Unusual situation with bunny.

[michaelsoftman]

So I have a 3 year old bunny, his name is Cosmo.

Last Thursday night, I noticed he wasn’t eating, and was barely drinking.  I got him to the vet early Friday morning, and it was determined by x-ray that he had a blockage in his stomach, that was most likely a hairball or a buildup of food.  The vet gave me a laxative for him.

Starting yesterday, his appetite really picked up, along with his mood.  He has been very happy and playful, he’s been eating and drinking a lot more than this started too.  He hasn’t been grinding his teeth or otherwise showing signs of pain.

However, what I’m worried about is that he still hasn’t pooped since Friday.  It’s been about 5 days.  He urinates just fine though.  I have read online that a bunny not pooping can be fatal within 24 hours.  But Cosmo’s x-rays showed that he had no fecal matter at ALL in his intestinal track, so it’s not like he is constipated, or in GI Stasis (which I was so thankful for.)

Does anyone have experience with a rabbit having a stomach blockage?  I think that part of, or all of the blockage is starting to go away and get passed, because he’s eating so much more than before.  But I have another vet appointment for him to find out anyway.  I am just still concerned that he is not pooping, even though he seems to be recovering.

[LBJ10]

He’s not pooping at all and he still has an appetite? Did you completely empty his litter box so you could monitor his pooping?

[michaelsoftman]

Yep, Friday after I got back from the vet, I cleaned his litter completely. He has urinated regularly, but no poop at all.

[Roberta]

That’s a long time without poop…… Maybe he has a spot hidden from view where he is going ? Checked his tummy for any bloating ?

[LBJ10]

Posted By Roberta on 12/18/2012 08:37 PM

That’s a long time without poop…… Maybe he has a spot hidden from view where he is going ? Checked his tummy for any bloating ?

Those were my next thoughts.

[michaelsoftman]

Well, I went and checked very thoroughly everywhere Cosmo has been since Friday.  I found no evidence of poop.  Still none in his cage.  Though it is possible I missed something, I’ll have to check again tomorrow.

As far as his tummy, he is not bloated at all.

What I think is happening is that his blocked stomach is starting to clear, but is doing so kinda slowly and so he’s taking a while to start passing again.  It’s either that, or he’s very very good at hiding where he’s been using the bathroom recently.  But I have a vet visit scheduled very soon for him so I’ll know for sure.  I will be sure to post back here with more info.

On a side note, he’s even more active and happy from when I last posted.  I was laying down on the floor with him, petting him, and he chose to jump all over me for a bit.  He’s been extra active with exploring and playing, so I’m very hopeful that he’s recovering quickly!

[Sarita]

I would ask the vet to do some sub-q fluids to help with the blockage. Laxatives are not usually recommended for blockages as it coats the blockage. Really rehydration is the key.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Sub-q fluids will be really important. Did you find a hidden stash of poopies or any other update?

[LittlePuffyTail]

How is your bunny now?

[jerseygirl]

Oh wow, this sounds familiar. I’m currently experiencing this with my rabbit. Though he hasn’t been really eating much but has had food force fed. So i know something should be coming out at some point.
Im thinking similar to you, that the lack of poo is because the gut has been empty and only just getting going again. If Cosmo has been eating good source of fibre, that should really get things moving. The fact he’s choosing to eat at least tell you his stomach is emptying into the rest of the intestine at least.

Ditto the suggestion on fluids too.

Do you think it’s possible if he has pooped that maybe hes eating them?

{{{Vibes}}} for Cosmo.

[michaelsoftman]

Hi all, sorry I haven’t updated, was super busy with work over the holidays.

Cosmo is doing fine! He’s 100% back to normal.

The final explanation from the vet – Basically, Cosmo had a stomach blockage (but no blockage in his GI tract) so he was using the bathroom like normal, but not eating. When the blockage started to clear and pass, his GI tract was basically empty, which is why he didn’t use the bathroom at all for a few days but continued to eat like normal.

Quite an odd situation, and I was really worried, but he’s perfectly fine now, and seems a lot happier than before too.

[BinkyBunny]

Whew!! Good news! Did the vet say why the blockage was in in his stomach, or was it just one of those mystery things that rabbits are so good at — baffling us all, including their vets.

[jerseygirl]

That’s great! Thanks for the happy update.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m glad to hear bunny is well.

[michaelsoftman]

Posted By BB on 12/29/2012 11:43 PM

Whew!! Good news! Did the vet say why the blockage was in in his stomach, or was it just one of those mystery things that rabbits are so good at — baffling us all, including their vets.

The best guess was that he managed to eat something he shouldn’t when he was roaming around the house, like a bit of carpet fuzz or something that he couldn’t digest, and that caused food to start collecting in his stomach.

 And thanks everyone, I’m glad he’s ok too.

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