Bunny with sick tummy - please help!!

[Jessscott]

I am beside myself and out of ideas so I am wanting to reach out for some more advice. We got Dustin and Molly as 3yr old bunnies from a shelter last year. For the most part they have been healthy and quickly became a big part of our lives. Molly has recently been sick.

At the start of June I noticed that she had lost weight and had signs of diarrhea and immediately took her to the vet. Once there, they tested her droppings for coccy and didn't find anything, however she seemed to perk up and we were sent home with something called Bactrim just in case. We gave her critical care also. For the next week or so she recovered and we thought that it was over. Then she had another diarrhea episode and was very bloated (you could see her tummy swirling under her coat) and again we rushed her to the vet. That vet wasn't helpful and just gave us the same again.
The day after we took her to a rabbit specialist vet who did full round of blood tests and xrays. They didn't find anything unusual and were given more blank stares. At this point she was given more bactrim, painkillers, pro biotics, gut stimulant and critical care. We were also feeding small amounts of pineapple juice in case there was a blockage that needed to be broken down. She was on 3 hourly critical care feeds.

She seemed to improve over the next week and was ravenous for food, taking fresh grass and thistles etc but avoiding the pellets that she once loved.

However one more week on, same thing, down hill again.She also appeared to start losing her balance and was not as coordinated when hopping. This time the lady that we adopted them from came and took her to give round the clock care. she had an injection of pro-pecillin and was given a course of Baytril. Really improved, but then a week later she displayed a bloated stomach again. She was given daily injections of pro-pecillin for a week and was the best she'd ever been. Even started putting weight back on and very coordinated again.

It had been a week since her last injection and she displayed a bloated tummy again. However no runny poos anymore. Whenever she is bloated now she lays flat on her tummy with her head on the ground. She is still eating and drinking and seems fine otherwise. I have noticed she gets bloated at night - in the morning and during the day she appears to be 100%.

A friend has suggested that it may be mucoid enteritis and after googling it I am really hoping that it isn't. In terms of her diet, she has constant fresh grass hay, fresh grass, other plants such as dandelions, thistles, flatweed, mint, parsley etc that she picks when in our back yard (approx 3 hours a day), otherwise she lives inside all the time. She has a small amount of barastoc pellets in the morning and maybe one stick of celery and a bok choy leaf at night. I would also give her a piece of banana, apple or carrot each day.

I'm really sorry for rambling on but I have tried to provide as much information as possible. I love my buns so much and don't want them to suffer! If you have any ideas it would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Jess

 

[fantaysah]

Try taking away EVERYTHING except hay and pellets for about 10 days and then add back things one at a time lasting 10 days each before giving back the next item. This will give plenty of time to see if this is a reaction to something she's eating. One thing she has eaten a thousand times could all of a sudden not agree with her and the problem may just be really bad gas.

 

[fantaysah]

P.s. don't give treats even if she begs. Not a single thing! If the vets want find anything its VERY likely a diet issue.be strong and don't give in even for the ill die without a treat face!

 

[Jessscott]

Thanks for the advice... would you still include the fresh grass? Life would be pretty bland for her without it! What do you think?

 

[fantaysah]

No grass either. Could be something contaminating it like chemicals, other animal pee, some unknown something... it can however be the first thing you give back. Wait 10 days on grass before giving anything else. If she's better on hay and pellets only then gets sick again on grass then you find the culprit if she's fine on grass for 10 days move onto the next item.

 

[fantaysah]

Oh and remember to start back with a small amount and increase how much she gets slowly over the first few days then give a full serving ( however much you plan to give regularly ) for the last few days.

 

[Erren]

have you tried her with Simethicone? When I was treating Lex for E.C he wasn't eating enough and he got a nasty bloat. My vet sent me to find any baby medication with Simethicone (i may have spelled that wrong) in it, it's not at all toxic to rabbits, it takes a day or so to start to work, but it breaks down gas in the gut. If your rabbit's in pain this should help her. I'm pretty sure it saved Lex's life because he was hardly going to the toilet at all. I used that and rubbed his belly for as long as I could and after a couple of days everything got going again. I also had him on critcal care with a pinch of probiotics mixed in. Rabbits have got such complicated digestive systems, it's nightmarish when they get ill. But simethicone should be easy to come by in any pharmacy. Lex HATED it, but I syringed it in his gob about 3 times a day and made him eat. maybe your bun should stay on probiotics all the time? i don't know. Good luck though - you must feel demented.

 

[Jessscott]

Thanks for all your replies. I have got her some simethicone meds and that seemed to help. have taken away all sugary feeds and will keep up with a weekly penicillin injection for a little while to help her keep on top of things. All looking positive at this stage though. Thanks again for your help

 

[katadvokat]

Hi Jess, just wondering if you've had luck getting Molly back on track?
Good to hear you now have simethicone. If found it useful for my rabbits. I use Infacol and use the guideline of 1 dose (0.6ml) every hour for the first 3 hours, then 1dose every 8 hours after the initial 3.

Some rabbits can be sensitive to different veggies. Mine are fine with celery but I know others that say it gives their rabbits loose stools.

If you are still having trouble with Molly, consider a thorough teeth exam for her. Dental problems are often connected to tummy troubles in rabbits.

I hope she's improved : )

 

[Chrisdoc]

So sorry to hear about Molly and hope you've got some way to sorting her problems. I know what it can be like as one of mine was a bit off from Christmas Day and had even started fighting with his bonded companion. I sort of though it may be gas so I started him on the simethicone which was recommended on here and yesterday he seemed to be so much better and I'm hoping that the fighting was because he wasn't 100%. They are funny little rascals as the other two have been eating exactly the same and are fine...hope to hear soon that Molly is completely back to normal.

 

[ladysown]

Toss the bok choy. Many rabbits cannot handle plants from the cabbage family.

Rabbits with gut issues either have something wrong with how they digest things OR they have an illness. Reoccurent gut issues tells me this rabbit has something genetically wrong with them.

I'd put her predominately on a hay diet, supplement with oatmeal, for at least three days. When she's stable I'd add pellets back into her diet. I'd limit the fresh greens she receives to super safe ones: aka Parsley and plain grass. Avoid anything that can cause loose stools or digestive upset.

 

[Imbrium]

I would avoid the oatmeal, excess carbs can actually make tummy problems worse... a hay-only diet for a while until she's stabilized is a good idea, though... then you can gradually add in pellets and very tummy-friendly green veggies to see if you can pinpoint the problem.