pappy1264 wrote:
What about the critical care? I just got that into him. He has nibbled on some of the hay, although not a lot. He did pee, it looked dark to me (I put white paper towels down under the grid of his litter pan). I didn't see blood, it was a dark rust color. I wonder now if this vet has much experience with buns. I am in MA. I will have to get the simethicone tomorrow, but will push fluids tonight.
The Critical care is fine but make sure that it is mixed with a lot of water and then allow it to sit awhile so that it can absorb all the water.
If it is too dry when fed to your bun it will dehydrate him even more.
I just realized that you have not told us whether your rabbit is pooping.. is the poop normal or is it small and dry or ????
Many vets useReglan so that doesn't mean that he is not rabbit saavy. He may have examined your rabbit's stomach by feel ...and determined that there is not blockage. Usually if there is a blockage the stomach would be hard and really distended. The problem is is that it would still be best to do an x-ray just in case of a blockage. if Reglan is given when there is a blockage it will cause severe contractions and nothing will be able to move through with fatal consequences.
I doubt that your rabbit has a blockage but it is usually just routine protocol to x-ray before giving it.
I will be honest and admit that (having been on the forum a long time) that I really hate to introduce doubt in an owner's mind about something a vet says or does because I lnow that it creates a lot of conflict and anxiety in the owner. I can so empathize with that because I have been in the same position.
All the vets here in my town prescribe Reglan and / or Cisapride after doing an xray.
Most of the time I will do everything I can myself with my own rabbits ...but there have been rare cases where I finally did administer a gut motility drugbecauseI could not get my bun"s GI tract moving . I have never had any bad effects from it but there can be bad effects . I read recently on Etherbun that a rabbit developed strange neurological symptoms after being administered Reglan.
Randy feels that vets prescribe it frequently because it is Win- Win situation for the vet . If the rabbit improvesthe vetcan say it was because he prescribed Reglan and if the rabbit dies the vet can say that the stasis was very severe.
A rabbit can continue to be OK without pooping as long as he is kept hydrated ( lots of fluids)
1) syringe pedialyte and pinapple juice
if the rabbit get stressed then syringe a smaller amount every few hours.
you can also flavor a bowl of water with some apple juice. I use that for 2 of my buns that barely drank water. now they drink an entire bowl a day.
2) benebac is a probiotic that reestablishes normal gut flora in the rabbits GI tract. I have noticed that it seems to be beneficial when they are either gasy or in stasis. You can get it in either small syringes of gel for small mammals in a bottle of powder (labelled for cats and dogs)which can be mixed with pedialyte. There are probiotics in Critical care so at least for now you need not worry a lot about the benebac.
3) Continue to offer greens ( which you said he is eating ) and attempt to get the little guy to move around as exercise helps the GI tract to move.
4) When you get the simethicone you can give a dose even if your bun doesn't show symptoms of gas. It is very safe andI often use it even whenI am unsure
Your buns urine may be a darker color right now if he is not getting enough fluids.
An easier way to give fluid is to do subqutaneous fluids under the skin. I know that you don't have the equpment to do that now but just something to know for another time.
oftentimes a vet or techwill show a client how to administer fluids by doing it at the vet office .
