Buddy is ill, please help!

[MissD]

I woke up this morning to Buddy not moving much, looking very unconfortable, grinding his teeth and his tummy making horrible noises. He doesn’t want to eat or drink, he hasn’t pooped at all either. I will take him to the vet later, the trouble is, it’s 4 am here and the vet opens at 8. Can anyone here help me with what I should do untill then? I’ve never had to deal with stasis before and I’m a bit panicky to be honest. 

[Deleted User]

Give him a tummy massage, fifteen minutes or longer if you can manage it. Keep him warm, holding him or giving him a hot water bottle are two good ways to give him gentle heat. If you have any a dose of Simethicone can’t hurt and may help.

There’s some excellent advice on this forum, I think it should come up if you search first aid.

You don’t really have that long to wait (no matter how it feels), so try to stay calm for his sake, cuddle him if he likes it/let’s you, and let us know how it goes.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

It’s good that his tummy is making horrible noises. That means he isn’t in GI Stasis.He may just be having a bad bout of gas. Tummy massages do wonders and try and get him to move around to help work out that air. If you have Simethicone give him a dose and more tummy massages. So get him moving, and tummy massages until you can get him to the vet.

How long has it been since he has eaten or pooped? Do a quick litter box change that way you will notice when he starts pooping again. If he hasn’t drank anything in awhile you can try and syringe him some water as well.

[MissD]

Thanks for your replies. I’ve got Simethicone, how much should I give him? Last time I saw him eat was about 9 hours ago, he hasn’t pooped since yesterday afternoon, or at least that’s when I cleaned it and there’s still no poop in it. I siringed some water into him, he won’t let me rub his tummy though, all he wants to do is lie down but we are making him move around. Thanks for your help, I’m so worried.

[Roberta]

If you can stroke his tummy whilst he is lying down thats fine. I did this with Pepper once. Long storkes down the tummy and gentle circular rubs to the bits that were harder to get to. I think the simethicone is 1 ml but I would have to check the old forum posts as I haven’t had to use it yet.

[Roberta]

Here you go, it’s in here.
https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/113683/Default.aspx

[NewBunnyOwner123]

If he is persistent about not letting you rub his tummy by running off then at least he is running. Keep him moving, hopefully that will help work some gas out. Keep trying to massage his tummy though. I’m not sure of the dose either because it’s been since January that I have had to use any… I will go back and do a quick search. The search bar in this forum works wonders for getting quick answers while waiting for a response from members.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Edit: Didn’t realize Roberta has posted. Thanks, Roberta  

[MissD]

I managed to get 1ml of Simethicone in him and rub his tummy for maybe two minutes, then he ran off so we just keep him moving. Buddy doesn’t like being touched much in general. I will try to give him some more water later. Should I try to feed him? I’ve got Critical Care, I tried to give him some hay and some fresh mint but he won’t touch it. Or should I get something else for him?

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I wouldn’t go into force feeding yet. He may start to feel better enough to eat on his own in a little bit. I would only resort to force feeding as an emergency

[MissD]

He’s just eaten a little bit of hay and had a few sips of water! I’m so relieved   He looks better and is moving a bit more. I think Simethicone’s working. Should I give him more? It’s almost an hour since his first dose. Or should I leave it? The vet opens in an hour and a bit.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Yay Buddy! Let me know when he poops! I’m glad he is starting to feel better I would personally give him another dose when it’s time just to be extra sure. You can’t over dose as it works mechanically and isn’t absorbed into the blood stream

[MissD]

Gave him more simethicone. He’s just had two mint leaves and some more water, still doesn’t really want to eat though, I offered him his pellets and he wasn’t interested and he hasn’t pooped yet. But he’s hopping around and looks happier, which probably means he’s feeling better. Thanks for all your help

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Yay! Keep us updated

[MissD]

Will do, thanks so much! 

Update: We’ve been to the vet, it is just gas, not stasis luckily. He got 0.66ml of Zantac and 0.35ml of Baytril twice daily for five days. He’s feeling better, had a little bit of hay, pellets and water and even pooped a bit (not normal yet but it’s better than nothing). Buddy’s a lot happier altogether and that’s what matters

Thank you NewBunnyOwner123, Roberta and Grey Dove for your help.

