How can I prevent gas while shedding?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 14sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 10 months ago by Bam.

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- 10/18/2022 at 6:14 AM
  bumpybunny
  Participant
  156 posts
  My rabbit Pumpkin has been going through gas episodes almost every time she sheds for the past few months. Fortunately simethicone has helped everytime, but I’m still so confused as to why she’s getting gas so often. When she’s shedding I brush her every single day and it still happens.
  
  This morning she has gas again. Can some rabbits just be prone to it during shedding even if they get brushed well? Does anyone here use those oxbow digestive tablets or papaya and do they seem to work? I’ve heard mixed reviews about them but I was thinking about getting some for her. Any tips to prevent this from happening again?
- 10/18/2022 at 7:50 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Hmmm, can you describe her diet in detail? I haven’t used papaya tabs or the oxbow treats but I know many members used to swear by a brand of papaya tabs that has since been discontinued.
  
  Other things to help with gas are tummy rubs, hydration (which keeps things moving along in the gut), encouraging movement, and plenty of fiber in the diet.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 10/18/2022 at 8:11 AM
    bumpybunny
    Participant
    156 posts
    In the morning she gets 1/2 a cup of veggies (usually romaine, green leaf, and cilantro) with 1/2 tablespoon pellets.
    
    In the evenings she gets 1 cup of veggies (romaine, green leaf, a handful of cilantro with another herb or two) and 1/2 tablespoon pellets.
    
    She has unlimited hay and usually eats quite a bit of it. Last night she didn’t eat much.
    
    I don’t give her any fruit or treats other than a small piece of banana or oxbow treat maybe once every 2/3 months.
    
    I’ve given her 3 doses of simethicone. After the 3rd dose she seemed to feel better and she ate 2 pieces of cilantro about an hour ago then ran and hid for a little while. Eventually she came out and had been hopping around for a while and even did a few binkies, but still wont eat. The only thing she will eat is rose petals from her botanical hay and gas medicine. I offered her a treat and she took one small bite then ran away.
    
    Right now she’s just sitting in the corner with her eyes half closed. She kept trying to lay down but would jump up again like it was too uncomfortable. She keeps running around and digging/chewing things up. I can’t get her to stop.
  - 10/18/2022 at 9:27 AM
    bumpybunny
    Participant
    156 posts
    I was really trying to avoid a vet trip because usually she gets better within 2 or 3 hours and the vet is so expensive and far away. But she still hasn’t ate yet 🙁 I gave her some belly massages and heard one gurgle from about a foot away from her. If I put my ear up to her belly I can hear very low gurgles. She hasn’t improved in about 5 hours so I think I’m going to try to get her an emergency appointment today. Unfortunately my mom will not be home to take me for another hour at least, hopefully she’s eating by then.
- 10/18/2022 at 9:53 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17011 posts
  You have got good advice already. Gasdrops, a light tummy massage, elevate the butt so gas can escape, encourage movement, f ex by carrying her to a place that she’ll want to hop away from (if she doesnt hop away, just sinks to the floor where you put her down, it’s not a good sign). Sometimes you’ll need to repeat these things over and over.
  
  I hope she’ll be ok.
  - 10/18/2022 at 10:36 AM
    bumpybunny
    Participant
    156 posts
    I just called the only rabbit savvy vet that I know of and they couldn’t get her in until next week. Thankfully I just found another one that has a few good reviews of bunny owners and they do treat gi stasis. They got me in for an emergency visit in a few hours. Hopefully this place is knowledgeable on rabbits. I wish there was something closer, it’s over an hour away. But thank you both for the help! I’m really hoping she starts improving before we leave so she doesn’t have to go through another vet visit again.
- 10/18/2022 at 12:26 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Another thing you can try is to syringe her some water (or bunny electrolytes if you have it). Sometimes hydration really helps. My bun Myra used to have a lot of issues during molting and hydration helped her a lot.
  
  Definitely keep offering her whatever she will eat!
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 10/18/2022 at 12:47 PM
  BZOO
  Participant
  331 posts
  I give my two a Sherwood Digestive Support every night. They love them.
  
  Brushing Boo, unless absolutely necessary, would not be worth it. Our bond would be destroyed.
  
  Knock on wood, never had any tummy troubles.
  
  Hope your bun is feeling better.
- 10/18/2022 at 6:32 PM
  bumpybunny
  Participant
  156 posts
  Update: Since it wasnt an actual scheduled appointment we waited for almost 2 hours to see the vet. Finally when we got in, she checked her and said she wasn’t in stasis yet because she could hear gurgles in her belly. She gave me some gut motility meds, metacam, and antibiotics. I already have some fluids at home so she told me to go ahead and use those. If she isnt eating by morning she said to call and bring her in, but hopefully I wont have to do that. She also told me that I can give up to 10mls of pineapple juice a day when she’s shedding to help her break the hair down. Im just really glad that this seems to be a knowledgeable vet, hopefully she’s feeling better and will eat tonight. I also just got some orchard hay today for her to try so I’m hoping that will encourage her to eat tonight.
  - 10/18/2022 at 7:23 PM
    bumpybunny
    Participant
    156 posts
    She’s supposed to get 0.2 ml of metacam every 24 hours and 0.1 ml of baytril the antibiotic every 24 hrs. This seems like such a tiny amount? If any of you have been in this situation, how much were you told to give? I know the vet knows more than I do, I just worry. She still hasnt ate yet but we’ve only been home about half an hour so it may just be stress.
  - 10/18/2022 at 10:31 PM
    bumpybunny
    Participant
    156 posts
    She still wont eat, I’m not sure what to do. I thought the pain meds would be helping by now. I gave her a little bit of simethicone an hour ago but she’s in the exact same spot now as when I gave it to her and none of the food in front of her is gone.
- 10/19/2022 at 8:34 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Have you syringe fed her? Often syringe feeding is necessary to get things going again.
  
  That is a very low dose of metacam… I would give them a call back and say she isn’t responding to that dose.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 10/20/2022 at 9:45 AM
    bumpybunny
    Participant
    156 posts
    I did have to syringe feed her 2 times. In the morning she still wasnt eating or moving so I was going to call the vet to ask about more pain meds but a few hours later she started slowly improving and trying to eat!!
    
    Today she’s almost back to normal. She was excited to get her breakfast and ate it all at once and she’s also been eating some hay here and there. She’s pooped quite a bit, at first it was weirdly shaped and kinda sticky but now it’s round and almost the same size as it normally is. She has been overgrooming herself though. She groomed herself for an hour last night. I brushed her this morning but didnt get very much hair.
    
    I also got her some of those oxbow digestive support treats. I asked the vet about them and she wasnt sure if they work or not, but even if they don’t Pumpkin LOVES them lol.
- 10/20/2022 at 9:46 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  i’m so glad she’s doing better! hopefully you can come up with a plan with the vet to help these episodes in the future!
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 10/20/2022 at 12:02 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17011 posts
  She does look bright eyed and bushy tailed on that picture! A typical sign of pain in rabbits is narrowing of the eyes (also narrowed, drawn back nostrils and like “sucked in” cheeks, google “rabbit grimace scale”). I see none of that in your picture.
  
  Very well done of you to take her in before she was in full on stasis! The prognosis is a huge lot better if there’s still peristalsis (intestinal movement).
  
  I dont know if the Oxbow digestive treats work, but in the recommended amount, they wont harm. Its really good to have a treat that the bun really loves -and its of course extra great that it’s a healthy treat!
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