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dhill711

dhill711

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Joined
Jul 8, 2012
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Location
Belews Creek, North Carolina, USA
Hi I have a Mini Lop who I purchased about 2 weeks ago so she is now 8-9 weeks old. I also have a Netherland Dwarf who is 11-12 weeks old. I purchased them from the same pet store. When we got them home the lop seemed a little lathargis and after a day the Netherland became the same way. I gave them both Timothy Hay (alot of it) and the pellets they were eating at the pet store. No fruit, no veggies etc and a lil bit of orchard grass. I brought them to the vet and she gave me baytril for 2 weeks as she said the rabbits from the pet stores can obtain alot of bacteria that can kill them. They were unable to get blood or a stool sample but she said both their stomaches sounded good and everything else checked out ok. 2 days later their poop was mooshy and they were leaving the "beneficial poop" everywhere! Then they started having really tiny poop then none so I called the vet and she said to give them Parsley and cilentro. That helped along with belly massages. I also removed the pellets and then I stopped seeing the good poop everywhere which means they were eating it. So I add the pellets back and now they have been having gas alot of it. I am feeding them the Oxbow pellets recommended by the vet. Also giving tummy massages and infant drops. What else can I do to help them pass the gas I am so worried about them. Can they just have the oxbow western timothy grass and survive? The pellets seem to be causing havoc in their little systems.
 
First off, did the vet discover a specific problem that made her give them Baytril? I've always found Baytril (along with most other antibiotics) to upset their tunnies. At a minimum ours always have limited appetite, if not totally going off their feed and full blown stasis.
Personally, I don't think its a good decision for a vet to give Batril if the bunny has no specific problem. That's something I really appriciate about our vet-they don't do meds unless they have to, and don't leave them on longer than needed.

It seems reasonable to me that they already had upset tummies (causing them to be lethargic) and the Baytril made the problem worse. Possibly. I could be wrong.

I don't see any reason why they couldn't have just the timothy. Pellets are not necesary as long as they have plenty of other food. If you do go the route of no pellets though, I highly recomend having a variety of hay as it adds interest and they'll eat more of it. Maybe at this point its not the best idea to add in new ones while they have upset tummies, but long term, I'd add in other hay.

Another question-what kind of pellets are they on?

Its ok that there are cecals they're leaving around- I've noticed this alot when ours were on antibiotics.
 
The vet told me to buy the oxbow pellets. They had literally 5 pellets each then had gas again. They have been off the antibiotis for about 5 days. The vet did not find a specific ailment but put them on it as a precaution as 2 bunnies from that same pet store died within a week that we had previously purchased from them. I take the blame for that as I was ignorant when it came to feeding them. And I thought the chattering of the teeth was happiness : ( The pet store said nothing about them not being able to have fruits etc at such a young age and I fed it to them. I feel horrible and my Daughter about had a mental breakdown. My heart was just torn out, so I vowed to get every bit of information I could before we got the next ones. So no fruit etc and yet still they have tummy issues. I did give then some orchard grass as well the "kaytee" brand and although they loved it their bellies were gassy? This vet is suppose to be "rabbit savvy" so I trusted her to give me the right advice. Maybe I should look for a new vet? Thank you so much for replying I sure do appreciate you taking out the time to answer a worried bunny Mom! :big wink: so no other grass until their tummy issues are gone? They are still eating the timothy grass. What about papaya treats do they help? Is cilentro good for gas? Thanks again!
 
Fruit and veggies (mainly veggies) can be introduced into a young rabbits diet slowly, and 1 item at a time so you know what agrees with them. However with current issues I would hold off.

Keep getting them to eat.
Young bunnies under 6 months need some Alfalfa hay/alfalfa pellets in their diet to help with their growth. Just introduce it slowly after they start with ormal tummies again.
Are they drinking?
Ditch the parsley and offer just Cilantro for now, Cilantro naturally helps with gas issues.
Papaya tablets are good.
If they go off food completley you want to be ready to syringe feed them either Critical care or a blended up slurry of pellets and some pineapple juice.
 
