Advice needed asap please! - New U/D 29.04 - Home

Hey everyone,

I'm a bit worried about Penelope, she isn't eating as much as usual, hardly drinking and only eating a bit of hay. She is still pooping, not as many as usual and not the usual colour, but they aren't sloppy or anything.
She is still quite happy, jumping about and being her usual curious self!
The only thing that has changed recently is that I'm in the process of changing her food over (from baby pellets to adult pellets), and I'm trying her out with new hay.
However, should I take her to the vets as she isn't eating/drinking as normal?i have rung them, but she was in with a patient and hasn't called me back yet.
Have tried to check her over myself to check she isn't hurt or anything, her tummy felt okay (as much as I could tell not being a vet!), and then she squirmed away!
Or could it be something to do with the heat? (she is an indoor bun)
Any advice asap would be very much appreciated as my mum doesn't think anything is wrong with her so will not take me to the vets, but if there is something wrong I'll just have to persuade my mum more

Thanks!

Ok Chick I wouldnt panic too much just yet, but you are very, very right to be a bit concerned. Do you know what she has eaten today? Is it very hot where she is? And her poos, are they smaller and darker, I assume? X

Have you offered her water in a bowl as opposed to a bottle to try and get her to drink more? Do her ears feel hot to the touch?

Is she laying down a lot, less active or grinding her teeth?

Bless you both, I hope she is better soon and it is nothing to worry about.

Hugs

Jo xx

Becki - She hasn't eaten yet today, I tried feeding her some by hand but she just nudged my hand out of the way and ran off. She isn't too hot, the house is quite cool considering the sun, she is sitting on her mat though, which is prob making her tummy warm. Her poops are quite small and dark, she has yet to poop today though.
Sooz - She does normally drink from a bowl, she hates the bottle! Have tried putting the bowl right under her nose and she gipped the side and knocked it over and away from her. She won't let me touch her ears, just runs when I try to touch her, she is laying down, but she does tend to do it alot in the day, she has had a small run round earlier, but has gone back to having a sit down! She isn't grinding her teeth, have the tv off so I can hear if she makes any noise, but she hasn't.
The vet still hasn't called me back - apparently she's on lunch now!!
Not sure what to do, Penelope isn't acting as normal, but then she isn't acting poorly as she was when her gut had stopped a few weeks back after her spay.
Am so unsure as what to do and starting to get a little upset

Ahh, Ok. If she hasnt eaten at all today that is a concern. What have you offered her? Try some banana and some fruit/veg baby food if you can get to a shop xx

Ok you need to get some water in her - not too cold - and I think you need to get her to the vets asap. I'm sure she will be ok so don't panic but it sounds like she could be starting to go into stasis which can be serious for buns. The vet will be able to give you some critical care food which you can syringe feed her with. If not try syringe feeding with mooshed up pellets and water. The vet may also give her an injection to help get her belly moving again. I'm on my phone at the mo but will check back later.

Ask you vet to check her molars as this is a common cause of buns not eating .

I certainly would get some water in to her and if you have any herbs or dandelion leaves to tempt her to eat, Bless her hope she will be ok sending lots of vibes for her xxxx

Hey,
So took Penelope to the vets about an hour ago. Turns out she hadn't eaten in 12 hours, her tummy was totally empty. She also has some spurs on her back teeth.
The vet gave her metacam, painkiller and something else (can't remember what!) and I have to syringe feed her critical care every few hours to see if her gut will get moving again. If not I have to take her back in the morning
Vet didn't really mention anything about her teeth, about if they have to be filed or anything, as she is quite young to have any problems like this according to her. Also that teeth problems are fairly common in her breed - any other Netherland Dwarf owners notice this?

Anyway - thanks for the advice people gave me, I knew something was wrong, she wasn't acting herself at all today, and I just had a feeling.
Please can we have some eating/pooping vibes please? Don't really want to take her back tomorrow, she hates the vet and I hate having to put her through the stress.
Thanks lovely bun people!

A lot of Netherland Dwarfs have teeth problems due to their breed, I have a Nethie who is a dental bun and he has to have his dental spurs removed every so many weeks. I'm very surprised your vet didn't mention anymore about the spurs on the back teeth as they can grow quite quickly and cause serious problems if not removed.

Sending lots of vibes for her hun. I really hope you can get her eating. Poor little girl. She is lucky that she has you to take care of her so brilliantly.

I always think that a bunny mum's intuition is always right, if you think something is wrong, then you are the person most likely to know. I trust it every time and it has always been right.

Daisy is a Nethie and he has problems with his teeth, even the smallest spur can cause him to go into stasis, what looks small to us can cause them horrible pain. It is because they have been bred to be so small and the teeth sometimes do not fit in the jaw properly.

It is very likely that it is the spurs that is causing her not to eat, and unless they are filed down she will not be happy to eat going forward. It is possible that the vet cannot see fully what damage the spurs are doing as it is so difficult to see in a nethies mouth as they are so small. Quite often the vet will look at daisy and his mouth seems fine only to discover when he gets them done that they have badly cut the inside of his cheeks.

The pain killer will help for the time being and the critical care will help get something into her.

You should speak with the vet about getting these filed as soon as possible.

Going forward, getting her to eat as much hay as possible will help a little with the tooth problem.

Good luck hun, please let us know how she gets on. I will be thinking of you both and sending oodles of vibes.

K x x

Hey everyone,

Just a little update on Penelope.

