Advice…bunny is feeling bad.

[Rippy]

First of all I already called my vet but I cant get him there in the normal working hours so I will have to wait for the emergancy vet to have an opening in a few hours.

Problem is that he is not eating  since about 9pm (14 hours)  yesterday, did not poop since 6pm  (17 hours) and he is very low energy today.

Yesterday he ate all the greens I gave him before his bed time and quite a bit of hay but did not touch the pellets…he was happy and doing binkies and pooped like normal. But today when I let him out in the morning I noticed that something was wrong and he seemed very calm. There was no poop in the litter box I cleaned yesterday and he did not touch his pellets at all during the night. Judging by his litter box he was in and out of it quite a bit. He seemed very low on energy but he still made a jump on my bed…to his litter box  , did not poop tho. At this time I give them more greens but he will not touch them (3 different), tempted him with a bit of carrot but he is not interested. He is just resting on my carpet now.

Other thing I noticed is that he left two small poops that almost looked like night droppings but they smelled worse the normal. He is also occasionally making large movements with his jaw…like a cow chewing which is making me suspect teeth trouble even tho he had his check up a few months back and everything was great there.

Any ideas what could it be?

[jerseygirl]

Is it Smoo? That does sound like teeth but would he have eaten his hay then? Maybe he’s got something stuck in his mouth somewhere. Sometimes if they get molar spurs hay or food can get hooked on them. He seems too young to have developed spurs though. Could he be grinding his teeth perhaps?  What’s his belly feel like?
Hope you can get him sorted out soon. (((vibes!)))

[Rippy]

Yes its Shmoo and it might be teeth grinding but no sound…tho he will slightly purr when I pet him which is normal. His belly is more or less normal as well when he is laying down its slightly round like normal but might feel a bit too soft (gas?). Yesterday he did lick my face soon after I took a shower but he does give me “kisses” quite often…poisoned by shampoo?

He is still “relaxing” near me but its clear that he does not feel good. Its about 25°C / 77°F in my room and his ears are cold so I covered him up part way with a towel.

[jerseygirl]

How long before you can get him to the vet? I’m reminded of another member going thru this and seeing emergency vet. Ask them to take his temperature. Her rabbit was hypothermic and it wasn’t picked up 1st time she went to e-vet. It’s important temp not too low otherwise meds don’t work as well. If it’s under 100F he needs to be warmed up. Heat pad, warm sub-q fluids.
 

[Rippy]

Well I would not be suprised if there is a problem with his molar’s since he does not eat that much hay or pellets…I try to do everything I can to get him to eat more hay but he still ends up eating only like 25% of what Pika does in a day…even tho they are the same size and it does show in there poop size. Its been like that since I got him and I consider it “normal” for him.

[Beka27]

Were you able to get him in?

(My timestamp appears to be messed up so I don’t know when this was initially posted or where you’re located.)

[jerseygirl]

Beka, I would say Rippy posted 1/2 – 1 hour ago. Hopefully they’re going in now. I have no idea re time. It’s 9pm here, timestamp reads 4.28am.

[Rippy]

I’m from Europe (GTM +1) so my time would be forum timestamp + 9h if I am correct. Unfortunately not yet and I wont get him to a vet any sooner then 4h from now because the emergency vet for today is out on the field and swamped…I called another one but he is very busy as well and from what he told me “oh if its teeth it can wait till tomorrow morning.” that one was not really an expert.

Shmoo is still bad..resting under my desk and even tho he sometimes sniffs the greens he backs off again but the bright side is that he drank quite a bit of water.

[jerseygirl]

That’s good – keeping hydrated is important. Had he been healthy before this lack of appetite and poop?

[Rippy]

Yes he was more then fine yesterday…happy, active and running around. He ate all his greens and quite a bit of hay. Today I prep the room with toys and protection for the bed…He is already waiting for me to open his cage and then jumps out…barely makes the 50cm jump on my bed and then I notice he is very low on energy and no poop in his litter box .

