My male rabbit ( turns 1 year in march 2024) is showing signs of gi stasis, I've had 5 rabbits and out of them all I've never seen this kind of stool. He's currently still pooping regular but not eating, he's laying down in his hay tray and breathing rapidly. I've syringe fed him digestive vitamins with water, I'm unsure if I should monitor him over night of get him to a vet asap. I've delt with this before but the unusual stool concerns me. It's dry and brittle and broke apart. He's normal a big eater and finishes his dinner but hasn't had a single bite.
Megacolon poo? Help!
- Thread starter Krissy
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Have you given him simethicone? You can offer 1-2cc per hour for 3 hours, then 1cc every 3-8 hours as needed. Simethicone is my first go-to when a rabbit is refusing to eat. Often that is enough to get them comfortable and willing to eat again.
I have meloxicam but it's from February and for my other rabbit, is it safe? I can't do much as it's 4am and I want to make him comfortable. Says 0.13ml on bottle but he's almost 1 yr
Jenny (@JBun ) is more knowledgeable on meloxicam. I've never used it. Simethicone (infant gas drops) should be a part of a "rabbit first-aid kit" so it's always readily available. Simethicone is perfectly safe and is a good idea to be given at the first sign of gas pain. Any 24 hour drug store should carry it (as well as any Wal-Mart or similar box store).
If your rabbits poop normally looks round and not like that, it's very unlikely to be megacolon. Megacolon is a chronic disease, usually genetic. But your rabbit could have some digestive upset or GI slowdown of some sort, that's causing the abnormally shaped fecal poop.
The first thing I try with a rabbit not eating due to suspected GI upset, is the baby gas drops (simethicone) Blue Eyes mentioned. Unless it's been more than 12-24 hrs, my rabbits condition is deteriorating, or there's evidence of true bloat or true diarrhea (not to be confused with mushy cecotropes), all of which are medical emergencies that require immediate vet care.
https://rabbit.org/2013/02/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer/
Because meloxicam is a prescription med, it's your choice whether to give it or not. For my rabbits, I may try meloxicam, but that shouldn't be given on an empty stomach. So it will depend if I feel it's safe to give a little food or not (a contraindication with bloat and complete gut blockage).
I'm less concerned about my meloxicam being expired, as it's not a med that usually requires refrigeration (though I do keep mine in the fridge to preserve it better), so being expired may only reduce the effectiveness some. Provided it's also been stored correcty.
If any of the emergency conditions above occur, I try and get my bun to a knowledgeable rabbit vet right away, or first thing in the morning if that's the only possible solution. So that's what I do.
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Veterinary_emergencies
https://rabbitvet.net/AustralianRabbitVets.htm
The first thing I try with a rabbit not eating due to suspected GI upset, is the baby gas drops (simethicone) Blue Eyes mentioned. Unless it's been more than 12-24 hrs, my rabbits condition is deteriorating, or there's evidence of true bloat or true diarrhea (not to be confused with mushy cecotropes), all of which are medical emergencies that require immediate vet care.
https://rabbit.org/2013/02/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer/
Because meloxicam is a prescription med, it's your choice whether to give it or not. For my rabbits, I may try meloxicam, but that shouldn't be given on an empty stomach. So it will depend if I feel it's safe to give a little food or not (a contraindication with bloat and complete gut blockage).
I'm less concerned about my meloxicam being expired, as it's not a med that usually requires refrigeration (though I do keep mine in the fridge to preserve it better), so being expired may only reduce the effectiveness some. Provided it's also been stored correcty.
If any of the emergency conditions above occur, I try and get my bun to a knowledgeable rabbit vet right away, or first thing in the morning if that's the only possible solution. So that's what I do.
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Veterinary_emergencies
https://rabbitvet.net/AustralianRabbitVets.htm
Update: Bun is back to normal I checked on him every 2 hours with belly rubbing and force hydration ( digestive help pellets) he's eaten and done a heathly looking pile of poop
I ended up giving him half the nozel of a feeding syrine of meloxicam and with an hour and 18 minutes of watching he perked up and began bunning again: I have a 2hr video of him keep notes on behaviour during this time. I appreciate the help ty. I'll be getting bun check out incase it's just a break for now.
