Bunny with Gas

[Steph]

Hi there, 

My bunny Penelope is a 1.5 year old spayed lady who has had two bouts of gas (at least from research, I think that’s what it is) in the past couple of months. It happens at night and she’ll go hide, push her belly to the floor, won’t eat (even treats) and just isn’t her normal spunky self.  She does poop however.  We check on her throughout the night and she’s back to normal after a few hours.  

Is there anything we can do to prevent this or does gas just happen in some rabbits?  Is it worth bringing her to the vet to make sure there isn’t something more serious going on?  From what I’ve seen it could lead to other GI issues, which I obviously don’t want for her. 

Any insight or experience with this would be very appreciated!

Thanks!

[sarahthegemini]

If you suspect gas you can give gas drops, in the UK we have Infacol. The active ingredient is simethicone. My Peanut had a loud gurgling tummy and suspected gas twice in a row. If it happens regularly, you should have a look at his diet and maybe try to distinguish if there’s anything in particular that causes it. It can just happen sometimes tho so if it’s fairly infrequent, I wouldn’t worry but definitely have some drops on hand. Gas can be painful and may stop a bun from eating but if you can ‘catch’ it early, you might not have that trouble. Peanut still ate like a monster and pooped loads when I thought he had gas.

[LBJ10]

I can always tell when Leopold has gas. He doesn’t want food or treats, does “push-ups” (pushes his belly to the floor like he’s doing a slow push-up), and generally acts restless like he can’t get comfortable. I give him some gas drops (simethicone) and he’s usually better within a few hours. Like Sarah said, if it’s fairly infrequent then I wouldn’t be too worried. It happens. If it’s happening frequently, you should try to figure out what the cause is so it can be corrected.

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