Sue&Smokes
Young Bun
Hi,
I was interested to hear your views on knowing when to give gut motility drugs such as metoclopramide and prepulsid to a rabbit when it is presenting with an attack of gas pain which has come on quite suddenly versus GI Stasis which happens more gradually and where you see more signs of gut slowing down, ie smaller droppings, rabbits starts to eat less & less.
For instance, I had a bunny who I've had to keep well syringe fed because of a dental that didn't go well, this bunny was producing regular droppings and I was keeping the gut functioning because I was making sure she was well fed because she wasn't eating enough on her own. However, after a syinge feed and a dose of oral metacam one afternoon, she became increasingly uncomfortable and I knew she had gas pain. I started her on infacol & kept her syringe fed till I got her to vets next morning. Indeed, vet noted gas (distension in stomach), he gave her sc fluids (40ml), metoclopramide injection, an anti-anxiety drug, zantec & oral metoclopramide & prepulsid to take home & administer till she improved. I should point out I told vet I didn't know if the metacam had contributed to the gas pain or not, but she did go downhill after a dose of it. (She has been on metacam daily following a dental). Also made sure vet knew she was being syringe fed (due to suspected mouth pain post dental) and that she was producing regular droppings.
I followed my vets instructions with the gut motility meds & zantec, but my rabbit did not improve, infact she seemed worse so I stopped all the vets treatments and pursued with regular doses of infacol (gentle tummy massages) & syringes food & water. She did pick up eventually, but not thanks to the treatment of my vet and she was miserable for a good while with this gas pain.
Therefore with this type of siuation where gas pain has come on suddenly and caught early, are these gut stimulants really necessary?? I felt she should have been given a painkiller, but she didn't get one and I feel the prepulsid and metoclopramide meds made the situation worse for her. I cannot understand why vets do not give rabbits pain relief to rabbits who present with gas pain straight away, surely this is of upmost importance and if rabbits are not given one, they are only going to get worse or delay any kind of improvement. I do appreciate that gut motility meds may need to be given when GI Stasis is happening and especially so if getting to an advanced stage, but again, pain relief in this situation has to be of the upmost importance surely??
Thoughts on this would be appreciated,
Thanks,
Sue
I was interested to hear your views on knowing when to give gut motility drugs such as metoclopramide and prepulsid to a rabbit when it is presenting with an attack of gas pain which has come on quite suddenly versus GI Stasis which happens more gradually and where you see more signs of gut slowing down, ie smaller droppings, rabbits starts to eat less & less.
For instance, I had a bunny who I've had to keep well syringe fed because of a dental that didn't go well, this bunny was producing regular droppings and I was keeping the gut functioning because I was making sure she was well fed because she wasn't eating enough on her own. However, after a syinge feed and a dose of oral metacam one afternoon, she became increasingly uncomfortable and I knew she had gas pain. I started her on infacol & kept her syringe fed till I got her to vets next morning. Indeed, vet noted gas (distension in stomach), he gave her sc fluids (40ml), metoclopramide injection, an anti-anxiety drug, zantec & oral metoclopramide & prepulsid to take home & administer till she improved. I should point out I told vet I didn't know if the metacam had contributed to the gas pain or not, but she did go downhill after a dose of it. (She has been on metacam daily following a dental). Also made sure vet knew she was being syringe fed (due to suspected mouth pain post dental) and that she was producing regular droppings.
I followed my vets instructions with the gut motility meds & zantec, but my rabbit did not improve, infact she seemed worse so I stopped all the vets treatments and pursued with regular doses of infacol (gentle tummy massages) & syringes food & water. She did pick up eventually, but not thanks to the treatment of my vet and she was miserable for a good while with this gas pain.
Therefore with this type of siuation where gas pain has come on suddenly and caught early, are these gut stimulants really necessary?? I felt she should have been given a painkiller, but she didn't get one and I feel the prepulsid and metoclopramide meds made the situation worse for her. I cannot understand why vets do not give rabbits pain relief to rabbits who present with gas pain straight away, surely this is of upmost importance and if rabbits are not given one, they are only going to get worse or delay any kind of improvement. I do appreciate that gut motility meds may need to be given when GI Stasis is happening and especially so if getting to an advanced stage, but again, pain relief in this situation has to be of the upmost importance surely??
Thoughts on this would be appreciated,
Thanks,
Sue