how long before calling the vet?

[Bam]

My rabbit is suddenly sluggish, he won’t eat even a craisin and he tries to get away from me to lie in a corner. This morning he was fine. He was neutered like 6 weeks ago and he recovered quickly and has been very well. Until today when I came home at about noon and he wasn’t moving. I offered pellets, carrot, a raisin and then a craisin, but no, he wouldn’t even smell any of it.

He hasn’t had anything unusual to eat. Should I just wait and see? It’s only been a few hours.

[Roberta]

Pepper has done this once… I rubbed her tummy and let her have her space and she was fine in about 4 hrs. I think if you be prepared for a vet trip it would be a good idea. Is he peeing and pooping ?

[LittlePuffyTail]

I usually try tummy rubs and a couple doses of simethicone and, if bunny is still not eating, I go to the vet. I go sooner if I see a lot of tooth grinding, shivering or anything else that indicates a serious condition.

[Bam]

I will try rubbing his tummy a little. He doesn’t like it when I touch it but then he never does. HI don’t think he’s pooped or peed since this morning, around 10 o’clock or so. I’ve put him in his cage to be able to monitor him better. How do you give the simethicone? I’ve only ever seem it as pills, for humans. Could a rabbit be made to swallow a pill?

[LittlePuffyTail]

No, no pills for rabbits. It’s available at pharmacies. It’s gas medicine for babies and is liquid. It can help if a bunny has gas bubbles causing pain. I use the brand “Ovol” but that might not be available where you are. The dosage is 1ml every hour for 3 hours and 1ml every few hours after that.

This article has info on how to massage:

 

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

[Bam]

I’ve now massaged his belly. He seemed to like it. He sat so quietly in my lap and licked at me as I massaged him. No teeth-grinding. No attempts to get away. Poor poor baby. Will call various pharmacies now for simethicone liquid for babies. I’ve put a hot-water-bottle in his cage with lukewarm water. He’s not at all his normal self. He’s hunched in his cage now and very still. Sth is very wrong. If I don’t take him to the vet before 5 pm there’s no vet available until tomorrow morning.

 

Mum’s picking up some simethicone now and she’s coming here with it. I don’t have a a car so I need her to take us to the vet. I’ve read the info on GI stasis. His belly doesn’t seem to be tender, at least he lets me rub it without protesting.

 

I’am a worrier, therefore I worry. I never know when to panick or not. I’m just not a good judge of seriousness of physical conditions afflicting my loved ones. I always think they’ll die. Sometimes they do, like my dog when she was old and got cancer. I’m so infinitely grateful for all your help and tips.

[Bam]

I’ve gotten the simethicone now, the streght is 100 mg/ml. Should I give him 1 ml of that?

A few minutes ago he pooped a diarrhea-like clot of liquid poop + 3 normal, round poops. And now he’s eating a pellet. A good sign, right? I’m still giving him the simethicone though.

 

He’s sitting in my mother’s lap now and she’s giving him a belly-rub and he grinds his teeth now, but sometimes he’ll do that when he’s being petted. He also ate a craisin, snatched it right out of my hand.

 

I’m feeling really stupid now but I’m not sure he’s out of the woods yet.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Eating anything is a good sign.

My simethicone says 40mg per ml so maybe just give him a 1/2 ml.

I’d say if he’s still not himself before the vet closes, I would probably take him. I wouldn’t want him getting worse over night. 

He’s not willing to eat any greens or hay?

[Bam]

He took a small piece of carrot and he came up to me to beg for almonds which of course I certainly didn’t give him. He’s not big on hay even when he’s not unwell so I doubt he’ll touch any of it but I’ve given him a fresh heap.

He then flopped on the floor. I was getting my hopes up, then he took a turn for the worse again, so I gave him 1/2 ml simethicone and a 15 min belly-rub. He ground his teeth sth terrible as I was rubbing his belly. Now mum’s gone back home (a 60 km drive). Bam is flopping in front of the tv. As if he got some relief from the rubbing/simethicone. I’ll keep it up and hope he’ll last through the night.

He is grooming himself and just now he made 16 normal poops. At about 4 pm he peed a little, but he isn’t drinking.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Grooming is a good sign. When my buns are ill, grooming is often a sign that they are on the mend. And pooping is definitely good.

Just keep trying to get him to eat healthy stuff.

