Is my bunny suffering from gas?

[Sheldon.the.bunny]

So about every 3 months Shelly will be hiding in a corner and his dinner will be still in his bowl. He refuses anything to eat, his tummy makes noises, he seems lethargic with his eyes half shut, he´s usually lying in a position that seems relaxed but you can tell something is wrong. Oh and he pees somewhere outside his litter box or cage. He´s 3 and this happened at least 6-8 times.

We´ve been to the vet several times the next morning. But she never found anything wrong with him. His tummy was soft and I think she gave him some injection to keep him hydrated once but that was it. It usually passes after several hours and now we dont go to the vet if he seems okay.

I worry a lot even though its never been anything serious. Usually happens at like 10ish and then I can´t sleep and have to check on him every 15 minutes.

So tonight iťs happening again . He did poop when I was giving him some tummy massage so that´s a good sign I think. But still haven´t eaten anything. He ran to his cage so I locked him in so I can keep an eye on him. When he´s sick like this he´s not a big fan of me “bothering” him every 15 minutes so he likes to hide under beds.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this behaviour and if I´m right to assume its gas and perhaps any tips what might be causing this and how to help him? I do give him the tummy massage and I´ve read you can give him simethicone (which I will consult with our vet if she thinks thats a good idea and about the dosage).

He eats hay (but he´s never been a big fan of it even though we switched brands many times), versele laga cuni complete pellets and gets some fresh veggies like carrots, peppers (no kale, broccoli or cauliflower) and some herbs (dill, parsley). It doesnt seem to be caused by any treat he occasionally gets. The only thing we give him quite often are apple branches to chew on.

[Sheldon.the.bunny]

Update: He´s fine now. Eating hay, drinking, pooping. As usual it got better. I just wish I knew how to stop it from happening 

[Sirius&Luna]

It sounds like it could be gas. Simethicone is totally safe, it doesn’t get absorbed by the body, so it’s fine to give with other medications. We would normally suggest 1ml of Infacol, which can then be followed up by a second and third dose of 0.5ml an hour and two hours later if nothing has changed. If the third dose doesn’t help, then it likely won’t help and he needs a vet. Tummy massage is also a good idea.

Is there any links between the vegetables you give him and the gas episodes?

Carrots and bell peppers are quite sweet veggies, so shouldn’t be an every day item. It could be that sugar is causing gas. Daily veg should mostly be leafy greens – so romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, rocket, watercress, coriander, mint, basil, parsley, etc. none of which should cause gas.

[tobyluv]

When rabbits have gas, you can usually tell so by their posture. They may be pressing their belly into the floor or they may keep shifting uncomfortably, but it’s also possible that they may react differently. Your bunny could be having gas or he could be having short term gut slow down. The infant simethicone is something good to always have on hand. It passes harmlessly out of a rabbit’s system. The dosage is 1-2 ml every hour for 3 hours. If you haven’t seen improvement after 3 hours, then the problem probably wasn’t gas. Every few months, one of my rabbits has spell of gas, and one dose of simethicone usually does the trick.

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