Gus is gassy...

[funnybunnymummy]

Location: Vancouver, BC

Description: 8 lb. New Zealand cross

Age: 4

Sex: Male

Concise Summary of the Rabbit's Condition:

The last week or so, Gus has been having bouts of gas every time he eats his veggies (which he gets twice daily at 9 am and 5 pm). His salads generally consist of 1-2 leafs each of romaine and leaf lettuce, 3-5 sprigs each curly parsley, Italian parsley, and cilantro. Sometimes he gets a piece of carrot with his salad.

I could understand if he was getting a lot of cabbage or other veggie known for causing gas, but I can't see anything above that would be an issue. Plus the veggies he gets are fresh. In fact, I just bought some yesterday.

Any ideas what could be causing the gas? And any suggestions how to treat it aside from 1 mL of simethicone?

Thanks!

Rue

 

[Buttercup n Charlie]

Belly rubs help! Is he pooping ok? If not, could be a digestive problem as well, and then you'd want to give him a probiotic, or if its not too bad a few drops of organic strawberry yogurt work too

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Yes, pooping, peeing, and otherwise behaving normally. Just bloating up with gas after each salad. Which of course, makes him grumpy.

I didn't think of probiotics! I'll get him some some this afternoon.

Thanks!

Rue

 

[mrbunny]

Not sure this helps at all, or if this is some urban myth I heard, but I heard somewhere that spreading out the greens into multiple smaller portions during the day helps with bloating and gas.

(Note:
I have never attempted this myself; and I vaguely remembering the explanation being related to the length of their intestines and their cecals.)

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Thanks, Mrbunny. I'll try that too. It's just weird because he never had a problem with these particular greens before, but now gets gas pretty well every time he eats them.

Rue

 

[Watermelons]

Think some probiotic might help?
You should be able to grab either some acute care or florentero in paste form at one of the vets out there, might help ease his tummy a little? either way it wont hurt to offer a little every so often.
Maybe up the cilantro and decrease the other veggies?
Theres gotta be something else going on in that belly to make him gassy with his normal food, so maybe the probiotic will help? Hmmm

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Thanks, Gina. That's what I'm wondering too. It just seems so odd that foods that never bothered him before suddenly would. But, as usual, he's not showing any other symptoms besides the gas. Typical rabbit.

I'll get him some probiotics and see if that helps.

Rue

 

[mrbunny]

I'm back again, and I have been thinking about this. My Bighead used to get gas sometime ago, too, after having his greens. It would be usually around heavy molt periods. Is Gus going through a molting period right now?

If so, for Bighead, my solution was simply to feed oat hay. The thicker strands and flat blades push out more fur and hair out of their guts. So, whenever molt period starts, I offer more of the oat hay and leave it in their castles/tunnels/litter bins. This has worked for me. Unfortunately, not very scientific. On the hand, my buns don't mind. It probably doesn't hurt that it's tasty. =)

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Gus is just finishing up a molt that he started in December(I swear he is the slowest molter ever!), but I haven't noticed him being gassy until just recently (unless he's had bok choy or some other veggie I know will make him gassy).

I'll see if I can find some oat hay. If it's tasty, I'm sure Gus will love it.

Rue

 

[Nummy]

Ovol baby gas drops help my Nummy get through his bouts with gas, I give 1 ml and watch and see if it helps. He is 4lbs. I think you can give it again in 3 hours or so. Someone correct me if I am wrong on that. You can get the Ovol at the drug store. Hope he feels better soon.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Thanks, Cheri. I've been giving him Ovol drops every time he gets bloated. Poor bunny gets such a hard belly.

I was mostly wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to why he'd suddenly develop gas when his salads never gave him gas before. I think Mrbunny might be onto something with the molting. He is molting, but just at the tail end.

I'm going to get him some probiotics (forgot when I went out this afternoon! Bad bunnymummy! ) and try feeding him smaller salads. He does eat very fast and that might be contributing to the problem.

Thanks again!

Rue

 

[funnybunnymummy]

So today, no matter how much simethicone I gave him, the gas symptoms just didn't seem to improve. His belly is pretty hard and firm and he's extremely senstive about touching it. In fact, he bit me when I tried to check it tonight.

