# Help Sick Rabbit!



## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Just woke up from a nap and my buck was breathing funny and not greeting me as I walked by. He has had clover to eat and bunny pellets. But he did run out of water. His nose was all snotty and I cleaned it off.. but he is barely moving now. I brought in some of his favorite weeds and he isn't touching them.. I moved him to the coolest part of our house and he perked up a little bit but is now as listless as before. I gave him 3cc of water SQ because he wont drink. The females are outside in a hutch and doing fine.. he has had no exposure to other rabbits (hes too young to breed) he is 4 months old. NZW. Help?!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

If it seems to be heat related, try sponging his ears with tepid water and putting him where a fan can blow by him (not directly on him unless it is far enough away that it is very gentle.) Rabbits cool themselves through their ears... The large veins dilate to allow greater blood flow. 

How long was he without water? Some people recommend offering a weak tea as many rabbits enjoy the flavour enough that it encourages them to drink more. An electrolyte solution (gatorade, pedialyte or homemade) may also help if you can get him drinking. Try syringing small quantities into his mouth so he gets the flavour.

None of this accounts for the snotty nose, however. He may have some kind of respiratory illness, possibly pasteurella related, so please use good isolation procedures so that you don't carry it on hands, clothing or footwear to the other rabbits.

Good luck... I hope he makes it.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Did a quick search for you of old posts... 

Homemade Pedialyte 

Homemade Pedialyte is cheaper than buying it at the store and most of you have the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients: 

1 quart of water
2-4 teaspoons of sugar (or 1-2 teaspoons of fructose)
1 teaspoon of salt

Directions: 

Boil water, add sugar (or fructose) and salt, then stir. Let it cool down.

Bunnies like it a little bit warm. Refrigerate what you do not use and do not keep it more than 48 hours; make a new batch.

Bunnies who are not eating or drinking should be given 30 cc/per pound of bunny/per day (e.g., a 5-pound bunny needs 150 cc per day). This is extremely important so the bunny doesn't get dehydrated until you can take the rabbit to the vet.

Always consult your vet if your rabbit is not eating.

Personally, I would not make up a quart. I'd mix up perhaps half a quart (16 fl. oz.) I don't see why the water needs to boil if you are in a hurry. Just don't use water from the hot tap... use cold tap water heated in the kettle or microwave.

Edited to add: Glad to see some other people reading this thread. I don't have any first-hand experience with sick bunnies.


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## Somerhill (Dec 13, 2005)

Unless you are mistaking wet nose and mouth for snotty. Overheated rabbits can pant so much they get all slobbery from it. When they get very hot, they lay stretched out, head back, panting really hard. I think what you are doing is the best course of action right now. Try to cool him and get some more fluids in him. Just for reference - 30cc equals one ounce, so you can tell that 3cc is not enough to keep him going if he is hot and dehydrated. 
Ooooo - good thinking, Maggie. That 30cc (1 oz) per pond of bunny is a good rule of thumb. 
Good luck! 
Lisa


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Well that is how he was laying. He was panting from his mouth and nose was wet.. it looked like white stuff was in it but he is a white rabbit so I'm not sure. I believe he had water yesterday but I hate that water bottle it is very hard to tell when it runs out. (Otherwise Id have filled it before it did!) I'll try to get some pedialyte down him I'm just afraid to syringe it into his mouth (drown him?)


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

You won't drown a 4 month old rabbit is you just syringe a few drops at a time. I could be wrong, but it seems to me if you do it from the side of the mouth it will run out if he doesn't swallow.

I'd give this fellow a bowl as well as a water bottle, just to be sure it doesn't happen again.


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Just got about 5-6 more syringefulls down him (not sure how much actually drank cuz some of it spilled) and then he started getting mad at me lol and jumping around.. guess he is feeling feisty enough to fight the pedialyte. That is probably a good sign, right? I put a small bowl of it in next to him but he wont drink it still.. maybe if I leave it in there for a little while and he perks up from what I just forced fed him?


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

If he's moving around, that is a good sign. I think I would give him some time to rest before trying any more. With any luck he'll start drinking on his own.

Is his breathing any better?


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

He sounds like he has a catch in his throat when he breathes now.. but I don't know if thats bc his nose was just dipped in the water (lol) to show him where it was. He stopped panting tho!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I am cautiously optimistic. I have to admit, your first couple of posts I thought he was a goner. Keep a close eye on him... Well, I know you will. 

I hope he is in a quiet place free of excess noise and activity that might further stress him. Stresses are cumulative... and two of three small ones can be as bad as one big one.


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Yeah he is in a dog crate in the basement. He still isn't eating or drinking on his own but he still fights when I force him some "pedialyte". He was hopping around (about 2 hops) trying to get away from me and the syringe but then he got tired and stopped. When he struggles to get away its almost like he loses his balance. his head thrashes (to escape) and then he has to be really still for a few minutes because he's off balance or maybe tired? he is not hot at all now and I did the "dehydration pinch test" and seems like hes no longer dehydrated.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

He's probably still feeling dizzy and sick. Does he usually let you handle him a lot or is he one of the shy ones that a pat on the head and a scritch behind the ear suffices? I'm wondering why he is fighting you so hard.

