Gargling tummy but wont eat

[Rosieleon]

Poor Poppet today has not eaten anything. I am sitting about half a meter away from her and can hear her tummy gargling away like she has a stomach bug but will not eat the coriander I went and bought for her (as we ran out this morning) to try and settle it.

Her ears have been at times very cold today so I put a blanket on the floor and a warm (covered) hot water bottle if she wanted to sit beside it.

Just put a bowl of water by her as she sometimes likes to drink from the bowl and not the bottle and she seems to keep putting her head down to it like she is going to drink then doesn't.

Anyone got any tips to help her feel better till the vets open tomorrow. Was going to try a little bit of mushed up banana to give her a wee bit of sugar in her system to see if that perks her up enough to eat and drink.


xxx

 

[JBun]

Don't give the banana or any sugar. Sugar and carbs can make it worse. Is her belly severely bloated? If so, don't feed her anything and she has to get to a vet right now. I'm assuming she isn't pooping either? What she has is called GI stasis, and it is very serious. She is experiencing an overgrowth of bad bacteria causing gas and the gurgling sounds. If she isn't pooping, then she has a blockage. If you can get her into the vet today, I would suggest that, as she may need meds for a possible bacterial/parasitic problem, as well as pain meds, and a gut motility med.

If there is not a vet that you can get her into today, you can try a few things on your own. Whether they work depends on how severe a case she has. You will want to give her simethicone(infant gas relief), at 1-2cc every hour for 3 hours, then every 3-8 hours as needed. If you have metacam on hand for her, give her some of that as well. Don't feed her anything or give her water, til you have raised her body temp, so you want to keep her warm. You could try warm towels as well. Then after a few doses of the simethicone, you will want to syringe her some water, and if it's been more than 12 hours since she last ate, you will want to force feed her if she won't eat on her own. You can try the cilantro again, but if she won't eat it then if you have critical care food mix, feed her some of that. You can also feed plain canned pumpkin(not pie filling), or you can create a pellet mash by soaking the pellets. You may need to blend them in the blender as well, to be able syringe feed them, unless you have a large syringe. Tummy massages and letting her run around will also help to get her gut moving, if she has a blockage.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

There's a vet listing in the library section, if you don't have a good rabbit vet.

 

[missyscove]

While gut sounds (borborygmi) are good, they're caused by an interface between fluid and gas, so it sounds like you may have a gassy bunny. I'd recommend getting some simethicone. It's sold as gas drops for infants. The dose I usually use is about 1 cc per hour for 3 hours and then 1 cc 3 hours later. It doesn't always help but it's just about impossible to overdose them on so it's a safe attempt. Offering her the bowl and the hot water bottle were good moves. Sometimes a gentle tummy massage can help, unless her stomach feels particularly large and hard in which case you may be dealing with bloat which is an emergency and requires surgery to correct.
Do you have any critical care? I woulnd't do the banana as the sugary foods can just result in more gas being created by the GI bacteria. Getting her to eat and drink is important though. Try syringe feeding her some water and some critical care if you have it. If not you can make a slurry out of pellets soaked in water and try syringing her that instead.
Stasis can be painful too so if you have any metacam from a vet, giving that would be a good idea as well.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[Rosieleon]

Right just in the last couple of minutes she has started to drink a little water and eat some coriander....typical after I have just posted this. Unfortunately I don't have any metacam, unsure if vets give that out here. Will look up the uk version of the childs medication and see if I can get it at the 24 hour supermarket. It's evening time here so unfortunately everywhere is shut.

Will hold off the bananas. She isn't the cuddliest of rabbits so I don't know what her tummy feels like normally but she doesnt seem to be agitated when I touch it. I tried putting a towel over her but she just would move away each time...which is normal for her.

 

[JBun]

Metacam would be helpful, but of anything, the simethicone is going to be the most help right now. It's a pretty common med, so I would think any pharmacy would have it otc. If you can get the gas under control, then she may start eating more on her own again. As long as she doesn't have soft or runny poops, then leafy greens are going to help the most. Stick with ones that are easier on the stomach, like green/red leaf lettuce, cilantro, parsley, and stay away from cruciferous veggies(including the leafy ones) as they could make the gas problem worse. Also stay away from anything sugary or starchy. Moisture in her digestive system is very important right now, to help break up the blockage. So water, leafy greens, and fiber from grass hay is also helpful if she'll eat it.

 

[Rosieleon]

Thank you everyone. She is perking up more and more....typical! now that someone else is in the house with her I am going to pop out to get stuff. but she is drinking and has ate all her coriander and is moving around much more like her usual self.

Fingers crossed she will be fine now but will keep a close eye on her incase.
xxx

 

[missyscove]

Eating is always a good sign!