It certainly cannot hurt! And just watch her closely if it continues, then get her to the vet.

Also I would never give her the Hartz stuff, it’s probably the worst stuff out there on the market. Glad you have more of her regular stuff on hand.

Keep us updated.

You can give 1 to 2 cc’s every hour for 3 doses. Then 1 cc every three to eight hours. Is yours the liquid stuff?

Also try to get her to eat her hay and activity is good – I know she may not feel like hopping around but my vet suggests getting them to hop around – I guess this is like tummy message or something.

As I understand it, buns can’t really overdose on simethicone. There are mixed opinions on whether or not it is effective. I’ve used it in the past to relieve gassy behavior and it’s gone away. Other times the behaviors have subsided on their own. But like Sarita said, it can’t hurt. Be prepared tho to get her into the vet if she does not start eating. I would recommend since it is Friday, to contact your vet and see how late they are open today… just in case you want to take her in this afternoon. Over the weekend, prices skyrocket b/c you need to go to an ER vet. So it would be better for her to be seen today…

I have had the exact same problem with Sophie in the past. She acted exactly how you described and appeared uniterested in her food and just plain uncomfortable. We took her to the vet and she told us it was gas, but we have not made any changes in her diet for over 2 years now so we excluded that from our suspicions.
She gets organic greens, 1/4 cup Oxbow pellets and unlimited hay and water (she eats a HUGE pile of hay per day). I was told by the vet that gas sometimes happens in bunnies even if you do everything right.

I read on a lot of websites and some books that you can give bunnies simethicone when they are gassy, but when I asked my vet she said I shouldn’t do that because I don’t know how it would affect Sophie and what dosage is right, so I never gave it to her. I did ask another vet about these “gas episodes” and she prescribed an anti gas medication which has an ingredient called Dioctyl in it.

Anyone else have experience with simethicone or dioctyl? Is it safe for bunnies?

Simethicone works “mechanically” to break up gas bubbles- it is not absorbed into the body or the bloodstream- so it is OK to give.  The only instance where Simethicone could be harmful is if you were relying on that instead of vet treatment and it was not a gas issue, or if the bunny stuggles alot when giving it, or you give it when you are holding the rabbit on its back (like a baby) and it aspirates any of the Simethicone into their lungs (not common but possible- and those are the only 2 negative that I can think of).

But your situation sounds as though trying Simethicone is a good idea- your bunny is a little “off”- but you know it has not been going on long- and you suspect what might have caused it (pellets). 

I gave my bunny Cotton some one day when she did not act enthusiatic about her food and she seemed quieter- she was back to normal a few hours later- did the Simethicone help?  Who knows, but it did not hurt so it was worth it in my opinion.

Julie

Posted By KatnipCrzy on 02/26/2010 12:15 PM

Simethicone works “mechanically” to break up gas bubbles- it is not absorbed into the body or the bloodstream- so it is OK to give.  The only instance where Simethicone could be harmful is if you were relying on that instead of vet treatment and it was not a gas issue, or if the bunny stuggles alot when giving it, or you give it when you are holding the rabbit on its back (like a baby) and it aspirates any of the Simethicone into their lungs (not common but possible- and those are the only 2 negative that I can think of).

But your situation sounds as though trying Simethicone is a good idea- your bunny is a little “off”- but you know it has not been going on long- and you suspect what might have caused it (pellets). 

I gave my bunny Cotton some one day when she did not act enthusiatic about her food and she seemed quieter- she was back to normal a few hours later- did the Simethicone help?  Who knows, but it did not hurt so it was worth it in my opinion.

Julie

The only available liquid simethicone I found is what they use for infants, but they are all mint flavoured. Is the flavouring bad for bunnies? What kind (brand) of simethicone do you use?

Glad she’s better! I bet that the massaging does help alot. I love to try the holistic stuff for my rabbits as well! I’ve tried herbs and accupuncture in the past – never could find a local vet though that did chiropractics for rabbits.

I’m kind of a skeptic about the simethicone too but I don’t discourage others from trying as it cannot hurt.

Glad to hear she is doing better

Good to hear Bonnie Lee is more herself.  I keep smithecone on hand also. I do massage first and simethe if I suspect gas. I will try the spine massage for sure! Thanks for sharing that.  BinkyBunny has mentioned Tellington Touch method here before. Also a sort of alternative way to treat issues and relieve stresses. I think rabbits (animals generally) respond really well to this sort of thing.  I also learnt recently of veterinary orthopedic manipulation thearpy. Really interesting!

I have a curvature of the spine which I’m currently getting physio for. My physio works on the psoas muscle which is a huge muscle that runs from the ribs to the pelvis. She commented she’s helped alot of people get over irritable bowel syndrome – not intentionally though, just something they reported has improved since they had treatment. A positive side effect if you will.  So I found it interesting just now to read how chiropractics has helped you. 

Anyone else have experience with simethicone or dioctyl? Is it safe for bunnies?

 Sophie*bun, I just looked dioctyl up. It’s a type of laxative so in the case of gas episodes, I wouldn’t want to be using it…  Perhaps it would be used (under veterinary guidance) in a case of gut stasis?  My own vet just uses a motility drug to get the gut moving. Dioctyl, I think, works by making the surface of hardened stools become permeable to fluids. The stool can be hydrated and softened and passed provided there is not a blockage.

Katnipcrazy mentioned above how simethicone works. I sort of think of it like a de-bubbler. Like when you add vinegar to sudsy water, it breaks down the bubbles.   Paediatric gas med contains simethe but you can also use the adult gel capsules and adjust the amount you give. It’s mentioned in this article:http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Thanks for your advice jerseygirl!

I do not think mint flavoring would be bad for the bunny- they can eat fresh mint- so mint flavor whether artificial or natural- I can not see it being a problem to use that.  Since meds from vets are often compounded/flavored if possible to get the bunny to accept the meds better.

I have never seen a flavor mentioned on the Simethicone that I have purchased- not sure where you are from but in the U.S. that is what I find.

How is she doing today?
Your massage is definitely a good idea that helped, but I’m curious. If she’s better tummy -wise, does it hurt her if you rub that spot again? If so, I’m wondering if there’s more to it.