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Standard Rex Bloat ...Fur? UPDATED

Schtoffen

Mama Doe
Hi all,

Just a shout up to anyone with a standard rx..or a mini for that matter...

Has anyone else found their more susceptible to bloat? As youll see from my post in the pictures section Big's just recovering from a 4th bout and hes only 2...

My partner thinks its to do with his moult... (the eventually poos were very furry)

Trouble is, I don't find brushes work on Rex fur... the only way to get the fur out is to gently pick them over...

Any thoughts would be welcome!
 
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I have several Rexes and some do have 'delicate' GI tracts. I personally dont think that ingestion of a lot of fur actually causes the problem, but that it adds to the primary issue of poor GI tract motility. Fur is a normal finding in the GI tract of Rabbits. With a healthy gut motility this should not cause a problem. Obviously it will help to groom (pluck!!) the Rex when in moult, especially if you are already aware of GI tract issues.

Rexes are exceptionally greedy Rabbits, so it is all too easy for them to carry too much weight. This certainly has an impact on their gut motility. They tend to gulp their food so they can get a bit gassy too.

What is the exact diet that your Rex has on a daily basis ? Does he have a good water intake and is he very active ?
 
I have several Rexes and some do have 'delicate' GI tracts. I personally dont think that ingestion of a lot of fur actually causes the problem, but that it adds to the primary issue of poor GI tract motility. Fur is a normal finding in the GI tract of Rabbits. With a healthy gut motility this should not cause a problem. Obviously it will help to groom (pluck!!) the Rex when in moult, especially if you are already aware of GI tract issues.

Rexes are exceptionally greedy Rabbits, so it is all too easy for them to carry too much weight. This certainly has an impact on their gut motility. They tend to gulp their food so they can get a bit gassy too.

What is the exact diet that your Rex has on a daily basis ? Does he have a good water intake and is he very active ?

Hi!

He has a scant handful of pellets first thing and spring greens, maybe a bit of carrot and apple too but not much.... Then he just has hay hay hay hay for the rest of the day.... My vet said the reason he kept getting it was evening feeding which is why he now eats his pellets and veg in the AM....it's helped a lot, this is the first time he's had it since then....
 
Hi!

He has a scant handful of pellets first thing and spring greens, maybe a bit of carrot and apple too but not much.... Then he just has hay hay hay hay for the rest of the day.... My vet said the reason he kept getting it was evening feeding which is why he now eats his pellets and veg in the AM....it's helped a lot, this is the first time he's had it since then....

Personally I'd cut out the apple and carrot. The sugar content can exacerbate problems for some Rabbits who are prone to bloat

Try offering him some fresh herbs instead, introducing them in tiny amounts and just one variety at a time :)
 
Personally I'd cut out the apple and carrot. The sugar content can exacerbate problems for some Rabbits who are prone to bloat

Try offering him some fresh herbs instead, introducing them in tiny amounts and just one variety at a time :)

Actually I have one more question. Because there were so many treats on offer yesterday, Little bun filled her face and started exhibiting the very early signs of bloat too....She seems fine now but I have noticed that this evening both buns are lying down in their litter boxes..... they've never done this when they're well before... has anyone elses bun ever started sleeping somewhere else after being ill? Oh god I wish I understood them better!! :(
 
Actually I have one more question. Because there were so many treats on offer yesterday, Little bun filled her face and started exhibiting the very early signs of bloat too....She seems fine now but I have noticed that this evening both buns are lying down in their litter boxes..... they've never done this when they're well before... has anyone elses bun ever started sleeping somewhere else after being ill? Oh god I wish I understood them better!! :(

Rabbits can rest in 'unusual' places when they are not well

Could the windy weather be upsetting your two ?

Monitoring poo output is a good way to assess GI tract motility. Reduced size/quantity of poo is an early warning sign that the GI tract is slowing down. This usually happens BEFORE the Rabbit stops eating or looks uncomfortable.
 
Rabbits can rest in 'unusual' places when they are not well

Could the windy weather be upsetting your two ?

Monitoring poo output is a good way to assess GI tract motility. Reduced size/quantity of poo is an early warning sign that the GI tract is slowing down. This usually happens BEFORE the Rabbit stops eating or looks uncomfortable.

Actually theyve only moved to their boxes since the radiator went off... they might actually be cold poor little things :(
 
update

Poor big.... I was up all night with him again last night...he was in serious serious pain but gently massaged him until he started eating... He seems alright now but im scared...he seemed alright after recovin on friday and it still came back...any tips and tricks for post bloat recovery?
 
Fur balls are not usually the cause of stasis, they're a result of stasis - my dutch x has had two episodes of bloat this year - the first (i think) caused by apple snacks, and the second by swede (i think).

I'd cut out everything except hay, and work up from there.

Hope all is ok now x
 
Fur balls are not usually the cause of stasis, they're a result of stasis - my dutch x has had two episodes of bloat this year - the first (i think) caused by apple snacks, and the second by swede (i think).

I'd cut out everything except hay, and work up from there.

Hope all is ok now x

Which apple snacks? Were they the Apple Drops from Pets at Home?

They've also had specially treated Apple Sticks for the past few weeks (as in, sticks of the tree) which they knaw on....

God the tension of knowing how quickly they can get sick is unbareable!!
 
Which apple snacks? Were they the Apple Drops from Pets at Home?

They've also had specially treated Apple Sticks for the past few weeks (as in, sticks of the tree) which they knaw on....

God the tension of knowing how quickly they can get sick is unbareable!!

It was burgess apple snacks - do those p@h ones have yoghurt in them? That could be what it is.

It is terrifying how quick bloat happens - last time was about 3 weeks ago, and it was literally 5-10 mins after the swede that he blew up like a balloon, its just awful isn't it. Its so scary.