[Rippy]

I massaged his belly a bit and he passed 3 small pellets and later a gooey mess which would probably be night droppings (which he ate a bit as well). He still does not want to eat anything else but is drinking water. I should be able to get him to a vet soon.
 

http://www.shrani.si/f/29/D5/1VpXnPZI/img5428.jpg

 

http://www.shrani.si/f/20/Tr/37BUSiE0/img5429.jpg

[jerseygirl]

Oh yes, you’ll definately still want to get him seen. Did his appetite improve once he passed that? I know my rabbit had an instant turn around as soon as the blockage passed. It sort of looks like a bit of hair or blockage did pass but the goeyness needs to be checked out. Maybe take that those poops into the vet. Poor Shmoo ! (((feel better Shmoo)))

[Lis]

Oh my. I’m definitely agreeing with Jersey here, take that with you in a plastic bag or something. Here’s hoping that was the problem. Yuck.
But yay that something passed!
((((vibes for Shmoo))))

[jerseygirl]

I meant to ask, do you have an idea if his temperature has improved? His discomfort eased?

[Rippy]

Ok I took him to the vet…but im not that confident at the moment. The vet prescribed him 5 doeses of Sulfadimidin at 9ml/day (he got one today) and he think’s its bacterial from the dandelions I pick in my garden but I make sure they are very clean before I give it to them (plus Pika has no problems at the moment).

He did try to check his teeth but could not see the back ones but after I asked for an x-ray we found the “problem”. He has gas in his Cecum which is probably causing him pain and because of it he wont eat. 

 
http://www.shrani.si/f/2l/11l/5KMRxSb/img5431.jpg

http://www.shrani.si/f/2/iA/3EYLpCGZ/img5432.jpg

Now I asked about painkillers or laxatives but he told me that they are a “double edged sword”. I did massage Shmoo’s belly quite a bit and it seems to relieve the pain somewhat…but I have no idea what to do now. He needs to pass this so he can start eating again and I doubt that the medicine I got will do it or quick enough.

[mocha200]

(((((((((((healing vibes for shmooo))))))))))

[Sarita]

The gas is secondary to the bacterial infection. Is the sulfamidin for the infection? He is treating the infection which is good.

You could try some mylocin which is for infant gas relief.

[Rippy]

Yes its for the infection – “QJ51R Combination of antibacterials for intramammary use”. No change yet..gas is still there and he is in pain. Massaged his belly some more and he did poop very little.

[Rippy]

Its morning now and he has not eaten for 36h . He is resting almost constantly but the good news is that he still has some energy left since he managed to jump out thru the roof door on his cage. The gas is still there and might be even larger. I did massage his belly for quite a bit but he cant pass it . I will go buy Simethicone based baby drops now but I don’t know how much and at what intervals to give it…or if it can cause more complications.

[Rippy]

So how do I dose this ? 1ml (aprox 25 drops) contains 69.2 mg Simethicone.

[jerseygirl]

Could the vet see if there was a blockage? Did you end up seeing regular vet or e-vet? From the x-ray pics it looks like and awful lot of gas for a little bunny. If I’m reading it right.

In this article it detail the dosage for simethicone. http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html  In short, you can give 1-2ml every hour for the 1st 3 hours. Then one dose (1-2mls)  every 8hrs after the intial 3. Do check the strength of the formula though as the different products can vary.
You can try put him on something that gives off light vibrations too.. That might relieve some gas. I would of thought they’s given some pain med.
Continued vibes for Shmoo.

[Rippy]

The office was closed to I had to see a e-vet. He said there was no blockage and about the pain meds…that they could do more (“harm then good, slowing down the his GI even more”).

Since it contains 70mg per cc of “medicine” I opted to give him 0.4 CCs but about half of it ends up on his whiskers. He started to shake a bit as well so now I have two bottles with warm water next to him. I’m massaging him now and then when he is laying slightly on his side but I’m unsure if I’m doing it correctly…from his head to rear right ? He is still drinking water which is good but I wonder if the stupid vet broke his tail as well (picked him up by ears+skin and tail…he let go of him right away)…his tail is pointing up and is slightly curled to his back…is this from pain ?

[jerseygirl]

but I wonder if the stupid vet broke his tail as well (picked him up by ears+skin and tail…he let go of him right away)..

WHAT?! The e-vet picked him up by the ears? Or do you mean gripped his ears and had one hand around hind end as he lifted him? Can you take him to your regular vet? I’m worried as I’m sure you are. I think he needs more attention – especially if he is shaking.

[Rippy]

Yes I can (will), he opens up at 7am tomorrow . Problem is that the standby vet this weekend focuses mostly on dogs and cats (but the work at the same clinic). I will call him again and tell him there is no improvement yet and ask him if he can call the one that does specialise in this for a consultation.

But tomorrow will be near 60h since he has last eaten…at the moment there is still minor GI mobility as he did drop two tiny poops about an hour ago, he is still drinking and stable.

