My rabbit might be dying (bloat) please help

[Edward89]

Hello,

3 nights ago my rabbit was jumping and flopping on the floor and just generally being himself. Before I went to bed, I noticed he didnt eat his food, he practically knocks me over to get to pellets. The next morning he still didnt eat anything. I came home and saw that he still had nothing to eat and there was no poop anywhere in the cage. I started freaking out and trying to figure out what's wrong and I think it's bloat.

I took him to the vet the next morning and they put a needle into his back and pumped water and pain medicine into him. I live in Tokyo and could not understand him very well, but he told me his stomach was empty and full of pressure? I thought he meant swollen. He gave me anti biotics to feed him, but he looked grim. He told me I would have to bring him back tomorrow if he doesn't eat and gave me a $1000 bill estimation. I got the impression from him that my rabbit would die soon.

I don't want him to die. I'm trying anything I can. Does anyone have any advice? Is there anything I can do for him?

 

[JBun]

Does your rabbit have a severely distended belly?

 

[Edward89]

Yes. His tummy feels abnormally large and swollen. He looks bigger too.

The doctor said his stomach was empty, yet intense or maybe he meant pressure.

 

[JBun]

Like this? If so, did they decompress the stomach with a stomach tube to relieve the pressure?

 

[Edward89]

I cannot really tell by that picture.

If I post a picture would you or someone be able to tell?

The doctor did not do anything like that, he stuck a needle in my rabbits back and pumped water into him. I think like an IV.

 

[JBun]

If your rabbit truly does have bloat and not just some gas causing gi stasis, then it's a very serious situation. Bloat is pretty hard to mistake for anything else as the belly will be severely distended and the rabbit will be in intense pain. I'm not sure what can be done without you having access to a good rabbit vet though. Bloat requires intensive vet treatment for there to really be much of a chance for the rabbit.
http://www.bunnylu.org/bloat.php
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Bloat/Bloat_ena.htm

It's possible your bun has gas and gi stasis, and not bloat. With gas and gi stasis, the rabbit stops pooping and eating and the belly may be slightly distended. With gi stasis there is a much better chance of recovery if the rabbit is given the correct treatment. A complete blockage needs to be ruled out, then typically a pain med like metacam is given every day, sometimes a gut motility med, not usually an antibiotic unless bacterial infection is suspected, then the rabbit needs to be syringe fed a recovery food and water throughout the day to get the gut moving again. It might also be helpful to give your rabbit simethicone(infant gas drops) to help reduce gas pain. Dosage is 1cc every hour for 3 hours, then once every 3-8 hours as needed.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

What antibiotic did the vet give? And other meds that you are giving, like pain meds?

 

[Edward89]

I'm actually just assuming they are antibiotics, but he told me to mix it with juice and feed it to him with a syringe starting tomorrow morning.
I thought it was bloat because it was so sudden. He did not say anything about a complete blockage. But he said not to force him any food, but I can force him water and a little juice if I have to. He is actually taking very small sips on his own with I use the syringe, but otherwise just sits on his toilet, not moving. I was also told not to message his tummy.

I have no idea what an infant gas drop is or where I could find it in Japan. What is 1cc in MM?

the meds he gave me look like this:

 

[JBun]

No idea about the meds as there is no name on them. Hopefully it is rabbit safe. I personally would call the vet back to ask what the medication is, as some antibiotics can be fatal if given to rabbits orally.
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Safe_drugs_main.htm

I would also be asking for some metacam or stronger pain med to help control the pain, as a rabbit in pain will not usually eat on it's own. The infant gas drops is just like gas x for adults but in a liquid form. If you have gas x, you can try that if you want. It's just harder to administer. It may or may not help. CC is the same as ML, but if giving the adult form, the dosage would be much smaller.

If your bun truly does have bloat, then I can see why the vet didn't want you syringe feeding. But also in those cases the rabbit would be admitted to receive treatment, and not sent home. Usually with gas and gi stasis, once a complete blockage is ruled out, it is important to syringe feed if the rabbit isn't eating on it's own, as it is important to keep a rabbits digestion moving and long periods without food can make the problem much worse.

 

[Edward89]

Then I don't know. I have absolutely no idea what to do.
I think this is the same medicine he gave me to give him after he was neutered. I cant speak Japanese and he cant speak English. Asking Japanese and bilingual people to make the call for me now.

He injected a large dose of water into my rabbits back and gave him pain medicine. He said the rabbits stomach was empty, but intense, pressure. That he will die if the pressure doesnt go away. He is the only rabbit specialist I know of. He didn't say anything about decompressing his tummy.

I don't know what to do or how to even ask for that stuff you're mentioning at a drug store. I don't even know if they sell it in Japan.