Thank You so much, they are still gassy even after the gas drops and massages. I am going to store to buy more cilentro. They are still eating and drinking so that is a plus. I will continue with massages. :pray: I ordered papaya tablets yesterday but picked up papaya treats for small animals are those ok?
 
Can you give us the ingredients in them?
Often treats have a fair amount of sugar and other things added to them, which may be best for when their tummys are feeling better, if its simply dried papaya NOTHING else, it should be okay if their tummys can handle the slow introduction.

Keep up with the hay, lots of fiber in those bellys, keep them drinking, if they stop drinking you can offer a bowl instead of a bottle and spice it up with a bit of apple juice to encourage drinking.
 
it says "dehydrated papaya" crude protein: 0.15%, Crude fat 0.10%, Crude Fiber 2.0% and moisture 12%, I like the apple juice idea thank you! I do not want to do anything to upset their bellies any further for sure. Just got finished with an hour lon tummy massage on cali and she let alot of gas out but their is still more. She made it clear she needed a break lol so I will give her another in about 20 minutes or so. Thank You Again!!
 
My Heart is broken : ( cali died on the way to the vet today. It was bloating and I did not see the signs. She was pooping, eating, drinking etc not grinding teeth! I just do not understand I am so sad my poor little baby died because I did not see the signs! I did everything the Vet told me to do omg I am going to have a mental breakdown! I love her so very much and now her best friend Sally lost her frien and my Daughter she was holding her as she gasped for air! Sorry ya'll I am just so sad and confused! I want her back!:rip:
 
I am SO very sorry to hear about the loss of your baby :( You did absolutely everything you could have. Don't beat yourself up. I went through gas/stasis with mine too, so I know how helpless that feels. Can't imagine what it's like to lose a bun though. Again, so sorry!
 
Thank You so much, they found signs of it in Sally too, so they put her on an antibiotic for 3 days and something to get he GI moving. They also gave her subq fluids. They think it was possibly the change in hay (I went from using Kaytee to Oxbow because they said it was better for them) Also they said to stay away from pellets since it makes her tummy upset, one papaya tablet a day, critical care evry 8 hours for the next 3 days and I can give her vitamin supplement. I wish I could have seen the signs better with cali and I assumed it was simply gas but the vet told me I should have brought her in right away for gas! ughh wish I could have her with me right now. :cry4:
 
First off, I'm really really sorry to heat about the passing of Cali-you did everything you knew and could do for her, and try not to beat yourself up over it. RIP sweetie, and binky free :rainbow::rose:

As for the other bunny, what antibiotic is this that she's on? Subq's are always a huge help. Is hse eating hay? Hay helps alot. Are you giving Benebac? Probiotics can be a big help and it (Benebac) can be purchased from most pet stores that carry bunny things.
 
Thank You! She is on matronidazole and metoclopramide. Also Critical Care every 8 hours for 3 days and I have been giving her the benebac before this round of antibiotics but have a qustion regarding that. How many hours after I give her the antibiotic do I give her the probiotic and does it interfere with the other medication mentioned above? Also been giving her nutri-drops for rabbits. She has been eating the hay wonderfully and cilentro. Her poop is looking pretty good and I am still syringe feeding her the water because although I see her occasionally go the water bowl I want her to say hydrated. I thought I was doing everything right but I did not know the difference between what a bloated stomache feels like and a gassy one.:( I hope Sally does well I read online to put a stuffed toy in with her as long as she does not chew on it? We put a bunny one in there and she groomed it It was so heartbreaking knowing she lost her best friend. I do not want to get another one as my heart has taken all it can. Will she be ok alone when I go back to work? She has free run all the time as we have sectioned off a 7ft by 5 feet area for her in the kitchen with hideaways and tunnels etc, chew toys, balls etc and 2 hay dispensers, 2 water bowls etc we took the cage out. She also has two potty's which she pees in and sometimes poops in.I pray :pray: she pulls through I just adore her and now even more she is attached to me! Everytime I go by the pen she stands on her hind legs to be picked up, so cute!
 
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