But his body temperature is low and I have to keep him warm, he is in pain, not eating, gas is still there and might be even more of it despite frequent massages. I just hope that the simethicone will kick in.

[Sarita]

What! So many things that vet did are wrong. Your rabbit NEEDS pain meds…he’s not eating because he’s in pain. Get him to your regular vet tomorrow. He needs fluids and hand feeding and gut motility drugs and pain meds.

[jess&peter]

I’m so sorry you’re going through this — sending you major healing vibes.

I am the person mentioned who had the vet miss my rabbit’s low temp during a stasis episode and had him go into hypothermic shock. The first vet I saw noted a low temp but didn’t seem concerned by it — then administered cold fluids, causing his already low temp to rapidly fall once we were home. According to the e-vet I took him to several hours later, keeping his body temp up with hot water bottles until I could get him to the vet for warm fluids was likely what saved his life. He was also prescribed two different motility drugs (reglan and cisapride), one for the upper GI and another for the lower — this was along with metacam for pain.

Hang in there and keep us posted.

[KatnipCrzy]

I would be persistent about getting proper bunny emergency care and seeing if the other vet will come in or consult- your bunny needs to stay hydrated, GI system moving- syringe feeding, etc and pain control.

[Rippy]

Ill take him in again as soon as the vet opens I just hope it wont be too late by then. He is drinking but the question is if the water is going where it should. Syringe feeding is almost impossible with him…I have so much trouble with medicine and even then my best bet is if I take him to somewhere where he has never been…bathtub so he is stressed out enough not to struggle much and even that is hard since he has a phobia of being picked up. I can’t but “critical care” here…but I think baby food might work.

Tomorrow I will request fluids, pain meds and something to get him moving. This vet recommended giving him Paraffin oil to get his GI moving and flush out the gas…but I’m not that sure if its healthy if he is empty.

But is there any chance of the gas passing like he is at the moment ? Not eating but with massage and baby gas drops? It’s been about 8h since I gave him his first dose of simethicone but not everything got in all the time.

[Sarita]

I would not do the paraffin oil….hydration is important and hand feeding as well as pain meds.

[jerseygirl]

How is he Rippy?

You can give simethicone more frequently at first. maybe give another dose, then one more 1 hour after that. Then spread it out to every 8 hours. Though by this time he has hopefully received some pain med and motility drugs.

[Rippy]

He is quite bad…he struggles to get on his feet and the belly is larger . Might be from lack of sleep and pain but its not looking good . The blanket kept him warm thru the night tho.

[Rippy]

I got him in at 7:30am (local time its 11:30 now) and he received metacam sub dermal (0,2ml if the figure on the bill is correct). His temperature was 103.5 F (39,7 C) but I did express worry because the temperature in my room did not go below 75 F and I had him tucked in a blanket all night. The vet said he is well hydrated so there is no need for fluids.

When we got home he was quite active and even gave Pika a few kisses but I think that was just the stress from the vets office that “woke him up”. He is resting again but still in pain as he is grinding his teeth. How long does it take for the metacam to kick in? I called the two pet stores in my area and they do not have anything for syringe feeding so I bought baby food (apple and carrots) and will give him 5-10ml in an hour. I’m going to take him back tomorrow for more pain meds and antibiotics.

[RabbitPam]

Hang in there Rippy. If you don’t see improvement soon, just call the vet to confirm that your dosage is correct.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Heaking vibes}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[Rippy]

Yeah the pain meds are working…he is feeling better and more active. But trying to syringe feed him is near impossible. I have been chasing him around the room for 15 minutes and even with two people he struggles so much that he might hurt himself. I will try again in an hour or two and see if I can take him somewhere else so he is a bit scared and does not move as much.

Still no change with his gas issue, he still has GI movement but along with a small poop or two there is some white sludge so the vet said that he is running on empty .

[Sarita]

Definitely need to get food in him! Can you try to entice him with some fragrant herbs?

It’s good that he’s moving though – that should help get the gut moving as well.

[Rippy]

Sarita I have been trying with 4 kinds of vegetables, apple, banana (I know the last two are bad now). He will just sniff and back off like its poison…even when he was next to Pika’s cage I tried to be tempting to get them to share the banana but nothing .

I bought a big 50ml syringe in the hope that a home made “paste” from Bunny Basics T would fit through the nozzle but the particles are just too large so I have no choice but to go with the Apple+Carrot baby food.

