Sudden weight loss

[Bombon]

Hi!
So one of my bunnies, Lolita, has lost a significant amount of weight in the last couple of weeks. It all started when about a month ago, she started pooping this jelly-like substance. We took her to the vet, but he didn’t seem too concerned, and just prescribed yogurt. We took her once more about a week and a half later, he said she was better, and just sent her a tube of medicine to take away some diarrhea she had. After that vet visit, she became very stressed, and her breathing has not slowed down. Furthermore, she keeps pooping these weird, big lumps, but no more jelly. She has also lost some weight, and we can see bone definition in her back now. The thing is, her appetite is exactly the same, as well as her behavior. She begs for food, jumps around, and interacts with the other bunnies just fine. Nothing has changed except for her weight. I want to take her to the vet again, but I feel like he wasn’t much help last time we went, and also like the trip may have been too much for her, and I don’t want her to be more stressed out. The heavy breathing and weight loss worry me though. Should I take her to an specialist?

[Hazelbunny]

Your vet told you to give your rabbit yogurt?! Rabbits shouldn’t not have dairy and definitely not yogurt. I suggest you find a different vet and you would find much better care. Check your rabbit’s teeth to see if the are too long. And if you rabbit is a long haired breed she might have wool block

[Bunny House]

I agree. That vet doesn’t sound rabbit savvy. You need to find a rabbit savvy vet and tell them everything and see what they say. Jelly in the intestines means and huge upset in the tract that needs to be diagnosed and fixed.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Bombon on 8/21/2018 9:25 AM

Hi!
So one of my bunnies, Lolita, has lost a significant amount of weight in the last couple of weeks. It all started when about a month ago, she started pooping this jelly-like substance. We took her to the vet, but he didn’t seem too concerned, and just prescribed yogurt. We took her once more about a week and a half later, he said she was better, and just sent her a tube of medicine to take away some diarrhea she had. After that vet visit, she became very stressed, and her breathing has not slowed down. Furthermore, she keeps pooping these weird, big lumps, but no more jelly. She has also lost some weight, and we can see bone definition in her back now. The thing is, her appetite is exactly the same, as well as her behavior. She begs for food, jumps around, and interacts with the other bunnies just fine. Nothing has changed except for her weight. I want to take her to the vet again, but I feel like he wasn’t much help last time we went, and also like the trip may have been too much for her, and I don’t want her to be more stressed out. The heavy breathing and weight loss worry me though. Should I take her to an specialist?

Hmm, I’m actually dealing with similar poop issues (the jelly sort of substance/mucous) and my bun was diagnosed with an overactive bowel which means the poop turnover time in his cecum is much quicker than it should be and so his cecals are being expelled before fully formed. The poops my boy was doing looked nothing like cecals but smelt like them and had that substance on them. He is currently on cisapride x2 daily for a fortnight. He hasn’t lost any weight tho but perhaps you could mention this to your vet and see if he/she thinks that could be the case? All my vet did was feel his tummy and cecum area and listen to it with a stethoscope so if that is what’s going on, it should be easy to pick up. I’m of course no expert but the weird substance and lump like poops sounds very similar to me. Or I’m wondering if the jelly substance is actually worms? That might account to the weight loss. Are you able to take a poop sample? Or at least get some photos of the poops to show the vet? You could email them the photos or drop off the sample without necessarily needing to take bun. 

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Hazelbunny on 8/21/2018 10:31 AM

Your vet told you to give your rabbit yogurt?! Rabbits shouldn’t not have dairy and definitely not yogurt. I suggest you find a different vet and you would find much better care. Check your rabbit’s teeth to see if the are too long. And if you rabbit is a long haired breed she might have wool block

It’s a strange suggestion but I wouldn’t rule out yoghurt right away – Q8 (I think?) swears by a spoon of yoghurt for her bun every day

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