[jerseygirl]

It’s good to hear he is improving. : )
It’s going to be tricky giving those meds if he doesn’t like being touched much. Hopefully he will learn its quicker if he doesn’t fight it. Goodluck!

Did the vet say why they’ve prescribed baytril?

[Sarita]

Yes, why the baytril? As for gas, it is a secondary response to a slowdown in the gut, not usually the cause of gut slowdown.

[Deleted User]

You are very welcome, … glad you got him the help he needed, … good luck with the meds! Hope he is feeling perfectly Happy and Hoppy soon!

[MissD]

He’s much better, thanks, he eats, drinks and poops pretty much normal now and did lots of binkies today  It is a nightmare trying to give him the meds, my partner holds him for me and Bud struggles all the way through. I try to do it as quickly as possible.

The vet said Baytril was to help in case there’s some bad bacteria in Buddy’s gut, she said sometimes an infection causes bad gas. Bud’s had Baytril before to help with his ear infection and I didn’t know you would use it for stomach upsets but that’s what she said. 

[bunnyleo]

Hey how is Buddy doing? this was me a little while ago, its teerrifyig isnt it? The baytril is probably to make them some more money, if he isnt enjoying taking meds, just make sure you get the zantac down him. as for the baytril, im sure I heard that antibiotics can sometimes have a side effect of messing with the gut? or maybe that was something else? keep him moving. dont stress him out with pellets too much, just keep him topped up with fresh hay until hi appetite is back to normal

[bunnyleo]

Hey how is Buddy doing? this was me a little while ago, its teerrifyig isnt it? The baytril is probably to make them some more money, if he isnt enjoying taking meds, just make sure you get the zantac down him. as for the baytril, im sure I heard that antibiotics can sometimes have a side effect of messing with the gut? or maybe that was something else? keep him moving. dont stress him out with pellets too much, just keep him topped up with fresh hay until hi appetite is back to normal

[MissD]

He’s doing much better, thanks. It was terrifying, he was perfectly fine when I went to bed (at least he seemed to be) but he was a totally different bun when I woke up next morning, so lifeless. See the problem with Buddy is he’s not such a great hay eater. When I got him from the rescue he was on muesli, it took me some time to get him off it but he still prefers pellets than hay. I obviously don’t give him much but it seems to me sometimes he prefers to go hungry than eat hay. I tried many varieties and he does nibble on it a bit but he doesn’t eat half as much as I’d like him to. Maybe that’s part of the problem. I don’t give him any shop bought treats apart from dried herb mixes. He likes his greens a lot. We do make sure he gets his meds although it is a struggle and he gets a bit stressed every time. As I said he has had baytril before and the vet said it’s to make sure there’s no infection inside him. I don’t really know if he needs it or not as Buddy is my first rabbit and I’m still learning, I just trusted the vet. She didn’t do any tests, she just said it’s best for him to have it just in case. You think he doesn’t need it?

[bunnyleo]

To be honest its probably not going to hurt him there are a lot of antibiotics out there like amoxycilin that bunnies can not have as they react badly to it, baytril is one of the few that is ok. Make sure he gets his zantac but when it come to the baytril get as much in as possible but if hes really stressing out I wouldnt worry about him not getting the full amount. Try giing him less and less pellets and keep introducing freshe hay, crush it in your hands a bit first as it give off a better fresher smell which is a bit more exciting. It makes me angry when pet shops feed them musli, its not good for them as they jsut pick out their faveourit bits and it then takes a while to get a bunny to enjoy food thats actually good for them!

[MissD]

He doesn’t get much pellets and he’s got loads of hay available all the time, he’s just not very interested in it. He’s not from a shop, I got him from a shelter and they were feeding him muesli there, no idea why. I slowly got him off it though. He got the last dose of his meds today and he seems perfectly fine I will look around the internet and see if I can find him some hay variety he’s never had, maybe he’ll like it more. Thanks for all your advice bunnyleo.

[MissD]

It’s happening again   I’ve got some zantac left so I suppose I’ll just start giving it to him. Can’t take him to the vet till Monday.

[jerseygirl]

: (
What is he acting like?