[Sarita]

Do you have a coffee grinder thing – you can grind the pellets up in that. Even baby food though will at least be something in his stomach.

I think you should talk to the vet about gut motility drugs and sub-q fluids and more pain meds.

[Rippy]

I kept trying again for 20 min…bunny burrito, bathtub but he was kicking so much its impossible…why is he so “willing” at the vet about this and when I do it he acts like I’m trying to eat him

But yes I’m going to take him to the vet again tomorrow at 7am for more pain meds and hand feeding. Hate the fact its a 25 minute drive.

[Rippy]

Could not feed him…even with two of us. We just made him burn valuable energy and I can only pray that he is as stubborn with staying alive. Can’t stop blaming myself (and the vet for slow treatment). I just can’t understand what would make the most cuddly and energetic bunny go from good to very bad in under 7 hours.

[Sarita]

He probably just doesn’t feel good.

The best way I’ve found for handfeeding my rabbits is to kind of cradle them in your arms where they are upright, stick the syringe in their stubborn little mouth and squirt a small amount then set them down to actually swallow the stuff.

I usually sit in the bathroom on the floor to syringe feed my rabbits (when they need it).

I do find some rabbits are just more squirmy and difficult than others though.

[Rippy]

Since I got him he had a phobia of being picked up and it took quite a long time till he allowed me to pet him. I did try to “train” him so he can be carried but it was not possible as he would take off at the slightest hint. This makes him very difficult to handle in such situations. My guess is that he was mishandled before I bought him from the pet store – being picked up in wrong ways.

Pika is very easy to “move” around since I got her just as she was weaned off her mothers milk. If i place my hand under her forward feet and the other near the back she will get on my hand and more or less stand on them.

[Rippy]

He ate about 10-13cc’s of baby food at the vet and got more drugs. There is increased GI activity at the moment (well 2h after we got home) and he ate a few small straws of hay (bits of toilet paper and cardboard as well) on his own.

I will try syringe feeding him myself again today but if it wont work I’m thinking of taking him back for some more baby food (and another vet trip tomorrow). It is looking better at the moment (less pain so he can nibble on something every now and then) but it is too early to tell.

[Rippy]

I finaly found something that he wants to eat in his current state. Fresh grass but it has to be very jung. I gave him a few small blades and he ate them slowly but one after the other. Its taken from fenced off garden so no domestic animals get there. But is it a good idea to give him more ?

[BinkyBunny]

Seems like he’s slowly improving now. By the way it was sounding, I think you got him to your vet in the nick of time and he’s slowly recovering.

Continued Healing Vibes.

And Hugs to you….such a stressful time!

[jerseygirl]

Yes, Continued (((vibes))) for Shmoo !
Do update us when you’re able.

[MimzMum]

((((((((((((((((((healing vibes for Shmoo))))))))))))))) My lop loves the hayseed/timothy grass that grows in our pesticide free yard. He will eat that almost to the exclusion of all else. It seems to agree with him better than anything else also.
Poor little bun. I have to say, that first pic didn’t look like any cecal I’ve ever seen, and I’ve gotten some nasty ones from my bunnies…could he have swallowed something he wasn’t supposed to, and then the subsequent elimination just was awfully hard on his system?
I will keep your dear bun in my prayers. What a harrowing experience! ((((((((((((((((hugs for you)))))))))))))

[RabbitPam]

it sounds like he’s gradually getting better.
Maybe instead of outdoor grass, buy a small amount of 3rd cut Timothy hay, which is really soft. I’m always nervous about pesticides on grass from other people’s yards. will he take any soft lettuces? Parsley can be tempting, as well as mint for gentle tasting greens. If you order some of the soft hay, it can be there in about a week and by then he may be ready for more quantities of hay.

{{{{{{{{{Healing vibes, Shmoo}}}}}}}}}}}

[Rippy]

Thank you for the vibes.

Yesterday was terrible (he is still improving but ill get to that later). I took him to the vet twice once in the morning and later in the evening when a specialist visited. So in the morning apparently they had some renovations going in there clinic and just as Shmoo got in the work crew started using a freaking jackhammer!!! on a wall two rooms away. I don’t think I need to describe how Shmoo (and me) felt about that. But he got his meds and about 15 cc’s of baby food.

