AboutLee Meyer (Mr.) Expertise I have 5+ years of experience with House Rabbits, rescue groups, and working with shelter rabbits. I do educational talks about house rabbits. I advise potential adopters, supervise bunny 'dates', fundraising/educational rabbit events, and help rabbit owners with their rabbits. I will answer questions about: general behaviors, body language, housing, toys, bunny-proofing, diet, spaying/neutering issues, nail clips, preventative measures, diet, and health questions. I will not discuss: anything that deals with rabbits for fur, food, factory-style breeding, deliberate or casual breeding by pet owners, or experimentation.
My focus is solely on rabbits as loved pets. It's why I'm a House Rabbit Society member rather than an ARBA member. If you don't view your rabbit the same way you would a pet dog or cat, please ask another expert your question.
I am not a veterinarian and cannot conclusively diagnose your rabbit. My advice does not take the place of a good rabbit vet. IF YOU THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM, DON'T WAIT FOR A REPLY, GET TO A VET IMMEDIATELY!!! Sometimes what appears to be a small problem is life-threatening.
The House Rabbit Society has references on their site for vets they have researched. There are US and international links here for vets all over the world with rabbit experience: www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html
I recommend the following resources to all rabbit owners:
House Rabbit Society - online rabbit info (www.rabbit.org)
Book: Rabbit Health in the 21st Century 2nd Ed. by Kathy Smith
Book: House Rabbit Handbook 4th Ed. by Marinell Harriman
Experience House Rabbit Member since 2004
Discover Your House Rabbit organizer - 2006
Rabbit Adopter since 2004
HAWS Board of Education member (rabbits) since 2005
HAWS Rabbit Volunteer since 2004
Organizations National House Rabbit Society, Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), Education Board Member for Rabbits, Friends of HAWS
Education/Credentials BSEE, MSEE (Electrical/Computer Engineering), Marquette University
Question This isn't a question, but a follow up to my precious Mr. Bunny. We took her to the vet on Friday, and they gave us some stuff for her belly, and they said that if she hasn't started pooping by Sunday to take her back. When we took her back on Sunday because she didn't start going to the bathroom, her vital signs were very low. The vet examined her and the shock from the examination made her heart almost stop... We had her put down minutes later... She died at exactly 5PM on Sunday August.13th 2006. Thank you for you advice and good luck to you and yours.
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Followup To
Question -
Last night I force fed her a baby carrot. She at first didn't like it, or did like it but didn't seem to want to eat it. Then I think I must have annoyed her enough to say "fine I'll eat it if you stop shoving this in my mouth" So she did eat a bit. Made me happy. She drank a tiny bit of water, about a cap full. And she has pooped a tiny bit, but it’s really stringy and small, with hair in it. Sometimes in clumps ( little clumps ) I will be force feeding her more carrots tonight and more massaging. I will also force her to drink. I heard that feeding a bunny cold carrots, will give them the runs...Have you heard this? She seems a bit better this morning then she did over the last few days. I will keep you posted.
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Followup To
Question -
My bunny is about 3 and 1\2 years old. She just stopped pooping, eating and drinking. This is the second time we've had this problem with her, but the first time we got her pooping again by massaging and using a hand massager on her belly. It has been about 4 days now... She runs around, and plays like everything is fine, but 4 days and no poo especially from an animal that poops every 30 seconds, I know she’s not ok. I really CAN NOT afford vet treatment. I want her to get better. What can I do? Do you think it’s too late? Am I making her suffer - Which I really don't want to do to her. Please help me...
Answer -
Hi Kirsten,
it is a very serious thing when a rabbit stops eating, drinking and pooping. This is what I would classify as an emergency situation. Something as small as not eating awhile can turn into GI stasis and death fairly quickly and easily, as you are aware rabbits have different eating needs and their guts work differently than yours and mine.
Please know I'm not a vet and I can't positively tell you what I am saying is 100% as I haven't seen her either. I also don't know as much info as I need to make a better estimate for you.
Your first experience she probably had some gas trapped in her tummy or lower gi tract and you helped break it up with massage. That was perfect.
