gas

[pumpkinbumpkin]

my rabbit has gas again this morning. ive given her some simethicone and got her to eat a little bit of lettuce and some pellets earlier, and she was running around for a little bit but now she seems to be getting worse. i have some metaclopramide left over from her last vet visit in october. can i give her some? it says it expired 10-18-22. its sunday so all the vets are closed and im really worried, i dont know what to do if she doesnt get better at home. she has gotten gas so many times and i had started giving her digestive tablets every day since her last vet visit in October, and this is her first gas episode since then. normally she was having them almost every other month.

 

[biscotti]

Hope your bunny is ok is he eating and pooping as normal im new to this but my poor mini lop only 11 month old stopped eating and pooping on friday and breathing was rapid he was sitting hunched wouldnt come out his house and by 10pm vets advised us to go to emergency vets they suspected gut stasis he was giving 3 lots of injections and medicine to come home with and syring feed he had his first feed at 1oclock in the morning and sadly passed away in my bed at 2oclock it was heartbreaking as he was fine the day before now i feel full of guilt thinking the medicine she gave him played a part in him passing i hope your bunny is ok but please look for a vet who specialises in rabbits as i dont think mine did he was giving buprenorphine along with metacam and a gut stimulater and from doing research i dont feel they should of gave him buprenorphine as it slows the gut movement which is not what he needed this forum has a lot of info to wish i found it sooner also if you think it may be gut stasis act fast as it can kill very quickly, good luck with your bunny

 

[biscotti]

Hope your bunny is ok is he eating and pooping as normal im new to this but my poor mini lop only 11 month old stopped eating and pooping on friday and breathing was rapid he was sitting hunched wouldnt come out his house and by 10pm vets advised us to go to emergency vets they suspected gut stasis he was giving 3 lots of injections and medicine to come home with and syring feed he had his first feed at 1oclock in the morning and sadly passed away in my bed at 2oclock it was heartbreaking as he was fine the day before now i feel full of guilt thinking the medicine she gave him played a part in him passing i hope your bunny is ok but please look for a vet who specialises in rabbits as i dont think mine did he was giving buprenorphine along with metacam and a gut stimulater and from doing research i dont feel they should of gave him buprenorphine as it slows the gut movement which is not what he needed this forum has a lot of info to wish i found it sooner also if you think it may be gut stasis act fast as it can kill very quickly, good luck with your bunny

Also you can massage your bunnys tummy to help gas pass if your unsure how to do this look on youtube at videos to help you

 

[JBun]

We can't advise you as to whether or not to give a prescription gut stimulant, due to it being prescription and the risks of giving it if a rabbit has a complete gut obstruction and/or true bloat, as this can cause serious complications.

'Like cisapride, metoclopramide is contraindicated in rabbits with a GI obstruction.[1]'
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Gastrointestinal_stasis
I would stick with giving baby gas drops, warming up if bun is cold(which they usually are when feeling sick), gentle belly massage, and encouraging movement. And getting to the vet if it's been 12-24 hrs since your bun last ate a sufficient amount, as that is considered an emergency with rabbits.

However, if your rabbits condition deteriorates, if your bun develops true bloat(belly appears distended or feels like an inflated ballon at the bottom of the ribs), and/or you have any concerns about how your bun is doing, I would recommend getting your bun seen by an emergency vet that is knowledgeable about rabbits, immediately. Especially in the case of true bloat, as this is an immediate emergency situation.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Veterinary_emergencies
If your bun is having reoccurring bouts of GI stasis, I would be looking at the factors that could be causing this. A heavy molt is a common reason this time of year, for causing digestive stasis, due to excess ingested fur and not enough fiber from hay keeping the gut moving efficiently enough to push the fur through the digestive track.

Other possible causes for reoccurring digestive problems are food sensitivities(eg. to a veggie, pellets, treats), veggies that have spoiled or have black spots, harmful weeds in the hay, ingestion of foreign material in the buns environment, environmental stressors(loud noises, strange sounds, new people or pets in the home, anything unusual or new, any new changes in the rabbits environment).

If none of these are likely or they've been ruled out, then possible underlying health causes may need to be investigated by your vet. Dental problems would be the most common health issue that could cause a rabbit to suddenly or gradually stop eating. Bladder sludge would be another common cause. To figure out what's going on, your vet may need to do a thorough dental exam, conduct blood tests, and/or take xrays.

https://rabbit.org/2013/02/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer/
Rabbits digestive system