Now in the afternoon it was quite “pleasant” as well because the specialist vet had car breakdown and we had to wait for 75 minutes (in the car) in addition to the 20 minute drive one way. But he was not that stressed out since he feels more or less safe in the car and his carrier. This vet concluded that he has a small blockage quite high up his GI system…just with a rather rough physical examination, prescribed him two different probiotics and told me that he should eat a lot of hay (no….sherlock) in addition she told me to pause with simethicone. But he did eat some fresh grass and a bit of hay (plus cardboard :\ ) before that.

But all in all he felt better then the days before and probably a minor decrease in gas. When it was his bed time he did not want to go in his cage so rather then me sleeping in my bed (and him peeing on me at 3 am or something ) I slept on the floor next to him so I could keep him covered with a towel for heat. His tummy was quite active and movement could be herd thru the night.

Yesterday he got his last antibiotics shot and today it is just metacam (for the pain), genabil (something for his GI), liquid and powder probiotics, minor dosage of oil in the morning.

Today he is feeling a bit better as well but still wont eat hay (more then a straw or two). His tummy is still full of gas but again less then before. The vet recommended that I should try and give him Weeping Willow branches so he can get some fiber and he did like them and ate a few small branches with leafs, 5 dandelion leafs and again a straw or two of hay.

So again an improvement but I’m still worried because he does not eat hay which would be the best thing for him now. Sometimes he is looking around for something to eat and even tho I offer him a broad selection he just can’t find what “he is looking for”. He is still in pain but it comes and goes (somewhat depends on how he is positioning himself) and when he feels good he wants to eat something…but most of the time he will not eat (I notice his tail is curled up sometimes still).

But I can say that he was more active today after we came home from the vet…grooming himself and moving around even did a few (front feet in the air) shakes. Today will be the 6th day since his last good meal but it is looking better. But he got some food in his tummy the last 3 days and the amount of poop is rising. Although I’m not sure if there is a blockage that its moving by much and there is quite a bit of gas still left to…pass. I’m doing hand massages and with vibrations for days now and the gas is still there.

BinkyBunny the problem is that he stopped eating on Saturday morning and I got him to the e-vet late in the afternoon and he just prescribed antibiotics. It was on Monday when I took him in again to my normal vet and then the daily trips .

Well fingers crossed and I hope he will eat again something in a few hours and that he keeps improving (faster then he is now).

[Sarita]

Continued vibes to Schmoo. Usually with blockages the vets in the US do sub-q’s to try to soften the blockage and get it moving through the gut.

[Rippy]

Thank you. One thing I forgot to mention is that today his body temperature feels normal or very close to normal. I don’t have a thermometer to be positive but his ears are no longer at below room temperature and he feels warmer to the touch. Since the problem I had to keep him tucked in and warm water bottles now and then and he did not move from them.

But as for sub-q I think you are right but I told my vet that he is drinking what he usually does but since he does not eat fresh things its less. I can’t say why she did not give him fluids but I think its because initially he was being treated for Coccidia and if there is a blockage it was missed. Tomorrow is a holiday so I will have to take him to the e-vet again for drugs and I can insist on fluids as well if it can only improve the situation and not make it worse?

[Sarita]

Well, the idea behind the fluids is to soften the blockage so it can loosen up and move through their system. I would mention it to the vet to see what they say. When my rabbit Pepe was blocked up we did alot of fluids but I’m not exactly sure where his blockage was in relation to Schmoos. But we did it daily along with handfeeding and eventually it passed through but it took us a few weeks to get him going again. I also did pain meds daily. My vet said that the gas was a result of the blockage – the gas didn’t cause the blockage.

It’s good you are keeping him warm too.

[Rippy]

Oh my…now I am quite worried since there is no way he will allow me to hand feed him and I cant buy Critical Care, mushed up pellets don’t fit in trough the syringe. It is a struggle at the vet as well and we only manage to feed him 10-15 ml of baby food a day. He is eating a thing or two on his own now. Because of this I really hope it passes quickly.

[Sarita]

It’s good he’s eating on his own – that’s important – he must be starting to feel better.

[Rippy]

At around midnight he was constantly drinking water for almost 5 minutes. Today he seems to be drinking and eating less then yesterday…he had some carrot, a straw or two of hay, nibbled on some radicchio (not much) and some Willow leafs and narrow twigs. He got more pain melds, 50ml of sub-q, probiotics and something to hydrate the blockage…but I forgot to ask for Vitamin B complex. I still have an bottle vitamins 80% full that I got from the vet a few months ago but it was stored at room temperature (would it still be good to give it to him in his water?). He was weighted again and in the 7 days went from 1800 grams to 1550 grams. And I can’t believe what a careless ass this e-vet is he gave him a 4 drops per second drip and I told him it is too fast…20 seconds later it would start leaking out of him. We even had a disagreement about pain meds when I asked for something stronger then metacam he said that he thinks its a good idea to take him off even from that so I had to persist.

