Scare with Bungelina

[Theresa Moan]

THis morning Bungee was scrunched up in the litterbox and refused to eat.

I was so scared about the GI Stasis all day at work.  My coworkers were scared for me.

I was having car problems and it was a big snowstorm.

Luckily they let us out of work early because of the Nor’easter.

I just got home and she seemed ok – sitting in the cage, not the litter box.  She ate a little bit of cucumber so I feel much better.

Why does this happen?   The only thing that changed is that last weekend we went to a super Walmart and decided to treat them to some new green veggies –
Kale and Collard Greens.  (Now that I brought them home I don’t know which one is which).
They never had them before but all 3 loved them.

Would these veggies cause gas??????  Or is there something else that Bungee could have been refusing to eat????

[LillyBear]

Kale causes gas in rabbits so it is not recommended except rarely and in small amounts… collard greens should be okay to use though.

here is a link with suggested veggies: http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

notice Kale is on there, but with an ! after it – meaning to use sparingly.

and suggested fruits: http://www.rabbit.org/care/fruits.html

and poisonous plants/fruits/vegetables: http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html

[Theresa Moan]

Thanks for that link.

I had seen this posted on my local HRN website, so I didn’t realize that about kale!!!

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/basics.shtml#diet

"Fresh leafy greens should be offered daily. We recommend at least three different ones from the following list: kale, dandelion, collard greens, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine, escarole, chicory, dill, cilantro, parley, swiss chard, oregano and mustard greens. Carrots should be limited to about 1/2 per day depending on the size of your rabbit as they are high in sugar and calories, but the leafy tops can be fed freely. Typically they should receive 2 cups of greens per 5 pounds of body weight. "

I was probably giving her too much kale!!!! 

Now i need to get rid of the kale.  Hmmm I don’t know which bag has collard greens and which has kale.
Better ditch both of them.

[Gravehearted]

We’re supposed to feed kale sparingly because it’s high in calcium, not because it causes gas. My 3 kids have kale about once a week with no ill effects.

It’s always a good idea to introduce one new veggie at a time. That way it’s easier to figure out what might be causing the tummy upset.

(just FYI about calcium: Excess dietary calcium, along with other factors, may cause bladder stones or sludge in some rabbits. In addition, consuming vegetables that are high in oxalates in large quantities or on a daily basis may cause crystals or stones to form in the kidneys.)

[Hedi]

I just bought collard greens for my buns this week and kale last week. The collard greens i bought are more of a spade shaped flat dark green leaf. The kale was a much larger leaf and very curly.

Hope that helps you figure out which was which.

[Deleted User]

Collards are a great cheap winter veggie =)  My co-op has secretly been donating parsley, cilantro, basil, kale, bok choy, and collards to Cassy ;P

[BinkyBunny]

Theresa,  EEEK!!!!  Well, if I didn’t know about Kale, I would reading that and thinking I was giving the right stuff too!  That rabbitnetwork site really is a great site, and the information they provide is usually right on, but feeding kale everyday is not recommended.   So I fully disagree with that particular diet information. The house rabbit society also says that it can have toxic levels of vitamin A if fed everyday. 

(I also have first hand experience of what feeding too much Kale does to my bunny, Jack, who is already very sensitive to calcium)

Kale has curly edges

I bet Bungelina had gas, which eventually passed, but keep an eye on her.  What color is her urine? If you see a whitish or sludge like urine, it may she has too much calcium.

In the future if you find her hunched up, listen to her stomach.  Listen for extra loud gurgling or complete silence.  Soft gurgling is normal, but you shouldn’t be able to hear it unless your ear is right up next to her stomach.    Also, feel her stomach, and if it feels bloated or tight, you’ll need to watch for the next couple of hours.  it’s a good idea to have simethicone on hand (human infant formula like "little tummy’s" gas relief drops, as well as pedialyte.   If after a couple of hours she doesn’t get better, then a vet’s visit would be recommended as gas can actually cause so much pain that it can cause a bunny’s system to shut down.

I know she’s fine now – this is just for future reference.

[Theresa Moan]

Holie is doing much better…thanks for everyone’s support.
In fact a funny thing just happened, i was making a small bag of popcorn in the microwave, and I started hearing echos of the popping sound! I peeked around the kitchen and she was thomping back at me!

[Theresa Moan]

Oh and BB, we do have simethicone in the fridge. It has saved the day on more than one occasion.
This time we didn’t have to use it, she must have gotten rid of the gas herself, luckily.
I worry too much!!!
My coworkers were sympathetic but I’m sure they thought I was nuts getting this upset over a bunny.

[wendyzski]

I think a lot of veggie issues depend a lot on the individual rabbit.  I know someone whose buns get poopy butt from collard greens and someone else who has gas issues with kale.  Pepper LOVES kale,and goes after it sometimes even before carrot bits, and she’s never shown any sign of gas.

[Faye Perry]

I know when i gave Mable "big bobs galore" Kale before it made her poo’s really smelly… more smelly than normal!! but she loved it too.  I don’t give it much now because i really couldn’t stand the smell

[Anita Stark]

When we had our farm we grew kale for our pet goats.  I had a little pygmy goat named Gozer, the funniest thing in the world was to let him near the vegetable garden.  He would go straight for the kale and dive in head first.  The plants were almost as big as he was and his fat little butt would be sticking up from the middle.  It was almost impossible to drag him out of there.  Kale gave the goats gas too.  You think a bunny smells bad after eating it, try walking into a small barn where 2 goats have just gorged themselves

I was hoping to grow some for the bunny because it is a really attractive plant, but I don’t think our little Sable could use enough of it to be worthwhile.

Glad Bungee’s okay.

[minilop111]

I too had trouble with introducing greens to my bunnies diet. Lenny my rabbit had diarrhea the first time he was fed lettuce, i found if i gave him a bit a time he got used to it. But i was very nervous at first

[Author]

Messages