Barney has impaction in the gut

He's not eating much

He was eating fine last night and this morning, but hasn't been eating as much hay as usual and has seemed 'off' for a couple of days now. Barney does have gut problems, namely a slow gut and gas, so this isn't out of the blue. It might be partly my fault as he usually has metaclopramide twice a day, but I missed a few mornings so occasionally he had it just once a day the last couple of weeks. He has always been fine with this before though, as his issue isn't usually stasis or anything, it's that his gut doesn't absorb as many nutrients when slow and he loses weight.

Been to the vet today, and he says the gut is impacted but not blocked. His gut feels too firm. It is making all the right sounds and is still moving along. He hadn't had his morning metaclop at that point (I never give meds just before the vets, as it gives false results). The vet gave him sub-cut fluids, a gut stimulant injection (I think zantac) and a painkilling injection (not metacam). I am to continue his metaclop twice a day (3ml) and metacam (12.5kg dog dose) as usual and syringe him some water or watery recovery food later. I'm back on Monday to reassess him.

But since we've been home he's just had some mint and less than a tablespoon of oats (I put his metaclop on oats). He's turning his nose up at everything else at the moment. We've only been back a couple of hours, and it was very stressful for him (long journey on bus and train), so I'm hoping it's just the stress and he will perk up later. He was eating fine this morning before the vets.

The vet did say we could hospitalise him all weekend, but it would be at the emergency vets. I decided against it, as I've never met them and have no idea about how good they are with rabbits. He would have to be split from Annabella, and the main thing they would do is put him on a drip, but he just bites through them. And there's no way I can afford it either. I'm hoping I've made the right decision. I think I'll leave him for a couple of hours, let the meds kick in, and then see how he is.

Hope Barney perks up soon. I know what you mean about the emergency vets, our buns are better off at home then our old emergency vets, they were hopeless.

Also, I have some infacol if needed but forgot to ask the vet. If I did need to give this, does anyone know the dosage? Barney is 3.35kg today.

Barn Yard Bunnies said:

Hope Barney perks up soon. I know what you mean about the emergency vets, our buns are better off at home then our old emergency vets, they were hopeless.

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Thank you. That is my worry - Barney has very specific issues and in the past vets have mis-diagnosed or made him worse. I don't want to leave him alone with them, as I haven't seen them before. They're a recent thing - my vets used to do their own out of hours care before. If he doesn't improve I'll have to take him, but I'm hoping, as he has had all the meds, that he will improve.

Poor little guy. Hope he feels better soon.

:-( I hope barney perks up soon.

Thanks guys, he seems slightly better. He's still feeling sorry for himself but I've brought him inside and he's had a quarter of a recovery sachet willingly (put in a dish for him) and a sprig of mint. He's still not touching his pellets.

I've got the garden door open so he is free-ranging and having a potter about. Hopefully it will help to get things moving, as he has just been sat in his hutch since getting back from the vet.

I'm going to give him his metacam in a sec and he can have some more metaclop at 7pm. I'll then stay up till 1am and give him a third dose. Although he is on metaclop twice a day at the moment, he has been on the same dose 3 times a day before, and I think he needs more than his usual dose today.

edit: He's just this moment come back in and eaten a fibafirst stick so that's a definite improvement.

He's eaten another 4 pellets, another sprig of mint and took a little more watery recovery food. Gave him his metaclop in a water and passata mix.

Vet said to syringe him lots of water, so I'll try him with water with a dash of passata in it in a sec. He won't take plain water willingly. I'm not forcing him to eat/drink anything unless I really have to, as I don't want to stress him out.

This all sounds good. Fingers crossed he continues to improve

Fingers crossed for him. x

Vibes for Barney. I hope he continues to improve

Thanks for your thoughts.

He wouldn't take more water but did eat a couple more pellets. To be fair, I've probably syringed him about 45ml of liquids today and he's had subcut fluids, so he's probably not thirsty. We had a nice cuddle and I had a feel of his tummy - his gut feels more squishy now, which is good. I've put him back outside and I'll get him at 1am for another go and some meds.

