Vibes and advice please- Josephine seems sick

Josephine has seem really off her game today. She's more lethargic than normal, and more reluctant to eat the food I provide her. While she's certainly still eating she's making me worried. I've checked her for fly strike, and I can't find any lumps, I've massaged her tummy (it seems firm, but about the same firmness as Bruce's - is this normal?), checked her nose and put a damp towel on her in case it's heatstroke, which she didn't seem to appreciate.

I really don't know what's wrong. It's been hot here the past few days - about 30 degrees celcius - and she's been sheeding for a few weeks. Her lethargy seems just that little bit more excessive than normal heat lethargy. When she eats she takes smaller mouthfulls than usual and seems to take longer to swallow. I was thinking it's possible that her teeth are hurting her again, which could mean she is due for a dental. This is absolutely the worst time, there are no other bunny vets within 3 hours' of my place, and being the week before christmas I am worried when I call first thing tomorrow morning that the one rabbit vet at my usual practice will be on holiday. I can't stand to leave my baby's life in the hands of an inexperienced person.

Right now I am regularly trying to feed her (to which she doesn't respond super eagerly, but she is still eating) and keeping an eye on her. I'll call the vet first thing tomorrow (they are closed today). I'm really worried about my baby, please if you could spare any vibes and any advice on what to do between now and then I would appreciate it.

Is she drinking plenty? You can try syringing water into her to make sure she is fully hydrated. What are her poops like? Are they smaller than normal and with less frequency? Is she less inclined to eat hay and roughage and is going for softer food?

Take the vet appointment if you can, as at least they can rule out some things and that will put your mind at rest. If it is her gut slowing down, they can give her jabs to speed up her motility.

Sending lots of vibes over to you. xxx

Hope she is feeling better soon. Sending vibes for Josephine xxxx

If it is teeth you may well find that some metacam will see her through until your vet is around. If it is the heat you could do the wet towel thing over he hutch or run or some sort of frame for her to lie in. That's what they recommend for g.pigs. Also the frozen water bottle is always a good option.

She seems to be drinking OK, and I'm struggling to tell the difference between Bruce and her poos, but she did sit in the litter box with her "I'm going to the toilet" face.

Sigh, these rabbits. They cause so much concern.

Hey hunni

does she have any dribble under her chin at all? thats normally a sign that it is teeth for us.

Im sending you lots of vibes for her hun, please let us know how she gets on. will be thinking about you both.

Sending millions and millions of vibes for her hun, im sure you must be worried. x x x x x x

Do you keep 'wet' food for syringing in stock? (Critical Care or Recovery food.) If not, it's worth always having some. Also Metaclopromide (gut stimulant) and Metacam (painkiller) and a supply of syringes for oral meds are always worth having.

She might take pellets if you make them soggy or you might be able to syringe wet pellets or liquidised veg into her if it gets that desperate. The benefit of this is she is getting fluids at the same time.

If she's not drinking enough and you can get VetArk Pro-C over there, buns tend to drink more with this in the water as it makes it taste nice. It's a pro-biotic too, so if she's having tummy problems it can help. Some of us swear by it and use it all the time, not just as a med.

Lots of vibes

Also - just thought - you say she has been shedding / moulting. I wonder if she has more groomed fur than normal in her gut. Does she eat plenty of hay? She needs the roughage to keep any groomed fur moving through. If not and her gut has slowed down it might be that rather than a dental issue, which is certainly easier to manage once diagnosed...

I would get her to the vet's if I were you in case she has a blockage especially if she has been in heavy moult, one of our buns has just had a major Op to remove a blockage and it was impacted fur. The vet said had we been any later getting her there she would have died as her tummy was so full of gas with the blockage.

Poor Josephine! If you think that there might be hair clogging up her intestine give her little bits of pineapple. I use the kind that has been canned in it's own juice. The acid in the pineapple is supposed to help breakdown the hair. We've had good luck with this.

When our bunnies molt I give them pineapple tidbits as a preventative measure now and have not had any problem.

I looked up about pineapple juice but the site I went to said it was a myth and that any active ingredient in pineapple - an enzyme - would be killed in the rabbit's stomach which is very acidic.

I know a lot of people use this remedy but never have myself. Can anyone more experienced comment?

NickieM wrote:I looked up about pineapple juice but the site I went to said it was a myth and that any active ingredient in pineapple - an enzyme - would be killed in the rabbit's stomach which is very acidic.

I know a lot of people use this remedy but never have myself. Can anyone more experienced comment?