 

[Edward89]

I called back and they had absolutely no idea what I was trying to say when asking if my rabbit's stomach needed to be decompressed. The medicine is indeed pain medicine though and not antibiotics. My mistake.

 

[JBun]

It's possible the pain med injection was for 24 hours, but if your bun is still in pain, you may need something stronger. Meloxicam(metacam) is a NSAID, so for mild to moderate pain. Severe pain usually requires an opiate pain reliever like tramadol or buprenorphine, and these don't usually last very long, so need to be readministered after several hours.

I'm sorry you are in such a difficult situation with your bun. I really hope he'll be ok and you can get the information and help that he needs.

ETA: I'm glad you have some pain meds to give at least. That should help some.

 

[Edward89]

If it was really bloat he wouldn't pump him full of water would he?

 

[JBun]

Giving sub q fluids is only going to help prevent dehydration and get fluids to the tissues. Though in severe cases, IV fluids need to be given for it to be effective at rehydration. Giving fluids orally would put more pressure on the belly though.

 

[Edward89]

I called him and he told me there isnt anything else I can do but said i can give him aojiro juice for digestion. What do you think this means?

 

[Edward89]

My rabbit looked like he wanted to move around and chew on cardboard. I gave him some more pain medicine. I starting to think that maybe he is not bloated. Maybe it is GI.

He is laying down naturally under my bed now. Bloat is super painful right? If he was in ultra pain he would be relaxed on the floor?

I'm reading conflicting tips online, but I put out a pot of ice water in hopes that he will drink it on his own and I have the AC turned off. It's pretty humid in tokyo right now. Should I keep it cool or should I keep it warm for him?

 

[JBun]

Just looking that up, it sounds like it is a vegetable juice.

Wanting to chew on cardboard when ill, is usually from a rabbit craving fiber because of slow gi motility. You can try offering hay to see if he will eat it on his own.

Generally with bloat a rabbit will usually be hunched up in a corner, grinding it's teeth. Yes, it is extremely painful for them. With your rabbit laying down, he could be belly pressing. When accompanied with other signs of pain, it usually means their belly hurts and they are trying to find a way to make it feel better. The belly pressing will usually seem a bit different than normal laying down. The rabbit may change positions frequently, might be squinting it's eyes, or laying in unusual places where it normally wouldn't lay down, like the litter box. This is a typical behavior when a rabbit has gas or gi stasis. Though belly pressing could be possible with bloat, I would think it not as likely.

If this is gi stasis and not bloat, you really need to be feeding your rabbit. Not feeding in this instance will usually just make matters worse, as the gut slowdown will further compact and the contents dry more. Usually Oxbow Critical Care mix is used for syringe feeding sick rabbits, but in a pinch you can soak your rabbits usual food pellets in warm water to make a soft mush to feed. Syringe feedings should be done every 3-4 hours, and about 2-4ml/cc per pound of body weight. It is especially important ensuring your rabbit is getting enough water and fluids as well.
http://rabbit.org/sluggish-motility-in-the-gastrointestinal-tract-2/

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGZVYVm5Bg[/ame]

Usually with gi stasis and bloat, a rabbits body temperature drops and they need to be actively warmed up with warm packs or warm towels. You can usually tell if they are cold by feeling their ears and body. They will feel unusually cold. The only time you need to give a rabbit cool ice water is if your rabbit is starting to overheat. Again you can tell by feeling the ears. They will feel really hot, and your rabbit would be showing other signs of overheating.

 

[Edward89]

Man, thank you so much for replying and giving me all this info.

I went to go get the juice and when I came back he had peed all over my bed. I haven't seen him pee in almost 2 days. There was a lot of it. I checked under the bed and he was cleaning himself. I got him to drink water on his own and fed him so rinsed parsley that he ate on his own, with the vege juice too.

I feel like getting my hopes up, but I'm still worried. He is starting to jump on his second tier platform in his house again too.

ETA: His tummy doesn't feel as swollen, but he is still sitting up in his home. He still looks uncomfortable to me.

 

[Edward89]

He was laying down and looking pretty relaxed on my floor, but I can tell that he is pain from the fact that he in grinding his teeth. At one point I heard him do it loud.

This is so confusing and I feel so helpless.

 

[Edward89]

This is how he is laying now. He flopped, but I can sometimes hear his teeth grinding. Any ides on what I should be doing or how concerned I should be?

 

[Bill Jesse]

What a situation you are in. Wish I could do something or offer something to help. Whenever my buns stop eating I get fresh hay and tap their noses with it. This basically annoys them and they lunge at the hay taking a bite. Keep doing it until they eat. Its a small start but at this point its worth a try. Have you tried gently massaging his tummy?
Be very careful with what "unknown" medication you give your bunny. And do not always rely on the Internet for valid information. If you can get a rabbit health book. If they are not available in Japan try Amazon. They have plenty of choices.