Fear of bunny blockage

[VeroAlmo]

Bunny stats- 2 year old bun, buck, neutered two weeks back.
Yesterday I came home from a mini vaca to a sad bun. This am he didn’t seem to have eaten much from last night so I cleaned his litter drew a line on his water bottle and filled his food bowl to the brim 8am EST. Well I came home from work this evening at around 7pm EST to no food eaten, no poop, little pee and barely touched water. I FREAKED! After calling around 12 vets the amazing staff at Garden State Veterinary Services in NJ, said they will see my bun but they are not specialists for exotic pets. Doc checked him out, said his vitals are okay if anything his breathing is elevated and he seems uncomfortable. She gave him fluids, pain meds and sent us home with critical care powder. She said to try the critical care in a syringe but if he won’t eat don’t force it as he may have a blockage. She said I should watch him for the night and get him into a bunny doc asap. We got home at midnight, at that time bunny made it very clear this critical powder syringe is a NO for him. About an hour back (2am EST) he drank a little water and nibbled on some hay. He is just sitting or lying down which is so not his normal happy crazy bouncy self. I am on the couch not getting a wink of sleep and have been reading awful stories of buns who don’t make it from GI problems.
Has anyone gone through anything similar with a positive prognosis?
I cannot take another sad read. All support and good feels for my bunnner are welcome. Thanks in advance!

[Bam]

Most of us here have been through this sort of thing with our buns, with good outcomes. It is very serious though, so it can’t be taken lightly.

Fluids and pain meds are standard first treatments, and that often helps perk a bun up so it wants to eat. Very, very few rabbits like being fed Critical Care from a syringe. I’d say it’s normal for a bun to fight being syringe fed, and that in itself is not a sign of a blockage. However, a blockage can’t be ruled out without an x-ray.

That he’s drunk some water and nibbled on hay are great signs. Here is a great article on stasis in bunnies, with steps to take yourself at home before you can get to a proper vet who can rule out a blockage and give motility meds (meds that make the gut move):
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Please read, it has lots of useful info. I’ve found this article very helpful when dealing with stasis/gas in my buns, and Dana Krempels is very knowledgeable and trustworthy.

In short you want to keep bunny warm, for example by sitting him in your lap with a light blanket on him. Trapped gas is often a problem when a bun has a tummy issue, so try to make him move around a bit to get things moving, maybe do a very soft tummy massage like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbyC6CWbm5M

Try to make bun get water in him, f ex by adding a little bit of unsweetened apple juice to his water or by making hay-tea (steep hay in hot water, let cool, serve). Water is important whether its a blockage or “just” a gut slowdown.

Keep us posted. Don’t panic. I know it’s hard not to though.

[VeroAlmo]

Thanks so much Bam, I did read this article on stasis in bunnies a while back and it is probably one of the main reasons I went straight for the vet today; great info in there. Bunnies seem to have such short widows for care intervention. 

We are keeping warm, he has a fleece blanket he has been cuddling with and every so often I am wrapping the blanket around a rice heat bag and then giving it back to him. 

I moved his water bottle right next to the litter (he has been laying in there for a bit now) and he drank so much.  At this point I will hold it for him if he keeps drinking but plan for now is wherever he moves I will attach the bottle so he doesn’t have to get up since he doesn’t want to. 

I love the vid for tummy rubs and the hay steeped water and will try both tomorrow, (well later today) just set my alarm so I can reach vets as soon as they open and it said “2 hours and 11 minutes from now” oh boy…momma needs a big cup o’ joe tomorrow.

I will certainly keep you posted and thanks again for the reply, meant a lot. 

[sarahthegemini]

I haven’t got much to add to what bam has said but thought I’d let you know that my Buttercup has had stasis three times and recovered fabulously every time. Getting them to a vet is crucial – which you did, so try to be positive. Good luck vibes!!

[Bam]

It seems you’re doing what you can for him under the circumstances. May it soon be morning!

[VeroAlmo]

Docs went well, we got an x-ray, a lesson on burrito bunny wraps and will need to unfortunately force feed critical care 4 times  a day until he poops and give him pain/anti-inflammatory meds (meloxicam 1.5) once a day for 5 days. No idea on the cause but certainly GI related. Pics from our day including his x-ray. Doc says ER (non bunny doc), did great for emergency care, giving him fluids and the advice to not force feed until x-ray is done. Hope this helps another concerned bunny parent,what a scare! 

He produced three very dry poos so far! We are over the moon for poo over here! Also this is just our bun’s advised treatment and should not be used for treating a bunny with similar symptoms, unless advised by your vet. If your bun is not eating, drinking or making waste please see a vet asap!  Can’t wait to have my happy guy back!

[Bam]

Thank you for the update and the pictures! It’s very useful, this is a problem most bunny owners will be faced with at one time or another.

I’m glad there wasn’t a blockage, hopefully he’ll soon start producing more poop. It can get very messy when you have to syringe CC to a bunny, but I’m guessing you’ve noticed that already. Sometimes they like it better if you mix the CC with for example canned plain pumpkin (not pie filling) or baby veg- or fruit/berry puree.

Many, many speedy-recovery-vibes for your little guy!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Yes, we’ve all been there with tummy stasis and then excitement for poops!!! Sending some more (((Healing and Pooping Vibes))))

[VeroAlmo]

Thanks so much! Yes, the poop excitement was real last night and the mess with the syringe is so cray! He is doing really well with the feedings so I don’t think I will mix it with anything but pumpkin sounds so yummers! I bet he would love that and we’ll keep it mind if he gets fidgety over the next couple days. Today is the last day for the round the clock four times a day feedings; this morning he ate some pellets (not much) and he is grazing on his hay too . Tomorrow since he is pooping pretty steady we will cut the feedings to just morning and night which is awesome because this momma needs to get back to work. 

He is almost 100% back to his silly self too  , while on the counter he of course found mischief…he  made it his official bunny business to knock his heat/cool packs off the ledge to the floor for me to pick up. I know I am bias but he is just so cute! Also this pic is just for our silly game and the pack is empty, when in use the buns lay next to them as they get heavy when full of water/ice.

Thanks again and we appreciate all the vibes.

[Luna]

He’s adorable . Glad to hear he is on the mend.

[Author]

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