Tummy gurgling?

[Deliciosa]

For at least 24 hours I've heard Mimi's stomach grumbling quite audibly. She is eating albeit less than usual. Less frequent poops. Is it vet time ASAP? I can probably take her in tomorrow if I get a cab.

I hope she's okay :tears2:

 

[Deliciosa]

In case this is relevant, she's been on Baytril (4mls a day) for about 2 weeks now.

 

[missyscove]

What is she on the baytril for? Have you given her any probiotic? It's possible that the antibiotic has altered the microbes in her GI tract which could make her not want to eat. I'd try adding a probiotic (I usually use bene bac) to her diet. If she stops eating and/or pooping or if her stomach feels particularly hard (bloat), then it's an emergency, but if she's just eating less I'd try offering her some extra greens and a bowl of water if she doesn't have one already.
A vet check certainly wouldn't be a bad idea, but again I'm not sure what it is she's already being treated for. You could also phone your vet and discuss it with them as they would be more aware of her current situation.

 

[JBun]

It sounds like the start of GI stasis. I would stop all treats and pellets, nothing with carbs, starch, or sugar, and feed only grass hay, and her usual leafy greens are probably ok too. Hopfully that will keep her from developing a blockage. Did the vet also give you probiotics with the baytril? The baytril is probably what has messed her digestion up. I will usually gradually introduce the probiotic in really small amounts at first, as I've had it cause a gut slowdown with some of my rabbits. You'll need to keep an eye on her poop and eating, to make sure either one doesn't stop. If she keeps eating and her poops get back to normal size and amount right away, then you may not need a vet visit, but she has a bacteria build up, and depending on the type, she may need a different type of med to get it under control, which would take a vet visit. If you are concerned, then it might be best to get her into the vet.

 

[missyscove]

Forgot to mention that often the noises are caused by the interface between gas and fluid in the GI tract, so she may be gassy. If you have any simethicone on hand that may help. If she seems uncomfortable she may need pain meds. You could also try gentle tummy massages or a sock filled with rice and microwaved to make a heating pad. I'm hesitant to suggest any medications without discussing with your vet since we don't know what she's already being treated for.

 

[Deliciosa]

She's on Baytril for treatment of what the vet believes may be pasteurella, but it hasn't really improved anything.

 

[Deliciosa]

I don't see any poops. Trying to get her into the vet this morning for an emergency checkup.

 

[Deliciosa]

Good news! Got Mimi to the vet for her emergency checkup this morning. Vet believes that the constipation & lack of appetite is not due to stasis or blockage, she thinks it's a result of the two weeks of Baytril. Prescribed a small amount of Laxatone for 2-3 times per week, 10 mL of fresh pineapple juice per day for 5 days, and a probiotic - which they didn't have in today but I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. Poor stressed out bun, she did NOT enjoy the funky smelling taxi cab.

 

[JBun]

Do you know if this vet is very experienced with rabbits? I'm not surprised about the baytril being the cause, but I am a bit surprised that your vet suggested giving laxatone. That isn't usually recommended anymore as it coats the gut contents and keeps them from absorbing moisture, which is what is needed to get the gut moving well again. And though your bun may not have had a complete blockage, it did have stasis. All that stasis means is that the gut isn't moving. So if your rabbit wasn't pooping, then it definitely had stasis. And the lack of appetite is usually caused by gas causing pain which in turn causes a rabbit to not want to eat. Typically for something like this, metacam will be prescribed to help control the pain and get the rabbit eating again, simethicone to help reduce gas pain, some sort of gut motility med to help get the gut moving again, probiotics to help reestablish the gut flora, and critical care food mix to feed your rabbit until it is eating well on it's own again. Did the vet do a fecal? That can help rule out parasites or a problem with specific bacterias.

I hope your bun is feeling better soon.

 

[Deliciosa]

I think she's pretty experienced with rabbits? She was recommended to me by someone from RO after I had a nightmare experience with a terrible vet. No fecal, she did feel around for any blockages in Mimi's tummy and didn't find anything of concern. She also mentioned that her stomach didn't have the "doughy" feeling...
Ack, this makes me worry more - not quite sure what to do. She also suggested an x-ray if things don't remedy themselves.
Thanks for your help.

 

[JBun]

Is your rabbit eating or pooping at all? If your rabbit isn't eating or pooping, how are you getting food to your rabbit right now? When my rabbit got stasis, this article was pretty helpful to me, in helping me understand better what was going on and what to do to help my rabbit.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

 

[Deliciosa]

She's eating bits and pieces of hay & nibbling at her greens, but she's usually much more enthusiastic and practically inhales her green food when I drop it into her pen. Thanks for sharing this article, if I come home from work and her greens aren't gone I'm going to try the pellet & warm water mixture and force-feed (gently!) with a syringe.

 

[JBun]

You could try giving her some simethicone(infant gas relief suspension). Any pharmacy has it otc, and it will help relieve some of the gas and maybe help her get eating better. You may also want to ask your vet for some metacam liquid suspension when you go in tomorrow. It will also help with the pain and get her eating better, plus it's a good med to have on hand. And if she isn't eating very well, you could also ask for some critical care mix. Keep encouraging the leafy greens. You can even wet them down before you give them to help her get extra moisture. If she drinks out of a bottle then also offer her a water dish, as she will drink better. It's important that a rabbit with stasis gets enough water. If she isn't pooping you may also want to consider gut motility meds.

 

[Deliciosa]

Good news! Mimi is about 80% better. Came home on my breaks yesterday & had to do a bit of force feeding of the pellet & warm water mixture, but she's eating tons now so I don't think I have to stress her out with that any more. Poops have gone from weird looking and infrequent to semi-normal looking and frequent, and when I got home today there were poops all over the place (as per usual) and they look normal, just a bit tiny. She's eating all her greens, pellets & hay - no more tummy gurgling or stress sounds either. I did offer her the water dish and she seems to like it, I think I will keep putting a water dish in her pen so she can choose whether she wants to drink from the dish or the bottle. Obviously going to still carry out the course of the meds, but things are looking great right now and I'm really relieved. Thank you for your advice, I appreciate it a lot!