I’m looking forward to reading the answers to this! My bun went thru this last week – where he was very lethargic, and just laid there. I gave him a bowl of water – which he devoured. As he drank, I heard his tummy gurgling….but by morning, he was back to his normal energetic self.

So I wouldn’t necessarily worry too much about the gurgling as your bun is eating and acting normal – but I’d like to hear what the more knowledgeable bunny experts have to say on this topic.

Well, it’s the next day now, so first I’d like to know how he’s doing. The noise within 30 minutes is certainly the meds taking effect, and since you have something for him that was rec. by a vet, using that is a good idea. How is he today?

I need to urge both of you to have a vet you can get to lined up. If you need to find a backup exotics vet that’s a bit of a drive, so be it, but do that. You will have these bunnies for about 10 years, and you cannot leave them without a vet to call and a vet to visit. It’s vital. If you need help searching, head for the top of this forum where there are posts with links to help in finding a vet.

Baxter, while something may be similar, each bunny’s condition may be different. Example: one person’s head cold is another’s allergies, even if both are sneezing. So whenever anything is wrong with your bun, watch for eating, drinking, pooping and distressed or lethargic behavior. Changes in any of those are indications of illness.
Baby gas drops can help with gas, as well as tummy massages. But intestinal tract problems are the most common for bunnies, and can even be fatal. It is important to watch for the signs, and if they don’t clear up within a few hours at most, a vet is needed. Also, be mindful of weekends and holidays. You may have a bunny who is off its feed on a Thursday, so a regular office visit then or Friday may stave off a serious emergency over the weekend when it will be 3xharder to find a vet open and 3x the cost when you do.
Bunnies hide their illnesses. Know your bunny and don’t think you’re overreacting when you see a small change in behavior. It really is a clue that will help.

Thank you RabbitPam – I have a wonderful Vet who specializes in exotic animals, that I found through the HouseRabbitSociety website. Fortunately for me – Baxter’s issue seems to have been just a little gas – as his eating, pooping, energy and behavior all returned to normal in the morning. But as you said – these are things I continue to observe in my buns to make sure they stay wonderfully healthy. Appreciate your advice.

I think that extremely loud gurgling along with discomfort in the bunny is what’s a problem. Their tummies make a lot of noise during digestion, normally. Also, no sound at all (if you put your ear to their abdomen) is a bad thing.

A few mornings ago, I gave Java his salad like always, and when I was trying to fall back to sleep (he has me whipped to feed him much earlier than I would normally wake up), I heard these LOUD tummy sounds. The apartment was dead silent, and he was laying on his tummy against the hard plastic flooring, so it magnified the sound by a lot, but it was very loud. His house isn’t far from our bed (we’re in a studio), but still, it’s pretty loud if I can’t sleep through it. When he would stand up, it wasn’t nearly as loud (because the plastic was enhancing it), but it was still extremely loud.

But Java’s tummy is almost always REALLY loud after eating. The fact that he’s totally normal, no pain or discomfort, and it happens after nearly every meal, keeps me from being worried.

If you’re seeing changes in behavior, or obvious signs of discomfort (hunched over during the tummy gurgles, etc), then definitely go to the vet asap.

Kat9055- how is your bunny doing now? The lethargic part is the most worrisome and when a bunny gets to that point, its very difficult for us to help as it can be considered serious and vet care is recommended.I know it is doubly difficult being that this is a holiday weekend. But in case of an emergency a regular vet can at least do some basics and get iv fluid going, so keep that in mind if things continue to decline.

I know that you said you don’t have any rabbit-savvy vets nearby. Check the vet resource thread as there may be more options to search. We also may be able to help if you want to let us know what state and county you are in.