Sick Bunny!

[icrewtoo]

Hi All,

Not sure if this is GI Statis or an underlying problem. Buttercup (4 yr old male lionhead) refused to eat his morning treat of carrots and parsley. It looks like he ate his treat last night and left a large pile of nice-sized pellets.

After refusing his treat and fresh hay, I started watching him and he can't seem to get comfortable. He'll lay down for about 30 second, get up, go to a new position, get up again, etc. He has the most trouble laying stretched out.

I listened to his tummy with a stethoscope and it was totally silent. So, I force-fed him about 1/2 tsp - 3/4 tsp of some baby food (carrots). He weighs about 5 lbs.

Also, I just noticed that he peed on the carpet instead of going in his litterbox.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? There are no emergency vets around, and everything is closed because it's Sunday.

 

[missyscove]

It does sound like GI stasis to me. Do you have simethicone and pain meds on hand? I recommend 1cc (1 ml) of simethicone per hour for 3 hours and another dose roughly an hour later.
Offer him a heat source (a makeshift one of rice in a sock microwaved can work) and some gentle tummy massages.
I also recommend pain meds. If you don't have any from your vet on hand, you can give aspirin to rabbits. Get the 81 mg "baby" aspirin.
The Exotic Animal Formulary lists three possible dosages for aspirin in rabbits each of which cites a different source:
10-100 mg/kg PO (by mouth) every 8-12 hours
100 mg/kg PO every 8-24 hours
100 mg/kg PO every 48 hours
(mg/kg is milligrams of aspirin per kilogram of rabbit; 1 kg is roughly 2.2 lbs)
Talk to your vet and ask what dosage they would suggest for your rabbit or, if you're going off my dosages, do play it safe as an aspirin overdose is a possibility.
I usually soak it in a tiny bit of water to break it up and then give it via syringe (sometimes I do the simethicone and the aspirin all in one). I find syringing is a lot easier than pilling a rabbit and the extra hydration is helpful.

If you have critical care on hand, syringe feed that. If not, you can make a "pellet slurry" by blending some of your regular pellets with water or pedialyte and syringing that.

Canned, plain pumpkin can work as well as it is high in fiber and moisture.

 

[LakeCondo]

Tummy rubs often can help,

 

[icrewtoo]

I was about to go out to the store and get some simethicone, when Buttercup started eating both the baby carrots I gave him. He then ate some hay and some of his alfalfa pellets. He made a few good pellets too and used his litterbox.

He then sat down comfortably and has been looking good and eating some hay every so-often.

If something changes I'll give him the simithecone and aspirin.

I'm still going to call the vet tomorrow just to see if she thinks I should bring him in for a check-up. Better to be safe then sorry!

Thank you all for responding!!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Sounded like gas, but it seems to have passed, no pun intended.

 

[Mariah]

Poor bunny! I hate when they get tummy aches. For next time (hopefully there isn't a next time) I would be proactive and have bunny meds on hand. I keep cisapride (GI motility drug), metacam (pain relief) and critical care (force feed if need be).

Also, I've been hearing Papaya tablets are good as well when they are moulting. It helps pass the hair. I just picked some up.

Pineapple juice from a fresh pineapple (not from the can) is good to have around as well.

I hope your bun is feeling better now!

 

[Imbrium]

I've heard that the canned stuff is ok as long as it's unsweetened, though the fresh stuff is great too.

 

[missyscove]

Glad to hear he's feeling better!
Sounds like a good motivation to assemble a bunny first aid kit.

 

[Imbrium]

I started a thread when I was planning out my first aid kit that a lot of people contributed to - has tons of great info in it:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=75235&forum_id=48

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[LakeCondo]

Canned pineapple is fine to eat, but doesn't contain the enzyme that dissolves hair.