Can Someone Explain Blockage??

[Ashley&Bing]

I was reading around the forum and Blockage came up… I know that Bingley has eaten quantities of a blanket before, but mostly just ripped it up. He also used to have a toy ball from Petsmart that he would eat and it’d string his poop together. I just want to know what to look out for. He eats..anything. He’s like a goat.

[Michelle&Lolli]

Eddie died from a blockage almost the size of his stomach apparently. The only signs of a blockage was he got 2 episodes of gas in which he’d quit eating. I do not have any hard evidence that that gas was caused by the blockage but when he got really sick and died, it started out as a gas episode. He got lethargic and quit eating and drinking. And when I felt his stomach, I could feel a lot of gas moving around. Technically he died from the blockage. I don’t know that it can be felt unless you know how to palpate rabbits or have an x-ray done.

I don’t think there’s much to look out for until they get sick unfortunately. I knew Eddie had junk in his stomach but I had no clue he had a definite blockage or how big it was until the vet took x-rays. And Eddie would’ve never had x-rays until he got sick. The best thing to do is try your best to limit the non-food items Bingley has access too. No matter how much we keep things from them and bunny proof, they still manage to get a hold of something. lol

Also, a blockage can also be caused by fur they’ve ingested from grooming. I believe fresh pineapple or juice (not canned) can help a little with passing fur. Papaya is also said to help.

[Karla]

These are really great links to explain blockage:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-7/gi.html

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171342.htm

“the cause of this condition is not the presence of hair in the stomach, but rather a GIT motility disorder that results in firm impacted stomach and cecal contents. If we do not correct the underlying problem, then this condition is destined to reoccur.”

“How do rabbits act when they have impacted stomach or cecal contents? They will stop eating either suddenly or gradually over a period of time. The stools will get smaller and smaller, then stop altogether. Often, these patients will be bright and alert for a week or longer. They may want to chew the paper on the bottom of the cage, the woodwork or the wall board (all sources of fiber they are craving), but refuse to eat their pellets. Some rabbits have had periodic soft, pudding-like stools prior to complete anorexia. Eventually these patients can become seriously ill and die if the condition is not treated.”

“Prevention is the best option. Providing a high fiber diet, avoiding stress and obesity, environmental enrichment, and daily combing to remove loose hair effectively prevents this condition. Clinical research does not support routine doses of mineral oil, wetting agents, or proteolytic enzymes as effective preventives.”

Read the links, they are great info.

[Deleted User]

Blockages are so dangerous to rabbits because they cannot vomit. By nature, a rabbit would continually be munching on fibrous plant material and moving around, unless asleep. This protects them from blockages. It does not have to be a non-edible material to cause a blockage; even starchy foods can block a rabbit’s GI by binding together with fur and building up gas from sugars.

[Author]

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