Try the simethicone first perhaps? And syringing fluids. Does he normally drink out of a bowl or sipper bottle?
{{{Buddy}}}

[MissD]

Thanks. He’s just wants to sit in the corner of his cage, he lies down occasionally but seems very uncomfortable so he sits up again. He will not let me rub his tummy so I just make him move around. He drinks from both a bowl and a bottle. He doesn’t want any water at the moment, I syringed some into him earlier. I’ll give him the simethicone and see what happens.

[jerseygirl]

Do you have a massager or massage chair?
If he doesn’t like his belly touched, sitting him on one of these might help. The vibrations even from a car ride sometimes helps relieve has discomfort.

Do you know what might have brought this on?

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Wow again? Did you introduce anything new to his diet last time? And then again this time that you may have missed? Any new brand of hay, veggie, treat… anything that you can think of?

Vibes for Buddy. Please keep us updated. I know it’s going to be Sunday. I wish vets would be a 7 day a week thing. Animals always seem to get ill on the day that vets aren’t opened.

[MissD]

No, I did not introduce anything new. I don’t really know, a week ago was the first time he was ever seriously ill (apart from his ear infection) and I’m surprised it’s back again so soon. I try to feed him properly, he gets good pellets, a nice salad every afternoon and has constant access to good hay although he doesn’t eat that much of it. He was perfectly fine yesterday, running around and playing. The only thing I can think of that could have upset his stomach is cardboard, I gave him a new box a few days ago and he played with it but I noticed he was swallowing a lot of the cardboard so I took it away, can’t think of anything else. He was very upset earlier, he was thumping his foot in the cage really loud, that’s what woke me up. I don’t know, I’m worried that he’s ill again just a week after his last illness. What if this happens again next week?

It’s 3 am on Sundy morning here, I feel so helpless 

[NewBunnyOwner123]

He might have some more gas. Have you tried different kinds of hay and different brands? Maybe he is just a picky hay eater. Poor guy

[MissD]

I tried a few types and brands and I now give him the ones he liked best. I will look online, maybe I can find some other hay he could try. He’s moving around a bit more now and just ate a little piece of carrot. I gave him some more simethicone, let’s hope it works. Thanks.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m sorry to bear Buddy is unwell again.

How is he doing today?

[bullrider76543]

I am sorry to hear that Buddy is having so much trouble, I am keeping you and him in my prayers and sending ((((Healing Vibes))))

[jerseygirl]

I would suspect the cardboard too. My foster bun wouldn’t eat on Christmas Day and took another day before he came good. He’d been really getting stuck into cardboard before this. Interestingly, he was also thumping a lot the night before. Stress can definitely trigger these things.

Eating cardboard can cause problems for some rabbits but for others, not so much. Sometimes it’s because they are craving fibre especially if they are not big hay eaters. It’s a bit of a “chicken or the egg” situation. It may be they are having a gut slow down so then turn to cardboard for extra fibre OR its more the culprit of the slowdown and/or exacerbating an already sluggish gut.
Does he tend to eat his litter material also?

Some safer alternatives of fibre if you can’t get hay into him is hay cakes or dried forage. Basically any dried rabbit safe plants, twigs, leaves, grasses etc. have you seen readigrass before?

I would be really suspicious about his teeth if he isn’t going for hay. It’s often dental problems that lead to stasis.

Hoping he’s on the improve and you’re able to get fluids into him.
{{{Vibes}}} for Buddy.

[MissD]

Thank you all. He’s better, simethicone helped, he pooped a bit, he drinks again and he had some food but he’s not totally himself yet.

I haven’t seen redigrass but I will definitely try and find some. I do give him dried herbs mix (chicory, ribwort plant, birch, mint, echinacea, nettle, black mallow flower) and dried dandelion which he loves. He also gets dried barn grass and his hay. His pellets are Excel for adult rabbits. I am taking him to the vet on Monday and I will ask about his teeth. Do you think I should give him the zantac or should I leave it and see what the vet says?

[jerseygirl]

So good to hear he’s starting to recover.

Do you think I should give him the zantac or should I leave it and see what the vet says?

Mmm… Idk. I want to err on the side if caution and suggest just sticking with simethicone for now since things are moving on their own again.

Maybe give Zantac if he regresses?
When you see the vet you could find out about the Zantac and when best to use it. Just in case there are recurrences.