We have used pineapple juice for years we use the small cartons of pineapple juice and we wouldn't be without it but we only use a tiny amount because if you use too much it can ruin the flora of the gut. We didn't give it Rosie when she had her blockage as we knew it was serious and the Vet was needed nor did we give it to Kenzo.
Pineapple juice is allright in moderation.

May I say I haven't answered this not because I have more experience because I haven't , I have just answered it as we do use pineapple juice now and then.

Katie - thanks, I will check on that with Josephine. I never really thought to check her chin!

Sparky wrote:Do you keep 'wet' food for syringing in stock? (Critical Care or Recovery food.) If not, it's worth always having some. Also Metaclopromide (gut stimulant) and Metacam (painkiller) and a supply of syringes for oral meds are always worth having.

I have critical care, but I cannot find anyone who will give me any drugs to administer at home here. Right now I am wetting oxbow pellets and feeding them to her, and she ate her parsely this morning. That's interesting re the pineapple juice, I might try it a bit if nothing else works.

I've contacted the vet, the only rabbit vet Bridget is in consultation now and the secretary said that she will get her to call me once she's done.

On the plus side, the little miss seems more active this morning.

NSD wrote: I cannot find anyone who will give me any drugs to administer at home here.

That's ridiculous - Metaclopromide is a course of treatment not a single dose, and usually twice a day at that. In practice, it has to be administered at home and this is much less stressful for the bun. Although it tastes yuck

I could understand that a vet would not prescribe it without an examination - it must not be given to a bun with an actual blockage, for instance - but in large group of buns like ours or the Tuckerbunnies, it's an essential medication to have on hand.

Yeah I only have two buns, and neither of them have had blockages before. In Victoria, there's only one vet clinic that specialises with rabbits, it's 4 hours drive away. I'm lucky that one vet at a clinic closer to me used to work there and has experience with buns.

I've got Josephine in with the vet a 5.45pm today. I spoke to her and described the symptoms, she thinks since it's been almost 2 years since Josephine's last dental it's more likely it's dental, although agrees that it could be a blockage too. If Josephine needs surgery they can do it on the spot or the following morning.

Hopefully she is OK at home with only Bruce tending to her today! I wish I could stay home with her but work is absolutely crazy. On the plus side Bruce is usually a very attentive husbun when she is sick.

NickieM wrote:I looked up about pineapple juice but the site I went to said it was a myth and that any active ingredient in pineapple - an enzyme - would be killed in the rabbit's stomach which is very acidic.

This is good to know. Thanx. Guess we'll find a new vet.

Any News Nik??

Yeah. I saw a non rabbit expert vet who says her spurs on her molars are back. A rabbit expert vet isn't available to do her surgery for another three weeks, so my only option is to have their head surgeon (who has some experience with rabbits, but isn't at the level of the experts) do the surgery. I've got some oral metacam to administer 0.4 mls a day from now until Thursday, and Thursday she's booked in for surgery.

I'm really nervous. I don't like leaving her in the hands of non experts, but I feel like if I leave it three weeks she's get worse. I'm also graduating on Thursday so I'll either be relieved or absolutely devastated.

I really don't want to lose my baby. She really doesn't respond to anaesthetic well.

Better sooner than later and it should be a fairly straightforward procedures. I know how nervous you will be and am sending you loads of vibes.

Lots of vibes for you both Nic, hope the lovely Josephine gest sorted

Re: Pineapple juice, there's differing information, and some owners swear by it. If it works, then all good, animals are just as susceptable to the Placebo effect as we are, I learnt a few weeks ago.

I hope the Metacam helps her out until Thursday.

Huge vibes for Josephine for the op

aww So sorry to hear this! I hope all goes well!! I am constantly paranoid atm as Buttons is moulting heavily again but is just running away when I try and brush him! I just keep encouraging him to eat his hay and hope its enough!

sending lots of vibes for your little one!

Huge Massive Vibes for your little princess.

Im sorry to hear this is co-inciding with a day that should be so full of joy for you.

I think it is a simple procedure so stay positive hunni.

Sending hugs for you x x x x

Massive vibes for Josephine! I do hope that everything goes okay

Thanks, she seems OK this morning, gave Bruce a nip on the bum for eating her share of the breakfast, which is a good sign. She's still not eating as quickly as normal though.

Oh well, I know it's a straightforward procedure, it's just hard not to worry.

My mum's first reaction when I told her Josephine needed surgery was to ask how much it cost!! When I told her $800, she started talking to me about whether it was worth it! I got so angry at her, my baby's life is worth everything.