Mandy - we fix one thing, break another.

Hello there people. My last (and first) post here was looking for advice into Domperidone dosage for my bun Mandy. After a couple of visits to the vet, we finally have her guts running at 110% with it. I get a tray full of huge poops every morning, which after having issues for so long, its definitely a blessing

But as things go, something else HAD to happen.

A couple of days ago, we noticed her poos had less hay in them than usual. Knowing what that leads to, I lowered her veg portions a bit, so she would eat more hay. And oh boy it worked, she eats hay now like there is no tomorrow.

But here comes the problem, she doesn't drink water...AT ALL. She hates bowls (tilts every blows she sees) and isn't very fond of the water bottle either. She had always had her water from the veggies she ate, but now that she eats less veggies, her peeing has reduced in quantity...considerably.

A couple of days back, I noticed she was going to pee on her tray, tilted her tail up....and only a few drops fell.

Immediately I panicked...I knew it could be sludge stones. Today, her belly is a bit swollen, and its a bit hard to the touch, not too much, but not the usual softness it has.

I started giving her Simethicone in case of gas, a bit of Ibuprofen for pain relief, syringe fed water, and tummy rubs. She has no pain at all, doesn't strain to pee, and poops like a machine gun. But the little pee she does, its coming out...lets say..concentrated. Smells a lot, and its quite cloudy.

I called my vet, and she said "well, keep giving her lots of water, and wait till Monday. If she has no pain, it could be that she was slightly dehydrated and she is absorbing most of the liquid now. If its still like that by then, bring her in and we'll do urine tests and X-Rays, in case we suspect something else is going on"

Makes sense...but if that were the case, dehydration, would her tummy be swollen? When I gave her a tummy rub, I could "feel" the liquid inside, it was like shaking a half empty bottle, you could feel stuff moving inside. Not hard, but liquid.
I should also point out that she is eating lots, and is in good spirits.

Any ideas on what could be going on would be welcome.
I know its a strange set of symptoms...it has me scratching my head too

Cheers and take care!

Really sorry I don't know. Bumping your post up so hopefully someone else has an answer for you.

It sounds like she got a bit dehydrated & got a partial blockage. Fluids then pour into the gut from the circulation (hence a bit swollen & feeling the liquid sloshing around)
Sometimes subctaneous fluids are needed to restore circulating volume because they aren't absorbing well from the gut -obviously.

I'm glad the domperidone has helped so much. My bun doesn't drink either. I find that fresh hawthorn /bramble leaves as part of his fiber intake help. (They seem to stimulate the caecum more than hay for some reason)

Thanks thumps_
These buns are going to be our doom, I tell ya =D

As for Mandy, she peed more today (and a big one right outside the tray :lol, and her belly feels softer to the touch. She is still a bit swollen, but its less than yesterday, and her urine isn't as smelly or thick.
So I would say things seem to be getting better.

Thanks for clearing my doubts thumps_, big hugs to you and to your bun.

Thanks Snooba, & big hugs to you & Mandy.
Please let us know how she gets on.

If Mandy is the same as Thumper she's only the 4th. bun on RU with this condition. The good news is that Thumper will be 6 some time in July.
Are you having to slowly increase the domperidone or is Mandy staying stable?

She is just 1 and a half years, so she still has ways to go

For now, I have been giving her Domperidone for like 2-3 months, and so far, the dosis has remained constant. I am always obsessively controlling her poop, to the tiniest detail :lol:

I was going to test the waters by reducing the dosis a tiny bit this next Monday, but I am going to wait till her urinary problems clears completely before even trying. Its hard enough dealing with one problem at a time, don't even want to try with two.

Take care people!