[Bam]

I keep massaging his belly every 2 hours, for 15 minutes. This last time he didn’t grind his teeth at all. He seems much more sprightly now. He eats pellets (good-quality pellets with a high fibre-content) and small pieces of carrot and cabbage, but I don’t dare give him too much of the fresh stuff. I also gave him 1/5 more ml simethicone which he tried to avoid very vividly. There’s been at least 40, perhaps more, normal droppings. He still won’t drink.

Should I go on massaging him all through the night every other hour or should I leave it til tomorrow? Doubt that I can sleep. But I don’t want to stress him either.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I would let up on the messaging for a bit, unless he gets worse. You are right, you don’t want to stress him.  If he’s willing to eat and hop around and he’s pooping, I wouldn’t be too worried. If he’s still not himself by morning, you should probably ring a vet.

Is he used to eating cabbage or is that something new? I’ve heard it can cause gas in bunnies so I never feed it.

Hope he feels back to normal soon. 

[jerseygirl]

How is he doing today?

My bottle of simethicone is 100mg/ml also. I usually give 0.4-0.6 ml doses, depending on which rabbit. It’s pretty safe.

His allowing you to massage the belly would mean it was giving him relief. So it does sound like he had some gas pain. Gas isn’t always caused by foods. It can be a symptom of a gut slowdown also.

He’s not big on hay even when he’s not unwell so I doubt he’ll touch any of it but I’ve given him a fresh heap.

Have you ever had his molars checked out before?

[Bam]

I let him be in the night, he spent it under my bed which is a first. In the morning he took a small slice of carrot dipped in water and a pellet. Then I massaged his belly for like 20 minutes. He wasn’t happy about it and vigourously chewed at the towel I’d wrapped him in, making holes in it but not swallowing any I hope. When I let him loose he peed a rather good puddle, although on the floor, not in his litter-box. He’s not his normal self, but he is alert and grooms himself and me. He dropped a fairly big but normal-looking cecotrophe this morning, didn’t seem interested in eating it though.

The vet who neutered him checked his teeth and said they looked fine. But it wasn’t a regular tooth-exam, just a look. He has no problem peeling the bark off apple-twigs, he eats a lot of that every day and he’s actually done better with the hay these last few months, when he first came he would hardly touch it. But he’s not eating it voraciously. A hand-full a day, perhaps.

He’s used to having some cabbage but not much since I too have heard it may cause gas. I won’t give him any more. He seems to want carrots but that seems risky too. He never has lettuce because it has caused wet cecotropes in him before. I gave him dried mint last night and some dried tagetes erecta-greens from last summer. Please give me tips on what to feed him today. He was very cross with me for feeding him simethicone just now. He seems to really hate the medicine. He then ran to sit under a table in another room and he wouldn’t take a slice of carrot when offered but I see he’s eaten it now. But he doesn’t look happy. He looks cross.

 

I’ve never had a sick rabbit before.

[jerseygirl]

If he likes apple tree bark, try the leaves too. Apple wood and leaves can be fed fresh.
Rose leaves and petals can be good for the tum. Also raspberry leaves if you can find them.
Fresh grass might interest him. Fresh or dried dandelion.
All those things have great fibre.
When any of my rabbits have had tummy upset, these are the types of things they go for first. Pellets and treats are snubbed for a while.

[Bam]

There are no leaves this time of year and no grass, no dandelions or raspberry, it’s still winter and everything is frozen in nature and all the dried greens from last summer are already eaten =( I can get him more apple-twigs. Everything else has to be bought and I don’t know what to get. Rocket salad? Parsley? Spinach? I don’t want to go on some big shopping-expedition because I don’t feel comfortable leaving him on his own.

[jerseygirl]

Oh of course! You’re in winter over there. Our winters are so mild too, I sometimes forget how harsh it can become in northern hemisphere.

Herbs are good!
Some of the botanic hays have dried flowers and other plants in them. That might be an idea.

[Bam]

I will try to get some fresh herbs, I probably should be able to find basil and parsley and perhaps mint. He’s eaten dry mint-leves now and a little more dried marigold-leaves. So wish I had more of that! Botanical hay I can’t get without a car.

Gave him a fresh apple-twig now and he started munching right away. I love him so much.

 

He’s completely stripped that twig now.

[Bam]

Should I keep trying to give him simethicone even though he seems to really, really hate it? Yesterday he took it no problem the first 2 times, but last night and this morning he put up a fight and I’m afraid I’ll hurt him trying to force-feed him.

