I took my bunny to the vets the other day thinking he had a tooth problem (drooling, bad smell at mouth) and my vet told me he had a GI problem and started treating him. Problem is now he is doing this sort of gagging/coughing which I've seen him do from time to time before but now is a lot more frequent. He was doing it a little before we went to the vet and the vet attributed it to the acid from his stomach. Does any one have any experience with this? I am very upset and distraught. He is not a bunny to me, but more of my child. Please help--I think the vet thinks I'm crazy!
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bunny coughing--please help!!
- Thread starter Amri
- Start date
He is eating wonderfully (what he wants to--not the timothy hay the vet prescribed!) and poos are now fine. My vet says ( I made my third call to him this morning!) that it will clear up and is acid from ulcers from the infection. Buttons (the bun) is acting perfectly fine for the most part, it's just this gagging. I soaked the timothy hay in pineapple juice (which I read was good for the tummy) so he'd eat some. He has a terrible sweet tooth which is the reason behing his tummy problems, any thoughts on this? They say it's good for upset tummys. Thanks for the concern!! :bunny:
Happy Hopping
Wise Old Thumper
I'm out of my element here, what's a sweet tooth?
Umm, I've never heard that before or read it anywhere. Rabbits can't throw up so I think it's odd that it would be acid coming up from the stomach :?
Having a piece of grass hay caught in the throat would be a possibility.
Hay is good advice, a high fibre diet with plenty of hay is a good way to prevent GI problems.
Tam
Having a piece of grass hay caught in the throat would be a possibility.
Hay is good advice, a high fibre diet with plenty of hay is a good way to prevent GI problems.
Tam
Happy Hopping
Wise Old Thumper
I suppose a temporary solution to smooth his throat shouldn't cause any harm.
Something like half a teaspoon of honey or anything to smooth his throat just for the time being. Best guess is something too big is stuck there?
Something like half a teaspoon of honey or anything to smooth his throat just for the time being. Best guess is something too big is stuck there?
Caz
Mama Doe
Are you sure it is choking and isn't more like sneezing?
When my rabbit sneezes (had pasturella) he sneezes maybe 8 or nine times in a row and it sounds like a "huh-huh-huh-huh" kind of noise, when he was under the stairs it used to echo and sound really weird.
Does he have a damp nose? Or white discharge you have to watch as he makes the noise as mine licked it off so fast I never saw it. Are his front paws matted?
I wouldn't give him honey as it will feed the "bad" bacteria in his stomach which will swamp the good bacteria and this could exacerbate any stasis problems.
Did the vet file down his teeth? Usually drooling is a sign of molar spurs, which need filing otherwise they overgrow and cut into the mouth or tongue possibly leading to abcesses but definately causing enough pain to prevent the bunny eating, which can cause GI problems (stasis).
The best diet for him is lots of fibre right now - such as grass or hay (have you tried dried grass such as Ready Grass as he may prefer this to hay). Pineapple juice is good for breaking up potential blockages but it must be natural and unsweetened! No sweet or sugary treats should be fed and if he is on a rabbit mix you should think about gradually swapping him onto a higher fibre pelleted food such as Science select or Burgess Supa Excel (must be done slowly or it will upset their delicate stomachs).
Is your vet up on rabbit medicine? Have you seen a specialist as I would have said ulcers weren't that common in rabbits I haven't heard of them after stasis before?
Caz
When my rabbit sneezes (had pasturella) he sneezes maybe 8 or nine times in a row and it sounds like a "huh-huh-huh-huh" kind of noise, when he was under the stairs it used to echo and sound really weird.
Does he have a damp nose? Or white discharge you have to watch as he makes the noise as mine licked it off so fast I never saw it. Are his front paws matted?
I wouldn't give him honey as it will feed the "bad" bacteria in his stomach which will swamp the good bacteria and this could exacerbate any stasis problems.
Did the vet file down his teeth? Usually drooling is a sign of molar spurs, which need filing otherwise they overgrow and cut into the mouth or tongue possibly leading to abcesses but definately causing enough pain to prevent the bunny eating, which can cause GI problems (stasis).
The best diet for him is lots of fibre right now - such as grass or hay (have you tried dried grass such as Ready Grass as he may prefer this to hay). Pineapple juice is good for breaking up potential blockages but it must be natural and unsweetened! No sweet or sugary treats should be fed and if he is on a rabbit mix you should think about gradually swapping him onto a higher fibre pelleted food such as Science select or Burgess Supa Excel (must be done slowly or it will upset their delicate stomachs).
Is your vet up on rabbit medicine? Have you seen a specialist as I would have said ulcers weren't that common in rabbits I haven't heard of them after stasis before?
Caz
Thank you all so much for your replies. Caz a lot of what you said makes sense. His tummy is still gurgling a bit and the coughing/sneezing has subsided a lot. A few weeks ago I took him off his sweetened/mixed pellets and switch back to regular pellets (he's very wise and was just picking the sweet pieces out) I probably did this too quickly which is probably, like you said, what upset his tummy to begin with--that's about the right time. The vet (actually I've taken him to two) did check the molars and said they were fine--both actually did. He said the drooling was nausea from the upset stomach. I did not give honey for the same conclusion that there may be harmful bacteria (though I'm sure he would have loved the sweetness!) and I have given him some of his old food and a little of the oatmeal that he loves which seems to have settled his stomach more than the hay that he would barely eat. Thank you all again--any more suggestions are greatly appreciated!
