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Obi has bloat, help!

C

Colly

Warren Scout
Hi, been to the vets with Obi this evening he has bloat...must have started last night as this morning I knew straight away he wasn't right...he must have been in pain, not eating ( he is always eating) and little to no pooing....he has been given some metacam via an injection....and I have some ranitidine that I need to give him tonight, they have also given me some critical care....but he is just fast asleep at the moment all snuggled up....I'm so worried, I'm booked in a bets again in the morning for another check.....don't know what else to do to help him and to get things moving again....Any advice, or help would as always be appreciated
Thank you. 😕
 
Colly said:
Hi, been to the vets with Obi this evening he has bloat...must have started last night as this morning I knew straight away he wasn't right...he must have been in pain, not eating ( he is always eating) and little to no pooing....he has been given some metacam via an injection....and I have some ranitidine that I need to give him tonight, they have also given me some critical care....but he is just fast asleep at the moment all snuggled up....I'm so worried, I'm booked in a bets again in the morning for another check.....don't know what else to do to help him and to get things moving again....Any advice, or help would as always be appreciated
Thank you. 😕
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear this, the most important thing is the painkiller, aka the metacam which he has been given.

I have found with my bunnies that a small dose of infacol can also help especially if it is gas as well as keeping them nice I warm. I often wrap up a hot water bottle and place it near them, I know some people use heat pads.

You can gently massage /rub a bunnys tummy but you have to be very careful. Getting them to move around can also help disburse gas in the gut, its not nice to do and I don't think the buns appreciate it but it can help.

I always offer water in a bowl and in a bottle, they always seem to prefer the former and it is important that they are kept hydrated as it can help the gut keep moving, so if I need to give them critical care I always make it as gloopy as possible. You can also soak pellets in water and he may find them appetising.

I always offer a bunny buffet consisting of their favourites.

Hope that helps and sending major vibes xxx
 
Thank you so much. I'm struggling to give him the ranitidine....do you know if I could mix with some critical care? He not moving at the moment as the injection has made him even more sleepy....but I will try and get him moving and hydrated.
Thanks again, I really appreciate your reply and advice. Xx
 
I'm not sure about mixing the ranitidine with the critical care but if you are struggling to administer it you might want to try a bunny burrito where you wrap him up in a towel.
 
I'll try, he's still fast asleep under the chairs, I've popped a hot water bottle next to him....I'm so worried.
Thank you. Xx
 
It can take some time for the medications to kick in, I sometimes find that changing their environment can help. For example mine normally have the run of the kitchen and living room but if they are not feeling well I take them upstairs and pop them on the bed which they often have a little explore of.

Nights like these are very long and hard and if you are still worried then it may be worth a visit to an emergency vet / out of hours vet who will hopefully be rabbit savvy.

There is this video which you may find helpful but I would not recommend doing the actions at 2:06 onwards as I think that this might be stressful for the bun.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbyC6CWbm5M
 
I'm assuming as he only had the metacam at 6.15... He should be a little sleepy...just tried to offer some critical care but he's not having it...so hes under a warm blanket with a hot water bottle at his side...I'm staying up with him tonight so I'm here for anything he needs.. Xx
 
Critical care is hard enough to feed them without getting everywhere so I wouldn't mix meds into it.
You want to make sure you get as much as the meds in him as possible .

I found it easier to give critical care more watery than the instructions said to .
 
Thanks....
I can't get anything into him at the moment he's just so sleepy, tried some water also but he didn't want it....I'm keeping him warm and hoping when he wakes I'll get him in a burrito and feed him a little bit of critical care plus his ranitidine x
 
I would try and get it in him - even if it goes all over his face he will likely clean it off and get some in. Did the vet give fluids? It sounds like he may need some extra hydration.
 
No she didn't give fluids...he's horrified anytime I put anything near his mouth but I will keep trying through the night... X
 
Colly said:
No she didn't give fluids...he's horrified anytime I put anything near his mouth but I will keep trying through the night... X
Click to expand...

He will be like that because he has a tummy ache and probably doesn't feel like eating but it is necessary to keep his gut going. So I am sorry to ay that as much as it may not want you you do have to keep trying. Take your time and be patient as it can be very stressful for both you and Obi. Sometimes it took us an hour just to syringe 5mls! They do normally sulk an awful lot and get fed up with you syringe feeding them but it it is for their own good.

Our buns have definitely ended up with critical care over their faces and on their paws which they have licked off as they have cleaned themselves.

Try and make the critical care as watery as possible as it will come out of the syringe easier and may go down easier with Obi plus it will keep his guts hydrated.

You can also syringe some water as well into him, again hydration is good.

If you have a 24hr pharmacy or supermarket I would strongly suggest going and getting some infacol as this can help with bloat.

Sending lots of vibes and hope Obi starts to feel better soon. xxxx
 
Thomas my belgian hare had some eating problems....not as bad as your rabbit....we pushed hand fulls of hay and treats into his face and he got angry and started to eat it.....and then continued to eat.....it is slow and I was up for 3 nights with him....checking every few hours....good luck...
 
sorry to hear that obi is unwell with bloat.

have you managed to get the ranitidine into him yet? you can use a small amount of diluted juice to disguise the taste slightly. something like ribena is fine. i read another tip recently which i thought was great - if there is a fruit that he likes, just push the end of the syringe into the flesh and it will flavour the end enough for you to hopefully beable to syringe it. or even mixing it with some suitable baby food like ella's kitchen (the plain carrot for example) would be fine.

when you try to feed him the syringe feed, is he swallowing any or just holding it in his mouth?

i would expect him to be tired from being ill and the vet visit, but does he seem overly sleepy and weak?
 
I have now got the ranitidine into him...and I have just given him some warm water and very watery critical care both via syringe....I'm not sure it was enough but didn't want to overload him....I'm just trying to give him a little something every couple of hours through the night and keep him warm. He is sleepy but the vet did say the metacam injection he had earlier this evening might make him even more quiet and sleepy....
Thanks everyone for your advice, it really is a comfort...x

...
 
Poor little fella! You must be exhausted. You need to keep his fluids up. Is he pooping at all?
Is he still very sleepy? I've never really experienced any of my buns getting that tired from Metacam.
Do you have a rabbit savvy vet? I see that you are in the midlands :) me too! :wave:
 
Hi yes it's possible it was more than metacam...although it was just one injection....
I'm in Halesowen, no poos which is distressing ....vets open at 8.30 and I'm going straight there x
 
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