I wouldn’t panic just yet. Keep doing the tummy rubs and gas drops. If she’s pooping, then that’s a good sign.

I’m sorry that you’re going through this and I hope all is well currently. I am not familiar with the background context, so I apologize if there are crucial details I’m overlooking.

You can see here for things to keep in mind when trying to stave off GI stasis at home: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Gastrointestinal_stasis#At-home_treatment

A warm temperature is preferable to being cold, so that is a positive sign. If she hasn’t eaten in 6-8 hours, force-feeding is needed, unless there is a blockage. You can watch this video to assess whether a blockage is present or not: https://youtu.be/iVW6Rw5rZzo … as long as there isn’t, I recommend force-feeding so she has stuff to keep her gut moving.

I agree, warm ears are better than cold ears. It means her temperature probably isn’t low. If you have leftover critical care, it would be good to try feeding her to keep things moving. If she pooped recently, then that is good. It means things are moving… and hopefully the gas is too.

Right now, all focus is, and should be, on the acute situation. Once that’s been dealt with, it might be good to try and suss out what is behind these episodes og GI upset.

Has any vet inspected her teeth? Teeth problems can cause recurring GI-problems. Rabbit molars cant be seen without an otoscope. Rabbits can get spurs on their inner teeth, and the spurs can prevent normal chewing. If the spurs are causing the bun pain, the rabbit might avoid certain types of food or eat less over all.

I’m sorry you are going through this, bunny tummy issues are so stressful. 🙁

Some bunnies are very sensitive to particular pellet ingredients and/or veggies. I recall someone years ago (can’t remember who) who said if their bun had a single mint leaf that was slightly browning it would set off a gas attack!

Once she is stabilized your vet might want to put her on a hay-only diet for a while to see if you can pinpoint what’s causing issues. I also agree that ruling out a dental issue would be a good step.

That can happen with some medicines! Glad the vet thinks things are good!

Glad to hear everything is OK! I take it she is eating now then?

Some rabbits aren’t as enthused about veggies as others. My Fable sometimes just decides “Meh, not now.” You can keep it out. If appetite is OK for other things, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It could just be it’s not in her taste at the moment.

In actuality as long as your rabbit is getting nutritionally good pellets, veggies are not needed in the diet. If it is cyclical like this, there may be a diet related cause. Have you tried cutting out veggies completely? Especially if there are times they aren’t being eaten, she might know something is up. Some rabbits are more sensitive than others.

Some rabbits also do better on different brand/types of pellets due to unknown reasons, gluten sensitivities, etc..

6yo is not an older-age where we get concerned about health in this regard. She is going through a lot of gastric distress, so the cause must be identified to resolve it properly or you and her will be on an ongoing battle of just fighting the symptoms. Can you describe her diet? As I mentioned, it may be worth doing some elimination/transitioning to see if it is more agreeable with her. Some rabbits do shift sensitivities as they age.

Those are all rabbit-safe, as you know, so it may be worth eliminating things to see if that makes improvements. Again, some rabbits just develop sensitivities. For example, my Fable has had much healthier poops as less “gurgle” when I switched her from Oxbow to Science Selective. At the same time, my Wick does completely fine on Oxbow.

I would start by eliminating veggies — as long as she has hay and pellets, she will still have a nutritionally-complete diet.

Wick makes some good points. There could be something in her diet that is triggering these episodes, especially if other causes have been ruled out.

I too agree. And since is an adult, she will do fine on hay and pellets while you try to cut out vegs -provided she actually eats her hay.

You do the same thing with humans and dogs when you suspect there might be some component in the diet that doesnt agree with the human or dog. Its slow work, but you cant rush it.

Tapering down the motility drugs is wise imo. Its like when humans have been on corticosteroids: corticosteroids must be tapered down because the human body needs time to start up its own production of corticosteroids again. When a bun has been on motility drugs, the bun’s intestines can have come to rely on the drugs for peristalsis (the medical term for intestinal movement). If you taper down the meds, the gut gets the chance to start up its natural movement again, little by little.

A food sensitivity or dental issue seems more likely to me, but it’s definitely not a bad idea to add some hay and water to her play area!

I still think (as long as she’s eating enough hay), going hay-only for a while is a good next step. It could even be an ingredient in her pellets that’s not agreeing with her (some buns are really sensitive to pellets).

Rabbits can develop sensitivities as they get older. Something that was OK when they were younger, they no longer tolerate as they age. This is true to some people and other animals as well. My dog, for example, developed a sensitivity to grain when she got older. It was causing a lot of stomach upset, so we had to switch her to a grain-free diet.