Could my buns have gas or GI Stasis?

[Cassidyfare]

My buns has been acting kind of off the last 24 hours, and I'm not sure what is up. Yesterday I don't think she drank any water (she has a bowl), and therefore wasn't peeing very much. She isn't a huge water drinker, but for it to be completely full and her not pee a lot is unusual. Also, it took her the whole day to eat her 1/4 cup of pellets when it usually takes her like half a day. She's still eating hay, not a ton of it, but it isn't unusual for her to go through phases where she doesn't eat it as much. Most of last week though she was eating it like crazy. She ate all the veggies I gave her yesterday (kale, a green bean, and a baby carrot). This morning I saw that her water dish still looked the same, but there was more pee in her litter box. I swapped the water and watched her drink it for a good minute or two (She had fresh water yesterday too so I don't know why she wasn't into it yesterday). I also watched her eat her hay for a little while too. Her behavior seems mostly normal, this morning we were playing and binkying like normal. However, it does seem like she's pooping less than usual, but the poops she does have are normal. I've also noticed some teeth clicking, which she does do sometimes but I usually only notice it when she's playing/exploring. This morning she was doing it while just sitting, and her ears were back and her eyes were half closed. I can't tell if it is because she is in pain or relaxed. I've only had her for 6 months so I'm not super knowledgeable in what this could be or if it is anything at all. I was going to clean her cage and really pay attention to how much she poops and acts today and decide from there if I should take her to the vet. But I'm wondering if it is more urgent than I realize and should take her to the vet as soon as possible. I should also note that she is molting right now. I've been brushing her everyday, but she doesn't love it so I can't be as thorough as I would like, so I know she's probably consumed quite a bit of hair. /:

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Your rabbit probably has gas which can cause Gi-stasis. Gi-stasis is fatal if left untreated, but there are several things you can do to help her. I would not syringe feed just yet. I would stop feeding Kale because it can cause gas. Rabbits are normally in a crummy mood when they are shedding so it makes sense why she would be feeling this way.

• Get the rabbit to a vet. If taking her in is not possible, call the vet
• Give infant gas drops (you can buy them from Walmart or a pharmacy). You can give her 1-2 ml every hour for 3 hours, and then 1-2 ml every 3-8 hours or as needed. If you don't have gas drops you can brew fennel seeds, peppermint tea, or chamomile tea in hot water and syringe feed it to your rabbit after it is cooled. NO HONEY. Syringe it to your rabbit every hour. These should help get gas out. It is a substitute for Infant Gas Drops.
• Give tummy massages to get the gas moving.
• Make your rabbit run around. It may be that you must push her around and make her mad in order to get her moving, but it will be worth it. Moving around will get her gut moving.
• Give fresh pineapple juice. It can help with dissolving hair in the intestines which could be clogging her up. If you don’t have fresh pineapple you can use canned pineapple, but it does not work as well.
• Give fresh veggies (Romaine lettuce, cilantro, parsley, and kale). Soak them in water for a minute and feed them to your rabbit while wet that way your rabbit gets water. You can crush some pellets and put the pellet powder on the wet veggies.

If your rabbit has not eaten or pooped in 8-12 hours follow the instructions below:

• Syringe feed Critical Care 6 times a day. If you don’t have Critical Care you need to soak pellets in water until they are mushy. Then smash them in the water until you have a mixture the consistency of pancake batter.
• Syringe water 6 times a day. Fill a bowl with water so that the rabbit can drink freely. Add some apple juice or pineapple juice to make it more appealing.

If you need to order Critical Care, here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FKACXO/?coliid=I1XGIN0R5O7U7D&colid=1WPEFZJ54GMSE&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it.

 

[Anlyska]

First thing you want to do is monitor. My rabbit was porly mildly twice but once, she nearly passed away... If your rabbit is eating and drinking not as much as before, thats a good sign. Rabbits tend to put food off completely when poorly. It maybe that she is going through a belly ache or GIS. Its important that you monitor how much food she is consuming as rabbits need to constantly eat as their intestines do not have the same function in movement as in us humans or cats and dogs. Remember that herbivores will hide that they are unwell because they are animals which are prays and if shown weak already, easier to catch. Hence it is important to monitor how much your rabbit is eating and drinking, this will give you an indication of how well your bun is. If your bun has not eaten or drank or very very little in 24h, its time to visit a vet. Blocked food which does not move in intestines can be fatal for a rabbit and it diseases can deteriorate very quickly.

 

[Blue eyes]

From what you describe she may have had a bit of gas that has since passed. Since she ate well yesterday, and is still pooping normal poos, and drank water this morning, (and binkying) there is no need to rush to the vet. Stress alone can cause GI troubles so now that she seems to be doing better, taking her to the vet could just make things worse by causing unnecessary stress.

Encourage her to eat more hay by refreshing it throughout the day. Are the veggies you gave her yesterday new? Green beans are a legume and quite rich. They should be severely limited if offered at all. Carrots are high in sugar and are considered a treat. Both of those together could have given her the tummy upset especially if she isn't accustomed to getting them at the same time.

At this point, I would not advise doing anything. No need for gas drops (which are usually the first go-to if a rabbit is showing signs of tummy upset). She seems well on the mend. Just give her hay and keep monitoring her. Too much intervention can be counterproductive.