Rabbit moulting & bellyache.

I've noticed that occasionally during a moult my ND buck gets bellyache. Usually he picks up again after a few hours, but I was wondering if this was common amongst rabbits.

He's a little subdued this morning, and looking uncomfortable, so I'm keeping an eye on him.

A Rabbit with a reduced GI tract motility can start to have problems with ingested fur. Fur is a 'normal' finding in a Rabbit's GI tract and only becomes a problem if there is already motility issues going on.

It is VERY important that your Rabbit is examined by a Vet ASAP. The symptoms you describe can rapidly lead to much more serious conditions, so the sooner treatment is given the better the prognosis. The onset of symptoms can seem insidious and 'trivial' but IMO a Veterinary consultation is almost always essential.

You will need to groom your Rabbit a couple of times a day during a moult and also look at any dietary changes that you could make. A Rabbit who has a diet lacking in long fibre (hay) and too many pellets is very likely to have a reduced gut motility most of the time. Add to that ingesting a lot of fur during a moult and problems are very likely to develop.

house-kun said:

I've noticed that occasionally during a moult my ND buck gets bellyache. Usually he picks up again after a few hours, but I was wondering if this was common amongst rabbits.

He's a little subdued this morning, and looking uncomfortable, so I'm keeping an eye on him.

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It's really important, and especially at moulting time, to make sure your rabbit eats loads and loads of 'long fibre'. By that I mean hay and readigrass. You can also feed freshly picked grass, but be careful not to give too much, as at this time of year the spring grass is quite rich and can give symptoms of bloat.

If he doesn't pick up, it might be an idea to take him to the vet, for something to help his guts get moving again. Better to pre-empt a potential blockage than wait until there is a full scale problem!

Good luck xx

Well, he's started eating again and is back to his usual self -as expected-. Maybe these episodes coincide with the arrival of spring and autumn? It's mysterious.

He's just turned six and recently had a checkup. According to the vet, he's at 90% strength so long may it continue.

I think lots and lots of hydration, and more hydration, are important when rabbits are moulting. I had a rabbit that got wool block and so I did lots of research. An article came up where the Rabbit expert PHD vet expressed that she believes most wool block happens because the rabbit may have become dehydrated in some way so that the gut was unable to move the hair through. This idea was based partially on the fact that when they did necropsies on rabbits with blockages they usually found the block was a dry mass of hair and pellets and the intestines around the blockage where dehydrated too. Intestines can't move a blockage through if they are dehydrated. So now when mine moult I put electrolytes in their water and puree apple juice and put it in the water to keep them hydrated.

If I see any one of my buns with an uncomfortable belly, like if they are pressing their belly against the floor or hunching up I immediately syringe feed some electrolytes mixed with water-- with a 3ml syringe and I give them about 15ml which is about a table spoon, if they don't seem normal in two hours or refuse to eat I do it again, and if my rabbit refuses to eat for more than 8 hours I take them to the vet. Also, really important to brush as much loose fur off as possible.

This article talks about how importance hydration is to prevent wool block.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=484