I'll stay at home with him tomorrow and keep up with the syringing of fluids and offering pellets. Unfortunately I can't just leave the pellets in his hutch, or Annabella will just eat them all. I'm dreading Monday, I'll have to leave him to go to work. I just hope I'll be able to get him well enough to leave him. I don't think work would take kindly to me having a day off to look after him!

I'm glad to report that he is doing better today. I've been bringing him inside every 3 hours to feed him. He's had all 30g of his fibafirst, 2 sprigs of mint and half a sachet of recovery food. He's not eating hay really, but his tummy is no longer firm so I think everything is moving.

The real test will be tomorriow, as I'm at work. I'll give him is metaclop in the morning in some recovery food and leave some pellets in his hutch, and hopefully he will be okay till I get home. I have an appointment for 7pm at the vets.

Barney went back to the vet Monday night, and the vet was pleased with his progress and recommended I continue. I also got some septrin for his snuffles. I have a phone appointment next week to check on his progress.

But yesterday and today he doesn't seem as good... his tummy is firm again, hardly squishy at all. He is eating very well though, although not hay. Luckily his pellets are very high in fibre so that is keeping him going - I doubled the amount he had a day whilst he was ill over the weekend, from 30g to approx 60g, so I'm keeping him at this level for now. I ran out of Recovery, so he is now on Critical Care instead, about 3-4 teaspoons a day of the dry product, made up with water, split into 3 servings.

I wonder if it is because of him going back down to metaclopramide twice a day now I am back at work, plus the fact I can't offer him food myself every 3 hours now. I'm going to up him to having the metaclop 3 times a day again, but I don't have the time to leave 6 hours between doses like normal. I'll keep an eye on his poos to check he is coping, but I think I'm going to stage the doses as follows: 5.45am, 5.45pm, 11pm.

His tummy is a bit gurgly tonight and he's been tooth-grinding as well, so I've given him 1.5ml of infacol, but I'm not sure if it's made any difference. I've also given him a higher dose of metacam, 20kg dog dose, which was what he was on before for his gut, back when I had an exotics vet. The 12.5kg dog dose he is normally on is for arthritis. He's eating still and eating his caecotrophs too (came and sat next to me on the bed before having a munch, lovely :roll: ) so that's something.

Sorry I've not been online as much lately and have missed this. Sending vibes for Barney.

Aww poor Barney, I hope he continues to mend and that his recovery is not painful xx

Hope he feels better soon. Sending lots of vibes for Barney xx

Just seen your other thread. I'm sorry Barney is still struggling so much. Really hope he can improve soon.

Sending mega vibes to Barney xx

Had a telephone appointment with the vet today. Barney is eating okay now, and he's down to critical care just once a day. I reduced his metaclopramide down to twice a day yesterday though, and he wouldn't eat all his pellets and his gut felt firm. It is still feeling quite firm, so on vet's advice we are going to keep it at 3 times a day for now. Poor Annabella is going to have a shock in a second, as I'm going to have to catch her and feel her tummy for comparison.

He's also putting up a month's worth of septrin for me, for Barney's snuffles.

He also has a damp chin again. I managed to get him to stay still enough to groom his neck/chin/dewlap area and there are lots of tangles and tiny matts, although I've got out a fair few of them. When his fur gets wet, it dries tangled, and I'm struggling to keep on top of it as he doesn't like being brushed. I also noticed for the first time that the skin has a lot of dandruff/dry skin in that area, so I'm a bit worried about that. As we go so often I don't think it warrants a vet visit for that alone, but I will get it looked at when I take him back in a couple of weeks and keep an eye on it in the meantime. I don't think he is dribbling, as his teeth always seem fine on examination and I don't want to put him under GA unnecessarily with his gut how it is. I think he is doing what he used to when he was a house bunny - when his gut got bad (at the time he was un-diagnosed and we thought it was dental problems but were wrong) he would dip his face in his water bowl when drinking. It was pain-related and started and stopped according to his level of gut pain. I have noticed a bit of tooth grinding (just for a couple of seconds at a time) when he is inside in the evening, so I think that his gut is still painful.