What seems like Dorian yearly really bad gas, possible stasis is on again

[prince dorian the bun]

You would think it would get easier,  but it doesn’t.  Similar to his last one a heat wave set off a really bad molt and now Dorian has been not eating and is progressively getting worse. I just gave  him his 2nd dose of metoclopramide and metcam. I have tried to get him to move a bit but he really doesn’t want to.  Hoping when pain meds kick in a bit more he’ll be more willing.  If he isn’t better in an hour I’ll call vet, but the emergency vet is far away, and I really don’t want to put him through the stress if we can get things sorted here. They also don’t allow pairs to remain together, which isn’t ideal as Miu is very reactive to new scents.

Anyway I am utterly terrified of losing him. Feel so helpless not being able to make him feel better. I wish I knew how to avoid this.

[Bam]

I’m very sorry Dorian isnt well.

The stress of getting in the carrier sometimes make things start to move, if indeed it is gas. He cant be allowed to just lie down and not move, but you should of course not chase him. The gas needs to come out. He probably needs rehydration, sub q or in more serious cases, IV.

Metoclopramide is counter-indicated if there is a blockage or partial blockage. It’s very good that you have metacam.

Can you get him to your normal vet? If he takes a turn over the weekend it’ll probably be much more difficult to get him seen by a good vet.

[prince dorian the bun]

Ended up taking him to emergency vet.  Currently waiting for them to call me. He had a huge gas bubble and lots of liquid in stomach based on xray.  No visible blockage, but can’t rule it out. They were hoping he would be able to pass on his own,  said the would call me immediately if he got worse and they needed to do a compaction (may be getting the term wrong, suck stuff out of his stomach) .

[Bam]

I hope he”ll pass it on his own. I would’ve gone to the ER too. A partial blockage seems likely, they cant always see it on x-rays, it most often occurs where the stomach empties into the small intestine bc the passage there is very narrow. If they have to they can try to decompress the stomach via the mouth through a tube to relieve pressure.

Please get well, Dorian

[prince dorian the bun]

They called, he has improved as far as his stomach isn’t as big and tight, they are discussing feeding him. Looks like he will most likely avoid any aggressive treatments. I get another update late afternoon, unless there is any changes. Here’s hoping the phone doesn’t ring until 3 – 5pm.

I am worried about having to rebond, Miu freaked out when she smelled my hands last night. Any advice on minimizing that would help!

[Bam]

So glad to hear there’s been improvement!

I don’t know about rebonding, I think there was a case here recently when the bun that had been hospitalized was kept in the carrier until the other bun had had the opportunity to check it out a bit. Maybe rub a towel on Miu, then on Dorian, before you let them together. To avoid a violent attack before she realizes this is actually Dorian she might need a bit of time.  Aggression and fear-driven behaviors (fight/flight) kick in without engagement of the cortex, so giving them some time to suss things out and “think” might help some.

[prince dorian the bun]

She tends to be a bit of a moray eel in how she reacts when something scares her. She tends to aggressively lunge at what ever is close, even if it is Dorian or me. Also very smell driven, I sort of wonder at her vision. She actually stomped her foot and got agitated when she smelled my hand that Dorian had licked while at vet. I think your suggestion of giving her time makes sense @Bam. Thanks! I will grab a blanket she has slept on for trip home. Really hope we can pick him up tonight. Though it might not be until morning.

[prince dorian the bun]

There were some poops!  But they wanted to keep him overnight.  Want him home, but running on fumes and not sure if I would be up to hourly checks and medications & force feeding.  Hopefully he start eating on his own tonight. Still so happy no surgery or decompression needed.

[Bam]

Poop!!!

It’s probably best for him to stay over night. ER vet clinics have resources that we can’t match at home.

[prince dorian the bun]

Still at vets,  looks like he will be able to go home late afternoon.  Was hoping earlier to make sure bond is ok, but will probably need to keep them separate at least tonight. Not looking forward to re-bonding, but hopefully it will be smooth.  Miu seems to be doing ok, but looked bit lonely in the evening especially.  She seemed to be looking for him, but had to know for sure. She’s being way more affectionate.

