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Blockage suggestions..update bad outcome

parkfieldstud

Warren Scout
Oh what a nightmare!
I'm worried about my bun she has a blockage she has been to the vet and is going back later today for another jab the vet gave her vit B, anti biotic and and something to get her gut moving (this was yesterday) which she is having another one of later. I guess i'm just after some advice i've been giving her recovery food via syringe which she doesn't mind quite enjoys it and also pinapple juice. She is nibbling at hay and readi grass also loves Basil and would eat as much as i could give her! also parsley (but only if theres no basil left of course). Shes drinking also i've put a pro biotic in her water which contains fiber, glocouse and vit C. I had a feel of her tum and i'm sure the blockage is still there, shes has been pooping but not as much as i think she should she mainly poop's when i let her run about but not much when she is sat in her cage, should i let her run around abit more? I'm just worried as its xmas and holidays etc just bad timing she is only a baby 4 months. I shall ask the vet later about pain relief somthing he didn't give her and anything he can give me to see her through the holidays but any pointers would be appreciated.
 
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I assume its not a full obstruction if the Vet gave a gut motility stimulant ?

Did she have an abdominal Xray ? Did the Vet say where in the GI tract the 'blockage' is ?

The fact that she is pooing and eating a little is good news. As is the fact that she is drinking, fluids are very important.

I would definately let her run around more. Exercise will help promote GI motility.
Pain relief is needed too so I do hope your Vet will allow you to have a supply to administer.

Another med that can help increase gut motility is Ranitidine (Zantac) It works on the lower GI tract whilst Metoclopromide works higher up. Although I dont know if as your Bun is only 4 months old and is on antibiotics whether giving Ranitidine would be advisable :? Ranitidine alters the PH of the GI tract making it a more alkaline environment. This may add to the risk of gut dysbiosis in such a young Rabbit who is also on antibiotics :?

Good luck at the Vets
 
I think you are doing all you can at the moment.. definitely let her run around as much as possible as like jane said, it definitely helps things to get moving.
Maybe a little tummy rub would be good if there is any trapped wind.
The fact she is eating and drinking is good.. usually when any of mine are unwell the way i find out is at feeding time if they go hide up instead of charging for food.. they are usualy not interested at all.
I hope the vet is able to give you some pain relief to try and help and just make sure you have enough powdered food for the period the vets are closed. Hopefully she will back to her usual self real soon
 
she won't eat her pellet's though and she has lost weight which is a worry. Her pop's are quite soft and pear shape, although earlier she passed some really small hard balls of pop. I was pleased to see her munching away at some hay earlier and some readi grass. I shall ask the vet about medication over the holiday break, I did giver a belly a little rub earlier it felt quite soft lower down and a bit more impacted below her rib cage but movable not rock hard. I have infcol but she doesn't seem too keen on that. And i've been out and got some bramble leaves she likes them just quite hard to find under all the snow! Oh they can be a worry can't they looks like this xmas is going to be spent worring about our Princess my only wish for xmas is she recovers I feel so helpless.
 
no muscus pleased to say! Took her back to the vet who said it felt alot better although there was still some there it was softer he gave her another vit B and antibiotic and gut stiumulate I said i was a bit worried with the holidays but he said just carry on what your doing and it will work its way out and he doesn't think she need anymore treatment but they will be open on Saturday and Sunday if there are any probs and of course out of hours vet will be on. Glad to say she passed quite a lot of soft pop earlier so i'm hoping she will be ok now. He took her temp too which was fine, and he did check her teeth yesterday.
 
She ate a few pellets last night! I think its going to take a while before she returns to normal but signs are good thankyou everyone I shall let you know how she goes and have a great xmas day!
 
How is your bun today?
I have nothing to add to the advice.
I confirm your observation about bramble leaves as good for gut motility.
Thumper also eats apple tree bark (prunings). Hazel, hawthorn, sloe (blackthorn only in Autumn) & raspberry leaves. It's the fiber content that helps to keep the gut moving, & bacteria in the caecum normal.
Yes I know we can't get them in winter - exactly my problem!!

We eventually discovered that Thumper's fundamental issue was tiny spurs on his back teeth, so it was uncomfortable for him to either eat enough fiber or drink enough to tolerate a lot of dry food (hay). I think it's well worth getting your bun's teeth checked when she's well recovered from this.

Every thing crossed for your little bun.
 
Shes getting there i've cut back on the hand feds as she is starting to eat herself and her intake of hay is up, i'm just giving her small (2.5ml) of pinapple juice through the day with a bit of pro biotic in it (which she also has in her water) i'm also just giving her small amounts of pellets as i don't want her to stuff herself and of course basil and parsely which she can't get enough off! I did notice something today however when she was having a jog about she was trying to chew at a cardboard box so i removed it, and she was trying to chew at the pine dresser so i moved her on from then when i cleaned her out and put her back in I'm pretty sure i saw her eat some woodshavings! now i'm woundering if this could be the source of the blockage? i could just keep her on hay/straw do you occasinaly get a rabbit that will try to eat anything and everything! :shock: she was even nibbling at a jumper that had fallen off the raditor!
Yes as far as teeth go the vet did check them and gave them the all clear :D
 
winston was really ill few weeks ago http://www.hoppybunnyrabbit.com/17.html pic at bottom of page, we took him to vets who said thinks he needed his teeth done so he was booked in tues (this was friday think) so he got pain relief but he kept pressing his bottom down to ground so i thought it must be belly related the next night that came out and he was fine since but for few days he had us real worried.
 