I can still feel the food he ate yesterday and it did not move much from his front. Although he is a bit more bright today I am very worried and sad that he is running out of time because of a bad diagnosis which the same e-vet gave the other vets that work there. Feel so helpless here as the only thing I can do is gently massage his belly with little effect, pet him and beg him to eat something. I don’t want to loose my Shmoo

[Denise12]

I’m so sorry for you and Shmoo. Sending you guys lots of love and healing vibes…….

[jerseygirl]

Try stay focused on the small improvements he’s making and the vet care you are getting now. It’s good he continues to drink as this should help soften the blockage. I can only guess at what you must be feeling! {{{(((Rippy & Shmoo)))}}}

[Rippy]

Can anyone tell me what type of Lettuce this is ? I usually gave him a leaf more or less each day before and at the moment it seems its one of his favorites and already gave him a few small leafs. But as its named Gentile in my country it just crossed my mind it might be Iceberg Lettuce which in his condition might be a disaster.

[Karla]

That’s Iceberg to me.

[Sarita]

That looks like green leaf lettuce to me.

[Bumblebunny]

 I attached a picture of iceberg lettuce from google. Can’t tell for sure if it is the same.

[LoveChaCha]

It looks like green leaf lettuce.

My bunny enjoys romaine and red leaf Both are absolutely yummy to a bunny.

[Monkeybun]

Looks pretty much exactly like the greenleaf I have in the fridge

[Rippy]

I went to the store and bought him some more safe leaf greens to give him a broad selection and some Butter Lettuce which he likes as much as the one I thought was Iceberg…but if its green leaf he will get more of that as well.

A quick update…he is eating way more and I am making sure that all the greens are fresh and best quality and hay. Hay might still be a problem as he only eats a few straws now and then. He pooped quite a bit (rice size poops) hours ago and after that for a few minutes he was very happy and active, even gave me a kiss which he did not since it happend, but after that he went to rest a bit. His drinking isn’t “optimal” but considering the fresh greens and the 50ml (cc) of sub-q in the morning I hope its ok.

I will take him to the vet again tomorrow for more metacam and ask for one more round of sub-q (if it can’t hurt him). Now because this vet isn’t that experienced with rabbits and I had to convince them in the first place I need to know how long should he be on them ? Its been 6 days now since he has been taking them (4 days on recommended “safe” dosage and 2 on recommended “high” with today being the safe one again). Personally I would give him and wait till his belly is normal and poop at a normal frequency. Same question with the sub-q which was again “my” recommendation to the vet.

What about with the feeding? How long should I keep giving him unlimited favorite greens? I don’t want to do something wrong. I took out the carrot yesterday when anything was still better then nothing.

[Sarita]

I don’t think another round of sub-q’s will hurt along with metacam – he certainly sounds on the mend. I say continue with the unlimited fresh greens. Don’t worry about the drinking while he’s on sub-q fluids that is what is hydrating him.

[Sarita]

My feeling about feeding them is whatever they will eat they get lots of during this period.

Any idea what caused the blockage? Were you giving him pellets?

[4Lily]

It sucks that you had to recommend stuff to the vet! I know not all vets are bunny specialists, but they have access to all of the information, if not more, as we do! Everytime I call the vets, I get upset at the vet tech’s, besides my cousin, cause they have no clue, but don’t even ask the vet for the answer! GRRRRRRR! This kind of stuff makes me very upset, when a bunnies health, possibly life, is on the line!

[Rippy]

I’m not exactly sure…the night before I know he finished all his greens and was eating hay more then normal…he might have felt that there was a problem.

But in general my bet would be that he does not eat enough hay…compared to Pika who is about the same size he would only eat 20% of that. His pellets are Bunny Basics T from Oxbow and again he would only eat 30 grams (1 Oz) and he has unlimited. Now comparing the greens to Pika maybe I give him slightly more to compensate. He drinks less as well but that’s because he eats less hay so that would be normal. Now even before he had greens his Poop size was about the same (and about 2-3x smaller then Pikas). He sometimes does not want to use the litter box in his cage and holds it in as well.

