Behavior unbecoming a healthy bunny

As has been written here before, unfortunately, too many times:
You need to know your bunny's personality so you know when they are sick.

Bunnies can get deathly ill very quickly. Bunnies are prey animals -- they instinctively know that predators seek the weakest. Therefore, a sick bunny will expend all his energy trying to keep up the appearance of being a healthy rabbit. When they finally give in, they can go downhill rapidly.

Bunya's behavior was off.

Bunya is laying in some hay that Ethel likes
that we had put in the pen for her, as if he's in a nest.
He did not come for his favorite treat.

Ethel stands guard over Bunya.
This is not a normal hang-out location for him.

Bunya moved to another isolated spot,
not a usual corner for him to lay down.

We tried simethicone (for gas) and water; he had taken metoclopramide (a pro-motility medicine). However, it didn't help and he ended up in his "I am really hurting" pose, where he is laying in the litter box pressing his stomach so it is almost curving, against the litter. This is not a normal behavior for him; he doesn't hang out here and it's like he's communicating quite clearly with us how he's feeling.

So Bunya is at the vet, which brings us some relief and, happily, him, too.

Since Ethel has been through it herself so recently, we kept her home until we knew he would be coming home (tomorrow). We didn't want to stress her but we will drop her off tomorrow morning to re-bond with Bunya at the vet during the day. Then we will pick them up together in the afternoon. We find this works best with them.

Get better, Bunya. We love you and miss you.
So does Ethel...

... although she appears to be enjoying that break. Grooming Mr. B must be exhausting. And she is so influenced by his behavior. When we put a few pellets in their pen before we leave for work or go to bed, alpha bun Bunya will chase Ethel out of the way so he gets first crack at them (food aggressive behavior he learned from Alice). Ethel has a couple of routes she dashes to avoid him.

He's not here but when I put the pellets in the bowl, Ethel still runs her pattern, like she was going long to catch a pass. Habits are hard to break.

Bunya update

Bunya's current bout of GI stasis has been mostly chronicled on the Rabbit Ramblings Facebook page. This actually started last month. After a stint at the vet, Bunya came home. He seemed to be improving for a while but poop volume (a serious measure for bunny humans) never seemed to ratchet up to full production. Then we noticed that they seem to be declining.

Of course, as soon as Dr. Mrs. Bunnymom leaves town,
Bunya's behavior exhibits tummy problems.

Tried baby simethicone, metoclopramide, Bene-Bac and pushing fluids (not all at once). I stayed home and watched him. He was not improving so I took him to the vet. Have but did not want to push Critical Care right after the rest of it. Also, his favorite treat is a Probios (probiotic he gets daily); when he does not eat it, we know he's sick.

See the post - Bunny Care: Monitor your bunny's mood (from an episode 2 years ago)

Tuesday evening, stopped on the way home from the office
to love on Mr. Bunya for 20-25 minutes or so.
Just to give him a little comfort
and let him know we missed him.
Skritched all the favorites: forehead, ears and cheeks/jawline.
He'd just received sub-q fluids so he had moobs
and was a little sloshy.
When the tech came to take Mr. B back, he said that Mr. B's one chill bun.

Last night, stopped again on the way home and Bunya's behavior seems to be improving. The prior evening, he sat still and let me love on him while he rested on the counter (see above). This time, he was more interested in exploring the vet's countertop, scale, computer mouse wire...

So I put him on the floor where he had a little more room to run around. The vet tech brought Bunya into the room in a tray of hay because he was eating when I stopped by; put the hay on the floor with him, along with a towel for traction.

He wandered around the exam room.

He came over to stare at me,
in case I had a treat.

Checking out the hay.

Gave me "the butt" pose,
just to make sure I understood
how he felt about having to be at the vet.

A couple of minutes later,
he sat next to me
and let me love on him some.

This morning, I dropped off some of his first cut Timothy Hay

(for high fiber) and a few toys to connect him to home.

Also included a small carpet square that he and Ethel

snuggle on together, so he could remember her and home.

Poop, Bunya, poop!

[From the movie, Bunya Gump]

When we get the word that he can come home, we will take Ethel there to spend the day with him and bring him home in the afternoon. That way, they have a neutral space to get reacquainted and will both smell like the vet's office. This procedure is a more gentle re-bonding, instead of just bringing Bunya home and he smells strange to Ethel.

Waiting for that time.

(From a RR FB page reader)