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Impaction

wench

wench

Young Bun
Is there any tips or advice on a rabbit with an impaction? I rushed my female bunny Crystal to the vets on Friday morning. She was really flat and subdued with no interest in food and her tummy was bloated. The vet diagnosed an impaction so gave her an injection to stimulate the gut, a pain relief injection and also an injection of fluids to help with her dehydration. He also advised me to get her on recovery formula which I have been doing. He told me she was very poorly and wasn't sure if she would make it. I took her back on Saturday morning and their was little improvement other than the vet saying the mass in her tummy had reduced slightly. He gave her another injection of gut stimulant and discussed the options with me. Basically saying further diagnosis would be more invasive e. g knocking her out to scan her and he felt she was too ill for this as he doubted she would survive an anaesthetic. The other suggestions were to eliminate all other causes e. g giving her antibiotics incase its due to an infection and also antinflamatories. I have been giving her this since Saturday. I got my hopes up on Monday as she started eating like normal, even nuggets and drinking. She went back for a check at the vets on Tuesday morning and the vet noticed how much more alert she was with her head lifted again and the mass was significantly smaller. However, since then she appears to have deteriorated. She is showing little interest in food and appears sluggish. Her poos at the start of this were tiny then on Monday went back to normal and now have reduced in size again. She did have a similar episode to this in the summer however it only lasted a couple of days and antibiotics seemed to cure it. She is bonded with a male bunny and he appears fine. I have tried tempting her with all sorts of veg. I fear the worst so I am just asking incase there is anything else I can do for her? Crystal is about 5 years old (she is a rescue bunny so we don't know for sure)
 
wench said:
Is there any tips or advice on a rabbit with an impaction? I rushed my female bunny Crystal to the vets on Friday morning. She was really flat and subdued with no interest in food and her tummy was bloated. The vet diagnosed an impaction so gave her an injection to stimulate the gut, a pain relief injection and also an injection of fluids to help with her dehydration. He also advised me to get her on recovery formula which I have been doing. He told me she was very poorly and wasn't sure if she would make it. I took her back on Saturday morning and their was little improvement other than the vet saying the mass in her tummy had reduced slightly. He gave her another injection of gut stimulant and discussed the options with me. Basically saying further diagnosis would be more invasive e. g knocking her out to scan her and he felt she was too ill for this as he doubted she would survive an anaesthetic. The other suggestions were to eliminate all other causes e. g giving her antibiotics incase its due to an infection and also antinflamatories. I have been giving her this since Saturday. I got my hopes up on Monday as she started eating like normal, even nuggets and drinking. She went back for a check at the vets on Tuesday morning and the vet noticed how much more alert she was with her head lifted again and the mass was significantly smaller. However, since then she appears to have deteriorated. She is showing little interest in food and appears sluggish. Her poos at the start of this were tiny then on Monday went back to normal and now have reduced in size again. She did have a similar episode to this in the summer however it only lasted a couple of days and antibiotics seemed to cure it. She is bonded with a male bunny and he appears fine. I have tried tempting her with all sorts of veg. I fear the worst so I am just asking incase there is anything else I can do for her? Crystal is about 5 years old (she is a rescue bunny so we don't know for sure)
Click to expand...

As she appeared to improve initially then I think the Vet does now need to try to establish what the primary cause of her problems is.

Has the Vet carried out a thorough examination of her teeth ? When she is 'well' is she normally a good hay eater ?
 
Hello

He checked her teeth on her first appointment on Friday as he suspected them but they are fine. She is normally good hay eater. Crystal has always been a 'fussy' eater. She won't eat if you're watching etc......unfortunately as she is a rescue rabbit I don't know what she experienced in her first year. There are some signs of improvement this afternoon as she appears more alert and has eaten a small amount of hay and parsley.
 
wench said:
Hello

He checked her teeth on her first appointment on Friday as he suspected them but they are fine. She is normally good hay eater. Crystal has always been a 'fussy' eater. She won't eat if you're watching etc......unfortunately as she is a rescue rabbit I don't know what she experienced in her first year. There are some signs of improvement this afternoon as she appears more alert and has eaten a small amount of hay and parsley.
Click to expand...

Is she still receiving regular prokinetics (gut motility stimulants) ? They need to be given 3-4 times a day for several days in cases of severe gut stasis.

Has her poo output improved again and is she drinking ?
 
I would suggest you ask the vet about whether she might improve with:

gut motility 3-4 times a day eg both metacloromide and cisipride (not just once a day - the vet should be giving you these to use at home all the time)

Painkiller (being bloated is very painful) again to take home and use not just an injection at the vets
Fluids - these are vital for any slowing or impaction whatever the root cause - I would have expected vet to give fluids, possibly keep bun in and put on drip or of they dont want to do this then show you how to inject fluids at home. the impaction will draw fluids from the rest of the body and serious dehydration is a big risk


Also various aids to getting rid of gas build up.

This is presuming it is not a full and obstructive impaction.

Fluids really are vital - as are all the other things. and they should be kept up even after poo and pee appears again - only gradually reduced.

good luck!
 
I had this with one of my girls two weeks ago.... First vet visit, usual meds given, pain relief and emeprid, zantac to give at home.... next day, no improvement so back to vets.... Bunny was kept in and put on a drip and had x rays (no g.a needed) I brought her home with the gut meds, which i gave 3 times a day and also syringe fed every hour through the night... It took 3 days of intensive care to get her back to normal x
 
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