Rabbit in pain.. I think

[Lois south]

Hi everyone

My rabbit Cinnabun stopped eating Friday night. I immediately started giving belly massages and syringe feeding critical care with baby gas drops. By the next night he was able to start eating herbs a little bit and now he's eating and drinking all by himself just fine.

In the past when he's had gas I've syringe fed and he's bounced back by the next day all fine. However this time it seems different. I've noticed that when he lies down he will tooth grind only for a second but still. Also sometimes he'll eat a bit if he's food then sit hutched over for a minute before continuing. He also seems uncomfortable at times. He'll lie down then pop back up and furiously start digging. Cinnabun it's much of a digger except when he's upset.

Does anyone know what could be happening? The vets where I live are good but not the most rabbit savy at times. There are some good vets that work there and love rabbits but honestly its the luck of the draw on whether or not I'll get a vet that even cares. Maybe if anyone has any ideas about what could be the issue I could tell them to look for that?

And advice appreciated

 

[JBun]

If your rabbit isn't bouncing back right off, a few possibilities come to mind. Your rabbit is sensitive to something being fed, which is continuing the upset whenever it's fed. A particular veggie or green can be the cause, particularly cruciferous veggies, or another food like the pellets. This can include foods that a rabbit has previously had no problems with.

I had a rabbit that was having repeated bouts with stasis, very serious ones, until I realized it coincided with him eating his pellets, no matter the brand tried. He was put on a no pellet diet and fed only good quality free fed grass hay, along with select leafy greens, and he never had a bout with stasis again.

Another possibility is something being ingested in your rabbits environment that's causing the upset. Things like excess cardboard or paper consumption, carpet fibers, lead paint, other foreign matter or toxins, or if outdoors or let outdoors it could be a toxic plant.

There are also other environmental conditions that can put excessive stress on a rabbit and cause stasis, such as excessive loud noises, unusual activity, new pets or people around, changes to a rabbits environment, the loss of a bonded companion, predators roaming near, excessive environmental temperatures, etc.

Last possibility is that there's an underlying medical problem causing the stasis Any painful condition can cause a rabbit to go into GI stasis. Some possibilities are dental pain, arthritis, injuries, UTI or other bladder issues, gut blockage, bloat, kidney or liver problems, heart problems, cancer, infection, parasites, etc.

https://rabbit.org/2013/02/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Gastrointestinal_stasis
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/gut-slowdown/
If your rabbit is showing definite signs of stomach upset, shown by belly pressing or repeatedly shifting positions, this could mean it's diet related belly pain, but it could be something else as well, like bladder issues It would be difficult to know what might be causing your rabbits discomfort without a vet conducting an exam and tests to rule out anything more serious.

When my rabbits stopped eating and I could rule out a bloated belly, diarrhea, or other signs of an immediate emergency, that it had been less than 24 hr since my rabbit last ate, and my rabbits condition wasn't deteriorating, at most I'd try some baby gas drops, maybe stop feeding any foods that I suspect could be a possible cause of upset, maybe free feed just grass hay for a few hours (provided I've verified the hay is free of mold and weeds) if I suspected one of the veg. Then if after those few hours my rabbit wasn't showing signs of improvement or is deteriorating (which would mean vet immediately), I would get the rabbit to the vet.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Veterinary_emergencies
For future, my recommendation would be to try to find a reliable knowledgeable rabbit vet that you can take your rabbit to when needed. And also to not start syringe feeds for a rabbit that shows signs of GI stasis where the cause isn't specifically known and where a complete gut blockage and or bloat is a possible cause (which usually requires a knowledgeable rabbit vet to do). The reason being is that giving anything orally when a rabbit has a complete blockage or true bloat, creates increased pressure, which can risk stomach rupture, complications from pressure on the heart and lungs, which either could be fatal.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Acute_gastrointestinal_dilation
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Choosing_a_rabbit_veterinarian
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/recommended-rabbit-friendly-vets/
If your location is still London, Beaumont Sainsbury Camden is a recommended rabbit vet hospital for your area. If you want to see a specific rabbit vet, I know for my vet office, I can request my appointment be with the specific vet that I know is most knowledgeable with rabbits.

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-vet/general-practice/practice-services/exotic-vet-service
Some other possible rabbit vets for somewhat nearby are Mark Rowland with Pennard vets in Kent. He's a vet I've often seen recommended by other rabbit owners. There's also Christabel at Twickenham I've also seen recommended. But Beaumont seems to be where exotics like rabbits, are often referred to for the London area.

https://pennardvets.com/sevenoaks/sevenoaks-our-team/