Laxatone?

[LeahM]

my bunny frank has been struggling with tummy issues. He’s mostly doing ok but last night didn’t want banana again but did eat overnight. He’s eating enough I think, I’m not giving critical care but I give him simethicone when he acts suspicious and pain meds and reglan in addition if he’s really acting unwell.

my vet is on maternity leave and there’s no one else in the area

i listened to the LA HRS webinar a couple days ago but a vet in Southern California about rabbits and GI stasis and I thought it was great!  She mentioned laxatone which I had not heard of so I bought some but now I’m not really seeing recommendations for it.

frank is *definitely* molting and it sounds like it can be given as a preventative and she mentioned some bunnies need it all the time.  It looks like the primary active ingredients are mineral oils and canola oils – gross – but if it helps?  The vet seemed very experienced.

Tell me your thoughts! Thank you!

[LeahM]

I’ll add too that I *try* to get him to eat as much hay as possible. He’s very picky. Very. He gets fresh hay grasses and unlimited apple branches, which he does a pretty good job with. I know fiber is the best prevention. I’m just looking for something else that might help.

[DanaNM]

I’ve heard mixed things about mineral oil type products for bunnies. Sometimes it seems to help, other times it can make things worse because it prevents any masses in the gut from absorbing water. So I think there is some debate surrounding it. Hydration is really important for gut function, and if there is some sort of blockage brewing the idea is that the oil can prevent it from breaking up and make it harder to pass (or alternatively lubricate it enough that it can pass through). There have for sure been folks on the forum that have used it.

Is the reglan-pain med regimen prescribed from your vet? I wouldn’t typically give a motility med like reglan unless directed by the vet, as many tummy issues will resolve without it. I think syringe feeding and giving fluids would be a better first step, along with simethicone and possibly metacam if he seems uncomfortable. Those things would help the gut regain function on it’s own, rather than forcing contractions with reglan (which can be painful to the bun).

Since you are already focusing on fiber as much as you can, I would add a focus on hydration as well.

 

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LeahM]

It was prescribed for a previous and similar gi issue. She’s been out for months so I’ve been on my own.  I’ve only give 3 doses total of reglan over the last month of on and off tummy trouble.

he eats an almost entirely fresh diet so I assume he gets a lot of fluid from that. I will say the two nights that he didn’t eat at all, he drank A TON which I never see him do normally.

I have everything I need to be able to do SQ fluids. I’m nervous though because of reading about someone who gave them and caused a pocket of fluid tissue necrosis and a huge surgery etc. I’m very experienced with giving them to a cat, I did it daily for 2 years. I hesitate to force them orally since he is eating and I don’t want to cause an oral aversion. Ahhhh!!!!

[Bam]

I agree with Dana on Laxatone. Vets used to recommend it years ago, then they stopped, now we’re seeing it recommended again by some vets. The debate is about whether they could make matters worse for the reason Dana mentions. Since they mostly contain fat, they could potentially cause the intestinal contents to repel water, when what you want is for the intestinal contents to absorb water in order to soften up and move through. That said, Fiberplex, that my rabbit vet recommends, is based on soy oil. Ive used that without any problems, but the main active ingredients in Fiberplex is saccharomyces cerevisiae and prebiotics, so its not the oil that’s supposed to do the trick.

I havent heard about sub q fluids causing necrosis, but as I know you know, it would be possible. Our forum leader LPT gave her elderbun, the legendary Bindi Loo, sub q fluids daily for a very long time (he had trouble drinking enough due to a tongue issue).

I have never given sub q fluids, but I have had several buns that have had sub q fluids given by vet techs (since its the standard first aid treatment for anybunny that is poorly).

[DanaNM]

Gotcha, I am remembering your other thread now.

You’re right in that he is likely getting lots of water from his diet, but if most of his diet is fresh foods, it sounds like he doesn’t have a great hay appetite?

Has he had a deep oral exam? Lack of bulk (as you know) can also cause issues. Sometimes very slight oral irritation is enough to disrupt a buns eating and cause enough pain to affect the gut. It’s also possible that there’s something in his diet that doesn’t agree with him, so with these ongoing issues it might be wise to do an elimination diet and try to rule out something he’s eating as a cause.

I have given sub-q fluids once and it really helped my bun almost immediately. You can always check to see if he’s dehydrated by doing the skin-tent test on his scruff: grab a handful of scruff and see how quickly it snaps back. If it kind of slowly rolls back into place, he’s dehydrated.

You can also try offering some hay tea if you want to encourage fluids without forcing them, when my Bun Jovi was poorly he would drink it readily and it probably saved his life: https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/hay-tea-for-anybunny-who-doesnt-drink-enough-especially-for-ill-or-recovering-rabbits/

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LeahM]

Thank you – both of you. Hay tea great idea!   He has a terrible hay appetite, always has!  I actually found a type that he seem to like more than he ever has but still a fraction of what he should.

He hasn’t had a dental exam in a bit.  And if his vet was available I’d have his mouth checked for sure.  He slowly went off food 2 years ago, started with his favorites.  It wasn’t as sudden as this time.  And it was uncertain if his teeth were the problem because they weren’t that bad.  The vet filed them though and he slowly returned to normal.  For sure they could be presenting differently but I’m at a loss for what to do with the lack of vet availability.

I’m thinking of trying SQ hydration and the oil stuff, cover both bases.  But then again if he’s acting normally when I get home, I’ll be afraid to disrupt the homeostasis and maybe just offer some hay tea!

you guys are wonderful, thank you

 

 

[DanaNM]

With that history I imagine his teeth could definitely be part of the problem or the root cause. Sometimes even the tiniest molar spur will make a bun not want to chew certain things. It’s also something that you could provide supportive care for until his vet gets back from maternity leave.

Will he eat critical care willingly? I would opt to supplement a low hay consumption with CC over extra veggies.

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LeahM]

That’s a good question.  I should try again. Not in the past but who knows. He’s acting really normal and relaxed tonight. Stretched out and flopped in front of the fire, and not in the scary gas kind of way. Even tried to trick us into second banana, when last night he didn’t want it at all.

I’ll mix up some critical care and see if he’ll go for it.

[DanaNM]

Glad to hear it 🙂

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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