So after the vets on Thursday, we brought her home and gave her some critical care, one dose at 6pm and another at 10pm.
Then she went to bed around 11/30ish, after having a little run around. Woke up friday to some little presents in the litter tray, not loads, but they were there and she'd eaten about 4grams of her pellet food. So the vet told me not to bring her back as her gut had started moving again, but to give her a dose of critical care mid afternoon to make sure she is getting fluids.

Since then, Penelope is not eating as much as she normally does, but she is eating. She is also nomming on hay and pooping a bit.

She isn't drinking though, at all. She won't eat any fresh foods for her fluid intake either. So we're giving her very watery critical care once a day at the moment to make sure she is getting fluids, even though it is little.

Do any other other bun owners notice that their buns don't drink alot? Penelope used to drink from her bowl, it wasn't tons, but she did drink the water.
I don't know if I should be really worried about it or not? As if her teeth were hurting her, wouldn't she stop eating instead and drink more?

My vets isn't open today or tomorrow and my emergency vets is 90 mins away and Penelope gets SO stressed about the vets/ travelling, that I don't want to have to take her all the way there if there is nothing wrong that can't wait for my normal vet on Tuesday.

What do you all think?

Oh...and Happy Easter everyone xx

Hi hun, I'm sorry to hear she isn't better. Keep on with the fluids and try and get them in her at least three times a day in this heat. Keep on with the critical care a nd if her feeding slows further increase the frequency.

I would then get her back to the vets first thing tomorrow when they open. It could be that the spurs havecut the inside of her mouth and the water stings, or the action of drinking hurts.

Please let us know how she gets on. I will keep checking back today
K x

Did the vet actually suggest booking her in for a dental when he identified the spurs on her teeth? They seem to be the root cause of the problems and will obviously need to be seen to relatively soon to alleviate her discomfort and get her eating normally again.

Hello again everyone,

For anyone still interested, Penelope is back at the vets today. She is having to have an Op on her teeth, as they think that could be the problem.
She was eating and pooping up till late last night, she hasn't been drinking at all though.
So we took her in today, he had a good feel of her tummy - which didn't feel empty, but wasn't normal size. Her chin and paws were a bit damp, which means she's been dribbling. She also wouldn't let him touch under her chin, she jumped away. She did the same thing to me this morning so I knew it was most likely her teeth.
He checked her with the scope, but couldn't see well enough as Penelope didn't want him touching her mouth at all.

In the end, he kept her in and was going to operate and see if they could see anything on her teeth as they can't see with the scope.
He was going to operate at 2pm, but he called at 3pm, and said he didn't as he didn't want to rush it. So he is going to operate first thing in the morning instead.
In the meantime, they are syringe feeding her so she is getting something to eat and giving her painkillers so she isn't in pain while being fed.
She is having to stay overnight so they can monitor her up till 8pm and then again in the morning.
Am not very happy about it as I want her home with me, as I hate the thought of her being all alone at the vets

Please can you send lots of vibes to Penelope, that the op will go okay, that she'll eat and be okay at the vets. And vibes for me, her very worried and anxious mummy

Thanks xxxxx

Sending lots of bunny vibes for Penelope. Try not to worry about her. She'll be back soon. xx

I think the vets probably just want to fill her guts up before the op so that they have a better chance of ticking over as usual afterwards (the GA can slow things down). The fact she is dribbling is a pretty good indicator she is having teeth trouble so I think your doing the right thing.

Sending lots of (((vibes))) for tomorrow. x

Sending lots of vibes for you both. Its so hard when a little one is poorly, esp when they are away from you too.

So im sending you both love and hugs too.

It does def sound like her teeth, but the vet will have her all sorted before you know it.

Please keep us updated and let us know how she gets on.

K x

Ah... hoping all goes well for op tomorrow... keep us posted...

Dawn

'Good Luck' Sending mega Vibes for Penelope xxxx

Good luck Penelope, Harley is sending lots of bunny kisses. xoxox

*sigh*
My poor baby is still at the vets
They are having to keep her in overnight again to see if she will eat/poop/drink.
Her Op went okay, her spurs were not too sharp, not enough to cause her trouble they don't think, but they filed them a little bit anyway.
They gave her an X-ray too, but nothing showed on that, no tummy touble or tumors or anything.
So there is no reason she shouldn't be eating/drinking as normal, as they can't detect anything. Hence why they want to keep her in again tonight, to give her painkillers and make sure she eats.
If she doesn't, they think they may need to open up her spay scar as this is such a delicate procedure for bunnies, and so close to her tummy, they don't know if they have accidently knocked it.
However, that is the very last resort as another operation would be too stressful for her, especially if not needed.

So please send all your vibes for her to eat tonight at the vets, as I really want her home tomorrow as I don't want her to stay in over the weekend, as my vets don't discharge over the weekend and they are not open on Monday. So I really need her dis-charged tomorrow, as I don't want her to stay there all alone at the weekend, surrounded by dogs she is scared of .

Thanks xxxx

Sending lots of healing vibes for her. xxxx

Ah poor penelope....

Binky and Pumpkin refuse to eat when they are at the vets .. so I always bring them home on the agreement if they dont start eating t otake them back... so far I have always managed to get them eating... usually with dandies or banana...

Only once did I have trouble and then I syringed gastric vet mix (cant remember the name) and water into Binky for a few hours.... reckon he decided he didnt like the syringe so better start eating...

Hope you can get her home ...

Dawn

I hope she starts to eat/drink/poop and you get her home tomorrow. Lots of vibes for her and you!