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What is the average life span of a very well cared for ...

Sent to Pet Experts February 27 2006 at 8:11 PM
   

What is the average life span of a very well cared for dutch rabbit?
My spayed female just turned eight last week and has been suffering from what her vet thought might be GI stasis. She has had this problem before throughout her life time but has usually recovered from it within 24 hours. I think she has had only one vet admission for it and it actually turned out to be a bladder stone for which she was operated on and had it removed. (that was a year ago) This "episode" seems to be a lot worse. She spent five days at the vet and now has been home for a week with her mate and still hasn't returned to her normal self. She is eatting lots of kale, basil, baby greens and small amounts of apple, blueberries and blackberries (all organic). She is also eatting timonthy hay and nibbling on newpaper. She hasn't been interested in her pellets at all and a few times this week I have given her Oxbow via a syringe. She eats all the above but it's usually with my incouragement, by waving it in her face. My concern is that she doesn't want to move around a lot. (they both have free range of the house) She now prefers to be away in a corner or under a chair and when she does hop she seems like she may be in some pain because she is stiff or maybe it is that she is weak. She did lose some weight thru all this and I was thinking she was just a bit weak but now I am wondering if it could be something else or maybe I haven't given her enough time to recover? She is making poop but they have been kind of small hard and dry until a couple of days ago. She started making the grape like clusters of poop a couple of days ago too and I have been offering them to her to eat and she has been eatting a few the past couple of days. She is cleaning herself but has difficulty balancing on her back legs. It's this back leg weakness/stiffness that is concerning me. Please advise.

Optional Information:
Age: 8; Female; Breed: Dutch rabbit

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
February 27 2006 at 9:30 PM (1 hour and 18 minutes and 51 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
First, the way you care for your baby extends their life compared to caged. I've seen them live 10, up to 15 years old.

There are a couple things that could make her appear weak in the back and I am going to shoot into the dark and check the obvious, being hock. Sore feet. Check her back feet to see if they are sore.
Now, have you changed the diet lately or introduced any new food? What about crackers? And what is the urine like? Scanty, frequent, incontinent?

Please don't hesitate to find answers, you may try 'rabbit central.com'

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Reply
March 2 2006 at 6:56 PM (2 days and 21 hours later)
         
Reply to sdee's Post: She doesn't appear to have sore feet. She seems more stiff and possibly weak.
Yes, I have changed her diet because she was not eating her usually food. I had to give her Oxbow which is a dehydrated food for herbivores and Pedilite for hydration. After a few days she wasn't showing any signs of improvement so I took her to her vet. They gave her subQ fluids, some meds for pain and treated her for GI stasis. Sent her home after five days, hoping she would do better at home with me and her mate and I've been nursing her here at home by offering her all the foods I mentioned in my last e-mail.
I took her in to her vet today and they drew blood and urine samples. Will get results tomorrow. I don't understand the question regarding crackers??? The urine is somewhat scant and she isn't always using her litterbox.

Edited by Customer (name blocked for privacy) on March 2 2006 at 7:00 PM
Answer
March 3 2006 at 1:35 PM (18 hours and 38 minutes and 8 seconds later)
         
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