Some tummy troubles

[Ivory]

Last Saturday I brought the bunnies down to my home town. Sofia did pretty well with the drive but Erik was stressed. Well, I drove back today. Erik was acting oddly yesterday- just kind of sitting there and acting very distant. Didn't seem to be in pain but wasn't quite himself. He was still fairly active, bright-eyed, and cheery, however. Just not quite as lively as usual.

Well, today I found excess cecotrophs in their litterpan. I'm pretty sure they came from Mr. Erik's bottom. Granted I gave them a apples, banana, and some carrot yesterday...probably he ate too much banana...He also rejected from craisins earlier which he never does, but we had just gotten home. So after getting them home, I put about half a bag of his favorite timothy-with-herbs hay in his cage and kept him isolated. He produced a few poos, smaller than usual. But he did drop a few. I will give him a little simethecone later tonight, don't think I need to do it yet.

Right now he's running around. He is going to be generally isolated but I figured the exercise is also good to get things going. I didn't feel a hairball in his tum. I've closed off his cage and given them a separate litterpan for when he isn't in isolation.

Ooh, he just hopped to be for some love. He wasn't doing that. I think I'm just being overly concerned. If it's too much of a problem I will bring him to either LSU or Dr. Rich. Not sure the car ride will help much though....

He can't be that sick....I think he just binkied.....I just think his tummy wasn't feeling the best...

 

[Maureen Las]

Why don't you just give him some simthecone and some benebac. he probably is stressed from the trip.
it doesn't sound serious yet like you said but better to nip it in the bud

 

[Ivory]

Yeah you're right, I gave him a dose a few minutes ago. My Bene-Bac expired, but I'm going get some in a minute. He seems to be ok but also still stressed...

 

[tonyshuman]

Bene-Bac would be my go-to for this. Muffin's been a bit off lately (worse than you described Erik) and the Bene-Bac is really helping her. My guys will get uneaten cecals from any stress, including even a short car ride (or separating a bonded pair to monitor poop production). Bene-Bac will help if you're worried about the small fecals, but I would attribute the cecals to the car ride.

 

[Ivory]

This would happen the day I go back to school! (Summer session lol.) I woke up to find Erik having a very LOUD tummy. At first I thought it was mine because it was so loud! I called Dad who called the specialist and said that everything seems to be ok, just give .2 ccs of simethecone twice daily for a while.

So I did, and the noises definitely stopped and he stopped lying on his tum. It seemed he has lost a little weight since the trip as well. He's REALLY lively and everything, and is still eating/drinking/pooping/peeing like a champ though. I spent the last 30 minutes brushing him out. I pulled enough hair off of him to make about four new rabbits. He's completely patchwork, with spots of the white undercoat showing and a few bald spots. He pooped a little while I was brushing and they were round and normal, mostly uniform in size, etc.

Question: how do you stop from accidentally pulling on the skin when brushing? I brushed him with my Furminator and though I love it for pulling the extra hair out, I have had problems with snagging the skin and causing some red spots. I actually cut him on accident once.:'( I felt really bad afterwards.

Anyways he's still very lively and happy and he is eating his hay a lot. I think maybe I shouldn't give him any greens or alfalfa in the case of gas? Though I haven't been giving him very much at all, about half a cup of greens and some alfalfa every once and a while, about 3x a week.

I also have switched him to Oxbow Bunny Basics formula. It has been a rather sudden switch as when I went to get a small bag of his other pellet ( I was planning on switching him to Oxbow or Sweet Meadow) to mix up, they were out. So I had to buy the Oxbow and instead of the gradual change...it's been over about a week (he gets pellets 3x a week, so that's about four days if I were feeding him everyday.) I feel really bad about it...

Also he came up from a trip about ten days ago and I think that has helped stress him out over these last few weeks. Both he and Sofia are in molt right now, very badly.

I know rabbits don't cope well with sudden change and I think these changes have begun to take its toll on his tummy. As of now it seems to be under control. I will keep everyone posted.

 

[Maureen Las]

I think that you're right that's it's a combo of all the different changes including the pellets. ; did you have him on a timothy pellet previous to this? If not it is even more of a change.

I would also give him some benebac and some fresh pineapple juice when you get home in addition to the simethicone and also maybe cut back on pellets altogether and go with hay. The veggies would be Okonly if he is used to them.

Iwon't use the furminator ; I heard of the dangers of it and when I did use it I barely applied pressure. . I would use your fingers to pull out the loose tufts. That is easisr to do on some buns than others. I have also used regular cat brushes; it doesn't catch as much but it does get some. Also youcan use a damp cloth to get off excess fur.
is he drinking OK?. if not add a small amount of apple juice to the water bowl. I have been doing that regularly to 2 of my rabbits that barely drink at all and they are emptying the bowl daily. I was initially concerned about the sugar in the juice butI don't use much and their poops are moist now rather than dried out.
Good Luck at school and hopefully Erik will come around after a few days.

Maureen

 

[Ivory]

Hey Maureen yes I think it's really in conjunction with the stresses put on him recently...I feel really bad about this whole pellet issue and I was hoping it wouldn't be too much of a problem, I did what I could with what I had...again he seems really lively. He was on timothy pellets before, though.

He's drinking plenty, no more nor less than usual. He's eating plenty too. It's just that his stomach was extraordinarily loud and noisy, and that he has been shedding so much.

I like the idea of a damp cloth. He sheds so much and the Furminatory works so well....I've tried kitty brushes with the covered tips and it hasn't worked very well at all. I will try the cloth.

 

[tonyshuman]

What about some Bene-Bac to get his GI tract back in order?

 

[Maureen Las]

Ivory wrote:

Hey Maureen yes I think it's really in conjunction with the stresses put on him recently...I feel really bad about this whole pellet issue and I was hoping it wouldn't be too much of a problem, I did what I could with what I had...again he seems really lively. He was on timothy pellets before, though.

He's drinking plenty, no more nor less than usual. He's eating plenty too. It's just that his stomach was extraordinarily loud and noisy, and that he has been shedding so much.

I like the idea of a damp cloth. He sheds so much and the Furminatory works so well....I've tried kitty brushes with the covered tips and it hasn't worked very well at all. I will try the cloth.

I've used the cat wire brushes on rabbits without any problems without the covered tips...

 

[Ivory]

Really? I have had much success with those at ALL. They don't get any of that thick undercoat he has.

He's doing well this morning, I gave him some gas meds and a dose of Bene-Bac. I may give him a little Nutri-Cal as he likes it and I normally give it during a molt. It helped a lot during his last one, before the big hairball. He's gotten much better at taking the medicine and doesn't struggle or fight.

 

[Maureen Las]

Sounds like you've covered all bases. As long as heis drinking enough fluids should be OK.Let us know
yeh I started to use just the wire brushes when I was at the shelter because there was not a selection. it doesn't get the undercoat but does get some and I think they like the feel of it.