We are in the process of aquiring some animals on a produce and purpose front, as opposed to passengers! My nice new chicken coop had arrived from the company and we decided to go get some light sussex chickens for it, a friend of a friend has a small holding and breeds an array of feathered and furred livestock. They didn't have any LS chickens, nor any other foul which took my fancy. But we had a nose at some of the furred stock, and ende dup coming away with two little passengers in the shape of mini lops, two females from two different but mixed together litters, six and a half weeks old. My missus was instrumental in their purchase, reasoning with me that they would keep the lawn down nicely, provide good manure, be good for veg leavings etc, and maybe even some hoppy young at a later date. I used to keep and exhibit old english rabbits, french lops, nethie dwarves etc once upona time so rabbit keeping wasn't new to me.
And Moo and Roo, as named by our three year old, had a home fit for kings in the shape of an XL chicken coop, and have been very happy for the past week and a half.
However I noticed one was not growing as well as the other, Moo has doubled in size since coming whereas Roo has not, and this said small rabbit started to get a very sticky and mucky back end on thursday. Removed all greens etc, as thought she had just been gorging. Spoke with our vet who agreed it was most likely the same. She picked up yesterday, no mucky bum but a bit of white coloured mucus, but was quite content and eating etc. But today I let them out and she looked awful, back end was covered in muck...even when washing it off it was just getting dirtied, was very subdued and just lay down looking unhappy and rather raggetery. To me, with an experienced eye, it didn't look good. I was prepared to wait it out, and if worsened then do the deed. My OH being a very kind woman demanded we go to an emergency vet, and made me pay 150 pound for the rabbit to be seen. I don't mind deep down, its in practical when viewing them from a livestock POV but you know how it is when the woman has spoken!
The vet seemed to think it wasn't dietry but was more the stomach unable to be dealing with food in general, that the body may not have immunities or ability to get rid of this etc. It all sounded very in depth, and ehr temperature was very low too. She had an antibiotic injection and some fluids, and now has some to take by mouth. Kept her inside and warm for a bit but she looked even worse, for curiosity sake popped her back in the run with her mate and she perked up a bit and ate. But she doesn't look good at all,very quiet and subdued.
Any advice, experience of information really?
My gut tells me this is just one of those things, and it's a matter of time.
Topic: Very unwell young rabbit, advice and help needed (Read 5992 times)
