# Not eating or drinking after spay



## Snowballbun (Jun 19, 2010)

Hey, my bun Snowball got spayed yesterday. Her surgery was done around 1100 and later when I talked to the vet she said she was eating some hay. I took Snowball home around 600. 

All she's been doing is laying in her litterbox, and looks really pathetic. (poor thing) The vet sent us home with meloxicam twice a day...I think it's .27ml. She's about 3 pounds. 

I've been watching her all night and all day and she hasn't eaten or drank anything.

I've been trying everything she loves to try and tantalize her to eat. She took one bite of oats and a half a raisin. I tried apple, dried strawberries, banana, lettuce, even canned pumpkin. 

So around 12 p.m. I gave her 3 ccs (small syringe fulls) of diluted pumpkin. We mixed it with water. I am thinking tonight I should maybe mash up some pellets. I don't know how much I should feed her or how often? Or if I should try gatorade or pedialyte or something too. 

If I took her to the vet I don't know what they could do? I know they have critical care, which would basically be the same thing I'm doing right now wouldn't it, force feeding? Can you get critical care anywhere besides the vet office? I'm really worried about my baby and I hope her pain meds are working too. 


Oh, also she's been pooping a little bit, but the poops are getting stuck on her butt. I think she may have peed once a little while after we force fed her.


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## Pipp (Jun 19, 2010)

Are you keeping her warm? That's really important post-surgery, their body temperatures drop. She needs a 'snuggle safe' or another safe heating pad or a warmed sock of rice or beans to lie against. 

On the other hand, watch for inflammation around the incision or for her to be feeling hot, that could mean infection. 

It's pretty common for the rabbits to eat before the pain meds wear off and then stop eating when they do. 

The meloxicam takes a while to work, they usually give a big kick-off dose. BUT it can also suppress the appetite. 
The dose you're giving her is high enough, but it may also be causing the lethargy. 

Is she just 'out of it' or does she appear to be in pain? 

Force feeding is a problem because you don't want to hurt her already sore tummy, so its a delicate balance. 

So far you're on the right track with the pumpkin, although if the poops are sticky, I'd try and convince her to eat hay, or go for the Critical Care or a pellet slurry. 

The usual advice is to call the vet when they haven't eaten for 24 hours. Pipp went 23.5 without eating a thing. 

Even half a raisin helps, as does a bit of pumpkin. The vet might switch pain meds and give her sub q fluids. 

Have you hit the 24 hour mark? 


sas :clover:


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## tonyshuman (Jun 20, 2010)

She might have gas--can you listen to her stomach for gurgles. If so, simethicone can help. Definitely keep her warm, and try to syringe feed her some water or pedialyte.


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## Snowballbun (Jun 20, 2010)

Thank you both of you for your responses! I don't know what I would do without you, and you always say everything and more that the vet would do.

Yes I am pretty sure it was coming on the 24 hour mark or past that she was not eating and being very lethargic all day. Sas- she appeared to be really uncomfortable. She was laying down with her back leg positioned outward in her litter box and her head nested in her dewlap. It just looked really sad and uncomfortable. 

She ate after her surgery at 11 something on Friday, but I didn't take her home until 600, so I'm not sure what time she ate at the vet's. Saturday (yesterday) I contacted the vet and they said bring her in right away. I was about to make a pellet slurry and I went in her cage and I found a really big mushy poop that has clear stuff on the end. Never have seen one, so I'm thinking it may have been one of her cecals. I brought that into the vet too. 

She did not have a temperature. The vet did several things. Increased the dose of her pain meds to .40 ml meloxicam from .27. He listened to her gut and said it was quieter than it should be..it probably was the beginning of stasis with her not eating or drinking. 

They did give her sub q fluids too sas! He also gave her gut motility drugs called metoclopramide .65 ml twice a day for 3-5 days. I am not sure what that drug really is. 

He ended up giving me the critical care, which is very hard to feed! She fights that more than she does the medicines and it got all over the place haha. I got 20 ml down her last nite at two separate times (less because we lost some) 

He also wants her to take the simenthicone baby gas drops as well! So we've been giving her that...1ml twice a day. 

They want us to massage the abdomen to help stimulate her gut, but I am not sure how to do that. I am nervous I am going to hurt her incision from the spay..

Last night when I took her home from the vets she was more active and walking around more. She was also begging for treats. They said she would probably be more alert after the sub-q fluids. She actually ate a little on her own~! A little bit of hay- botanical and alfalfa. Also, a little bit of oats. During the night she ate a small amount of hay and munched on her ice cream cone. She still won't touch any greens though and is not eating enough on her own. I don't really think she is drinking either. 

So I think I am still going to have to give her the critical care and syringe feed her some water. I should go get some pedialyte as well. I wonder how long until she's going to be back to herself. Is it common for rabbits to go into stasis after surgery?

I really appreciate your help and really look up to you guys to being so knowledgeable with rabbits. Please keep the advice/knowledge coming  It really means a lot too. I've been watching her a lot, I care soooo much about my little Snowball.

Wow-Pip went 23.5 hours...that was a close one then. How do your rabbits react after a neuter/spay? I mean what is normal?


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## Snowballbun (Jun 21, 2010)

So yesterday (Sunday) at about 4 something, Snowball started eating some pellets. She ate some more pellets around 900 at night. To entice her, I put a scoopful of pellet mixed with seeds. Then, low and behold, I found some piles of poopies in her litterbox! Yay for poopies! I was excited since she hadn't been pooping for a while. She also had peed.

Sunday, I also gave her Critical Care at least 3 times during the day.

Then this morning at about 6 something, she was eating some hay and she drank from her waterbottle. That was the first time I had heard or seen her drink. 

We tried giving her some fresh lettuce again this morning, (Monday) so we'll see if she eats it, because she hasn't eaten any greens since she's been home. I am so glad I don't have to work because I would be taking the day off. Friday was our last day for teachers. I am not sure if I should keep continuing the Critical Care, or just hold off and see how much she eats. I don't think she is back to her true eating self yet.

She is seeming more active than before, and she hasn't been laying in her litter box before like she did the first day. Her incision is looking really good and her fur is already starting to grow back. The vet has been really good with calling back to check on her. They are going to call back again today. 

The vet tech told me something about making balls out of pellets possibly with apple juice? How do you do that? She suggested spraying them with apple juice as well.

Oh, last night she also ate a slice of apple.


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## SarahJ (Jun 21, 2010)

I'm glad she's feeling better  It's so horrible to see them all dopey. I went to see my bunny at the vets just after her op (to take her some greens) and she was all wobbly and rumpled  Have you tried offering a bowl of water as well as her bottle?

Hope she's back to her normal self soon


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## Snowballbun (Jun 21, 2010)

Thank you Sarah! I tried putting a margarine cup in there with water and she picked it up and tried to throw it when I was hanging onto it. I think she would have dumped it all over hehe. She also threw her ice cream cone in the cup of water, so I didn't leave it in there. I think I need to get a heavier crock. It is weird that sometimes they drink out of a bowl after surgery even if they drink from a waterbottle normally?


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## butsy (Jun 21, 2010)

when i got butsy, they told me she was a boy .. so before getting her/him spayed, i did a lot of research .. it said girls take way longer before they feel themselves... after the surgery she was eating and drinking fine so i wasnt worried. turns out she is a girl tho  so i think its normal for female rabbits to take time to heal


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## SarahJ (Jun 21, 2010)

Yup! Just one of their many weird quirks!


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