Anaira
Well-Known Member
Woo hoo! That is fantastic news. I'm sure he'll be back to hopping around in no time!
Bunny spinal injury care??
- Thread starter annabelle00
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annabelle00
Well-Known Member
Yup! Main reason he couldn't move towards is lack of muscle
His legged healed a (just a bit) skewed. 'A bit more in front' of the other...but hoping that it doesn't affect his recovery.
He still gets quite a bit of gas...I'm thinking it might be the orange pulp I gave him. Can bunnies get gas with too much vitamin C? or acidity? or sweet?
He's still not drinking water and I forgot to ask the vet about it specifically. Wouldn't be able to afford much with that bill atm
His legged healed a (just a bit) skewed. 'A bit more in front' of the other...but hoping that it doesn't affect his recovery.
He still gets quite a bit of gas...I'm thinking it might be the orange pulp I gave him. Can bunnies get gas with too much vitamin C? or acidity? or sweet?
He's still not drinking water and I forgot to ask the vet about it specifically. Wouldn't be able to afford much with that bill atm
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That's good it's the hip and not the back. Still a hard injury to have though. So is your rabbit not drinking cause it's hard for him to get to the water, or is it some other reason? Do you have a water dish for him nearby?
The gas problems isn't good. It can cause a rabbit to stop eating. Is he eating ok on his own or are you syringe feeding? What exactly is he eating or being fed each day?
The gas problems isn't good. It can cause a rabbit to stop eating. Is he eating ok on his own or are you syringe feeding? What exactly is he eating or being fed each day?
annabelle00
Well-Known Member
He is able to scoot around pretty ok. Even when I put water near him he won't drink. I put the veggies (lettuce...no iceburg, parsley, carrots, cilantro, cucumber, dandelion, grass, hay) in his cage and he eats them normally. His pellets he'll eat one or two occassionally and water I feed him. Oh his pellets are NRM.
His stomach got pretty distended quite a few times...I let him out to hop and fed his some fennel and mint which I read helps with gas...not much though)
I heard Simethicone is pretty good for stuff like that. Would it treat the problem or would it just help him pass the gas.
Previously I took him to the vet for urine scald and when he wasn't drinking...they had given him fluids and a metacam and when I brought him home he peed normally and drank a lot ...before he would drink a sip or two in one day...I made up for it with some moist grass and veg.
His stomach got pretty distended quite a few times...I let him out to hop and fed his some fennel and mint which I read helps with gas...not much though)
I heard Simethicone is pretty good for stuff like that. Would it treat the problem or would it just help him pass the gas.
Previously I took him to the vet for urine scald and when he wasn't drinking...they had given him fluids and a metacam and when I brought him home he peed normally and drank a lot ...before he would drink a sip or two in one day...I made up for it with some moist grass and veg.
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annabelle00
Well-Known Member
Some symptoms
"- Significant decrease in appetite (even with her most favorite foods). (<<<just the pellets and cilantro)
- Bunny will lay in an uncomfortable or unusual manner-partially on her side to ease the pain (most likely with the front part of her body held upright while her hind legs seem relaxed); or she may not want to lay down at all instead preferring to sit upright with a very straight posture. (<<<the first one but he's got a hip injury)
- Her stomach will feel very hard, or extremely soft. (yup! and overly large)
- Her temperature will be lower than normal (below 100F) WHAT TO DO: (occassionally when its cold..winter atm but I've got a heater in my room...not sure if its 100F)
"- Significant decrease in appetite (even with her most favorite foods). (<<<just the pellets and cilantro)
- Bunny will lay in an uncomfortable or unusual manner-partially on her side to ease the pain (most likely with the front part of her body held upright while her hind legs seem relaxed); or she may not want to lay down at all instead preferring to sit upright with a very straight posture. (<<<the first one but he's got a hip injury)
- Her stomach will feel very hard, or extremely soft. (yup! and overly large)
- Her temperature will be lower than normal (below 100F) WHAT TO DO: (occassionally when its cold..winter atm but I've got a heater in my room...not sure if its 100F)
