NEED HELP FOR SICK BUNNY

Hi,

My pet lop has been sick for over a week and a half and someone recommended
that I might get some good advice here. My story is kind of long, but I feel
like I'm at my wits end and I would appreciate any suggestions.

I first noticed that my bunny hadnt touched his pellets or water in 2 days.
He's a house bunny and has the run of my apt, so I brought him and his litter
box and food and water into my room so I could keep a closer watch on him and
his litter box. I brought him to a vet who does see rabbits. They figured he
had a hairball and kept him for 2 days and gave him fluids, hay, and papaya
enzyme. According to them, after a few days of this treatment he was eating in
small amounts and was pooping so I took him home. As the hours passed, my
bunny still wouldnt eat for me nor had he used the litter box. That night he
started having what I thought were seizures...he was rolling over and over and
lost the use of one of his legs. I drove him to an emergency vet immediately
(by then he could use his leg again). They figured he had an ear infection
(which caused his dizziness, which in turn caused nausea, and was blamed for
his lack of appetite), gave me ear drops and said I should see my reg vet asap.
The very next morning I brought my bunny in as soon as my vet opened. They
kept him overnight and put him on oral antibiotics (baytril). After one day
they said he was doing much better..was eating, drinking, and passed a lot of
stool. The rolling had stopped. I took him home once again, but yet AGAIN he
wouldnt eat or drink for me (nor did he poop). I took him to a 3rd vet
(recommended to me by a member of the house rabbit network)..who supposedly is
an expert in bunnies. He told me to continue the antibiotic, told me to
forcefeed V8 juice several times a day, and put my bunny on another med to
stimulate his gastro intestinal movement. That was last sunday that I took
him, and as of yesterday when I brought him to his followup (to the 3rd vet),
he STILL has barely eaten anything and hasnt pooped at ALL. Last night he ate
a very large handful of carrot greens and some pieces of banana and
strawberries but all I saw were 2 very very small clumps of dry VERY hard poops
matted with hair. This 3rd vet kept my bunny overnight last night and gave him
fluids. He did all kinds of bloodwork to test for pasturella, e cuniculi, and
other things, and took another xray of his stomach. This would be the 3rd xray
he's had in this past week and 1/2! He says he sees stuff in his stomach and
thinks maybe he has a partial blockage..but this was the diagnosis I was given
by the first vet (before the rolling started) and nothing (conventional methods
of treatment) to this point has helped. These vets keep telling me that my
bunny does not have a full blockage because he is still eating and passing some
stool, but I dont believe them. How can my bunny eat a large handful of greens
and fruit and not pass any stool? Does anyone know...if my bun had a total
blockage, would he still eat? I was told that the xray wont show a blockage,
only if there is stuff in the stomach or gas. BTW - I have tried to get him to
eat hay to no avail...he wont. He wont eat his pellets. He turns his nose up
at most of his favorite treats, including raisins, which scares me because he
normally will claw at my legs for those. He rarely drinks on his own, and when
he does he only takes a few sips. I am so frustrated and heartbroken. My bun
has lost over a pound since he's been ill and I feel like he is slowly starving
to death. BTW- I also have given him a cat laxative when this first all
started, but that didnt help either. I had just recently started giving him a
baby med for gas...and I havent noticed any differnce in his eating pattern.
I'm picking him up from the vet's today and my vet said he wanted to take him
off the antibiotic because maybe it affected his appetite. The thing is... he
didnt have his appetite BEFORE he went on the antibiotic. The ear infection or
dizziness I feel was secondary to his poor appetite and lack of stool. Now I
feel I am right back to square one and nothing has changed. I have already
spent $1000 in vet bills and I am at a loss. I dont know what else to do. I
was thinking of giving him an enema or grinding up hay with water and force
feeding him that but I dont know if those things can be done. Has anyone here
ever given their bun an enema for constipation? If I grind up the hay into a
paste, will it lose it's bulk-fiber ability of getting his intestines moving
again?
I have cried so many tears this week. My bun is only 4 years old. He's the
sweetest lovebug ever and I really dont want to put him down, but I dont know
how much longer he can go without eating or passing stool. He doesnt seem to
be in any pain but... *sigh*.. I just dont know what to do anymore. All the
results from this new set of tests this most recent vet has done probably wont
be back in for days or even weeks. Can anyone here suggest anything else I
might not have tried? And does anyone think the enema and/or force feeding hay
paste can be done? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance
guys. Sincerely ~ PearL

~ PearL~
Official Castle Wildlife Preserver
----------------------------------------------------
"Dios mio madre de dios me van a matar
con esta ignorancia." - LyRiCaLFLoOzy

Pearl, GI stasis is always a cross-fingers situation. Many rabbits get
through it quickly.

There are some really important things to do: prevent dehydration, get some
easily used carbohydrates into your bunny, and get the gut moving.

Good vets recommend that a medium sized rabbit should get about 150 ml subQ
fluids each day, given in three 50 ml injections. You can also give some
Pedialyte if he will take it.

One of the worst risks for rabbits in stasis is hepatic lipidosis. If a
rabbit is not getting sugars to use for energy, it taps into fat stores.
The liver is unable to metabolize all the fat efficiently and it builds up
in the cells, causing liver damage. Some vets recommend Critical Care or
Ensure for rabbits who have not eaten. These will provide the carbohydrates
needed to stave off lipidosis. Many people have used baby foods, since
rabbits find them palatable. This is an emergency, so try to get carbs into
him in whatever way he will take them. He will not over-consume them right
now, so don't worry about them being bad for him.

A gut stimulant, e.g. Reglan (metaclopramide) or Prepulsid may help get
things going. Your vet will have to prescribe these things. They are given
once every 8-24 hrs, depending on your rabbit's condition, for as many days
as it takes.

Our prayers and healing vibes are coming your way.

Anita

"PearL" <bstnpearl RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031018023720.10402.00001301@mb-m14.aol.com...
> Hi,
>
> My pet lop has been sick for over a week and a half and someone
recommended
> that I might get some good advice here. ...