[MissD]

I’ll leave it then, I’ve got some left after Buddy’s last week’s illness, that’s what the vet prescribed. I ordered some redigrass online to see if he likes it. I’m just so scared I’ll wake up tomorrow morning and he’ll be unwell again and I’ve got to go to work so I’ll be out for at least 8 hours. He’s just done a few binkies and ate his salad so he looks much better, keep your fingers crossed he keeps doing well

[jerseygirl]

Yay for Binkies!

That he’s taking in food now should have him out of danger.
Since he was seen only a week ago, you can always ring the vets tomorrow. Just to ask for advice on things you can do to manage this at home in the meantime.

[MissD]

I will take him to the vet to have him checked over, especially the teeth, I want to know what’s causing all this. He was almost perfectly healthy till last week (he had an ear infection some time ago) so either I’m doing something wrong or there’s some issue with Bud, I want to know what it is. Thank you all so much for all the advice. Let’s just hope he’s alright tomorrow.

He’s just had quite a lot of dried herbs and is now sitting in his sand pit grooming himself

[jerseygirl]

You neednt think you’re doing anything wrong!
It’s just unfortunate that some rabbits are more sensitive and prone to these upsets. You’ve done great in picking up on it so quickly. That makes a big difference in getting them right again.
I hope you’re feeling less stressed now that he’s doing better.
Keep us posted on little Buddy.

[MissD]

Buddy stopped eating, drinking and pooping again last night. We took him to the vet this morning, he got some painkillers, more Zantac and Domperidone. The vet thinks all this happens because he doesn’t eat enough hay. We will have his tummy x-rayed later today to see if there’s anything out of the ordinary there. I just don’t know what to do anymore, I reduced his pellets to a minimum and he still won’t eat much hay, he’s got like 5 varieties of hay unlimited every day, he just doesn’t want it. I feel so sorry for my baby

[jerseygirl]

Its happening so frequently. You must be so worried. Hopefully the xrays will reveal what the trouble is.
Does his stomach up near the ribs feel hard when he gets like this?

Try looking into hay pellets that are done for horses. Some you can find are 100% hay. Or the hay cubes might work. Hay pellets are what I ended up giving Jersey to get her more regular with poop because she doesn’t eat much hay either. It’s not ideal as they dont get the same chewing action for molar wear like they would with hay. However, it is important to get fibre in and if getting them to eat hay or other plant fibre wont work, giving something like hay pellet may just help with keeping the gi tract healthy.

Major {{{vibes}}} for Buddy!

[MissD]

I am very worried, I so hope the xray results will give me some answers. The vet checked his teeth again to make sure there’s no problem and they’re fine. His stomach did feel very hard, it was making lots of loud noises and Buddy was in pain, he was grinding his teeth and laying flat on the floor. I will look into the hay pellets, I also ordered some hay cakes and some oat hay (Bud’s never had it before but I’ll try anything now). Thank you for the vibes, Buddy needs them

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m sorry Buddy is feeling unwell again. Is he doing any better today?

Oat hay is a favorite for many bunnies (including mine) so hopefully Buddy will be a good boy and eat it up.

[hannaroo]

Sending lots of get well soon vibes! I hope he feels much better soon

[MissD]

Thank you all.
The xray showed some gas in Buddy’s tummy and nothing else so I still know nothing for sure. The vet thinks it’s because he’s shedding at the moment and he seriously grooms himself every five minutes. Because he won’t let me groom him with a brush and he’s not a great hay eater his stomach can’t deal with all the hair he swallows and that upsets it. Luckily it’s not blocking it. This episode was by far the worst yet, he was not eating or drinking for almost two days, we had to syringe water into him. He’s better now, the meds are working, he finally started eating today, he drank a little on his own and played a bit but mostly slept in his sand pit. He seems to like readigrass, unfortunately he wasn’t interested in oat hay or hay cubes but I’m not giving up that easily. I bought him two new herb mixes today in a pet shop and he loved them, he ate some of his regular hay and a few pellets and a little bit of his salad so he is definitely on the mend. I’m just so scared this will keep happening and I don’t know what to do stop it.