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I think the cucumbers may be causing your rabbits gas problems, and may also be causing the eating and drinking problems. A rabbit won't drink or eat as well when in pain. Eliminate the cucumbers and see if that fixes it. It's also good to have simethicone and metacam on hand for this kind of thing. They help get the gas and pain under control, which helps get a rabbit eating and drinking again. Dosage for simethicone is 1-2cc of 20mg/ml every hour for 3 hours, then 1cc every 3-8 hours as needed. Metacam dosage will be written out by your vet, but is usually 0.1-0.2mg/kg every 24 hours, syringing water needs to be done when giving metacam. But it's best to eliminate what's causing the gas, as gas problems can lead to other more serious digestive problems. If a rabbits body temp is cold you need to warm up your rabbit with warm packs(rice pack warmed up in microwave-not too hot) or warm towels, before feeding and syinging water.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm
If this solves the gas problem but not the drinking problem, you mentioned seeing some bladder sludge, in a previous post. That can cause drinking and eating issues too, as well as urine scald. Lack of fluids is a big problem for that, so you need to talk to your vet if this is still happening.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm
If this solves the gas problem but not the drinking problem, you mentioned seeing some bladder sludge, in a previous post. That can cause drinking and eating issues too, as well as urine scald. Lack of fluids is a big problem for that, so you need to talk to your vet if this is still happening.
annabelle00
Well-Known Member
They only have Infacol with Simethicone in it over here.
I gave him cucumber yesterday and he was fine. I was told by the nurse that giving him orange would be what could have caused the upset as I had given him a few pulp 4 weeks ago... his gas started later on after a week or two. I've stopped anything sweet, the cucumber is to help his water intake but I rarely give ...
One of my family members gave both my bunnies a little bamboo once without asking me and I found out it can be quite dangerous...our previous bunnies used to be fine with it...Mirabelle got over it but did pass gas for a day but he was confined then and didn't show any sign of gas...:s
Today he had some build up after his new anti-inflam called Tolfedine.
The sludge was most likely the alfalfa pellets and his immobility as it did stop once he stopped eating those and when I took them away, I put them in again later for his bone and muscle though...at the moment his urine is a dark orange with his veg and hay diet...haven't seen any thick urine (white.
I've been reading up on herbs for rabbits to keep his system healthy. He's really thin, building muscle is going to be hard if he's not eating :s
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Infacol is what you need, I bought some for Bandit a little while ago, it's quite a high concentration so you only need to give 0.2ml which is pretty easy to get into a bunny, either via syringe (which it comes with), or I hid mine on a bit of parsley. It helped Bandit a lot when he was gassy, it won't fix the problem, but it will certainly help ease the gas, the pain and encourage him to eat and drink again as a result. Agree that you may need to try cutting out one or two things from his diet to try and stop the cause of the issues.
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annabelle00
Well-Known Member
Just gave him some. Will keep the cucumbers out for a while. I don't give him oranges & tomatoes causes it to start up.
Would the treatment for this be probiotics?
Would the treatment for this be probiotics?
annabelle00
Well-Known Member
One thing I find strange is that he rests his hind legs sideways and the injured leg is what he is resting on...with his front propped up...
That is odd. It must be what feels most comfortable to him. I can't see him wanting to rest on that hip if it actually hurt for him to do it. Maybe it's the most comfortable position because the hip's weight is resting directly on the ground instead of if it was on the upside, it would be hard to keep it from hanging down and pulling on the joint.
I tried typing a better explanation of gas problems for rabbits, last night, but lost it twice. So at one in the morning, you got an abridged version. The deal with gas is that, it could be caused by the orange and other sweet foods. as too many sugars and carbs in a rabbits diet can cause an imbalance in the gut flora. It then causes a slowdown in the gut, which causes a build up of bad bacteria and gas. Whch leads to a blockage, pain, not pooping, not eating, and can be fatal. It's called GI stasis, and I've actually lost one of my rabbits to a very severe case of it. But with this kind of imbalance, the gas isn't just a come and go thing. Once the imbalance happens it continues to progres unless the diet is changed, and the sugars/carbs causing the imbalance are eliminated or severely reduced.
