Sick bunny Bunya

About a week ago, Bunya was not feeling well. He demonstrated this to us by lying in places he does not normally. Also, he did not come when we called him and, the ultimate bunny-not-well test, he would not come for treats.

Bunya, flat out in the litter box
under their fresh hay server
(but not eating).

We watched him, spoke to thebunnylady from our local HRS chapter (a million thank yous for the advice ... and it was late at night), tried a few things and the next day, after a while, he seemed to be getting back to normal ... eating with Lucy & Ethel, being first in line for treats, et cetera.

Yesterday, he did it to us again ... lying in this position where he never usually does. 

Bunya in the hall.

Since this was a repeat, off to the vet we went. Even the vet said he looked depressed, not his usual self. The x-rays showed something accumulating. There were lots of good things that showed systems could work properly, but "poop operations" seemed suspended.

Bunya, inside lateral view.
The bad news is that faintly dark spot
about a third of the way across from the left side.

This blockage could make Bunya feel full, even if he had only eaten a few bites. In addition to the mass (could be hairball, but bunnies can't regurgitate like cats), there was gas around it.

Our wonderful vet took Bunya home with him last night, to watch over him and administer medication; he even called us in the evening with an update.

The nurse called a little while ago and said the poop engine is working again. He is also eating (all hay for now, for the fiber). These are two a major steps to recovery. Now the medicine has to continue breaking down that blockage. We hope he can come home soon.

Summary for bunny owners:

Know your bunny's personality so you can tell when s/he is not her/himself.

Watch your bunnies to make sure they eat and poop normally every day.

Use a rabbit-savvy vet.

Don't delay. Rabbits are prey animals and can be stoic, not wanting to show they are feeling weak to any potential predator. Therefore, they will use all their energy to look normal. When they finally show how they really feel, you can lose them fast.

At the top of the blog page "Bunny Care" are "Rabbit Resources" a list of links to some great pages where you can read about how to monitor your bunny's health and what can go wrong. Read these before your bunny gets sick so you know what to look for.

[English teacher sister - don't correct me that I ended a sentence with a preposition. It's how normal people talk.]

Please send Bunya some positive get-well thoughts. Thanks.