Blockage in my girl..

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
T

Tammy587

Active Member
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
27
Reaction score
1
Location
New Zealand
Someone please help me out here. My mini lop rabbit hadn't been eating or pooping. Her stomach had a very hard patch, and was making quiet gurgling sounds when I was massaging her tummy. I was concerned and took her to the only vet available, he told me her stomach had a blockage.

He gave her a fluid shot, prescribed laevolac which is a laxative, and metoclopramide amps which helps to get movement in the gut. That was at midday today. It is now midnight. In that time, she has had the so far required 3 doses of medicines.

He also gave me dual care pellets, which I have been mashing up with water and syringe feeding her. I am worried about dehydration and have been syringe feeding her lots of water as well.

When I rubbed her tummy just before (midnight) it was very loud and gurgling, I feel like I can feel her poos down her digestive tract, yet since midday she has only done 6 poos. And the day before that, none. On the upside, the hard lump seems to have broken apart or at least gotten smaller, I am worried I am not doing enough to look after her.

She has been lying down in front of the fire all night to keep extra warm (her favourite spot!) But she is no where near as energetic as usual, I am so worried about her, I can't sleep.. what more can I do to ensure she is okay??

Am I feeding her too much?? What if she gets too full but still cant poop?? Am I feeding her enough water?? The right foods?? How do I know??? Is she in pain? What can I do to help her?? I usually feed her veges and hay, but after I went to the vets I have only been feeding her the mashed up pellets with water, I've tried to feed her greens but she won't take them, is she okay? Please help me.. :(
 
She keeps grinding her teeth together really loudly, is she trying to show she's in pain? Please someone help!!
 
I'm so sorry you're going through this, I know how scary it is and how we never feel as if we are doing the right thing or enough.
Has your vet prescribed anything for pain? Usually they give meloxicam/Metacam and that can help as rabbits often won't eat if they are in pain. Have you tried offering her favorite treats? You probably have but I keep trying with my bunnies when they are sick. Sometimes they suddenly surprise me and eat them.
The fact that she's done even 6 poops is very good! It means that her belly is moving and not completely blocked. And usually belly noises are good too. Complete silence is worrisome. I listen with a stethoscope when I'm really concerned about GI stasis.
The syringe you have to feed your bunny probably has the amount of millimeters on it. I try to feed my 4lb bunny about 15-25ml at each sitting, every 4-12 hours depending on how he's doing. If he's not eating at all, every 4 hours. A good portion of the feeding usually gets on him and me instead of into his mouth any way!
If your bunny is not eating by tomorrow, I would call your vet and ask for pain meds, and also see if he can give some Sub-Q fluids and another shot of metoclopramide plus prescribe some to take home to give. I also give ranitidine for humans, but ask your vet about that.

For now, making sure she stays warm is necessary, and it sounds like she is doing that for herself . If her stomach is feeling very full, like a firm ball in there, and she's not pooping, I would just give water for a few hours and see if she poops. It's like of tricky because food will help the food in the belly move through, but if it's not moving through, you don't want too much going in there. I always struggle with that myself. Also most bunnies hate being force feed so it's very stressful and I feel awful.
Also try simethicone, it's infant gas medicine. Give 1 ml every hour for the hours, them 1 ml every 3-4 hours after. It's harmless and can help them pass painful gas bubbles.

Good luck with your bunny! I'm going through a bunny illness too- it's the worst!! You're doing great with her, so try to remember that .
 
Thank you so much for your reply!! I've been stressing out for hours. But no the vet didn't prescribe any pain medication, he did say when I git her checked that she wasn't showing any signs of pain or discomfort at the time. As for the metoclopramide Amps, I have 20ml here, I am supposed to give her 0.1ml every 6-8 hours, which I have been doing. I have offered her her favourite weeds but she won't take them, plus I'm scared of over feeding her if she isn't defecating properly yet. I was really happy with her doing a couple of poos, but I would love to see more progress. I am just about to feed her some more water, and do another required dose of laxative. I have to go to work in the morning, so my partner will give her her next doses on his lunch break.. im very worried about leaving her at home by herself. If she isn't looking any better, I will definitely take her back to my vet, they offer an animal hospital there where she would stay and they would look after her. I don't know how I would feel about leaving her alone though.. hoepfully she perks up a bit over night.. hope your bunny is okay..
 
