Too early to call the vet?

[Theodorusrex]

Well you’ve guessed it, same old story with Theo and his dodgy tum. The wee man has been unwell tonight. He’s been actively refusing food for the last 2h or slightly more but I’m not sure when he last ate. The last food he was actively fed by my husband was 11h ago but he could have been nibbling hay etc all day, I’m just not sure. There aren’t many new poops in the litter tray either.

When he first refused his fibre stick I simethicone and tummy massaged him straight away and repeated after half an hour. Made him some critical care in banana which he went for at the start but one lick was all and he has refused it since. He ate a piece of mint from me a few minutes ago but I do believe it was out of anger as I was waving it repeatedly in the face. He has been picking up his hay but he just bites it and lets it fall. He’s. even chewing on his willow branches too. He was previously hiding in his wooden house but has come out and is acting agitated now- digging and pushing his blanket around. He was hunched but now flopped. I was about to call out of hour vet but since he flopped I’m worried I’m overpanicking and jumping the gun.

Thoughts/opinions/advice??

Sorry if this is in the wrong section I just know a lot of the guys who use the Lounge know Theo’s history

[Luna]

Hmm tough call . Has he eaten anything else yet?

[Vienna Blue in France]

Oh Theo…. i dont know what to advise… you know him so well… if you feel he needs a kick start injection to eat, then do it.
If you don’t and it turns out you should have, you’ll never forgive yourself…..

Can you syringe him a bit of banana (without the CC) ?

Can you give him a bit more simethicone ? Massage a bit more. Not hunched any more sounds good….?

Sorry not much more help….

[Theodorusrex]

Thanks all.. I decided it was best to take him to the vet. We were in the vets for nearly 3 hours – Theo’s gut had stopped completely but no painful gas etc. The vet couldn’t hear any gut sounds whatsoever.

So he got ranitidine, fluids and she tried to syringe him critical care (with limited success I believe!)

Got him home and managed to syringe him about 2mls critical care. He had the injection around 1h30 ago and he has nibbled some mint woooo.

Hopefully on the mend. Vet was even considering keeping him in except for our previous experience with him.

My poor little baby ?

[Gwennie and the Buffster]

Poor baby <3 Buffy had stasis the other day. It suuuucks.

I’m glad you took him to the vet. I don’t think it’s ever too early to call, personally. Better to jump the gun than risk the alternative. Sometimes it can take a couple of hours for the injection to kick in. Has he had any painkillers?

The fact he’s nibbled on some mint is a really good sign! Sending you both love and healing vibes from here.

[Luna]

Get well soon! ((((Theo))))

[jerseygirl]

{{{Theo}}}

It would be worth talking to the vet about having some ranitadine at home for him and perhaps some metacam. These might help head off an episode…
I do recall a member here a while ago who found ranitadine (Zantac) was useful for her bun, Buddy, who had some repeat stasis episodes when he was younger.

[Q8bunny]

That’s what Chewie has in his ER kit – a mild gut stimulant and metacam.

Poor Theo…. and poor you guys, worrying! Glad you followed your instincts and took the little guy in.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Def worth going too early than too late !!! Well done you Theo.

Jersey!! Stop skulking with different avatar photos…. you are becoming like Johnny Depp…. always in disguise… is that really you ? LOL

( OK, so you don’t skulk, nor ressemble JD… LOL )

[Q8bunny]

Or DOES she?… (resemble the smoking hot Captain Jack Sparrow) teeheehee

[Theodorusrex]

Thanks everyone, he is a little brighter this morning but still not really eating too much. These things always take time to come back though.

I have asked the vet before about getting meds for home but ranitidine is an unlicensed medicine for rabbits here in the UK, I assume it’s probably the same most places but for that reason she wouldn’t give me any for home. I had to sign a disclaimer to allow her to give him ranitidine last night as it’s not actually licensed for rabbits. Having some metacam to hand may be useful – will have to discuss this with my regular vet.

Always better safe than sorry with the vets! Of course Theo has to get sick about 10 minutes after the vet closes every single time haha. Our emergency vet is £130 to just walk through the door – before any consultation/meds etc. Last night cost nearly £200 for some ranitidine and fluids. Thank goodness for insurance, however I am dreading what the premium will be at next renewal.

[Q8bunny]

Ranitidine is the active ingredient in Zantac. The same stuff hoomans take over the counter for ulcers, heartburn, etc.

Just get your vet to advise on dosage for motility purposes for Theo and then split the hooman tabs yourself

[Vienna Blue in France]

Theo – always better to be safe than sorry and re insurance… if the price is hiked upwards, change insurance companies !!

[Theodorusrex]

Q8 have you done this yourself? I read somewhere today after a little research that the recommended dose for rabbits was 2-5mg/kg, which would be 4-10mg for theo who weighs just over 2kg.
That would be like 1/10 or less of a tablet. How do you work that out?! The liquid tends to be 150mg/10ml here in UK which would be a tiny volume too.

Vienna – I would be reluctant to change insurance companies. There are only a few who insure rabbits here in the UK and Petplan, who we’re with, are the most comprehensive. They also offer cover for life, no matter what long term conditions the rabbit develops.

[Bam]

Theo, I have given ranitidine. I divided a 150 mg tablet into fourths, then divided a fourth in 2, then took a little bit off and crushed the rest and mixed with water and gave by syringe. From what I’ve read, there’s a very wide gap between a therapeutic dose and a potentially harmful dose, so if you give 1/8 or 1/10 of tablet it still shouldn’t harm.

It’s good t have some Metacam on hand, from what our member Redbunbun told us when she was struggling with her megacolon bunny Sukka, there can be pain when the ranitidin (or other motility drug) starts to make the intestines move, so her vet always recommended metacam + motility drugs. (Of course Sukka was much more sensitive than most due to her condition.)

There are other motility drugs that might be licensed for rabbits in the UK. My vet gave my Yohio metoclopramide (Primperan, Reglan). There’s also cisapride, 

I agree about being very very careful if you plan on changing insurance company: Only ever do that if your animal’s never been ill, or there’s a very big risk the insurance company will deem everything a pre-existing condition or related to a pre-existing condition and refuse to pay. 

[Theodorusrex]

That’s good to know Bam, You can get 75mg tablets over the counter here which would be easier to divide up maybe. I’ll have to get some in in case of emergency. Can you buy metacam from the vet or does it need to be prescribed?

[Q8bunny]

I gave the chewester a quarter of a Zantac 75, minus whatever had crumbled off when I cut it. It was at the beginning of suspected stasis during a particularly gnarly shed – my little weirdo likes swallowing furballs

[Theodorusrex]

Did it help him Q8?
Theo’s shedding at the moment, no doubt a contributing factor to this. He ate some pellets on his own just now hoorah!
It’s good to know about the ranitidine, I’d never thought it would be so easy at home – should’ve thought especially being a pharmacist haha

[Q8bunny]

It seemed to. He got it as a cocktail along with simethicone and metacam in yogurt with mushed banana. But then again, touch wood, he’s pretty much mister iron guts – I just give him stuff preventively once in a blue moon if he’s been ingesting way more fur than I can brush out and I notice a slight slowing in his otherwise prolific poop production.

[Author]

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