When you say specially treated apple sticks what do you mean? I give mine apple sticks straight from my tree, i just use water to rinse them off :D
 
It was burgess apple snacks - do those p@h ones have yoghurt in them? That could be what it is.

It is terrifying how quick bloat happens - last time was about 3 weeks ago, and it was literally 5-10 mins after the swede that he blew up like a balloon, its just awful isn't it. Its so scary.

When you say specially treated apple sticks what do you mean? I give mine apple sticks straight from my tree, i just use water to rinse them off :D

I think they're just specially cleaned of any pestecides etc.

They do have a milky appearence to them, yes. I'm never feeding them again just in case.

The worst part is, I'm now at work. I've got a friend coming to check on them in a few hours but I can't stand the waiting - even though he was eating and pooing when I left this morning!! Poor Big. It almost physically hurts watching them when they get to the stage when they can't sit or lie down.
 
Personally I'd cut out all veg and any bought treats. The treats you can buy from pet shops tend to be packed full of additives and sugar which can make things 10 times worse for a bun with a sensitive tummy. I think spring greens can cause gas so it might be worth cutting that out/reducing it. I've found that the Woodlands herbal forage is quite good, especially this time of the year when fresh forage is not available. Always check the ingredients of ANYTHING you buy. The dried herbs/forage packets you can buy have nothing added and tend to have blackberry, plantain and dandelion leaves which can actually help bunny tummies. :)
Remember if you decide to change their diet do it very slowly! I really hope you manage to find what is causing the bloat. x
 
Personally I'd cut out all veg and any bought treats. The treats you can buy from pet shops tend to be packed full of additives and sugar which can make things 10 times worse for a bun with a sensitive tummy. I think spring greens can cause gas so it might be worth cutting that out/reducing it. I've found that the Woodlands herbal forage is quite good, especially this time of the year when fresh forage is not available. Always check the ingredients of ANYTHING you buy. The dried herbs/forage packets you can buy have nothing added and tend to have blackberry, plantain and dandelion leaves which can actually help bunny tummies. :)
Remember if you decide to change their diet do it very slowly! I really hope you manage to find what is causing the bloat. x

Thanks. I should have thought of leaving the veg out this morning... but then again the vets always say give them a bit of what they fancy to encourage them to eat! I tend to use greens to check he's still able to eat. I'll use the dried forage tomorrow instead...I've been squirting fibreplex on it as he wont take it from the tube...
 
I would remove the treats, definitely, the only treats I allow mine to have are fenugreek crunchies (they get two a day) and pineapple and papaya melange... I give them dried herbs (naturals) as treats, and their pellets as treats, and they love it!

Defo remove spring greens too - the first bout of bloat rupes had, we'd given them spring green, so cant definitely rule that out either (tho i think it was apple snacks).

You're so right, its such a worry! Rupert's last episode was on a thursday night so i kept him in til midnight (it happened at 7.30, we were at the vets by 8.10) but i didn't sleep, and cheked him every half an hour all night, then had to go to work and couldn't concentrate at all, then when we got in, i made my husband go shed to open them up cos i was too scared :oops:
 
Well tbh if they aren't eating the most important thing to get them eating. I tend to just use pellets but that's coz my 2 absolutely go mad for pellets lol. Just a thought...has he had his teeth checked? Wondering if possibly he isn't chewing his food properly and that is causing gas etc. It's most likely just that he is very sensitive.
 
I would remove the treats, definitely, the only treats I allow mine to have are fenugreek crunchies (they get two a day) and pineapple and papaya melange... I give them dried herbs (naturals) as treats, and their pellets as treats, and they love it!

Defo remove spring greens too - the first bout of bloat rupes had, we'd given them spring green, so cant definitely rule that out either (tho i think it was apple snacks).

You're so right, its such a worry! Rupert's last episode was on a thursday night so i kept him in til midnight (it happened at 7.30, we were at the vets by 8.10) but i didn't sleep, and cheked him every half an hour all night, then had to go to work and couldn't concentrate at all, then when we got in, i made my husband go shed to open them up cos i was too scared :oops:

That's how I feel; actually shaking thinking about it. I haven't heard from my friend who's meant to be coming in to sit with them so I think I'm going to leave at lunchtime. It's not ideal but it cant be helped.
 
Well tbh if they aren't eating the most important thing to get them eating. I tend to just use pellets but that's coz my 2 absolutely go mad for pellets lol. Just a thought...has he had his teeth checked? Wondering if possibly he isn't chewing his food properly and that is causing gas etc. It's most likely just that he is very sensitive.

It could be the fact he shovels his food nin his face llike a starved animal but it always seems to be a night he gets sick and his fed his pellets and veg first thing in the AM. He's got the vets at 5,10. I'll take him even if he seems well as he SEEMED well before and wasn't:shock:
 
the first emergency vet told me to mix his pellets with hot water and a teaspoon of pure sunflower oil (sunflower oil will loosen any fur in his tummy) - rupert went crazy for it!

Least taking him to the vet will put your mind at rest and they'll check his teeth etc.

Thinking of youx
 
Doughnut keeps getting gas and also diarrhea. They think it may be a parasite and now she still has the same symptoms but may be the reaction to the antibiotics now!

She does suffer from gas, I don't give her any veg just dill which is good for gas and also bramble leaves which are good for digestion. She has 1 egg cup of SS pellets and I am now slowly switching her to the vetcare digestion formula as they take longer for her to eat and so will stop being a piglet and eating them too quickly. Anything to slow down the eating as sometimes this is the problem, although now there seems to be something more serious.

I give her infracol when she is uncomfortable and that seems to help.
 
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