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Massaging rabbit's belly for stasis / constipation

Vita

Mama Doe
Sorry, me again.

I've read a few accounts of how to do this, but how do I know I've got the right area? I will almost certainly need to do it through a towel, as she will try to escape otherwise.

She has been put on Cisapride and Metoclopramide three times daily and had a hydrating "camel" injection. I've been giving her Recovery Formula as well. She is eating more (just hay and leaves, no interest in pellets), and is more energetic, but still hardly any droppings. She is rather gurgly and sometimes smells a bit (farting?). Vet asked me to get in touch tomorrow morning with progress report.
 
I only wrote faart!

SRSLY? Even small children can say that word!

It's a good article - thanks. I'd read a bit of it already and have got some pineapple and papaya on its way, ordered a couple of days ago.
I'm quick on the uptake with medical info, thanks to having a doctor parent and reading journals when growing up. But I only have five days practical experience of handling rabbits! I need to know which bit of her underside to massage. Should I just stroke the whole belly area between her front and back legs?

The vet said this morning that her belly felt quite doughy. But I wouldn't know what it felt like normally (though I could get the other. healthy rabbit from her cage to find out).

So far, there are only droppings when she is wrapped in a towel and fighting fiercely with syringes of Recovery Formula! But at least that's some progress.
 
SRSLY? Even small children can say that word!

It's a good article - thanks. I'd read a bit of it already and have got some pineapple and papaya on its way, ordered a couple of days ago.
I'm quick on the uptake with medical info, thanks to having a doctor parent and reading journals when growing up. But I only have five days practical experience of handling rabbits! I need to know which bit of her underside to massage. Should I just stroke the whole belly area between her front and back legs? The vet said this morning that her belly felt quite doughy. But I wouldn't know what it felt like normally (though I could get the other. healthy rabbit from her cage to find out).

So far, there are only droppings when she is wrapped in a towel and fighting fiercely with syringes of Recovery Formula! But at least that's some progress.

:oops: Sorry to refer you back to the article :oops: but if you scroll down it explains the massage technique so much better than I could;)
 
i wish id known this too-i lost mine partyly due to stasis:( so thanks for sharing the article-might be quite useful :D
 
Just a word of caution, you need to be certain that you know what you are feeling with regards to a Rabbit's intestines. In some cases abdominal massage can do more harm than good. So unless you are *certain* it is safe to do it I would wait until a Vet has specifically advised you and shown you exactly what to do.
 
:oops: Sorry to refer you back to the article :oops: but if you scroll down it explains the massage technique so much better than I could;)

Thanks!

It's sad and worrying just how serious this stasis could get. I'm really sorry about your rabbits.


(I have just had the most stupid rabbit-related accident. I banged my head on the underside of the stairs, flinched and thus hit my nose on the corner of the cage door. Ada was looking right at me as I sat down for a few minutes: I wonder if she could tell I was in pain. Sympathetic, or glad of a bit of karma for the syringe getting her on the side of her nose when she was trying to fight it off?)
 
I did this with Boris when he had an upset tummy, not sure it was stasis though, I think he was "just" constipated (which is very bad obviously, he hadn't eaten or poo'd in many hours :cry:) and eventually, he got better, started to poo and eat by himself etc. But it should always be done with caution, you don't want to make it worse :( I hope your bun gets better soon!
 
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