The other causes of gas in rabbits can certainly be some meds, and certain foods. With azerane's rabbit, if I'm remembering right, it was a cruciferous veggie that started causing all the problems. Once that veggie was stopped, the gas problem started to go away. With your rabbit having gas problems right now, it's probably best to not feed sugary things until you sort out the problem, but some rabbits just have very sensitive digestive systems and can't tolerate any sugars and carbs or it starts causing digestive upset. I have a couple rabbits like that. They can't have anything sugary(even carrots) or they start to have digestive upset and pain. One of them can't even have pellets he's so sensitive. So it's just figuring out the cause of the problem. With my rabbit, right after I fed pellets, he would start sitting and acting like he was uncomfortable, so I knew it was the pellets. For your rabbit, it may be a little harder to sort out with him also getting meds for his hip. If you think it's one of the meds, maybe you could talk to the vet to switch him to a different one, and see if that fixes the gas problem. If you thinki it's one of the veggies, you can try eliminating one and see if it makes a difference. if not, then try another. I just suggested the cucumber being the culprit, as they are known to be a gas producing veg. But with rabbits it's very important to figure out what is causing the gas, and stop it as soon as possible. Rabbits aren't like us, where when we have gas, we just put up with it until it's gone, and we are fine. Rabbits usually will stop eating and drinking from gas pain, which can then compound the problem because that then slows down the GI system. Then if it continues, it can progress to GI stasis and a blockage. So that's why it's so important to figure out the cause and eliminate it from the diet. Because of your rabbits current situation, it is a little more difficult. I know that you are having a hard time keeping weight on him, so he needs food, but you just need to avoid ones that cause upset, as those aren't going to help anything. Non dairy probiotics do help if there is a gut imbalance from too many carbs and sugars, but if the gas is being caused by a veggie that is being fed, probiotics aren't going to help with that or fix it. Simethicone will help with gas some, by reducing the size of the gas bubbles and making them less painful and easier to pass, but simethicone doesn't stop the gas from occurring. Only eliminating the food source causing the gas, will do that. Try the cucumber. If the gas continues, then try something else. You can always increase the veggie amounts of the other veggies, to make up for the one you are eliminating.
It is going to be hard to put weight on him if you aren't feeding things with higher protein(alfalfa), fat, or carbs. Do you feel like your rabbit is sensitive to carbs in his diet. Does he start to get small poops, or start to sit like he's uncomfortable when you have fed things with carbs? I don't know if this has been mentioned, but black oil sunflower seeds are high in fat and lower in carbs than regular sunflower seeds, and may help your rabbit put on some weight. You will want to introduce them into the diet slowly(as with any new food), but the added fat may help him start gaining weight. Alfalfa can help as well, but if he is having a bladder sludge issue, then that may not be a consideration. With the bladder sludge, is he having actual toothpaste like urine, or grit in the urine, or is it just white and chalky. Cause that is normal for rabbits. They pass extra calcium in their urine. It becomes a problem for certain rabbits that are prone to bladder sludge issues cause they don't just pass the extra calcium like most rabbits. The picture in the first and second link, shows the difference between sludge and regular urine. I also included the bladder stone link, because it explains the issue with calcium.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/generalities/Sludge.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/Mech_diseases/Urolithiasis.htm
http://ontariorabbits.org/health/urinary
If your rabbit is just having white chalky urine and not actual bladder sludge, you may want to consider including alfalfa hay in the diet. A good leafy alfalfa hay, with small stems, can really help a rabbit put on weight because of the higher protein content. Just make sure to introduce it slowly and start with small amounts, as it can cause digestive upset if introduced too quickly. But if your rabbit does have bladder sludge problems, then a lot of alfafla isn't an option. If you could find foods that are higher in protein, that will help with the weight gain. Not sure exactly what though, besides alfalfa, and pellets with added soymeal. I know that softer grasses have a higher protein content, as opposed to when they are allowed to grow longer and get more stemmy.