This time it could be gas again, but usually they do not like to run and be active as gas generally causes them pain and they would rather be still and kind of sit very 'tight' and compact, not moving.
She could have a partial blockage somewhere and that is affecting her desire to eat and drink but otherwise she feels good enough to act mostly normal. Her not drinking will affect her output as the GI tract needs water to form hard and soft pellets. This is very serious and not good.
My own opinion is that you really have to take her to a good rabbit-savvy vet. If you don't think your normal vet is good enough, on the House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) and go to this page: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html
Check the state where you are and see if there's one close. I would even recommend seeing an emergency vet as soon as possible (tonite) because there is a chance your rabbit may not make it through the night, if she has been not drinking and eating for days.
She is young, she has that going for her. Don't give up on her, it sounds like she hasn't given up and still has a strong will to live. If anything I hope you understand the severity of the condition she's in. It doesn't sound by your description that she's in pain (running and playing 'as normal') but this is something that requires immediate attention by a good rabbit vet. They can give her meds that will get her GI tract moving again and can take an xray to see if there's gas trapped in there. Something you can do before the vet, hopefully tonite, is get some baby gas drops from Walgreens or your grocery store and give her some and then offer her food, rub her tummy and lift her a bit to massage her tummy, and see if it is gas again.
Please get to a vet right away. And let me know what happens or send me more info and questions.
Lee
Answer -
Hi Kirsten,
I am glad you were able to get her to eat something and drink something. That said this is still an emergency situation.
Carrots are not going to correct the problem she has. If she is behaving like my guys right now she is still grooming herself and maybe she has started her summer shed (and ingesting hair). This is going to make things worse.
She needs to start eating regular, and especially hay. Timothy hay. Like Kaytee timothy hay or Oxbow timothy hay. This 'long fiber' material is what should be making up the large majority of her regular diet to help propel hair out of her stomach and GI tract, and help give her good round solid hard pellets. Without her eating a normal diet of hay, this hair is going to build up in the GI tract and cause a partial or full blockage of her GI tract and either require drugs from the vet (if a partial blockage) or surgery (if a full blockage).
In my non-doctor, but rabbit-owner opinion, if this has been going on for days like you stated, you are genuinely past the point of trying baby gas and massage. She hasn't had enough water the last few days for her gut to work properly, her output is very poor and not forming right (evidence her gut is not right) and left untreated she could easily get worse and die. Further when rabbits don't get enough nutrients from the outside (ie food) the liver starts to have problems and starts becoming injured (fatty liver disease). Humans suffer from the same thing.
I know it may be a financial thing to you but you must get her to a vet. Maybe explain your situation to them and ask if there's any way you can spread out payments and/or if they can discount you on certain things - ie waive the exam fee, give meds at cost, etc. Some are willing to do it for dedicated pet owners who are strapped for funds.
Please get her in to a good rabbit vet as soon as physically possible. Letting problems linger (rabbit health problems) generally only lets them progress into something worse. Something caught early prevents a minor thing from turning into a life-threatening medical problem. And it is amazing how fast I have seen it happen in normally healthy rabbits. Please get her in to a vet.
Lee
Answer Hi Kirsten,
I am very sorry to hear your rabbit died. I am guessing you are devastated; I would feel that way if I lost one of my little guys.
I was afraid this was a possible outcome because of the days of no eating and drinking. It causes problems for othem in multiple ways and cuts their energy down to be able to deal with recovery.
Gut problems with rabbits are much more of a serious issue than with dogs and cats. Dogs and cats can go for a day or several days without food and water; this will normally kill a rabbit. Sometimes as little as 24 hours.
On Saturday did your vet also give her some water - some sub-cutaneous (under the skin) fluids as well? She would have been dehydrated and in need of water at this point. Stomach drugs alone would not have helped her because if she was dehydrated the material in her GI tract probably wouldn't go anywhere because it wouldn't be moist enough.
Hopefully one day you may be ready for another rabbit. I would give yourself whatever time you need to grieve for your bunny before even thinking about it. I am mourning for your little guy myself.
