can anything be done to save a bun with bloat?

Just read about poor Faline that died yesterday, now i am worried that maybe what my bun might have.
He was eating well at 10oclock last night (he loves hay), but this morning he was hunched up and wouldnt eat. I gave him metacm and fluid but after 2 hours there was no improvment so i took him to vet. She felt his tum and said he seemed tender, she wasnt going to listen to his guts untill i asked her to:roll: She couldnt hear anything, I asked if there could be a blockage she said she hadnt felt one. She gave him metaclop and a small dose of a another pain killer.
Now nine hours later he is no better, i syringed him fluid and pineapple juice an hour ago. His tum feels big, but when i feel my other buns they feel the same. Am i imagining things when i feel his tum.?
If it actually is bloat can anyting be done to save him.
He hasnt pood, but i did fnd some strings of poos from last night.

Yes, lots can be done to save a bun with bloat. Mine gets it regularly and has survived It doesn't mean certain death at all it just means that bun is very poorly indeed and needs a GOOD RABBIT-SAVY VET.

Did the vet give your bun pain relief as well this morning? I REALLY think that your bun needs to go back to a vet this evening! But you need a vet who knows how to treat a bun with bloat.

A bun with bloat should be given pain relief and a thorough examination. If bun has not eaten for 12 hours + sub-cut fluids or being admitted and put on a drip and syringe fed is essential. If there is a 'risk' of obstruction your bun should be Xray'd consciously to check before giving metclopramide.
Metclopramide needs to be given 3 x a day, and it is helpful if ranitidine is given also. Probiotics can help, getting bun eating is extremely helpful - even if this means syringe feeding, and pain relief and fluids are an absolute MUST!

ETA I see you've given metacam - did the vet give anything else for the pain? Do you have some critical care? Sometimes it takes time for all the drugs to work and for bun to show improvement. Fluids as i've said before are really crucial.... I would want another vet to see bunny tonight to be honest if it were my bun.

rabbitapril said:

He hasnt pood, but i did fnd some strings of poos from last night.

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This does not necessarily mean that there is a blockage with fur...it can mean that bun's tummy is slow - so fur is collecting and passing as a string of poops, or bun has eaten something they shouldn't have e.g. string and this is passed as a string in poops - more likely fur though. Or it means that bun is having a heavy moult and can not cope with all the fur and this is slowing the tummy down.

Is it Newcastle that you are near? A very good vet called Judith Brown is based somewhere in Newcastle but I don't know where and can't find a link yet...

Depends what you mean by bloat. True bloat is almost always deadly (swollen abdomen which develops very quickly). Stasis on the other hand is very often treatable with gut motility meds, pain relief, fluids, etc.

abbymarysmokey said:

Depends what you mean by bloat. True bloat is almost always deadly (swollen abdomen which develops very quickly). Stasis on the other hand is very often treatable with gut motility meds, pain relief, fluids, etc.

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I agree true bloat is something quite different. But many rabbits with stasis symptoms get an associated mild bloat - it is still a bloat. It's a sliding scale really... all of them require prompt treatment.

thanks for replies.
Hes still the same but no worse.
Vet gave me mataclop to give at home, hes due some soon
I have very little faith in the vet that saw him but she was the only one on this morning, usually they are quite good there.
I have been to judith brown before but she would be closed by the time i got there in rush hour.
He feels nice and warm and i dont think he is dehydrated.
Vet did give him another type of painkiller thismorning, cant remember what it was colled but it was opium based i think.
Should i try syringe food with his next dose of metaclop?
i feel am going round in circles , sorry.

rabbitapril said:

thanks for replies.
Hes still the same but no worse.
Vet gave me mataclop to give at home, hes due some soon
I have very little faith in the vet that saw him but she was the only one on this morning, usually they are quite good there.
I have been to judith brown before but she would be closed by the time i got there in rush hour.
He feels nice and warm and i dont think he is dehydrated.
Vet did give him another type of painkiller thismorning, cant remember what it was colled but it was opium based i think.
Should i try syringe food with his next dose of metaclop?
i feel am going round in circles , sorry.

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Okay, that sounds good, he's warm - good. She gave him Vetergesic too by the sounds of things - also good. If you think she was convinced that there was no obvious obstruction and you are giving the metclopramide now then yes, I would start to syringe feed if he really won't eat anything by himself. I would be inclined to syringe fluids too. I have always found herbal tea (peppermint/camomile/fennel/nettle teas) once made and cooled to room temp to be taken well by a bunny and preferrable to pineapple juice - you just don't want any extra sugar really upsetting the guts anymore than they are already. Many vets don't believe it does anything for fur anyway, I have never bothered with it as believe the risks of extra sugar outweigh the benefits of pineapple juice.
In between syringe feeding I would keep tempting him to eat by himself. If you can pick some grass, dandelions, fresh herbs... thyme, marjoram, basil, coriander - these all get my bun eating when he is poorly. Just stick at it. Give him his meds, food and fluids and then give him a couple of hours off to rest, then start again. Little and often is better. It might seem cruel but if he is not floppy and collapsed then I would encourage him to hop around the room a bit too - exercise, even if just a little, can really get the tummy moving again.

