My poor bunny

So, since he was 2 weeks old, ETbunny has been in my room. Recently I had an extra female and 6 1 month old baby buns in the room too so you can imagine how noisy it started being. Yesterday I had a migraine along with bad stomac cramps and so the noise was bothering me too much.
My father wont let me put the rabbits anywhere else inside the house so it's either my room or outside in the rabbitry.
I figured it'd be fine to put them in the outdoor cages for 1 night. The babies are fine... But I forgot to remove the hay from that cage and it was hay from a different place then the one ETbunny was used to. I ran out of hay and that other bale had been given to me by a breeder who gave me 4 rabbits when she stopped breeding. The bunnies outside I made sure to get them slowly used to it, but ETbunny was still on the previous hay.
Now he's gone and balooned up and constipated on me T.T
I gave him a borgal injection and took him back inside obviously, but I'm so scared, why do I have to be punished for wanting 1 quiet night by loosing (or at least risking to lose) ETbunny? T.T
He wont eat, not even apples wich he loves. He does drink a lot though, but won't give me kisses either when he normally does it all the time. This tells me he's in a ton of pain and isnt feeling good... I am so worried.

I really don't know what is wrong with him, I'm sorry Hopefully some other ( and much much wiser ) RT members can help you! I'm not an expert at illnesses or anything about genes or stuff in rabbits just alot about their behavior and what they need I just hope he'll get better soon and will make it! Praying for himn :bunnyhop:

Best thing to do would be to see a vet as soon as possible. Bloat is a serious condition.

If it is just some gas, you can give him Simethicone (Baby gas drops, about 20mg 3 times a day, or so, doesn't hurt), and a belly massage may help anyway (put him on your lap, fingers underneath and massage the belly), when my doe had gas she considerable relaxed after half an hour. Listen for gurgling sounds.

Anyway, a vet has other, more effective means to help, and i don't know if that drinking may be a symptom of something else.
I'm not sure that antibiotics are the way to go in such a case.

I've been doing massages every 20 mins, he doesn't like it when I do it from bellow but he relaxes when I do it from the sides. He's on his third borgal injection with no result. This is what my friend who raises flemish giants and holland lops uses whenever she has a bloated bun, but it's not working. She has a new medication she brought back from the US a few days ago, I'll have to test it, she hasn't yet.

I rly wish I could just take him to a vet but Quebec is retarded, here that'll be a 500$ bill minimum and atm I have no income so I just can't afford it. Basically Canada human health care is super cheap, but animal care is retardedly expensive. US and Canada are inverted on this matter. We can't get ANY medication for animals without seing a vet or going to the US. Even if you do go to the vet, it's rly hard finding a vet that'll agree to give you the medication for the whole colony. I got ripped off last time I needed penniciline for when I found some rabbits I received had syphilis. The vet charged me 75$, confirmed it was syphilis, refused to prescribe me any medicine and even if she would treat the one I brought, it would be 20$ for 1 dose at a time and I'd have to go back every time pay another 75$ + 20$ for the injection every single time. And if I brought my 20 or so rabbits she'd charge me exponentially for all of them. It's just ridiculous. It's either pay up your life savings, go to US or neglect your animals here cause of this I hate it.

After I try the new medicine I'll have to try my last resort .... I love this bunny, he's an angel but considering I already have 8 males and this one's mane is low quality. I hate to say it, but he's not worth puttin myself in an extra 500$ dept T.T
So if the new medicine does nothing, I might overdose him on penniciline to induce diahrea, there's 90% chance it'll kill him, but by that point he'll be written as dead already from being bloated.

KimitsuKouseki":2z09rto8 said:

So if the new medicine does nothing, I might overdose him on penniciline to induce diahrea, there's 90% chance it'll kill him, but by that point he'll be written as dead already from being bloated.

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I understand how hard it must be to have to consider euthanizing your rabbit because of a serious case of bloat. However, I would not recommend overdosing him on penicillin. Firstly, because that is a terribly inhumane way to euthanize any animal (compared to cervical dislocation, which is instant death without the suffering for the animal), and secondly because penicillin can’t be cheap in your neck of the woods, given what you said about vet bills and treatment.

If you reach the point where you know you cannot save your rabbit, please consider humane options of dispatching the bunny so it does not suffer. A 90% chance of killing it (with a 100% chance of pain/discomfort) does not sound like a great option. Cervical dislocation, as previously mentioned, or a pellet gun would do the trick. I’m sorry to hear that it’s so difficult for you to get treatment for him, and I hope that he gets better with belly massages and gas drops.

that really sucks about the vet care, but inducing diarrhea and subsequent dehydration to kill a rabbit is astronomically cruel. it will not be a quick death. it will be slow and painful and horrifying. if you have to kill him, for his sake use cervical dislocation or whacking. the least you can do is suck it up and give him a painless death.

