ASAP - Do I Need Emergency Vet Visit?

[ams1786]

My rabbit was totally normal all day. An hour or so ago, my bf noticed she was sitting in her house and breathing more quickly than usual (not labored, just fast breathing that made her little ears shake). Thought we were making stuff up but when I offered her some food, she refused. She even turned down her favorite food (an oat) which she would normally draw blood for. Then we realized her tummy was gurgling. For the past hour, I've been watching her closely and something is definitely up. She isn't grinding her teeth or totally hunkered down (she's been alternating between loafing and sprawling out) but something is definitely off. She won't eat (and she is VERY food motivated), she's gurgling and she just seems uncomfortable. She also looks like she's grimacing a bit (I don't know if other rabbits do this but she has a very definite face she makes when she's anxious/uncomfortable, almost like a sneer, though it's v subtle right now). I gave her some simethicone 30 min ago (.6 cc of a 20mg/.3ml suspension). I guess my question is should I rush her to the vet ASAP? Or should I give her an hour or two to see if things chill out on their own? My vet is closed now (Sunday night) but I can take her to the emergency clinic, and I know if this continues its a medical emergency. I'm just hesitating because she gets EXTREMELY stressed by car rides and vet visits - like hyperventilating, panting, fear shedding everywhere, etc - and I've always heard you should keep them calm during gas/stasis incidents.

Also I have no idea what could have caused this. She's a Rex with a sensitive stomach (excess cecal production) so she's on a VERY restricted diet - just hay, limited plain oxbow pellets, and an occasional pinch of oats (which I know aren't ideal for all rabbits but seem really calm her stomach down in her case). She gets no fruit/vegetables and we've never had this happen before.

And to be clear, if this doesn't start eating she's def going to the vet tonight. Just debating leaving right now v waiting a few hours.

 

[Mahna_26jan]

First I'm sorry for my bad english ...
I think she might be frightened by some noise or something ...
keeping her in a silent place and talk to her gently , caressing her ears and head might work, but we don't know why she's stressed exactly and I think you may take her to an emergency clinic and not waste time.
Hope she's well soon!

 

[Watermelons]

I think yourr on the right track.
Gas meds. Tummy rubs. You can try offering a BOWL of water spiked with a bit of apple juice. Some fresh veggies. If she still wont eat you may need to syringe feed some water and food into her.
Grinding up pellets with a bit of water or pedialyte or apple juice and making it milkshake thick should do the trick for syringing food.
I think you have a few hours still before you need to worry about rushing her to the vet. Sometimes the added stress can make things worse. But not eating/drinking for 24hrs is a serious emergency so dont wait too long.

 

[Aki]

Not pooping or eating in 12 hours is a real concern, so if she's not better by the time your vet is opened (I have no clue what time it is where you are ^^') it's vet for an x-ray to make sure there is no blockage. Hydratation, pain management and drug that help the mobility of the stomach (Reglan / Emeprid )are the key to recovery in stasis but you can't do any of these before the blockage is ruled out. Massaging your rabbit's tummy (there are tons of videos on youtube) might also help to get the guts moving. I you have any Metacam, I would give her some because a rabbit that feels even a bit of pain won't eat, thus making his situation worse...
A case of normal stasis treated early is seldom life-threatening and it looks like you caught on fast that something was wrong so it should be OK.