Did you try the tea? If he's not really seeming dehydrated at this point, he might take plain ordinary tea... Half strength. Rabbits apparently really like the flavour and it might get him drinking on his own again. I've read about their enjoyment of tea in many places and it is considered harmless. Sometimes given for diarrhoea (the tannins help) but there are more effective remedies for that. I can't see any problem with adding a bowl of it to his crate and letting him decide for himself.


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Ok I'll do that too. He does love to be scratched and pet and doesn't mind being held at all when he is feeling good. I think he didn't like the whole being forced to drink thing. I left the pedialyte in a bowl for him and left him in the dog crate - and he turned around from the position I left him in and drank some (his face is all wet now) !! Hope! Still isn't eating. But I just checked on him and he actually looked at me


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

If he's drinking the pedialyte, that is super! I just thought the tea might tempt him. He won't likely eat much if anything until he is fully rehydrated and somewhat recovered. Ever stayed out in the sun too long? Did you feel like eating afterwards?


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Is he going to be ok to put back into his cage tomorrow? He can't live in the dog crate forever.. All my does are outside in a hutch together and none of them got heat stroke.. Should I move him outside?


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## Cheribelle (Jul 23, 2007)

May help as a reference, The only one I have a water bottle for empties it Every Day. All the ones with 1 quart pans also empty them every day. I usually try to water twice a day.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I'd keep him in the basement for another day or two or until fully recovered and eating and drinking well. 

You will need to keep an eye on him when he does go back outside. In my experience, bucks feel the heat more than does. And don't forget... he was without water for a considerable length of time, which the does were not. He is going to be more vulnerable for a time as a result.

I recommend that you give him a crock AND a water bottle until the hot weather is over and that you give him an ice bottle on really hot days. I soak down my buck's ears two or three times a day when it is really hot. He seems to like it.


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

His cage is actually in the house which doesn't usually get as hot as outside but it also doesn't get as much of a breeze as outside either (we dont have AC but even with the windows open its not as breezy as outside) So should I move him outside or keep him in his regular cage after he recovers? I'll go ahead and get him both a crock and a water bottle so he wont run out again. Thanks for all your help I think (knock on wood) we pulled him through this!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

See how he is in the morning and play it by ear. I was thinking his cage was outside. You wouldn't want him in a cage in sunlight, but he'd likely be okay indoors in his cage. I don't know what your temperatures are like. There's hot and there's really hot. Do you have a fan you could lend him until you're sure he's recovered.

Yes, it does sound as though he is going to make it. Well done! :goodjob: It's not too often these emergencies have happy endings.

By the way, I know it sounds like overkill to have a crock and a bottle for the water. I should explain that I am a life member of the Belt and Suspenders Club. Beats getting caught with your pants down.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Skykomish, just wondering how your buck is doing? Did he come through it okay? Is he back to normal? A little update would be welcome.


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Oh btw his name is H2 (like the car- hummer) 

He is back in his regular cage today I put him in it last night when it had cooled down.. I gave him an ice pack for the hot part of the day and he was sitting on it for a while. He is drinking and eating normally now but he still seems like he is off-balance and he isn't pooping very much.. and those poos he does make are tiny and they stick together. He actually hopped over to greet me last night but he isn't standing on his back legs like usual. He did manage to get up on top of his "nest box" which is really a cat carrier without a door- his favorite place to sit. Is the balance issue going to self resolve? And the poo? He also seems really skinny- I can feel his back bone.. Can I give him something to help with that?


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Glad to hear he's progressing. He was one very sick bunny... It was definitely touch and go for a while. It's not surprising if he's lost weight. He may still not be fully dydrated and he missed quite a few meals.

Regarding the poops... Are they perhaps cecal poops? Those are usually a bit lighter in colour, glossy and a bit sticky, smaller than regular poops and cling together like a bunch of tiny grapes. If so, they are normal and necessary and H2 will likely eat them. Normal. 

Regular poops are the cocopuff ones. If he's not making those it could be a cause for concern. Some damp dandelion leaves should help get things moving, also grass hay, clover... I've never had a rabbit with GI stasis, but I do know it is serious and you don't want him to go there. Mind you, I don't know how long it takes to get things moving again after illness. What has he eaten so far and how many hours have passed since he started to eat fairly normally?

You might want to start a new thread with a title like "Rabbit was dehydrated, need advice on follow-up care." and hope to get input from others. I have been so very fortunate with my rabbits that I don't have much first hand experience with illnesses or injuries. Don't tell Murphy, okay, because I don't want him visiting!


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## Skykomish (May 28, 2008)

Well he is pooping again normally  They did look like cecal poops but he wasnt eating them and no normal ones were coming out. But now hes back to normal as far as thats concerned


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Yippee! :bouncy:


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