his poops like?

Keep us posted!

. . . 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.  

[SkylerAndLola]

Thanks for the well-wishes Dana ?

Back from the vet and she ruled out any dental issues. Everything in Skyler’s mouth looks normal, no swelling or discoloration, breath smells good. She feels the drooling is probably a secondary symptom and the fact it eventually subsides is favorable.

Skyler’s gut has definitely slowed so he’s being treated for GI stasis (not his first). He received some subcutaneous fluids to help with the dehydration and options of Meloxicam and Buprenorphine for pain.

Eating-wise his appetite goes in and out. This morning at 8am he got several mL of Critical Care and ate some green leaf lettuce. The drooling started at 10am and subsided by 12:30pm. Before the vet visit at 2pm he actually ate pellets and a bowl of lettuce, so I skipped the syringe feed. After we got home from the vet at 4pm he seemed to regress back into pre-visit. Drooling started again at 6pm, though he was still moving about and finding the “perfect” towel to sleep on, actively brushes the drool off of his chin or slurps it up. He’s not fully lethargic and still enjoys getting a head rub from me. About to see if he eats pellets again, and if not, I’ll give him another syringe of Critical Care and follow up with his first daily dose of Meloxicam.

Update: Skyler had 10mL of Critical Care via syringe and the prescribed 0.5mL of Meloxicam earlier at 8pm. He really slurped up the Critical Care (hungry!) and I thought that was a good sign. He cuddled up on his towel and napped for a while. It’s almost 2am now and I just found him in his pellet bowl munching away for the first time in 12 hours. He might be on the mend! Now this exhausted bunny hooman can get some rest as well.

[DanaNM]

Glad to hear he’s doing better!

. . . 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.  

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sorry to hear your bunny is unwell. I hope he’s feeling better today.

The drooling is puzzling…I would have also guessed it was a dental issue.

[SkylerAndLola]

Thanks for the well-wishes ??

I woke up this morning to Skyler drinking water out of his bowl. ? He ate a bunch of pellets too, and continues to eat normally. Poops are round again, and not dark and small anymore, and he’s urinating in his litter box again. He’s definitely looking normal but I will continue to monitor throughout the day.

The drooling has me puzzled too as it’s the first time he’s ever displayed the symptom. It subsided again after the Critical Care feeding last night and hasn’t started again since.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad to hear it!!

[SkylerAndLola]

Just wanted to update this thread since I haven’t found much related to drooling/hypersalivation that isn’t dental-related, and because this has been a learning and observing experience, I wanted to share. It does have a happy ending, so don’t worry

Skyler was on the road to recovery for a few days with the Meloxicam and Buprenorphine keeping the drooling and pain at bay. He had a few light episodes, but they were always close to the next dosing time and subsided soon after. Eating, drinking and pooping normally, lots of energy. Friday night though, we came home to him huddled in a corner dripping heavily from his mouth and looking miserable. Four hours until medicine time. We gave him all his meds, and snuggled him into a blanket to keep him comfortable and warm.

The next day Skyler got a full range of blood tests and xrays. Everything came back positive. His liver numbers were slightly elevated, but within acceptable range. Xrays showed no fluids in lungs, but GI inflammation and the onset of stasis. Our bunny vet was worried about GI inflammation and infection, and added 2 weeks of Baytril to the dosage schedule. More Sub-Q fluids too. She was also suspect that the initial reaction was due to Skyler eating something toxic. We had recently purchased a cute fluffy bunny rug for Skyler from one of those ads on Instagram. It went in the garbage when we got home. Never again! 

For the next several days Skyler started to recover again, eventually getting off CC to hay, and then pellets again. All the while learning to hate the horrible taste of Baytril twice a day.

Fast forward a week and the next Friday night, a day after completing his Meloxicam, Skyler had another drooling episode. This time it was worse than before, reminiscent of the initial episode. We gave him the Buprenorphine early again and settled him in for the night. His breathing was labored and my heart broke all night as I lay beside him petting and comforting him. The next morning Skyler was already bouncing back, but we took him in again just to be safe. Our amazing bunny vet saw him again on a Saturday and concluded the drooling was very likely an expression of pain and discomfort due to all the GI stress. His rapid recovery was encouraging, and she advised us to continue the final week of Baytril, and added a new course of Meloxicam for 4 days, also refilling the Buprenorphine for “just in case.”

Throughout the week Skyler has been recovering and eating and drinking and pooping and peeing and enjoying life. He’s a new bunny. He has been off Meloxicam for three days no with no issues. Last couple doses of Baytril today and we should be in the clear. I know Skyler won’t miss the taste of it!

I love this little bunny. He’s such a brave little bun and a real fighter. And shoutout to Dr. Caroline Olausen, our amazing exotics veterinarian here on Kauai.

[LittlePuffyTail]

So glad to hear he is doing so well now!

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