[Bam]

I hope he’ll be in good enough shape for you to get to take him home, always feels better when you have them with you.

Did you have to rebond after that time when he had that big surgery for suspected LLT?

It’s in a way wonderful when they cope by becoming more affectionate towards the hooms. What we don’t want is withdrawal and poor appetite.

[prince dorian the bun]

Sorry @Bam, didn’t see your comment. I did have to rebond after his surgery, why I was worried.  Luckily they did a lot of chasing and leaping, but no fighting. They were grooming each other and flopping near each other at same time,  so I think it was some bunny thing I wasn’t quite privy to. It felt more like some mating ritual I see the wild bunnies do, didn’t feel aggressive,  though it wasn’t ideal for me! I did keep an eye and make sure it didn’t escalate. Luckily all calmed down now and other than finishing off meds Dorian is his old self and they are back to snuggle buns. Have their yearly vet visit and follow up on Monday.

I really want to figure out how to avoid this.  I bunny sit and am around my neighbors foster bunnies, and they seem to all avoid this, yet Miu and Dorian both have had issues. Though Miu’s are milder. They eat a lot of hay, get exercise,  I do my best to groom them, though sometimes that feels impossible to stay on top of. They only get small amount of treats (maybe a teaspoon between them, but often less or none). I even tried some herbs for shedding they had in the binky bunny store. Oh and wet greens and lots of water. Dorian has great teeth. Anyway will ask vet, but I really don’t want him to have to go through this again.

[Bam]

So great they’re back together again and that the litterbox issues has improved. When I bonded my buns they did the wild rabbit courtship-thing too. “Danced” around each other and jumped over each other, high up in the air, just like on Nat Geographic or sth 😄 It was amazing to see and they bonded very well.

Some buns are prone to GI issues, and it could of course be due to any number of things, genetics probably play a role. GI issues aren’t well understood in humans either, when a human has GI issues and the doctors can’t find anything wrong, it’s diagnosed as IBS and it’s mainly managed with trial-and-error/elimination diets like FODMAP.

It’s of course extra important to ensure a good diet when you have a bun with a sensitive gut. You are doing that. I’m sorry I don’t have any suggestions, when I had a bun with a difficult gut (Bam) I put him on a hay (later fresh grass) only-diet for a week or so -but he never had true GI stasis, “just” bouts of (very) poopy butt.

I’m glad you got Pepcid (famotidine) together with the pain meds! It isnt always necessary, but an already upset tummy could be extra sensitive to meloxicam bc, like all NSAIDs, it can be a bit hard on the stomach lining.

 

[prince dorian the bun]

thanks Bam!

He had a follow up with regular vet (and Miu had her yearly check up). I asked her and she said being extra diligent with brushing is the best additional thing I can do. He has super fine silky hair that is so much harder to deal with than Miu’s lionhead tangles, her fluff comes out in nice tufts. I have groomed him via gentle plucking for a half hour straight only to still have a small cloud be released when I pet him an hour later! Combs and brushes don’t do much. But will try and figure something out.

[Bam]

Lint rolling could perhaps work for his fur? I lint roll Snöa, she’s a rex and I havent found a a brush or comb or slicker that picks up her short, super-fine hairs. Lint rolling has been great though, she doesnt even hate it. She’s shedding heavily right now so I lint roll her every 2 or 3 days, in between I just pluck loose tufts with my fingers. It makes her look very moth-eaten, but new hair is already sprouting under the fur so she doesnt have any bald spots.

You could brush Dorian like normal, then finish off with a lint roller to catch the hair that’s come loose but hasn’t stuck to the brush/comb.

[DanaNM]

I second trying a lint roller! For some of my buns that’s the only thing that works!

. . . 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.  

[prince dorian the bun]

I tried lint roller, but it’s a big NOPE! from Dorian and didn’tevenworkas well as damp hands. I wish it did!

(Also I don’t seem to get emails on replies even though I thought I had set it that way. Should check)

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