Shes getting there i've cut back on the hand feds as she is starting to eat herself and her intake of hay is up, i'm just giving her small (2.5ml) of pinapple juice through the day with a bit of pro biotic in it (which she also has in her water) i'm also just giving her small amounts of pellets as i don't want her to stuff herself and of course basil and parsely which she can't get enough off! I did notice something today however when she was having a jog about she was trying to chew at a cardboard box so i removed it, and she was trying to chew at the pine dresser so i moved her on from then when i cleaned her out and put her back in I'm pretty sure i saw her eat some woodshavings! now i'm woundering if this could be the source of the blockage? i could just keep her on hay/straw do you occasinaly get a rabbit that will try to eat anything and everything! :shock: she was even nibbling at a jumper that had fallen off the raditor!
Yes as far as teeth go the vet did check them and gave them the all clear :D

Cardboard, paper etc. can certainly cause a blockage. I'm told that hay is best in litter trays & underfoot, rather than wood shavings, but for different reasons.

Several of us with buns prone to gut slow down for various reasons have noticed that our buns go crazy for cardboard/wood/
anything "not food" especially as they recover from gut slow down. I personally believe that they crave fiber - (the natural gut stimulant) & get what is available in their environment however seemingly inappropriate. It is very good that your bun has discovered that hay is best!!
You are doing the right things. It's a case of keeping on going, plenty of fluids to soften the blockage. Sounds as if things are going well. :thumb:
 
Rabbits who have a 'sluggish caecum' crave fibre and will eat paper, cardboard, wood etc...etc.
So ingesting such items could be a 'symptom' rather than a cause.

Personally I would try to keep her on as natural a diet as possible. Lots of hay (different types) minimal concentrate feed, grass and edible weeds if she is used to them, dark green veg/herbs in moderation.
I'd also give her some Fibreplex 2-3 times a day

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1180

aswell as the probiotics in her water. I would stop the Pineapple Juice as it is high in sugars which will have a negative impact on the gut flora, especially in the caecum.
To encourage her to drink I'd offer water in a bowl rather than a bottle.
Lots of exercise will help too

xx
 
I gave her a water bowl as soon as she went off colour and she has been drinking from it thoughout with the probiotic in there. I shall stop with the pinapple juice to be honest since shes been picking up in the last 24 hours with her eatting and taking in a fair bit of hay and readi grass i'm relucatant to syrine fed her anymore as the last fed yesterday she did protest a bit so must be feeling better! shes also been grooming herself something i've not seen her do in a while plus shes been streatching and lying out flat something else she wasn't doing when she was ill just sitting in the corner. Thankyou to everyone how has offed advice its much appreciated and i shall get some fibreplex for her do you think she will be ok on excel or would you sugest something else? I just don't want to go through this with her again.
 
Only just seen this, one of mine took about a 7-10 days before she started to eat properly. Sending vibes to her.
 
well shes been improving over the last few days eatting a little of her pellets and tucking in well with the hay and herbs. This morning she was teeth grinding and i felt her tummy and if felt quite rubbery so off to the vet again I go it was a nighmare the car doors where playing silly bug*ers and i couldn't open them! I got to the vets and there was a hudge cue of people and they just had two vets on no receptionest anyway say the vet after a weight (don't get me wrong i'm greatful they are open on a bank holiday) and he said it didn't feel too bad but her guts still wheren't working as they should and there is still a slight blockage there so I explained how I tried to get the last vet to let me take something home so I could treat her for a few days so this didn't re occour and how I wasn't best pleased having to drag her back because of this. So he gave her a pain killer and vit jab and some syrup to take home to treat her for 2-3 days he said he's put extra in there but really if its not sorted by 4 days to bring her back as it will probably need a op to sort out which i really don't want as shes so under weight and only a baby. I'm not sure what the syrup is I can't read his handwritting well enough its something like Mucoler? or Murculer? I just got back in time for oh to take the car to get to work so I don't think he was best pleased :roll: shes been eatting hay since we got back though so the pain killer must be working.
 
It is good that she is eating on her own. I can only add that lots of fluid will hopefully improve things. Try a bowl of cold water with a dash of boiling in to make it luke warm, mine prefer it like this and tend to drink a bit more. Try to get her to move round a bit to without stressing her.

Sending lots of vibes.
 
Awww just saw this, did you manage to get the Fibreplex as Jane recommended? You could give her this in between two really thin slices of banana (make a sandwich) or wrap in a basil leaf as she has a preference for that. Sounds like with the increased warmth and lots of running around she should drink more, I agree about slightly warm water from the kettle aswell as the tap water is sooo cold at the mo. Good luck hope she picks up for you and it doesn't require invasive surgery. xx
 
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