excess gas in intestinal tract and bladder sludge

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paulsboopy

paulsboopy

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New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
my bun, penelope had just come back from the vet's office today after having excess gas in intestinal tract, bladder sludge, and was dehydrated. she actually came home early from doing so well. when she got home i let her walk around a little bit outside her cage, and she went in when she was ready. she's eating normally, but she seems to be acting a little strange. she seems more comfortable when i'm in the room with her, which is usually not the case at all. she's very independent. also, i've been in here with her all day and she hasn't had anything to drink at all! she's also trying to poop, but there's only a little that keeps coming out. AND she keeps eating her fur. so, i'm just a little worried and the vet's closed until monday, and they didn't give me anything put telling me to give her less pellets. any thoughts?
 
Hi,
Sleeping with eyes open is normal. My guys usually sleep with their eyes open. Last night I saw Muffin sleep with her eyes closed for the first time and it was adorable.

What I would do for her is give her some oral simethicone. Here in the US it's sold under the brand name Mylicon, or any store brand infant gas medicine. You can give 1mL/hr for 3 hours in a row.

I'd also pick up some pedialyte, canned pumpkin puree, and a fresh pineapple while you're out. Syringe her some pedialyte by mouth-I'd say at least 10mL and leave a bowl of pedialyte out. Also, put out a plate of pumpkin puree--a few tablespoons. If she doesn't eat, you can syringe her some. Also, fresh pumpkin chunks or juice can help.

Do you have any pain meds for her? Also you can give her a warm rice sock or heating pad. The warmth helps with pain. A rice sock is just an old sock filled with uncooked rice and microwaved a few minutes. Some gentle tummy massage can also help, as can a car ride or being put on top of the dryer during a spin cycle. The gentle motion helps get the gas moving. Also you can try to keep her moving, that helps the gas move as well.

If you have any probiotic, like bene-bac, give her some.
 
sleeping/there is an inner eye lid-which protects the eye from drying out,,i have seen them sleep either eye open or closed,or just one eye on me..//.sludge is a problem,more sludge more problem,,no water-major problem,,,offer water in a bowl 24/7,,diet must be 70%hay,ie.timothy,orchard grasses,,encourage more water/sugar free juices/cranberry,,apple/rabbits are consumate chewers and groomers,,the ingestion of fur adds to the problem,,offer some fruit tree branches,twigs//limit amount of pellets daily,,,rabbit needs to chew and drink//use hay also in the poop box,,check numerously,change daily,..is your rabbit on any meds??continue watching for any change in behavior...sincerely james waller
 
I send you and Penelope my most heartfelt wishes for a quick recovery.

Perhaps the ordeal left her feeling afraid and unsure and since you are a constant...that makes her feel more secure...No idea why really, but that would be my best guess as to why she feels better when you are around right now...

Simon almost always slept with his eyes open...
 
I am not an infirmary moderator - but I want to point out that it is VERY important that you keep her hydrated - especially with the bladder sludge.

Some things I would do is to add either a tad bit of vanilla to her water (just a drop or two - to make it taste better) - or even possibly some SUGAR-FREE cranberry juice - maybe 1 tsp to a 32 ounce amount of water. I've also been known to use baby juices to add to water - but I find the vanilla works quite well and when my Tiny had bladder sludge - the cranberry juice was recommended.

Another idea to get her eating - is if she's used to hay - spritz a tiny bit of juice on her hay to make it taste good. This is where I'll sometimes use a bit of apple baby juice and just sprinkle a bit on the hay.

I highly recommend the canned pumpkin (make sure it isn't the pumpkin pie type but pumpkin only) - as it gives both fiber and fluids.

Finally - if she eats veggies normally - perhaps soak them in water for a bit so they'll have a higher water content.

Keep us updated...
 
why do you think she won't drink? her overall eating is pretty good, but she looks at her bottle like she's going to drink, but then she'll just rub it with her chin. and i tried putting some water on my finger and she does the same thing. i called the emergency vet and they said to just monitor her and as long as she's peeing and pooping, it's a good sign. but like tinysmom, she needs to drink, so that's what i was most concerned with.
 
paulsboopy wrote:
why do you think she won't drink? her overall eating is pretty good, but she looks at her bottle like she's going to drink, but then she'll just rub it with her chin. and i tried putting some water on my finger and she does the same thing. i called the emergency vet and they said to just monitor her and as long as she's peeing and pooping, it's a good sign. but like tinysmom, she needs to drink, so that's what i was most concerned with.
Click to expand...

I can not say why she wont drink and I hope it is something you are able to resolve quickly but what you said about rubbing her chin reminded me of something. Simon would have to mark everything in sight and rubbing their chins on things, people, etc...is there bunny way of saying MINE! We can not tell or smell it, but other buns can...

I really hope she starts drinking soon! Sending out good vibes!
 
Have you tried the suggestions of the pumpkin or pineapple? Those would help get some sort of "fluids" in here - sort of.

How much does she normally drink?

It really concens me that she's not drinking - especially with the bladder sludge. When Tiny had it (he died shortly after diagnosis but his was a really bad bad case) - he was given baytril for it (he might've had an infection with it) and pain meds and stuff.
 