Now you can add his long fur or some cotton fibre he accidentally ate from a towel or something and it might be a recipe for disaster.

[Sarita]

So are you saying he has had unlimited pellets?

In the US most vets would totally cut out or decrease the pellets for rabbits who are prone to stasis.

[jerseygirl]

Oh, I’m please to hear he’s more interested in food! (((Come on Shmoo)))

I vote that what you have is green leaf lettuce too. Though the outer leaves of iceberg look similar, with that variety you would have a ball shape head of lettuce in the middle. I’m curious though (as both you and Karla are in Europe) that you might know iceberg as something different?

[Rippy]

Unlimited yes…but he does not like them that much or eats much of them.

jerseygirl; yes and a specific plant is named differently in each country in most cases. This makes it quite difficult to be positive about something like a salad where you have many things that look similar unless you can find its Latin name.

Yesterday the gas in his belly has decreased a great deal but he has not passed the blockage yet infact it might still be in the same place as I can feel something that was there “before” . Did not eat much or anything during the night but he did eat a leaf of lettuce and a bit of hay right now. Still quite worried as his eating pattern is a little bit of something then rest and repeat.

One of the things he is receiving in the last two days is a Lactulose based syrup.

[Rippy]

Vet confirmed that the blockage is still there He is still good but maybe eating a bit less today. I don’t know…at this point I hope for a miracle.

[jerseygirl]

So the vet can feel this blockage or has it shown up in scans?

I know of lactulose. It’s an osmotic laxative meaning it draws fluids into the gut to help soften everything.

[Rippy]

Yes and so can I…it is positioned 2cm from his ribs on his left side. So my guess its probably logged in the small intestine. I am giving him only gentle rubs in that area but it would be possible to try and “move it” but that might cause him much harm.

It is not a complete block since food is moving past it slowly but the damn thing just wont move for now.

[Rippy]

Yes and so can I…it is positioned 2cm from his ribs on his left side. So my guess its probably logged in the small intestine. I am giving him only gentle rubs in that area but it would be possible to try and “move it” but that might cause him much harm.

It is not a complete block since food is moving past it slowly but the damn thing just wont move for now. His forward belly feels quite hard at the moment because of the food he ate but the rear end past middle is empty. Not much food is getting to the appendix so my guess is that either he will pass this soon or he wont and rapidly deteriorate.

[Sarita]

I say continue with the sub-q fluids to soften it up. The aggressive fluids.

[Rippy]

I can’t as im not giving them at home but at the vet …so tomorow. Best I can do is make sure he takes in more fluids.

[MimzMum]

Rippy, I don’t recall if you said so before…has the vet determined that the blockage is some kind of food based item or something else? Just wondering.

Come on, Shmoo! Please eat and feel better! ((((((((((((((((((((((healing vibes))))))))))))))))))))

[Rippy]

I can’t say what material the blockage is made from…my guess is that it could be eather made from cotton or sintetic fibre. It did not show on the inntial x-ray and it can be felt.

Most of the gas has exited his system and his belly now has some loose skin , he did poop today as well. We did not give him any pain killers today to observe if he still needs them because its been quite a while and they don’t want to risk secondary problems but I will take him back in the evening if its a problem (might be already since his tail is curled up). But they don’t look very optimistic about the whole situation. Yesterday he did eat quite a bit of fresh stuff…I would say he met his energy requirements. We came home and he ate a big leaf of lettuce and a bit of hay and is resting now.

Vet also recommended a bit more “aggressive” massage in contrast to the belly rubs I’m giving him now.

[Rippy]

A slight bit off topic. It seems that when I let out Pika a few days ago so Shmoo could get some exercise…chasing each others rear (Shmoo is fixed she isn’t) and because he is hanging on the side of her cage all the time for more comfort. Well first I thought she grew a beard in 5 minutes but it seems she thinks she will have lil bunnies.

[Beka27]

What an ordeal sweet little Shmoo is putting you thru!

(((Continued vibes Shmoo!!!)))

[Rippy]

He is feeling good today. The day before he ate a load of greens and some hay…maybe even more food then he normally does. His poop is tiny but there is quite a bit of it and he passed 3 poops that where held together on a 5cm (1.5 inch) yarn of fur or something. He ran around a bit and did a binky or two. There is no gas anymore.