[MissD]

Can I have a few healing vibes for Buddy please, he’s sick again. Same problem again…

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Maybe you SHOULD remove the sandpit. Just in case. He seems to be having these problems since setting it up. Just a little trial and error thing. It won’t hurt anything.

Healing vibes for Buddy. Poor guy

[MissD]

I will do it in a minute. You might be right and I will try anything. I asked my vet about it and she said she didn’t think it had anything to do with it but I will get rid of it just in case. Thanks for the vibes, I appreciate it.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Please keep us updated

[hannaroo]

I hope buddy gets better soon ((((vibes))))

[NewBunnyOwner123]

How is Buddy doing today?

[MissD]

Thank you both.
He’s a bit better, he started eating and drinking a bit, he had some mint and coriander too. The vet thinks this will be a recurrent problem with Buddy since he’s not a great hay eater until he stops shedding so he gave me a bit more meds so I can give it to him when the problem comes back. He also mentioned I could get him Oxbow Papaya Fruit Plus tablets which apparently help break down fur he swallows. I wonder if anyone here has ever used them. I took the sand pit away like you suggested although I don’t really think it’s the cause, I got it after he got ill the first time. He does miss it, poor boy. I tried everything to get him to eat more hay, he gets 7 types every single day plus his dried herb mixes. I don’t know what to do anymore.

[elizabethy738]

I hope Buddy gets better soon. It makes me feel so sad when I read about bunnies not feeling well.

[MissD]

Thank you, I appreciate it

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I would go ahead and give him those papaya treats too. I’m sure they couldn’t hurt plus he would be getting a tasty treat I hope he feels better.
To increase his hay decrease the pellets? Make sure you offer plenty of greens too.

I hope Buddy gets better and STAYS better

[MissD]

Thank you NBO, I appreciate your comments.
I’ve already reduced Buddy’s pellets to a minimum, he gets 2 table spoons a day, my vet told me not to decrease them anymore. I increased his salad a bit today and I ordered the papaya tablets. I also started a diary, the vet told me to, I write down everything Buddy eats and plays with to see if I can work out if there’s anything that triggers his tummy problems just in case it’s not just his low hay intake. To be honest I started wondering if I should give him away to somebody who could look after him better than me, I just feel so bad about it all, it’s got to be me doing something wrong. It would break my heart but if it meant him getting better I’d do it for him. I feel so guilty He seems better, I noticed he drank a LOT today but didn’t poop as much as he normally would. Hmmm…

[hannaroo]

Please don’t blame yourself missd, all bunnies get sick from time to time. By keeping the journal you’ll be able to illuminate any problems and your giving him great care by the sounds of things! I hope you see improvement soon!

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Don’t blame yourself MissD! Some bunnies just have sensitive tummies is all. It may not be anything that you are doing wrong.

[Emandme]

HUGS for you and Buddy!

You are not doing anything wrong – in fact you are the best bunny mom for Buddy.

I remember reading somewhere that the lack of water intake and lack of hay can cause upsets and clogged tummies with fur. So happy to hear he’s drinking lots of water – does he drink from a bottle or a bowl?

Sending healing vibes for your little cutie pie.

[bunny06]

Hope your bunny is ok midnite had the same thing a few wks ago would not eat awful diarrhea and teeth grinding had to take him 1 hr away( i posted my amoxicillin story) a few meds and he was eating that night he is fine now. Parasite not sure how he got it.

[MissD]

Emandme – Buddy uses both bottle and bowl but prefers his bottle. He just won’t eat much hay for some reason.
bunny06 – it’s not the illness itself that’s the problem with Bud, it’s that it keeps coming back so frequently, after he gets his meds he gets better quite quick but I don’t want him to be on meds all his life. I wish I could help him more. I’m glad your bunny’s fine though.

Thank you all for your kind words, I feel a bit better now

[Emandme]

Just a thought – how would he do with only the bowl for drinking and no bottle? I always try to think about how they would do things in the wild (if they were wild). Also, if he doesn’t like hay, how would he do if he had fresh grass? Would he like it better?

You’re taking great care of Buddy, don’t doubt yourself. 🙂

[NewBunnyOwner123]

If he prefers a bottle over his bowl, that’s ok. Don’t try and force him to drink from the bowl if he doesn’t want to. It’s always good to have both options, especially when a bun isn’t feeling well. I personally just use water dishes but when my buns are recovering from something they have both options, just in case.

