Rabbit hasn’t pooped or eaten for the last 12 hours.

[Cheerios and Noise]

My 4 year old lion head hasn’t pooped or eaten for the last 12 hours. I felt his tummy area and it felt very soft and hallow than usual. He had peed about 4 times but I’m afraid because he also doesn’t want to drink water. I can’t take him to the vet since it’s Sunday and they won’t open until Monday.

 

Is there anything I can do to help him out. He keeps laying on the floor and shifting position. I’m monitoring closely to see any recent droppings. I also have hay and fresh veggies near him but he doesn’t seem interested. Should I force him to drink water or feed him? Is there any remedies I can do at home to help him in this situation? Thank you.

[jerseygirl]

Do you have some infant gas drops at home or adult de-gas capsules? Any of those that contain simethicone? Sometime this will help if a rabbit has gaseous tummy. The constant moving & laying back down sounds like he does have some discomfort. Will he let you massage the tummy?

Do you have an out of hours vet you could take him too?

[Cheerios and Noise]

No I don’t have infant gas drops, but I’ll look into it. Yes he does let me massage his tummy. I’ve also been try to see where I can take him for help. I dont an animal hospital that takes rabbits.

[Bam]

Here is a good video on how to massage a bun’s tum to help with gas pain: https://youtu.be/LbyC6CWbm5M

Also try and make you bun move, it can help the gas move out. Make sure he isn’t cold, if he is (ear temp gives you a rough estimate), warm him with a warm water bottle or hand warmers wrapped in a blanket, or sit him in your lap and warm him with your own body heat.

Simwthicone baby gas drops can make a big difference in cases of gas. Give 1-2 ml per hour for 3 hours, if it hasn’t helped by then, it most likely won’t help at all.

Keep this up until you can get to a vet. Keep us posted if you like, we are many who have been in similar situations and know how stressful it is.

[Cheerios and Noise]

Also I forgot to mention. I don’t think it’s gas. His stomach is not hard and I don’t hear any noises in him stomach. It’s almost hallow feeling.

[Cheerios and Noise]

Thank you for the info. For sure I’ll keep updated.

[Bam]

Its very good that his stomach is not hard! Its less good that you can’t hear any sounds. There could still be some gas, because gas results when there’s a gut slowdown as this seems to be. Baby gas drops are not harmful, they are not absorbed by the body, they only act locally in the GI canal.

Treating for gas and keeping the bun warm and if possible try to get him to take some fluids (fluid replacement for kids f ex Pedialyte can be used) are pretty much what can be done at home until you can get him seen by a vet.

Here is a very good article about GI stasis in buns. It has useful tips and its from a highly trusted source. I’d not attempt giving an enema myself though unless properly instructed by a vet to do so: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

[LBJ10]

I have a bunny that is prone to gas episodes. He will act uncomfortable, shift positions, push his belly to the floor, sit in the litter box (as if he thinks he has to go), refuses to eat, etc. His stomach is never hard or distended during these episodes. I would be extremely alarmed if it was because that would suggest “bloat”, which is very different from simple gas pain. He doesn’t like massages and will try to run away if I attempt it. Simethicone, on the other hand, always seems to snap him out of it after just 1 dose, but I have had to give him 2 doses before. I will also hand feed him dried willow leaves, which he will sometimes eat even if he has a stomachache. Willow has pain relieving properties.

[DanaNM]

A couple things, I have been in your exact situation (it SUCKS, I’m sorry you are going through it) and it’s important to keep him stable until you can get to the vet.

Can you take his temp? If his temp is low, keeping him warm is essential. The link that Bam shared has more info on this. Also keep up the tummy rubs.

Can you syringe feed him? Syringe feeding a tiny bit at a time can help. Some don’t like to syringe in case there is a blockage, but if you give just a tiny bit at a time I think it can be done safely. My vet has also told me that with most “blockages” he would still syringe feed to try to push it through. You wouldn’t want to feed if you had a case of true bloat, but it doesn’t sound like you do. Keep offering favorite greens and sticking hay in his face. If you have fresh grass available that is also very good to offer.

If you are worried about syringe feeding, you can also syringe just water or hay tea (or mint tea). Dehydration is really common with stasis and makes the condition worse. You can check to see how dehydrated he is by doing “skin tenting”. Grab a handful of scruff around the shoulders and pull (don’t actually pick him up, just pull the skin), and let go. If it snaps back into place, he is hydrated. If it kind of slowly rolls back, he is dehydrated and you should syringe feed him water or hay tea.

Hay tea recipe: 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.  

[Bam]

It is actually not very hard to take a bun’s temperature. It is of course easier if someone can help you hold the rabbit. It seems like a bit of Here is a good video on how to do it: https://youtu.be/YZd10Hk0maA

Normal temp is 100.5 to 103.5 F. When a bun gets gut stasis, its temperature tends to drop. Warming up is essential to keep the bun stable. Rising the room temperature is not enough,  a direct heat source is required. The bun must have space enough to move away from the heat source if it wants to. This does not apply to your own body heat, you cant overheat a bun by holding it close to your own skin.

[DanaNM]

When Bun Jovi went through this and had a low temp I got a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel, then placed it next to him on the floor, and then loosely draped a light blanket over him. He doesn’t like to be held so holding him wasn’t a good option for me. He stayed under the blanket all night and pulled through. He also would drink fresh hay tea willingly, so I think those two things really saved his life!

 

. . . 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.  

[Cheerios and Noise]

Thank you I checked his temperature. He felt cold too.

[Cheerios and Noise]

::Update::

Thank you much for the advice. Luckily I managed to find an animal hospital that takes bunnies. It was a 1 and a half hour drive but it was best I could do.

He was diagnosed with GI stasis. They took him in and did a full body exam. They found no other issue aside from GI stasis.

 

They sent him back home with me with instructions for his treatment.They gave him a strict diet of critical care and medication to soften his stool. He looks much better. I wokeup to a bit of droppings, but he is still refusing to eat and drink water. He’s also more alert and active compared to yesterday. They also gave hydrated him at the hospital.

 

Thank you for you’re advice. It also helped me so much since I was panicking to know that I’m not alone. Thank you and I’ll still keep you updated.

 

 

[Bam]

Oh, I’m glad to hear you managed to get him seen and that he is doing better! Yay!

Its great that you have seen some droppings, it obviously means stuff is moving in there. Hopefully he’ll soon start eating by himself, but until you see that he does, its best to keep up the Critical Care. Rabbits often don’t want pellets when they’ve been poorly, fragrant herbs can sometimes help spark an appetite.

 

[DanaNM]

So happy to hear this and that he’s doing better!

Stasis is so terrifying. Glad you got him some treatment and he seems to be improving!

. . . 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.  

[Hazel]

So glad to hear he’s doing better! 🙂

I would still recommend to have some Simethicone on hand. Anytime Oscar has felt poorly one or two doses have turned him around.

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