But its not all good…I think that the main obstruction is still there, his urine smells quite strong (almost like a horse)…but that might be from all the fresh stuff he ate or a result of something worse. His eating is still problematic as its eat something then take a break and eat again but that way he managed to eat more then 15 large (broad leaf) Batavian Endive leafs and other things. His appetite for hay still isn’t perfect and he is quite picky.

[jerseygirl]

This is promising! If the gas has gone, he’ll have less pain and maybe more appetite hopefully. That he’s moving about is great.

A slight bit off topic. It seems that when I let out Pika a few days ago so Shmoo could get some exercise…chasing each others rear (Shmoo is fixed she isn’t) and because he is hanging on the side of her cage all the time for more comfort. Well first I thought she grew a beard in 5 minutes but it seems she thinks she will have lil bunnies.

Just to clarify, do you think she’s acting like she’s nest building? How old is Pika?

[Rippy]

Pika is 7 months old…yes well it did look like she was thinking about it…but I exchanged her full mouth of fur for a veggie .

But I don’t know about Shmoo…overall it looks like he is recovering but he has ups and downs and I am still uncertain. His appetite was great yesterday but so-so today but on the other hand he is more active and even playing now and them. A belly massage will temporary improve his appetite. His GI is moving but I don’t know if the blockage is moving, but then again his poop is getting larger slowly. And now I am worried about Renal Failure because of his urine smell (hope its just because of too much greens in one day).

He is going from felling good to somewhat bad and back again.

[jess&peter]

After Peter’s experience with stasis back in March, it took a couple of weeks for everything to get back to normal. Someone on this forum let me know that it was typical to experience some fluctuation with pooping during the recovery period. I still took him in once after the initial episode for an x-ray, just to make sure there was no lingering blockage, but it turned out to be clear.

I’m so glad he seems to be having some happy times — playing, grooming, etc. are all good signs that he’s feeling a little better.

You are doing such a great job with monitoring him — I remember how scary this was for me. I found relief in being better able to identify the symptoms of illness more quickly if (god forbid) it happened again. Hang in there.

[Rippy]

It looks like Shmoo will fully recover

Vet said that the blockage can’t be felt anymore (still might be something in him) but its way smaller now and he passed a few tangled up poops yesterday. His upper belly is nice and firm again and I can’t feel any hard spots either. He is eating quite a bit of hay, eating a few pellets now and then and I still have him on unlimited greens but he has a decent hay to veggie balance so I think its fine like that . He still does not eat vegetables like he used to (more or less all at once) but a leaf or two here and there and it adds up. His poop size is near normal (for him) again and he is quite active although he does not play as much as he used to.

Yesterday I took him to the vet one more time ( I hope) for sub-q’s and lactulose to be sure even if he was quite well. But I hope he will drink a bit more now to compensate. The strong smelling urine was the result of too much salad as it now smells normal. He still has two more day’s of probiotics to go.

I plan to keep him on unlimited greens for a few more days until he is 100% again as I think the water in them will do him good. I provide him with a few at a time to make sure they are fresh.

These past 12 days have been full of stress and worry but I can breathe more easy now  . Thank you for all the advice, support and good wishes.
 

[Sarita]

That’s great news!

Can you tell me again about how much pellets you used to feed him? You might consider eliminating pellets in the future too – this is what most vets in the US recommend when a rabbit has had stasis or a blockage.

[Rippy]

I gave him less then 30grams (1 Oz) of pellets/day. I think that’s not even not even 1/10 of a cup. And he does not like them “that” much so I can remove them without him being mad at me

[RabbitPam]

That’s wonderful!
I am so glad Shmoo is better.

Yea, Shmoo!!!!

[osprey]

Yay, so glad he is feeling better! Binkies from my crew!

[jerseygirl]

Oh thank Goodness!

[KatnipCrzy]

I might have missed this info-are you going to keep Schmoo on Lactulose daily or was it just for duration of treatment when he was not feeling well?

I have a bunny Schroeder that is on 3mls of Lactulose daily- as it is suspected that he has the genetic condition Cow Poop Syndrome.  But since Lactulose is a prescription (at least in the US) you would need to have your vet on board with the idea on daily dosing.  Schroeder’s daily dosing seems to keep everthing moving and the large, dry poos from forming and not passing along as easily.

[MimzMum]

Rippy, this is wonderful news! ^_^ I’m so glad to hear Shmoo’s blockage is shrinking!

Continued recovery and future binkying vibes for Shmoo! (((((((((((((((((((((((((fully healed bunny vibes)))))))))))))))))))))))))

[Author]

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