I agree about the wheat grass. Maybe try and give him some wheat grass. He might enjoy it but he definitely still needs to consume more hay. It’s beneficial for his teeth and gut.

How is buddy feeling today??

[MissD]

Buddy’s better, thank you. He eats and poops as normal now but I noticed he drinks a lot more that he used to, he had 150 ml of water today, he didn’t use to drink 50 ml in one day. It is warm here but not hot.

I live in a flat but we’ve got a communal garden that I can use. Problem is there’s a lot of urban foxes around. They’re not like the foxes that live in forests and fields, lots of them are sick, they eat rubbish, etc. I was worried they might leave something on the grass that could harm Buddy, they probably wee and poop all over it (please don’t laugh at me). Do you think it’s still safe to take him out there? I don’t really want to take his bottle away as he prefers it. We’ve got a check up visit booked for Wednesday.

Thank you all again for all your help, I so needed it

[hannaroo]

Rabbits do love fresh grass but be careful to introduce it slowly as they often gorge themselves quickly and get tummy upsets (as buddy is sensitive be very careful!) Is your garden enclosed? If not I wouldn’t recommend putting him out there because of dogs and foxes (I’ve heard stories of urban foxes getting into gardens in the daytime)
Maybe start by growing a small tray of grass and go from there. Grass grows quickly especially in lots of sunshine! Some bunny stores even sell Timothy grass seeds!

[MissD]

Hi hannaroo. No, the garden is not enclosed but I wasn’t going to leave Buddy alone there, I would go with him and stay with him just for a few hours, I’ve got a play pen, I would never leave him out there on his own. But growing grass in trays is a very good idea, I never thought about it but I will do it, I’ll get the stuff tomorrow. Thank you

He’s fine at the moment, he just drinks so much suddenly. Strange.

[Julezypie]

Don’t think about giving him away! You care enough to be up with him and rushing him to the vet. Someone else may just shoo him outside because he would be a pain to them. I think he is lucky to have you!

[hannaroo]

Don’t worry I meant in a puppy pen. Watching them inside is a pretty rewarding thing I sit outside for ages with mine, I think they enjoy being outdoors as there’s more to smell and listen too!
I hope the grass encourages him to eat good luck! X

[MissD]

Thank you Julezypie and hannaroo
Buddy got really scared of something on Wednesday, I have no idea what – he suddenly started thumping his foot, run behind the sofa, wouldn’t come out, eat (I offered him some banana and he loves banana) or drink. It took him around 24 hours to get over it (which I thought was quite long) but he still won’t drink much. I don’t get it – he was drinking a lot more that usual a few days ago, now he hardly drinks. Buddy is a mystery to me sometimes… Would the fact that I live near an army firing range matter? On the other hand, he should be used to it by now, he’s been with us since January. He eats and poops as normal now.

[hannaroo]

It depends on what Veggies you feed him! After Suri’ s spay I rang up my vet because she wasn’t drinking alot and he said that veggies with high water content such as lettuce, kale and some other leafy veg helps keep them hydrated so they don’t always need as much water as if they ate veggies.with a low water content. It would also depend on temperature. If your really concerned you can always wet the veg you serve to him as long as he is drinking and not lethargic they are usually pretty happy although I would be.concerned if he isn’t drinking at all!

[MissD]

He gets kale, rocket, watercress, parsley, coriander, mint, basil, red pepper, baby corn, carrot tops, carrot, sometimes a slice of apple, a strawberry or a blackberry. His salad is always a little bit wet as I wash it just before serving. Anyway, he is back to his excessive drinking again today. He’s ok, he eats properly poops and he binkied around the living-room like mad today. It’s not hot here, 19 degrees today, so I’m surprised he needs so much water all of a sudden, he never used to drink so much. And it doesn’t seem to come out the other end, I change his toilet every day and he doesn’t wee more than usual. We saw a vet on Wednesday, she checked him over and said he was fine, she just told me to watch his weight (which is 1.7 kg at the moment) and told me to come back if it goes down much. Thank you hannaroo.

[hannaroo]

Yay! I’m so glad he’s feeling better! You can relax for the time being! Sounds like your taking good care of him!

[Author]

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