I forgot to get probiotics AGAIN (plus the vet is closed Sundays). I'll be going first thing after I drop the kids at school, but I'm worried. He's still eating, but not as voraciously as he usually does. He's pooping and peeing, too. Will he be okay tonight? Should I stay up with him tonight? I hate the idea of him being alone in his cage all night.

Rue

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

funnybunnymummy wrote:

So today, no matter how much simethicone I gave him, the gas symptoms just didn't seem to improve. His belly is pretty hard and firm and he's extremely senstive about touching it. In fact, he bit me when I tried to check it tonight.

I forgot to get probiotics AGAIN (plus the vet is closed Sundays). I'll be going first thing after I drop the kids at school, but I'm worried. He's still eating, but not as voraciously as he usually does. He's pooping and peeing, too. Will he be okay tonight? Should I stay up with him tonight? I hate the idea of him being alone in his cage all night.

Rue

hi-rue,,probotics can be purchased from some pet stores,or farm grain feederies for farm animals,--i use/offer a horse super probios--due to its resistance to antibiotics---this will help digest the greens better,,but make sure gus gets lots of water and timothy/orchard grasses,,--you might send a message to pipp,-she is near you,,--sincerely james waller :big wink:

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Thanks, James. I've tried several pet stores and tack and feed stores, but I haven't found a place here in Vancouver that sells them over the counter. I've been told most vets will carry probiotics, so I was going to pop into our vet and see if we could pick some up there. I just kept forgetting whenever we went out! Grrr!

Anyway, I gave Gus a double dose of simethicone last night (2 mL) and I also changed the way I administered it. He HATES the flavour of it and will not take it alone, so I've been sprinkling it on something else, lettue, parsley, even a piece of tortilla chip (he LOVES tortilla chips! ). But given all those foods clearly are contributing to his gas, I needed another means of administering it. So I mixed it with a little fruit juice instead, and he took it that way. 15 minutes later his gas was gone!

He's not happy with me today, though, because I've cut off his veggies. He gets no gas from hay or pellets, but I just don't want to exascerbate the gas any more. So until I get the probiotics, he's just gonna have to suffer with no salads.

Rue

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Okay, called the vet. He's going to call me back and hopefully we can get him some probiotics.

Rue

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Vet called and said: Is he pooping? Yes? Okay, then his diet is too rich. Cut out the vegetables and only give him hay and pellets.

Time for a new vet????

:grumpy:

Rue

 

[CCWelch]

Actually I was going to tell you that too,rabbits do NOT need greens and salads. Their pellets provide full nutrition. What protein % are his pellets? Anything under 16% slows the molt because they need higher protein for coat production. If you want to get him through molting faster give him some oats and a half tablespoon of Calf Manna daily for about a month once he starts molting.
If you want to give him treats being as the greens are causing problems, give him hay, dried bread or in summer some fresh grass.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

CCWelch wrote:

Actually I was going to tell you that too,rabbits do NOT need greens and salads.

Ha! You try telling Gus that! He'll tell you otherwise!

I'll agree that rabbits don't need greens, but there's no reason that he should be getting gas from them. Especially when he's been eating basically the same diet for over 2 years.

I've tried giving him extra protein during a molt, but unfortunately it didn't seem to make much of a difference. I don't know if I gave him the wrong amounts or if it's just him.

Anyway, I've called every pet shop and feed store in town and NOBODY has probiotics. I did find a prebiotic for horses, but it was $30 for 1 kg! A little much for an 8 lb. bunny.

Thanks!

Rue

 

[Ashley72]

I bought Acidophilus capsules from the health food store to sprinkle in my buns water if they seem gassy or not pooping well (used it when my boy was in GI stasis). You can get it in the refigerated liquid form as well in any health food store. Also maybe try some chamomile tea (pure chamomile only).

 

[SOOOSKA]

I don't understand whenpeople say to cut out greens.

If you think about it bunnies in the wild don't eat pellets they only eat greens. I agree not to give them veggies that cause gasbut to cut them out completely.

When Daisy was ill with her UTI, her Vet told me to feed her lettuce (romaine) as it's has alot of water in it.

Good Luck with Gus. He's such a sweetie.

Susan