Tammy587 said:
She keeps grinding her teeth together really loudly, is she trying to show she's in pain? Please someone help!!
Click to expand...

Yes, as Preitler said, belly massage!!! I gently massage like I'm kneading bread lightly, and then kind of stroke toward the hind end of the bunny, like I'm trying to move things along. I also jiggle the belly as quickly as I can with my hand.

If she's grinding her teeth, it might be gas bubbles passing through. My bunny chatters his teeth when he does that, and sometimes even squeaks. It's heartwrenching and the first time he did it, I was sure he was gonna die!
 
Last edited:
Im so worried, she hasn't been going poop and now look at the poo I just noticed hanging out of her bumhole... IMG20190513115016.jpg
 
I pulled it out of her bumhole, it was sticky, stringy and I dont know looks pussy! I'm so scared!IMG20190513115821.jpg
 
My rabbit has a blockage in her tummy (check out my other thread to see all information about this) she hasn't been going poo, but I just noticed this poo hanging out of her bumhole. I cleaned it away for her, it was pussy looking, stringy and I'm scared she has a infection.. anyone know what's up?? First poo she's done since yesterday, yesterday she did 6 normal poos, day before that, none..IMG20190513115821.jpg IMG20190513115016.jpg
 
It's not uncommon for a rabbit to have mucous in their poop when recovering from GI stasis/blockage. It happens because of irritation in the digestive tract from the food sitting in there too long. You should see the poop gradually improving now, over the next couple of days. I wouldn't be to concerned unless your rabbits condition worsens. But if you have any concerns it's best to contact your vet.
 
Now she is grinding her teeth a lot and keeps burying her head behind my arm or under Neath the blankets. Is she okay?
 
I feel like the blockage is getting worse.. bug hard lump right down by her bum but still no more progress with the defecating..
 
No, grinding teeth is never good. She needs to be rechecked and put on pain meds asap. That large lump is working it's way through the intestines, so it's important to continue to keep her fed and hydrated to keep that moving through her digestive tract and eventually out. If it's not moving, if there's a complete blockage, that's when things are very critical and surgery is likely necessary. But she needs pain meds right away.
 
JBun said:
No, grinding teeth is never good. She needs to be rechecked and put on pain meds asap. That large lump is working it's way through the intestines, so it's important to continue to keep her fed and hydrated to keep that moving through her digestive tract and eventually out. If it's not moving, if there's a complete blockage, that's when things are very critical and surgery is likely necessary. But she needs pain meds right away.
Click to expand...
Is there pain meds I can purchase over the counter? Or will I need to go back to the vets to get pain meds
 
Baby ibuprofen or low-dose aspirin (NOT TYLENOL). I recommend the ibuprofen since it comes in liquid form, but low-dose aspirin cut into at least 1/4s (you can't really pill a rabbit, but you can syringe a small piece in conjunction with apple sauce or fruit/veggie flavored baby food.

See this site for specific dosage information. Be SURE to tell your vet tomorrow if/when you've given OTC pain meds.
 
Meloxicam is what is used for minor to moderate pain in rabbits. I don't know if that is otc or rx where you live. But your rabbit may need something stronger like an opiate, and that you would definitely need to get from the vet. Ibuprofen or baby aspirin is listed on rabbit sites, but I have no idea how safe they are, and they also have a higher likelihood of causing gastric issues, possibly serious ones. The best thing to do would be to consult with your vet. I'll give you a few links on pain med use in rabbits.
https://www.vgr1.com/metacam/
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Common_drug_dosages_for_rabbits
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm
 
I live in NZ and unfortunately we don't have aspirin here, we only have paracetemol, Panadol, or ibuprofen.. I have called the vet again to ask for advice and will be getting a call back soon.. I'm probably bothering them so much.. I just want her to be okay..
 
Update: she has been very lathergic, lying on her side, body limp and I'm worried I'm about to lose her.. I have taken her to our 24 hour emergency hospital here, it's a bit pricey, but I would do anything to see her get better. I really don't want my baby to die..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top