Could I give him a little savoy-cabbage? I just remembered I have a head of savoy-cabbage on my balcony. It’s deep green.

[jerseygirl]

Keep giving the apple twigs if that’s what he’s going for.

I’m not sure about the cabbage. I give mine cabbage, broccoli and Brussel sprouts at times an they have no issue with it. But my foster seems to be a bit off after broccoli. Some things that are fine for some are not for others. So if you’re the least bit suspicious about cabbage affecting him, I’d avoid at this time.

If he’s now resisting tummy massages and getting stressed about simethicone, I would stop giving it for now. If he’s nibbling at things, he must be feeling a bit better.

If he’s still not interested in pellets, you try a “pellet fluff”. You put a little boiled water on them til they break up and fluff it up with a fork. Then give once its cool.
You could heat juice and use that on them or add grated carrot,apple, banana or chopped herbs into the mix to make more appealing. I’ve also brewed herbal tea before and used that on them.

[Bam]

He is absolutely feeling a bit better, but he still grinds his teeth when I rub his tummy. He doesn’t fight me though, it’s just the simethicone he won’t have anything to do with. I’ll make some pellet-fluff for him. right away. I gave him mushed-up pellets in a syringe when he was neutered and wouldn’t eat the day after.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad to hear he didn’t get any worse during the night.

My buns hate the simethicone too.

If he were my bunny, I would probably take him to the vet if he doesn’t come around soon. Better safe than sorry with bunnies.

[Bam]

Now he’s eaten pellets, a few dried apple-slices (paper-thin) and a few thin slices of carrot dipped in water + more apple-twigs. He’s moving about and seems better. There was a clot of wet poop + lots of normal but somewhat smallish poops, and I still haven’t seen him drink yet.

When I massage his tummy he alternately grinds his teeth and licks my face. I don’t know how to interpret that. He doesn’t try to get away but he does stand on his hind legs and reach for my face.

I will see a vet if this improvement doesn’t last. But now he’s eating and begging for food and moving around. When my mum came to pick up the dog he came running to greet her.

 

His appetite seems back to normal now. But I’ll keep up the tummy rubs, they seem to do him good.

[Deleted User]

How is your bun doing? Did you decide to take him to the vet? Or is he better?

[Bam]

He’s doing much better. He eats pellets, apple-twigs, carrotslices, savoy-cabbage, dried mint-leaves and even hay. He probably would eat a craisin if I gave him one but I’m not risking it. He moves about and there’s been only good poop + pee, no sticky cecotropes. I keep up the tummy-rubs. He seems quite his old self but I’m worried of course, I don’t know what caused this. The vet is of course still an option, tonight I can get a ride any time and it’s comforting to know. He has insurance.

I’m so so grateful for your concern and your great advice. Seriously, you are the best.

[Deleted User]

Good to hear that he is better! Did your bun have a shed recently? My little girl has a sensitive belly and her gut acts up when she’s shedding.

[Bam]

He’s not had a shed, I’m waiting for it though since it’s been 6 months since he last shedded. I don’t know if the intervals change after a neuter, the way it (often) does with dogs.

Today he’s still eating, begging and pooping and if I didn’t know he’d been sick, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. I’ve given him a belly-rub this morning but only for 7 min because he became impatient with me. Will feed him some more simethicone.

 

How long is it safe to keep giving the simethicone?

[LittlePuffyTail]

I wouldn’t give any more simethicone if he’s eating and pooping. Sounds like he’s pretty much back to normal.

[Bam]

Thanks, then he won’t have any this evening. He still seems fine.

[Bam]

Posted By Skipper’s Mama on 03/06/2013 12:43 PM

Good to hear that he is better! Did your bun have a shed recently? My little girl has a sensitive belly and her gut acts up when she’s shedding.

 

Well, actually, he has developed a small bald spot under his right ear. The skin is uncompromized and it’s not really noticeable unless you look pretty closely because the skin is black there (normal in a black rabbit I’d think). But when I googled on bald spot rabbit I found that it’s pretty common in shedding rabbits, maybe this is him starting to shed his winter-fur? I hope it’s that and nothing bad. That could perhaps help explain the stomach-trouble? The skin is perfectly smooth and fine.

 

His behavior and demeanour today is still quite normal. Eating, pooping LOTS, peeing, begging, interacting with me and the dog, flopping etc.

 

[Author]

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