Umm....your last posts answered my questions. I don't think your vet gave you a quality treatment. Bladder sludge is very uncomfortable. First attack on sludge is fluids to start flushing them out. This is most efficiently done either sub-q or IV and I would suggest using an isotonic type solution. Pain meds, in particularly an NSAID, may be of benefit.....but there is some danger of liver and/or kidney damage when used in dehydrated animals....so to get max effect, pain meds and fluids should be utilized. Dehydration will cause organ failure....and if the kidney fail, only bad things will happen. There has to be fluids administered to your rabbit as soon as possible. A urinalysis can indicate if there is a bacterial infection. If so, appropriate antibiotics would be in order.

Bladder sludge is another of those ailments in rabbits that is wrought with misinformation. Most domestic rabbits are clinically dehyrated.....and if a rabbit is predisposed to calcification issues, the problem shows itself. Many blame sludge on a diet too high in calcium....and since rabbits excrete about 60% of their calcium intake, there is a lot of calcium thru the renal system. But rabbits also have bonesand teeth so they need calcium to maintain them. And here lies another problem with domestic rabbits....they are usually also Vitamin D deficient and Vitamin D is an essential element in absorbing calcium and other nutrients, Vitamin D comes from two sources.....exposure to unfiltered sunlight or by dietary supplements.

A dietary problem can lead to all your rabbits issues. Gas is usually caused by something in the diet.....a food that produces gas (cabbage is a prime example among others) or a diet too low in fiber (insufficient amount of hay). An improper diet will lead to a Vitamin D deficiency which will lead to metabolic issues systemwide. And a deficiency in selenium has been linked to a neurological condition in which a rabbit will "barber" itself and eat it's own fur. I would really be interested in know the exact diet you are offering and I think we can make some immediate improvements in your rabbit's condition.

And the other posts regarding the use of simethicone and heat are excellent ideas that should be instituted. Let us knowexactly what you are feeding your rabbit. And above all....find a vet that is rabbit savvy. I really hope these vets are doing more than you are posting....if not, it might get bad.

Randy
 
I'm sorry I didn't address the bladder sludge in my reply! I forgot. Hydration should be your #1 goal. Try diluting cranberry juice 1:4 and offering it in a bowl, plus a bowl of water. I would also syringe feed her some pedialyte.

Did you try any simethicone?
 
hi! so today i went to the vet and picked up the critical care package that helps with hydration and feeding. the vet said i just mix it with water, and it's pretty much like powdered timothy hay. what do yall think about this? and also, where would i get the different medicines yall had previous mentioned?

as for a little water bowl, if i'm holding it, she'll drink a few sips from it, but then nudge it away. and when i put it in her cage she tipped it over. it doesn't really make any sense though, because she seems fine. when i let her out she's so happy and binkies all of the place, more than EVER, but she still won't really eat or drink.

the doctor said she had high levels of protein, so they said to just feed her pellets twice a week and timothy hay the rest of the time. i was feeding her pellets and hay everyday. but now, she won't really eat the hay, but she keeps looking for her pellets in her bowl like she'd eat those. but the vet said to not feed her those as much so i don't know what to do.
 
oh and i'm going to pick up the cranberry juice and pumpkin after school today. it kind of sucks cause i don't have a car, so i have to wait for my mom to get off work :(.
 
Critical care is good to give a bunny who won't eat anything on their own. You can mix it up and leave it out for her to eat. Make sure you add extra water, more than it says to add, because it will suck up a lot more water. So is she eating pellets on her own? How old is she?

Pedialyte and simethicone should be found in the baby medicine section of any grocery store or pharmacy or Wal-Mart.

I'd find a heavier bowl and leave that in her cage, that way she can't tip it over. Or you could get one of those metal dog bowls that they can't really get a hold on the lip of, if you know what I mean?

I would also offer her a water bottle, because she may be more used to that. Cranberry juice and pumpkin will be good. The pumpkin needs to be pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The difference is that the pie filling, you just pour that into a crust and bake, voila a pie. Pumpkin puree, you have to season it and add stuff to make a pie, and it can also be used to make pumpkin bread, muffins, etc. The can should say 100% pure pumpkin, pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. If you can get unsweetened cranberry juice, that's good too.

If she's young, she may need alfalfa hay. You can also try to entice her to eat the hay by putting it in or next to the litterbox, as bunnies like to eat hay while they poo. Another trick is to put a piece in her face repeatedly until she gets mad at it and bites it, then she'll realize it tastes good. Offering different types of hay can help too. Some picky bunnies prefer Orchard Grass hay or Oat Hay over Timothy.
 
ok i'm about to go mix it. well the vet said that the reason she was having bladder sludge was because of her high protein levels and crystals in her bladder so they said to lay off of the pellets. so i was afraid to put any more in her bowl, but do you think i should since she wants to eat it? but she usually LOVES her timothy hay. she's almost 2 years old.
 
AND had alfalfa blocks in her cage from before she got sick and she usually doesn't really touch those but since she got back from the vet she keeps trying to pick at those. so should i also put more alfalfa hay in there too? i just feel like the pellets and the alfalfa hay has high protein and they told me to stay away from that, but that seems to be all she'll eat!
 
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