Bunny with digestive track blockage

[Winnie's mom]

My bunny has not been pooping or eating much. We took him to the vet and she said there is a mass blocking his digestive track made of  hair or carpet, we’re not sure. She gave us cat laxatives and pain meds that we feed him with a syringe. We have also been feeding him mashed pineapple and pumpkin, and other food and water with the syringe. He’s just a little baby, only 1 and a half. Has anyone else been through this and successfully cured their bunny? Any tips would be appreciated. 

Thank you,

Concerned bunny momma 

[Wascally Wabbits]

I am sorry to hear your bunny isn’t well!

What is the cat laxative the vet gave? I have never heard of this as an option for a blockage before.

When my rabbit had GI stasis with a small blockage, he was given motility drugs and SubQ fluids.

{{Get better little bunny}}

[Bam]

I second Wascally Wabbits, cat laxative for a bun with a blockage is not sth I’ve heard of either. What’s the name of the laxative?
Did the vet do an X-ray of your bun’s tum? Did your bun get any sub-q fluids? Hydration is key when you’re dealing with a blockage and often, fluids by mouth is not enough.

Pineapple won’t really do any good except provide the bun with some sugar and stomach content, which he might need at this point.

Will he move around if you put him on the floor? Exercise is good because it helps the intestines move. Not vigorous exercise of course, just a bit of moving around.

A bunny with a GI problem often gets cold (hypothermic). It’s very important to keep the bun warm. It’s good if you can sit him in your lap and put a light blankie on him, that way your body warmth will help him get to the right temp with no risk of overheating. You can try to elevate his butt slightly so any trapped gas can escape more easily -gas is painful for buns and often follows on other GI problems.

[Winnie's mom]

I am not sure what the laxative is, she just gave it to us already in the syringe and told us to give him a certain amount every few hours I as expecting her to give us mobility drugs but she hasn’t. This is why we are trying to give him pineapple. We’re hoping the enzymes help.

[Winnie's mom]

We’re hoping the enzymes in the pineapple help him break down the blockage. we are also mixing it with water since he is not drinking much on his own. Im not sure what the cat laxative is, she gave it to us in a syringe and told us how often to give it to him, but I don’t know the name. The vet did and ultra sound to see the blockage. She did not give Winn andy sub-q fluids. We will try lifting his butt up to help relive the gas. Thanks for this advice. 

[RabbitPam]

Actually I have heard of using a cat furball medicine, commonly Petromalt, as a means of moving fur blockage, but it has fallen out of favor in recent years. It used to be recommended as a first remedy at home before seeing a vet. Kind of unusual for a vet to use it, unless this is a dog/cat vet that rarely sees rabbits?
Either way, if you see poop soon, especially “string of pearls” poops that are linked together, then the problem is on it’s way out. You want to see increasingly large, normal poosafter that. If you do, than whatever you’re doing is working. If not, within 8 hours or so, i would recommend seeking a second opinion from a vet who specializes in exotics. That vet would probably use the sub-q fluids, xray and hydrate.
Be sure to remove any carpet, fur, cloth or toys from your bunny’s access so it can’t continue to be ingested.

[Bam]

Just wanted to add that motility drugs are not always recommended when there’s a blockage. It can make matters worse. That could be the reason why the vet didn’t give any motility drugs.

[Winnie's mom]

Thank you! we going to see the vet tomorrow and we will ask about this.

[Winnie's mom]

This is a vet that most commonly sees cats and dogs, but she also sees rabbits. She is one of the only vets in our area that works with bunnies. She has been very good in the past but we have not had anything this serious yet. We are going to see her again tomorrow so maybe she will suggest the fluids and stuff then. I think she was trying to do the least invasive cures first so we could keep him at home since he hate strangers. I have been giving him tummy rub and continuing to feed him. He has done a couple of small poops but there still hasn’t been much action. 

Thank you for all the information! I really appreciate it. This is our first bunny so any help is highly appreciated. 

[LittlePuffyTail]

Hope your bunny feels better soon!!! (((((Get Well))))))

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