Bit of a sad post this morning, but I really wanted to get it out of my system before my husband divorces me for driving him insane.
My calm Friday night with Man of Medan – I haven’t a clue why I thought it was going to be calm when playing a game like that – came to a grinding stop. My beautiful male dutch rabbit, Ponyo, had to be taken to the emergency vet service last night…
It started after Kamen got home and he went to give them both their evening feed. Usually both of them are eager for their food and it sets them into a bit of an excitable spin – literally, like seriously they will run in a small circle around each other and even throw in a wee hump for good measure. Even hearing a tap of their porcelain food bowl pricks their ears up and sends them running circles around our feet. Ponyo, unfortunately, was not doing this last night. He was hiding under one of the blanket forts we put together for them – rabbits like to sit in spaces that cover their head and body, due to their pre-existing prey nature – and refused to come out. Of course we weren’t too concerned at first as, like any animal and human, they can be in a bit of a mood sometimes. Maybe him and Hime – our female mini-lop – had a fight? Maybe he heard something he didn’t like and he was a bit frightened? Maybe he simply wasn’t hungry as he has always had a consistent urge to chew and eat everything in sight. So we left them to it for a bit.
I kept popping my head into the spare room – where they essentially have free reign to run about – to see how he was getting on and each time he was simply sitting in different corners of the room, hunched up and in his loaf position looking like he was sleeping. I tried handing him some food as Hime was slowly demolishing the food in the bowl by the second – she’s like me in that sense, if it’s there it’s free for all – but he wasn’t having it, nor the rabbit pellets he loves, nor any hay. The latter he kept pulling from my hand and dropping it – essentially he was telling me to b**ger off – but I could even feel less resistance than usual when he was trying to get it from my hand which made me worry more, the little lad has some grip and pull usually.
I then simply sat with him for a little bit and gave him some strokes. One thing Ponyo, and a lot of rabbits, hates is when you put both hands on him as he usually believes you have an agenda to pick him up. He then usually sits up and bolts for the nearest emergency exit. However, on this occasion, you guessed it – he simply sat there. He looked incredibly lethargic and slightly uncomfortable. Me being me, I got extremely emotional at this point as I just knew something was definitely wrong and I couldn’t do anything. Not eating was one thing but letting me stroke him with both hands at each side of his torso was another. All I wanted him to do was point those lovely ears up to the sky and run off.
It was about 10:45pm at this point and, originally, we were going to wait and see how he was doing this morning however, we made the decision to call the emergency vet services. After describing his symptoms the vet nurse insisted we bring him in straight away. I was scared.
To provide a bit of context as to what was going on, especially for those who don’t understand a rabbit’s anatomy, firstly rabbits are naturally prey animals, regardless of whether they are domesticated. In the context of last night, this means that whilst Ponyo was very likely in severe discomfort, he was doing his utmost to hide it. They don’t make a peep but, instead, show very subtle symptoms that something is wrong:
- The hunch: Most rabbits, when they are in pain, will hunch into a ball. This can look similar to their typical ‘loaf’ position – when they literally look like a loaf of bread – so can be extremely difficult to spot, especially if you haven’t had the rabbit too long. Thankfully, we have had Ponyo for three years now and I could tell he looked a little odd in this position than usual.
- Teeth clicking: Again, another one that is difficult to spot if you are a new rabbit owner. Rabbits will click their teeth, or purr, when they are content and happy, particularly if you are stroking them. However, they will also click and grind their teeth very loudly when they are in pain – I guess it’s their way of groaning or whimpering. Whilst he was clicking when I was stroking him, again, something just didn’t sound right.
- Not eating or drinking: When rabbits are in pain or distress, they tend to stop eating and drinking. This is extremely bad because rabbits need to have a constant, one way flow, of their digestive system. They also do not have the ability to vomit. They need to constantly be eating to then pass healthy poops – the ones that look like the little marbles – and anything that needs to be out of their system. If they stop eating, then that leads to point number 4…
- Not pooping: When rabbits stop eating then the digestive tract stops flowing healthily and it comes to a stop and can cause a blockage. This is known as Gastrointestinal (GI)/gut stasis. This then builds up bacteria and gasses which bloat the rabbits gut and put pressure on other internal organs.
Essentially, this is what appears to have happened to Ponyo. Unfortunately, at this point we are not sure why as GI stasis isn’t a cause, it’s a condition which appears from something which has caused the rabbit to stop eating. When the vet listened to his stomach it had deep gurgling sounds which, my understanding is, represents gasses. His abdomen was also slightly distended therefore this will cause the discomfort and will explain why he was hunched up consistently as opposed to his usual lying down flat, belly to the floor.
The vet endeavoured to put our minds at ease and commended us for noticing the symptoms very quickly, and for making the decision to bring him in then, as opposed to waiting until this morning. GI Stasis in rabbits, if left for too long, can be hard to treat or can even be fatal. Kamen fed them both yesterday morning and Ponyo was fine then actually, so thankfully it had only been around 15 hours from his last feed to when we took him to the vet.
So, an overnight stay admitted, and an estimate for a circa £320 vet bill – who knew such a small animal would cost so much money when needing emergency care!? – we left Ponyo to be taken care of by the lovely vets at the Braid Vets hospital. We called the vet we spoke to last night at 7:30 this morning and she advised that there had been no change. He hadn’t pooped yet, he still wasn’t eating any solid foods and he was still stressed out – Ponyo through and through, he freaks out at the sound of a plastic bag; but he hadn’t gotten worse, which is a good sign I suppose. Like a lot of rabbits, I guess, Ponyo doesn’t eat when he’s stressed, so I am a little worried about that.
We are due to call them back at around 1pm to see how he is getting on. They are going to continue pushing fluids and liquid feeding. Hopefully he starts eating and pooping so we can collect him this afternoon/evening.
A bit of a sh*t way to start the weekend and I will be sitting on the edge of the couch like an anxious mother waiting for her child to come home. The last time I was this worried was when Hime had to have emergency care after her spaying operation. She didn’t eat when we brought her home due to the pain from her op, therefore the risk of GI stasis was present too.
Ponyo in a normal ‘loaf’ position.
Whilst this is a very common rabbit ailment, as aforementioned, it can be life threatening. If you do have a rabbit at home, and haven’t experienced anything like this before, just be extremely wary of your rabbit’s behaviours – it can be crucial.
Robyn ♥
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