Sick bunny?

[Krissy]

Hey
My rabbit has been acting strange today, she hasn't eaten any food i've given her and hasn't been active.
i noticed she looks a little thin and i don't know if she has been pooping properly, her butt was stained more then usual, ive tried to take her out the cage but she bit me so i left the door open, because normally she would jump out for some back rubs, but she didn't budge. She has been drinking water and yesterday she did eat a small piece of banana. Just wanna know if rabbits can get belly aches and she will be okay? My worst thought is shes eaten something like bedding and its interfering with her digestion. Today is the first time shes acting like this. Her recent foods; carrot, rocket greens, hay, 1 grape as a treat and small piece of banana as treat - given at different times.

 

[Krissy]

-- update : ive cleaned her litter tray and she hasnt pooped with in a few hours and im really worrying about her. Can they get constipated?

 

[Blue eyes]

How long has she gone without eating? A rabbit that doesn't eat for 12 hours should immediately go to the vet. She is in danger of GI stasis.

Yes, rabbits get tummy aches but they need to be addressed right away or it can turn fatal with GI stasis. You can offer some simethicone (infant gas drops). That is often enough to alleviate the pain and get them eating again. They need to keep eating or their gut slows down.

But, again, any rabbit that goes 12 hours without eating needs a vet.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Well-said. GI stasis requires hydration (fluids) to keep their gut moving.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Input and output are extremely important for our bunnies. Did you bun choose to nibble a gassy veggie that s/he hasn't had before? Then simethicone infant gas drops can alleviate the discomfort, along with a dose of meloxicam (pain med).

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Have you seen improvement? One of our gals nibbled indigestible fiber (unbeknownst to us) and went into stasis mode.

Xray taken at vet showed GI obstruction, ie. blockage. Upon later necropsy, carpet fibers immobilized her duodenum.

I hope your gal recovers and can be seen by a vet asap! Some DVMs and clinic staff are unaware of the importance of being seen promptly (ASAP, emergency basis!) when a lagomorph stops input/output.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Plenty of fluids adminstered to our dutchie gal pulled her through an early GI stasis episode.

GI stasis the silent killer, article by Dana Krempels.

 

[JBun]

It sounds like it's been more than 12 hours since she ate properly, so you need to get her to a rabbit vet right away if you haven't already. Don't delay, rabbits can deteriorate quickly. Here's the link to explain GI stasis and a list for experienced rabbit vets.
https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/
http://rabbitvet.net/AustralianRabbitVets.htm

 

[Krissy]

- Update: She has eaten, she had a carrot in her cage last night and most of it has been eaten, she also ate some hay infront of me which was relieving. She didn’t poop for a few hours but I manage to get her out the cage and she was active and being the curious bun she is, I checked out her butt and it had poop stuck to her fur so I cleaned it up. After 5 mins or so from out her cage she pooped - it was only alittle but it was a big one, bigger then the normal size poops rabbits make. 6 hours from then she has pooped more but they are smaller in size. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[Blue eyes]

Great that she's pooping but she's not out of the woods until those poos return to normal, cocoa puff cereal sized poos.

The messy bottom is an indicator that something is amiss. Oftentimes it is a result of a diet issue. Could you describe what a normal diet looks like for her each day? That might help us solve what could have been the cause so it won't happen again.

 

[Sharda Hartley]

- Update: She has eaten, she had a carrot in her cage last night and most of it has been eaten, she also ate some hay infront of me which was relieving. She didn’t poop for a few hours but I manage to get her out the cage and she was active and being the curious bun she is, I checked out her butt and it had poop stuck to her fur so I cleaned it up. After 5 mins or so from out her cage she pooped - it was only alittle but it was a big one, bigger then the normal size poops rabbits make. 6 hours from then she has pooped more but they are smaller in size. Thank you so much for your help!

You scared me girl! That sounded like classic GI stasis symptoms there! Poor babe does sound like they've got an upset digestive system. Try only letting her eat hay for awhile.

 

[Krissy]

Her diet:
-fresh hay and water ( some times pellets but she hasn't had in a week).
- rocket greens and carrot - night time
-Treats: grape, banana, small piece of strawberry. - they are given once a week and only small amounts and not at the same time.


Keeping an eye on her droppings- she's alot more active and is letting me rub her back and fuss with her and not biting me like yesterday.