Calm down! You guys misunderstood what I meant about the pennicilin overdose. It's not a means of euthanasia, if that's what I wanted to do, I'd break his neck. I've done it before. I don't want him to die, if he's to die anyways, the point would be to cause diahrea as a last resort in hopes that it helps pass the gas and maybe saves his life. Point being if nothing opens the flood gate he'll die from a hearth attack soon anyways, probly tomorrow... 90% death with 10% survival or 100% death from bloatage is what I meant to say. Beside if the pennicilin doesn't start a diahrrea it'll basically have done nothing and he'll die from being bloathed. If he starts having diahrrea, he has a chance to survive.
I've lost a few rabbits before cause of this. I hadn't had any issues in a long time now cause I learned from my mistakes in the past. This one is just unfair T.T because of my migraine I wanted 1 night's quiet and forgot to remove the foreign hay. If only I hadnt forgotten to remove that damn hay!
I gave him the new medicine but no progress yet. No poo in over 24h and belly getting more bloated. He's already on deaths door and in pain. There's honestly nothing I can do at this point, I have to wait till morning to see if anything happened. I just feel horrible.
Also by overdose I mean 0.1cc more then the normal dose would be, in his case that'll be 0.45cc total. I already have the pennicilin due to my previous issues with syphilis. Yes I managed to get my hands on a bottle and even proper dosage caused diahrrea on some rabbits back then and I had to stop treatment until they got better. So he doesn't need much to induce it.

it's easy to misunderstand.

Treat your bunny as best you can. Might have been the hay, might have been the stress of moving outdoors for a night, might have been an illness hiding and suddenly just showed up (might have gotten stressed having visitors in your room). You can't know and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it.

He's in a rough patch and I don't know if you can pull him out of it.
All you can do is try the radical if needed and see what the end result is. Radical things sometimes happen.

Caution though.. I have never seen a case of bloat cleared up by giving the rabbit diarrhea. NEVER. usually if they bloat and then have diarrhea there's nothing you can do to make them better.

force fluids. Force exercise.

I had good success forcing rabbits to swim when they got bloat.. they get good and wet which forces them to lick themselves dry (ergo more fluid intake) and the exercise helps the gut start working.

I had good success forcing rabbits to swim when they got bloat.. they get good and wet which forces them to lick themselves dry (ergo more fluid intake) and the exercise helps the gut start working.

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How did you force em to swim?!

Also the forcing diarrhea is what my friend did to save about 10 rabbits that got bloated after eating too much green grass.

I tried forcing him to swim after seing your post. Took him a bit in the bath and he did swim a bit, mostly just let himself float then anything though. He's licking himself now. Should I repeat once he's dry? If so at what intervals? <br /><br /> -- Tue May 02, 2017 1:21 am -- <br /><br /> it's 2am and I think he's reached his limit. I don't think the exercise from earlier helped, if anything it sapped his energy. I gave him the peniciline, poor thing is struggling to even sit now, but he jumped on the couch to come sleep with me on his own. I'll either wake up to diarrhea in my face or a dead bunny. If it's diarrhea, I'll cry tears of joy, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

KimitsuKouseki":3f2xubpk said:

Calm down! You guys misunderstood what I meant about the pennicilin overdose. It's not a means of euthanasia, if that's what I wanted to do, I'd break his neck.

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I apologize that I misunderstood. I do hope the little one pulls through, but if he's really at death's door maybe it would be kindest to end it quickly.

And thank you ladysown for the advice regarding fluids and exercise, I'm keeping that in mind for the future (never know when it might come in handy).

Nymphadora":3ec1r7mv said:

but if he's really at death's door maybe it would be kindest to end it quickly.

