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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE HELP – Uncomfortable bunny !

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    • Mr.Pickles
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        Hello bunnies,

        I’ve been really concerned about Pickles lately.  Within the past 3 weeks, he’s had 4 episodes where he would be either hyperventilating and breathing to a point where he would vibrate (this is different than regular bunny breaths), or he would be very lethargic and constantly shift positions and look very very uncomfortable.  Throughout it all, he would be uninterested in any kind of food and his poop would look like small hard raisins.  Also, his stomach would feel really squishy and deflated.  He would sit in a corner, usually outside his cage or sometimes he would be on his litterbox and would lift up his butt to poop or pee but nothing comes out.

        I have taken him to not only the emergency vet, but also to two other rabbit savvy vets.  All of them are unsure of what’s wrong with him.  I even had two x-rays done and they said there’s nothing going on internally that they can see.  They had examined his teeth for dental issues and couldn’t find anything.  The day he did his xrays, 2 hours before I had given him 0.3ml of simethicone thinking that it’s gas problems.  He did end up feeling better and eating.  We left the vet with some Cisapride to give his gut some more mobility and was instructed to give 0.18ml every 8 hours.  Within 3 days he was back to normal, if not eating more than he use to.  He is slightly under 4lbs at the moment, his last official weight was 1.7kg, the vet before then got 1.8kg, and the vet before then got 1.9kg.  His weight is slowly decreasing.  He’s also 3 years and 8 months old. 

        I was wondering if anyone else has had any similar experience with their buns and what did you guys do about it?

        I have attached two pictures of his sitting position and as you can tell, he doesn’t look comfortable at all…


      • Tessie
        Participant
        1231 posts Send Private Message

          Oh no, lots of get well vibes for Pickles!

          So, are you saying he’s doing better since the meds, he’s eating now?

          Thinking of you guys


        • Mr.Pickles
          Participant
          36 posts Send Private Message

            He got the meds last week for 5 days, the vet gave a 10 day dosage just in case. He’s been off the medication for 5 days now and he just went into another episode this morning.. I’m almost certain it’s gas.. but I’m not sure what the cause is so I don’t even know how else to help him ..


          • Megabunny
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            2041 posts Send Private Message

              What’s his diet like? The usual veggies and hay? Anything new? Can you try higher fibre foods for him? Boy he really doesn’t look comfortable


            • Mr.Pickles
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                Nothing’s changed in his diet at all.. Usually he’d get 2 cups of veggies (usually romaine, cilantro, carrot tops, and occasionally some parsley, but I have removed everything except romaine after he started having these episodes) a day, unlimited timothy hay, and 1/8th a cup of oxbow timothy based pellets (I have also removed these for the past week because the vet said if he’s feeling better he can have the 1/8th a cup, but if he’s not, it really doesn’t make a huge difference in his diet, so I can just remove them). Right now he’s hyperventilating and switching positions constantly ..


              • JackRabbit
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                  Did the vet check him over for any sores or matted fur (even small spot)? Xrays showed no arthritis?


                • Megabunny
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                    Oh the poor thing. I guess I’m confused about the veggies. I would think they’d be good roughage in between the hay?
                    Canned pumpkin is an awesome source of fibre and they love it.
                    Can you give more simethicone? I’ve heard they can have quite a bit of that every hour or two? No sure, as I haven’t given it for extended periods of time.


                  • LBJ10
                    Moderator
                    16870 posts Send Private Message

                      Have you tried replacing the hay and pellets? Maybe something went bad and is causing the issue. It does sound like gas. Simethicone certainly can’t hurt to try.


                    • Bam
                      Moderator
                      16838 posts Send Private Message

                        I gave my bunny Yohio 0,5 mls of simethicone twice a day for 4 weeks straight in November 2014. Simethicone is not absorbed by the body, it’s a sort of lubricant that works locally in the intestines and comes out with the poop.

                        Have they made a proper teeth-exam under full anesthesia? My Yohio had very subtle molar irregularities that weren’t seen when examined with an otoscope. Turned out his stomach and eating-issues were due to molar spurs after all. He’s fine now. But he wasn’t comfortable for a month.


                      • Mr.Pickles
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                          Yeah, the vet did a physical checkup of him last Monday and still everything that she could see was normal.. so I’m so confused about it all  it stresses me out that I don’t know the cause.  I had just opened a brand new pack of oxbow timothy pellets for him a month ago so I don’t think that would be a problem.. and he hasn’t finished his current bag of hay yet, although I am contemplating buying a new pack for him just to see if that’s the problem.  

                          He was just hyperventilating for the past few hours and he looks super stressed out.. I took videos and pictures so that if I need to show the vet I could.  His regular vet isn’t in under Monday and it’s Wednesday now.  I’m hoping he’ll make it through at least until I can take him to the vet again.  I just gave him a dose of Cisapride 0.18ml and he’s gnawing on some cardboard now.  I had all 3 vets check his teeth and they said it seems to fine, but I think if I take him into the vet again Monday, I’ll get the vet to do a full teeth-examination, maybe it is his molars.  How much did it cost to fix the problem Bam?


                        • Megabunny
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                            think Bam lives in Sweden, so it’s pretty late over there now. Someone else might be able to tell you what they paid, but I imagine it varies tremendously the same as spays, so you’ll likely need to get a quote from the vet.


                          • Mr.Pickles
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                              Oh that’s true..  I’m in Ontario, Canada and I believe for Pickles’s neuter, it cost me about $400.  Last time I went to the vet for his x-rays, they cost me around $250.  So I guess any surgical procedure would be similar to the cost of a neuter?  

                              After giving him the Cisapride (the mobility medication), he’s eating on his own again, but I wonder if I should give it to him every 8 hours or wait to see if he’ll need another dose again?  What do you guys think? 


                            • Megabunny
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                                I wonder if you should give it again. Sounds like it’s safe enough and what’s one more dose? It may keep him comfie longer, but I do wonder if you should get something to have on hand for the weekend?


                              • Mr.Pickles
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                                  If I give him another dose it would be 0.18ml 8 hrs after the first dose I gave.  I should have enough until Monday (the vet supposedly gave enough for 10 days and have used 5 days worth), although I am a little worried if I run out, I don’t know what I’d do if he starts feeing unwell again..


                                • Megabunny
                                  Participant
                                  2041 posts Send Private Message

                                    Yeah, I guess I would be tempted to meter it out. Can you give it just twice a day? I really don’t know. I’m just throwing out ideas.

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                                Forum DIET & CARE HELP – Uncomfortable bunny !