Flagyl, Baytril AND Cisapride for gas?

[BunnieRosanna]

Millie, our mini-rex (1.6kg) has had a few gas issues in the past few weeks, nothing that simethicone/Oval hasn't put right. She's also not eaten all her pellets (1 tsp twice a day) or salad (handful twice a day). She eaten enough, but left a bit. Eating hay as normal and this is always given in plentiful amounts 2-3 times a day. Millie is starting to shed a little too.

I took her to the vets today to see if her teeth okay and an x-ray to check if anything going on inside.

Vets sees larger stomach (bigger than it should be) and dark gas pockets in cecum. No hair balls. Teeth okay nothing that requires spikes to be filed down.

Prescribed twice daily doses of flagyl, baytril and cisapride for 2 weeks. Plus to continue with Oval every day.

I do not mean to undermine the vets professional knowledge or opinion BUT flagyl AND baytril? I understand cisapride is a good mobility drug (never had issue with this before) but two other antibiotics appears extreme. She does not have an infection? the duration concerns me too as you cannot take baytril for longer periods. Our last rex (Lara RIP) did not get on well with Baytril so I'm already on edge.

Can anyone comment please? would love a second opinion from a bunny parent. Thanks to whomever responds.

 

[LakeCondo]

I agree. I wouldn't overmedicate her. I would try some massage for the gas, as it can't hurt. And anytime anybody or anybunny takes an antibiotic I think they should have a probiotic that works in the intestines, not the stomach, to replace the good bacteria that are killed off.

 

[BunnieRosanna]

Thanks - I've started to give her the cisapride twice daily (squeezed the liquid into the middle of a tiny bit of apple) and am going to hold off on the antibiotics as they can upset the stomach flora anyway.
The vet wants to see Millie in 2 weeks to do a check-up x-ray!

 

[Piglet II]

Hi Bunnie, I'm with you....no way..overmedicating is no good.
The thing that stood out in your message is something that changed my bunny, Scooter's life. You said that you were giving your bun some meds in apple. Well, mine always were allowed very small amounts of fruit. But a rabbit-savvy friend of mine (just publishing a book on bunny health) told me bunnies should not get fruit at all. I was shocked. But since Scooter has tummy issues, I tried her on a diet with absolutely no fruit.
This changed everything.
She has not had a tummy issue since then.
I am not saying that this is so for your bun, but it saved my little Scooter, and maybe you can try it. Canned pumpkin is a delicious alternative, and a healthy one too. I never even thought a small bit of apple could hurt, because the other 3 were fine. But if a bun is sensitive to fruit, it doesn't take much. I hope this helps!

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Yeah, I always had Baytril give them stasis when I've used it.. =/

btw the bunny in your avatar looks just like my mini rex Taffy-Very Cute!

 

[BunnieRosanna]

Thanks that helps - yes, they get pumpkin but once we got a bad batch and all three (we had three at the time) all got ill!! it was organice unsweetened pumpkin NOT the pie filling...

 

[BunnieRosanna]

Bunnylova4eva wrote:

Yeah, I always had Baytril give them stasis when I've used it.. =/

btw the bunny in your avatar looks just like my mini rex Taffy-Very Cute!

Ah how lovely - my avatar pic is a tribute to my special girl Lara who sadly passed in November 2010.

Our newer girl, Millie, is a true "mini" rex and just looks like Lara except she has chocolate brown markings.

 

[BunnieRosanna]

Just on the topic of this thread I have decided to cut out our Oxbow pellets based on 4 out of my 5 babies ALL getting gas over this past week. They were a new bag of pellets too!!
Nothing else could have caused this - all their veg is washed and they have access to hay 24/7 it's fresh out.
My mind is boggling why this has happned and so far no more gas!!!
Millie was the first to get unwell and then Harrell, Maggie and Callie.....Emmett must have tummy made of teflon

 

[LakeCondo]

BunnieRosanna wrote:

Just on the topic of this thread I have decided to cut out our Oxbow pellets based on 4 out of my 5 babies ALL getting gas over this past week. They were a new bag of pellets too!!
Nothing else could have caused this - all their veg is washed and they have access to hay 24/7 it's fresh out.
My mind is boggling why this has happned and so far no more gas!!!
Millie was the first to get unwell and then Harrell, Maggie and Callie.....Emmett must have tummy made of teflon

I assume you mean you're changing to another brand of pellets. Just because veggies are washed doesn't mean they aren't contaminated.

 

[BunnieRosanna]

LakeCondo wrote:

BunnieRosanna wrote:

Just on the topic of this thread I have decided to cut out our Oxbow pellets based on 4 out of my 5 babies ALL getting gas over this past week. They were a new bag of pellets too!!
Nothing else could have caused this - all their veg is washed and they have access to hay 24/7 it's fresh out.
My mind is boggling why this has happned and so far no more gas!!!
Millie was the first to get unwell and then Harrell, Maggie and Callie.....Emmett must have tummy made of teflon

I assume you mean you're changing to another brand of pellets. Just because veggies are washed doesn't mean they aren't contaminated.

Yes that is true - we have discarded the veggies we had in and have switched to organic for the time being.

The Oxbow brand has been excellent and is one of the best out there, but I am assuming it might have been a bad batch due to the coincidence.

Our bunnies have 1 teaspoon twice a day normally....first thing when we get in from work then salad an hour later. I'm thinking now to switch this around.

 

[LakeCondo]

I wasn't sure if you were stopping pellets completely or not. Some people don't give pellets at all to adult rabbits, but the latest research says this is not a good idea.

I think it works well to give them whatever they prefer, last. Ie it becomes dessert. So in Honey's case that's greens first, pellets later.

 

[BunnieRosanna]

LakeCondo wrote:

I wasn't sure if you were stopping pellets completely or not. Some people don't give pellets at all to adult rabbits, but the latest research says this is not a good idea.

I think it works well to give them whatever they prefer, last. Ie it becomes dessert. So in Honey's case that's greens first, pellets later.

Thanks for your input. You've reinforced a good point and the more research I do, the less inclined I am to feel it is necessary to feed them pellets.

Up til this last week I had been feeding 1 teaspoon first thing in the AM and later afternoon after I return from work.

I'm going to purchase the organic pellets from Oxbow to be a bit more certain of the potential of any contaminants...although you can never be 100%

What I may do is exactly what you suggest; pellets aredessert after the salad so at least their gut has soggy veg in it.

They are all beginning their shedding now anyway so pellets and fur is not a nice combination inside their stomach & cecum.....

 

[ZRabbits]

Respectfully disagree. The bunnies need their pellets. They have the basic nutrition in them.

So we feed pellets first and then veggies and fruit as a dessert. And always lots of hay.

But to each their own. If it works for you, great. All the research I've read is that a bunny only needs pellets, hay and water to have a happy, healthy life.

BTW, what kind of contaminates in the pellets are you worried about? This is new. Never heard of it before. My husband, when researching pellets for our Neville, he talked directly to a field representative of Purina who states that pellets are watched more vigorously, along with other pet dry foods than what people purchase at a food store. I was taken back by all the research and it doesn't include chemicals. Some of the dry foods available for pets are so fresh and secured in packaging, it's absolutely amazing. And it's about time.

K