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I want to agree with you on this, any other bunny I wouldnt take this far, but he's a bun born with eye infection cause his mom had syphilis (before I found out what the disease was). I worked rly hard to save him in the past, he basically grew up on penniciline injections, his eyes are almost perfect now, only his right still has cataracts on it. And, although he STILL hasn't pooped, is in pain (grinding his teeth) and looks like he swallowed a tennis ball, he still drinks on his own or tries to at least. But most importantly, since I gave the penniciline he even ate a handfull of hay when before he wouldn't eat anything. Even though at this state any other bunny before would just roll over, here he is running to his water bowl then back to me and jumping on the couch to spend time with me and receive cuddles. Jumping! on a couch! This bunny is an angel and a fighter!
He deserves me doing anything I can. Tomorrow if he's still alive I'll give another dose of penniciline, just 0.3cc this time since the first dose is still in his system. But if he makes it I sware I'm rewatching caprisun's "Conker's bad fur day" as a tribute to the Great mighty poo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PwPsB1hWh4

-- Wed May 03, 2017 6:00 am --

Omg omg omg, 3h after I gave him the second injection 3 poo balls came out along with a ball of mucus as thick as silicone !!! I had to force feed him 3cc of water though cause he stopped drinking a bit ago and is dehydrated.
Maybe, just maybe he has a 5% chance to live T^T <br /><br /> -- Wed May 03, 2017 7:15 am -- <br /><br /> Omg omg omg he's passing gas! damn he stinks but he's passing gas :O

Hope this means he is over the worst of it. Poor bunny, he's been through a lot.

I am reading this like it is a suspense novel!

I'm rooting for your ET.... eagerly awaiting an afternoon update!
(Also, will be investing in some Penicillin)

Isn't it ironic? He was starting to get better, had a couple poos finally! was passing gas...
...
...
he died just now


While he did not get diarrhea as intended from the penicillin, out of all the medications I tried, it's the one that showed the most promise. All the others looked like they had no effect, while the penicillin caused some changes. I think it was just too late, since I had waited to use it as the last resort he already was too bloated for anything to function anymore. All it did was give me false hope T-T but I think I've learned that if there's ever another occurence I'll start with the penicillin. Let's just pray I never make that same mistake ever again. After all Etbunny rly didn't deserve suffering like this cause I was selfish and wanted 1 night's quiet I don't want to beat myself up, but it's my fault, my oversight and selfishness that killed him. Now I've lost the nicest bunny I ever had, no more kisses for me T^T, along with the bloodline of his mother

MaggieJ":1y1fsbjf said:

Hope this means he is over the worst of it. Poor bunny, he's been through a lot.

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:yeahthat:
I'm glad he seems to be making some progress! Go ET, go!

I am so very sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry that he did not pull through. Do not be so hard on yourself. It was not your fault at all. You would not have know your bun would have that kind of reaction to different hay or environment. My buns get all kinds of different hay to eat and do not have this problem.

AmberRae":16lka47l said:

You would not have know your bun would have that kind of reaction to different hay or environment.

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That's the thing though, I've lost a 75$ pedigree male back in december for the same reason. I knew I needed to remove the hay, but I forgot. When introducing new hay I'm very carefull now and do it very slowly with small quantities at first.

Wow, I just realized my last post didn't load until after your message was posted. :x

I am so sorry to hear about the loss!
You tried to do everything you could think of, and that's really all anyone can do. I hope ET lives on in your heart for a very long time.

Nymphadora":1zu92msy said:

Wow, I just realized my last post didn't load until after your message was posted. :x

I am so sorry to hear about the loss!
You tried to do everything you could think of, and that's really all anyone can do. I hope ET lives on in your heart for a very long time.

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Yeah I didn't reply to your post cause it was just a bit too painful to correct you on the timing :/

As for ET bunny's future, well... I started breeding rabbits for meat and eventually became so used to skinning em perfectly, I'm making plushies with em now. Not plushies made from skins; a skin becomes a plushie. I do lionheads now, because when I realised meat breeds were way too big for my dad and I's needs, I then looked what breeds would make fun plushies and chose lionheads for that reason. Of course, them being a pet breed, I sell for pets first and after 5 months if they havent sold, only then do they become meat/plushies.

As for ETbunny, because of the medications I gave him, his meat is spoiled. Thats why I said, any other bunny I wouldve euthanised insted of trying medicines and whatnot since, if they dont make it, it spoils the meat. I feel horrible being forced to throw his meat away but I cant risk it cause of the medicines. ETbunny was just special but his skin is in my freezer now and eventually he'll become a cute plushie and will find a second life through that. For me, if an animal dies you have to respect it's life even after death. So don't waste the meat, don't waste the skin. As a plushie, he'll basically have a second life and be loved some more. It's the way I see things anyways.

I'm curently working on my first plushie, I chose a white flemish giant as my first attempt since bigger will be easier to work with for a first time. I'm far from done but it's already uncanny how good he looks. I'm adding a wire squeletton that way they can be posable too. Still haven't figured how much I'll sell em for on ebay, but when ETbunny's turn happens.... I dunno if I'll be able to bring myself to sell him

As a side happy note; One of my does gave birth to 6 babies today ^^ the other 2 were due today too but nothing yet, I can't wait!