How to tell if simethicone is working?

[JackRabbit]

Not sure if I titled this right but . . . Moshi hasn’t been himself lately — not eating as much hay (he’s usually insatiable), not pooping as much, poops a little smaller and a little darker. Normally he and Marlee have always got there faces stuffed in one of the hay feeders but lately I’ve found her in the usual spot and him laying down somewhere. He’s still binkying, still digging like crazy, still eating his pellets, and still loving his salad, but just not himself.

Tonight, his belly wasn’t quite as squishy as it usually is so I gave him some simethicone (1 ml with most of it making it into him). He let me put my hand under him and rub his belly a little and seemed to like it but then jumped up and ran off. There were about 10 poops where he was sitting when he ran off. That was about 3 hours ago. How do I tell if it helped or if I need to give him another dose? He just now devoured his salad and ate some oat hay tops so he is eating, just not eating as much hay and not making his normal poop mountains. Not sure what I should be doing.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

The semithicone is really only for gas and I think most vets are guarded about it being even helpful for that.
With the darker, smaller poops it sounds like he’s got GI slowdown/stasis; the semithicione probably won’t do anything. It doesn’t sound like an emergency, as he is eating and pooping-can you try to see your regular vet in the next day or two? (and rush in if he should stop eating/pooping)

[JackRabbit]

Since he is eating, drinking, and pooping, I just thought he *might* have a bit of gas so I thought I’d try simethicone to see if it helped. I just don’t know how I would tell if it was gas, and if it was, if the simethicone helped.

If he’s still not eating his normal amount of hay in the morning, I’ll check in with the vet.

[jerseygirl]

I always use it if they seem a bit off. I figure it can’t hurt. Ill normally see a change in activity level and interest in food. It sounds like it did help some.
If he’s avoiding hay, maybe his teeth are worrying him?

Is he moulting at the moment? (When aren’t they?!)
I’ve noticed Ailís lately is not quite her usual self, then she passes some hair and perks up again.

If they have cardboard, watch he isn’t ingesting too much of it. That’s another thing I notice with mine. They look for the fibre and eat it but its not the most ideal fibre for them.

[JackRabbit]

Moshi woke me up a few times during the night rearranging things, braved the vinyl flooring to escape down the hallway when I brought breakfast, and just now found him with his head buried in one of the hay feeders. One of the hay feeders is almost completely empty this morning and I’m pretty sure little Marlee can’t do that on her own without popping! Definitely signs of the normal Moshi. Staying home from work today so I’ll be keeping an eye on him and hoping for overflowing litterboxes!

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