Gastrointestinal ulcers metacam

[Jadeo09]

I’m concerned my rabbit gastrointestinal ulcers  due to her symptoms of mucus with red(blood?) streaks in it. Could this be caused by years of taking metacam twice daily? Is this possible? Does anyone have experience with this?

 

She is straining to pass the mucus covered feces could this explain the red streaks in them?

[jerseygirl]

It is quite possible… usually something like Zantac (ranitidine) is prescribed for long-term metacam use, to help prevent ulcers. This is currently of market but there are alternatives like famotidine and omperazole. If ulcers are present, another medication like sucralfate may be needed.

The poops do look like they’re is a gut imbalance and inflammation. Are you able to get to a vet?

Your rabbit may need to go in and antibiotic like metronidazole. This is good for combating harmful gut bacteria. Straining can result in some streaks of blood in whatever they eliminate. If it looks quite red, im guessing I’m guessing it’s more likely to be from the rectum or perhaps large intestine.

What are you treating with the twice daily metacam?

[Jadeo09]

Thank you ever so much for your help. It means a lot to me.

We have been to three different vets numerous times. Our next appointment to see our usual vet is on Friday, sadly they can’t get an appointment any sooner as they aren’t in until Friday. Seeing the same vet seems to help as we don’t have to start at square one.

 

She doesn’t have a temperature and had her bloods taken so they don’t suspect an infection?

I will request some medication to line her stomach, thank you for the suggestion.

My vet told me gas is caused by gut bacteria imbalance and the best way to treat that is two weeks of hay and dried weeds only. Which has been difficult due to her lack of appetite. We have been doing this since Saturday so hopefully in a few days even a week maybe, she will get some relief.

Its definitely not as bad as when she was on the pellets.

But she is still straining occasionally and I do think that is where the streaks of blood are coming from.

 

Do you know what brown mucus means? Is that blood? Is it supposed to be clear?

She is one three times daily metacam since she stopped eating. But more generally she was on twice a day and tolerating it very well.

Since she stopped eating and only eating soft food the stasis kicked in. She hadn’t pooed for 50+ hours. Then we fed her critical care  which we didn’t realise had grain in. She’s always had some kind of intolerance to grain.

She’s not recovered since. But seems to be improving except for once a day she passes the poos stuck together in mucus.

Her poops are getting bigger of an evening and we are hearing some gurgling in her tummy again. So I hope she is getting over the stasis somewhat. Except for when she stops eating in the day time and the poops get smaller again.

I am giving her slippery elm on top of the dried weeds and oat hay. I also grind up dreid Timothy hay and dried parsely  to syringe feed her in the day when she won’t eat. I’m hoping this will soothe her until her vets trip on friday.

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