Your rabbit is in a difficult situation, which is going to make it hard to figure out how best to help him stay healthy. All you can do is your best to try and figure it out. I know it's not easy though.
I tried typing a better explanation of gas problems for rabbits, last night, but lost it twice. So at one in the morning, you got an abridged version. The deal with gas is that, it could be caused by the orange and other sweet foods. as too many sugars and carbs in a rabbits diet can cause an imbalance in the gut flora. It then causes a slowdown in the gut, which causes a build up of bad bacteria and gas. Whch leads to a blockage, pain, not pooping, not eating, and can be fatal. It's called GI stasis, and I've actually lost one of my rabbits to a very severe case of it. But with this kind of imbalance, the gas isn't just a come and go thing. Once the imbalance happens it continues to progres unless the diet is changed, and the sugars/carbs causing the imbalance are eliminated or severely reduced.
The other causes of gas in rabbits can certainly be some meds, and certain foods. With azerane's rabbit, if I'm remembering right, it was a cruciferous veggie that started causing all the problems. Once that veggie was stopped, the gas problem started to go away. With your rabbit having gas problems right now, it's probably best to not feed sugary things until you sort out the problem, but some rabbits just have very sensitive digestive systems and can't tolerate any sugars and carbs or it starts causing digestive upset. I have a couple rabbits like that. They can't have anything sugary(even carrots) or they start to have digestive upset and pain. One of them can't even have pellets he's so sensitive. So it's just figuring out the cause of the problem. With my rabbit, right after I fed pellets, he would start sitting and acting like he was uncomfortable, so I knew it was the pellets. For your rabbit, it may be a little harder to sort out with him also getting meds for his hip. If you think it's one of the meds, maybe you could talk to the vet to switch him to a different one, and see if that fixes the gas problem. If you thinki it's one of the veggies, you can try eliminating one and see if it makes a difference. if not, then try another. I just suggested the cucumber being the culprit, as they are known to be a gas producing veg. But with rabbits it's very important to figure out what is causing the gas, and stop it as soon as possible. Rabbits aren't like us, where when we have gas, we just put up with it until it's gone, and we are fine. Rabbits usually will stop eating and drinking from gas pain, which can then compound the problem because that then slows down the GI system. Then if it continues, it can progress to GI stasis and a blockage. So that's why it's so important to figure out the cause and eliminate it from the diet. Because of your rabbits current situation, it is a little more difficult. I know that you are having a hard time keeping weight on him, so he needs food, but you just need to avoid ones that cause upset, as those aren't going to help anything. Non dairy probiotics do help if there is a gut imbalance from too many carbs and sugars, but if the gas is being caused by a veggie that is being fed, probiotics aren't going to help with that or fix it. Simethicone will help with gas some, by reducing the size of the gas bubbles and making them less painful and easier to pass, but simethicone doesn't stop the gas from occurring. Only eliminating the food source causing the gas, will do that. Try the cucumber. If the gas continues, then try something else. You can always increase the veggie amounts of the other veggies, to make up for the one you are eliminating.