I had heard about the the sugar in pineapple juice, i wont give him any more of that
I have just checked on him and he was sitting in his loo, think hes passed a tiny bit of sloopy poo.
Rupert got angry at me trying to feed him parsely and raspberry leaves so he bit some hay in half then carried on and ate two strands.But wont eat anything i am offering him.
I think he may be feeling a tiny bit better.
I am gonna give him metaclop and syringe food soon then i will let you know how he is doing. thanks for your help, and i will be taking him back to a vet if he dosnt pick up soon.

Yes I would. If I can not bring my bun around with oral fluids and syringe feeding and tempting with foods at home, I always pop them back quickly to see the vet before closing or the night emergency vet to get those all important sub-cut fluids. When Poppy was in stasis for two days we nipped back to the vet every 12 hours for more fluids - they are so important with stasis buns, and obviously the pain relief too. If he looks to be in pain still tonight then the vetergesic might also have worn off and he 'may' need another dose of that tonight as well as the metacam is generally only once every 24 hours (depending on the vet) but the vetergesic can be given more frequently so bear this in mind if he looks hunched up still.

Rupert took his metaclop and syringe food well. When i picked him up there was wet smelly poo stuff on his normaly immaculate botty, does this mean he dosent have a blockage? it had a very unusual smell.
He has just eaten a raspberry leaf (RELIEF) but still clearly not feeling well. let you know how hes doin later.

rabbitapril said:

Rupert took his metaclop and syringe food well. When i picked him up there was wet smelly poo stuff on his normaly immaculate botty, does this mean he dosent have a blockage? it had a very unusual smell.
He has just eaten a raspberry leaf (RELIEF) but still clearly not feeling well. let you know how hes doin later.

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Caecal dysbiosis can occur or trigger a bout of stasis/bloat - so yes this can happen. The slowing of his tummy can cause the bacteria in the caecum to just stagnate as caecal emptying is directly related to gut motility and so the balance of good and bad bacteria get out of kilter and you can get the malformed caecs.
If you have access to raspberry and blackberry/bramble leaves I would get as many of these down him as you can - they are supposed to be great for scours and also very fibrous to increase motility.

Rupert is feeling a bit better. He will only eat raspberry leaves just now but thats ok because i have loads in the garden.
Hes still sitting a bit huddled and looks sleepy but is moving around more.
He has passed some tiny moist poos.
I will be up early to give him more metoclop, but should i continue it for a few days even when he seems recovred? i think i read that is what is reccomended now.
Thanks again for advice and support

rabbitapril said:

Rupert is feeling a bit better. He will only eat raspberry leaves just now but thats ok because i have loads in the garden.
Hes still sitting a bit huddled and looks sleepy but is moving around more.
He has passed some tiny moist poos.
I will be up early to give him more metoclop, but should i continue it for a few days even when he seems recovred? i think i read that is what is reccomended now.
Thanks again for advice and support

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You really need to ask your Vet as he/she is the one treating your Rabbit

In severe cases and for Buns with a recurrent/chronic GI tract hypomobility problem it is often a good idea to contine treatment for at least 48 hours after apparent recovery. But as I say, we are not qualified to advise you to do this for your Bun

Rupert is still not himself. He is a lot more intrested in life and has done more tiny poos. He has groomd his companion. But he is still sitting a bit huddled and not eating the food that he normaly likes.
I have given him more metoclop and metacam. If there is no significant improvement by this afternoon i will take him back to vet. But i will make sure i see a diffrent one to yesterday.!

Sorry to hear he is still poorly

I think that is very wise. It's great he has done some droppings... good stuff. If you do go back to the vet I would ask for some sub-cut fluids - it really does perk a stasis bun up no end and he has gone a long time without eating enough really and is probably more dehydrated than he seems. You may have to insist - I've had some vets say to me... oh he's not dehydrated... and I say, well can you give them anyway please as it really does help get the tummy moving and it would put my mind at rest! Some more pain relief from the vet might be a good idea too but bear in mind the opiate drugs can make bun very sleepy and unresponsive to eat. Keep him eating and if you can make those raspberry leaves wet before feeding them that should help a little.
Keep going - you are doing really well.

Took rupert back to vet as no improvement. He got a good examination and his temp taken but no clue as to why he feels so poorly. I got the fluids for him that Prettylupin reccomended(thanks) and told to carry on with metoclop. Hes snached some leaves out of my hand in a temper, and threw them to one side, then muched on some but he just looks, and acts unwell and miserable. I have syringe fed him critical care. I hope he is fit and well when i wake up tomorrow.

I've been off the group for a few days... How is Rupert doing? Any improvement yet? :wave:

Rupert is well again
He was poorly for three full days but yesterday he started to eat with enthusiasum then came out and chinned every thing as if to say "i am back"
Its a complete mystery why he had felt so poorly. When he first become poorly i was so worried he would die from a bloated tum because one of my other sweet buns died from bloat last year, the vets just couldnt save him.
Thanks for your support.

So pleased to hear he is on the mend.