Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE Rabbit with sensitive tummy

Viewing 11 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • mistyowl
      Participant
      16 posts Send Private Message

        My mini rex has a very sensitive digestive system, so I have to be very careful with her. In the last few months, she has been suffering from gas and pain episodes pretty much every week; simethicone and belly massages seem to always solve the problem. This week however,  the episodes have been happening everyday, so I took her to the vet yesterday. The vet didn’t seem to find anything wrong with her, so I felt  like the “crazy pet person”, nevertheless, I kept insisting that she has been not her normal happy self. The vet suggested to remove veggies completely and see if she gets better. If not, remove the pellets completely as well. I have a feeling however that the pellets might be the culprit . But who knows, I’m just weening her off the pellets right now. Today she had no veggies and very little pellets (1/2 teaspoon), and she looks completely miserable, and uncomfortable. So I feel bad

        Do you guys have any  suggestions on what could be causing the gas/pain and sensitive tummies? Is there anyone with experience with sensitive tummy bunnies who could offer me some advice ?

        I just feel very powerless right now, and don’t like to see my bun so miserable

         Edit:I should add  that I’m giving her meloxicam for the once daily for the last 3 days, and she seems to feel better after that, right now I’m just waiting so I can give her some (0.3cc /day).

         I posted this on another website as well*.


      • LoveChaCha
        Participant
        6634 posts Send Private Message

          What sort of vegetables are you feeding her? Broccoli is on the high list of gas in rabbits.


        • mistyowl
          Participant
          16 posts Send Private Message

            She used to get al different kinds of veggies, but since her last GI stasis (on August) I removed all veggies that could make her gassy. So she only gets herbs (like cilantro, basil, parsley etc), and dark green leafy lettuce. So no broccoli or any cruciferous veggies for her since a long time ago.


          • Sam&Rex
            Participant
            56 posts Send Private Message

              What type of pellets are you feeding your bun? You could be right and they might actually be what’s causing the problems if they aren’t the right type of pellets. I know most on this forum feed Oxbow, and having pellets for your buns age group is important too. I’m guessing you already have a decent type of pellet but it never hurts to double check.


            • mistyowl
              Participant
              16 posts Send Private Message

                My bunny gets Oxbow timothy essentials. Because everyone says oxbow pellets are extremely good,I doubted for a long time that they could be the ones affecting Remi.But at this point, I really have to find out what’s behind Remi’s problems.

                Thinking back, her problems started around the same time that oxbow change the package for its pellets. I’m not completely sure if oxbow changed any of the ingredients, but I have done some  research about it and some people say they didn’t and some say they did. Another person  that I know said that her bunny also got pretty bad when oxbow changed the packaging, so I’m not sure if its the pellets.


              • Sarita
                Participant
                18851 posts Send Private Message

                  Actually that is very old thinking about broccoli and such causing GI stasis in rabbits, the newest and most updated veggie list on House Rabbit Society by Dr. Susan Brown, DVM, states this:

                  Some people are concerned about feeding foods that cause gastrointestinal (GI) gas in people such as broccoli. A rabbit’s GI tract is not the same as a human’s and many of the foods that may cause gas in a human do not cause gas in a rabbit. The most common types of foods that do create havoc in the rabbit’s GI tract are those that are high in starch and sugars because they create a change in the pH of the cecum and eventually can throw the whole system off. The result can be serious GI disease. Foods that are notorious for causing rabbit GI problems when fed improperly are grains of any kind and legumes (beans, peas, etc). Even starchy root vegetables and fruits if fed to excess with their high load of sugars and starch could be a problem and should only be fed as a very small part of the diet.

                   This is the article (which I suggest you read in it’s entirety concerning vegetables):

                  http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

                  You may want to try a hay only diet for awhile and see if that helps.


                • Malp_15
                  Participant
                  601 posts Send Private Message

                    I agree with Sarita, usually when using food elimination to pinpoint the problem you start at the basics and work up. Feed only hay for a few days, and if there are no problems, start adding in pellets for a few days. If there is still no problems then start adding veggies back in, one at a time. I would listen to your vet, because he knows your case and rabbit best, but maybe something to ask them about?


                  • mistyowl
                    Participant
                    16 posts Send Private Message

                      Thanks for the info.

                      I didn’t know that the whole mentality of veggies and gas has changed, it’s good to know. My vet suggested to stop veggies all together since she said something like when a rabbit has a weak digestive system, the veggies make the system work harder  which may cause even more issues..

                      I still thinking that the pellets are the problem and and not the veggies. I hope I’m able to find out soon so Remi gets better.


                    • Sarita
                      Participant
                      18851 posts Send Private Message

                        Hmmm….you may find this article interesting:

                        http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-3/digestibility.html

                         


                      • mistyowl
                        Participant
                        16 posts Send Private Message

                          Thanks for the link.

                          I was under the impression that the digestive system of a rabbit was fast moving, but this article says it requires several hours to digest certain foods. That makes me wonder about it, since Remi’s problem is usually on the afternoon and she gets her veggies and pellets in the morning.So it could be one or the other, or even both.


                        • LittlePuffyTail
                          Moderator
                          18092 posts Send Private Message

                            Hi, MistyOwl. I’m sorry Remi is feeling unwell lately.

                            I can relate. When Bindi and Stormy were younger, they both often had sudden gas/stasis that would sometimes be remedied with just simethicone/massages and sometimes required expensive vet treatment. What helped them both was reducing their pellets. I also feed Oxbow. My vet is not big on pellets. She feels they cause more tummy problems than anything. Reducing their pellets to about 1/2 – 1 TBSP per day seemed to have helped. Some bunnies are more sensitive to pellets, apparently. You might want to discuss this with your vet. I don’t suggest you change his diet without discussing it, however.


                          • mistyowl
                            Participant
                            16 posts Send Private Message

                              Thanks so much for the advise

                              Remi doesn’t get much pellets, she used to get 1/8 of a cup a day. However, after her last stasis (on August), I reduced it to about 1-2 teaspoons, but she still suffered from digestive problems. My vet told me that if Remi is sensitive to pellets, even a very small amount can alter the balance in her digestive system.  Today she seems a lot happy and healthier, she didn’t get any pellets nor veggies. I really hope one of those is the problem. Hopefully, she will continue to feel better.

                          Viewing 11 reply threads
                          • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                          Forum DIET & CARE Rabbit with sensitive tummy