It is going to be hard to put weight on him if you aren't feeding things with higher protein(alfalfa), fat, or carbs. Do you feel like your rabbit is sensitive to carbs in his diet. Does he start to get small poops, or start to sit like he's uncomfortable when you have fed things with carbs? I don't know if this has been mentioned, but black oil sunflower seeds are high in fat and lower in carbs than regular sunflower seeds, and may help your rabbit put on some weight. You will want to introduce them into the diet slowly(as with any new food), but the added fat may help him start gaining weight. Alfalfa can help as well, but if he is having a bladder sludge issue, then that may not be a consideration. With the bladder sludge, is he having actual toothpaste like urine, or grit in the urine, or is it just white and chalky. Cause that is normal for rabbits. They pass extra calcium in their urine. It becomes a problem for certain rabbits that are prone to bladder sludge issues cause they don't just pass the extra calcium like most rabbits. The picture in the first and second link, shows the difference between sludge and regular urine. I also included the bladder stone link, because it explains the issue with calcium.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/generalities/Sludge.htm
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/Mech_diseases/Urolithiasis.htm
http://ontariorabbits.org/health/urinary
If your rabbit is just having white chalky urine and not actual bladder sludge, you may want to consider including alfalfa hay in the diet. A good leafy alfalfa hay, with small stems, can really help a rabbit put on weight because of the higher protein content. Just make sure to introduce it slowly and start with small amounts, as it can cause digestive upset if introduced too quickly. But if your rabbit does have bladder sludge problems, then a lot of alfafla isn't an option. If you could find foods that are higher in protein, that will help with the weight gain. Not sure exactly what though, besides alfalfa, and pellets with added soymeal. I know that softer grasses have a higher protein content, as opposed to when they are allowed to grow longer and get more stemmy.
Your rabbit is in a difficult situation, which is going to make it hard to figure out how best to help him stay healthy. All you can do is your best to try and figure it out. I know it's not easy though.
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annabelle00
Well-Known Member
It most likely has to do with his lack of movement I think as he was pretty healthy but thin...I put him on those pellets to put some weight on him.
He had the simethicone....but his stomach only got big ...he ate some of his pellet soon after....and I gave him a bit of water
it also says on the box that it forms 1 big bubble which can be passed :s....this was 3 hrs ago
I will be ordering a cart from dogTogo the vet at lynfield was also going to suggest it but wanted to try the physio first
He had the simethicone....but his stomach only got big ...he ate some of his pellet soon after....and I gave him a bit of water
it also says on the box that it forms 1 big bubble which can be passed :s....this was 3 hrs ago
I will be ordering a cart from dogTogo the vet at lynfield was also going to suggest it but wanted to try the physio first
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Did you give him more than one dose, or only one dose? I think it's one dose every hour for the first three hours, though I don't remember what it suggested after that. I would give him another dose if you haven't already. It took two doses before Bandit started noticeably improving.
annabelle00
Well-Known Member
1 every three hours and then 5-8 as needed. On the second he passed a mushy poop and was fine. First he had gurgling and third it looked painful. It's not large and hard anymore just normal.
I need to get him more panalog...he doesn't pee enough due to his urine scald
I gave him his anti inflamed (tolfedine) with a cucumber slice as the syringe had most of the powder stick inside...
He seems so much better now. Went off to sleep :> No gas.
I need to get him more panalog...he doesn't pee enough due to his urine scald
I gave him his anti inflamed (tolfedine) with a cucumber slice as the syringe had most of the powder stick inside...
He seems so much better now. Went off to sleep :> No gas.
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annabelle00
Well-Known Member
This is what the gas usually looks like...no stones or sludge
annabelle00
Well-Known Member
Are there any over the counter robotics available?
Not sure what you have available there, but here we can usually find pet probiotics in the pet store, sometimes with the cat or dog stuff. Feed stores also usually have them, and are often the best price for them. There's always online too. The human ones are ok too, as long as they are non dairy.
annabelle00
Well-Known Member
Vets say just let him eat his regular foods. So I leave him in a pen on the lawn...his poops are a regular size now and he is peeing ok...even started on his pellets a bit more.
Might give him a mineral block and see how it goes.
Might give him a mineral block and see how it goes.
annabelle00
Well-Known Member
Thought I'd post it here too...Caramel passed away a few weeks ago...I had treated the gas sometime ago with Benebac and ACV but the problem came back again in less than 24 hrs he passed away...I didn't notice it in time ...I didn't feel any gas but he did stop eating and pooping...It sucks cause he really did his best till the end!
The urine and not drinking was due to mobility once he started standing and hoping he started drinking too
...I didn't feel any gas but he did stop eating and pooping...It sucks cause he really did his best till the end!The urine and not drinking was due to mobility once he started standing and hoping he started drinking too
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