Rabbits with wind

What is it about rabbits and wind.

I'd been reading some postes on here about it and low and behold candy starts with it last night and still has it now.

I had intended to get some infocol or rennies on the way home from work but just checked with the vet first, as I'm a worrier and the vet was horrified that I'd even concidered giving it to her, which made me feel like a dreadful bunny mum. I am now waiting for a call to tell me if they can fit her in for an appointment tonight.

Candy is fine in herself, running around as normal, has eaten all her food and is pooping and weeing as normal. Gave her tummy a bit of a rub and a little squeeze and she pumped, so I have no doubt that she has wind.

I'm a bit confused now because of the reaction from my vet about the infocol but to be honest I trust the advice on here more than the advice from my vet bearing in mind that it's not just one or two that have used infocol, it seems to be standard throughout the bunny world.

Infacol is just simethicone, it doesn't have any added alcohol, sugar or colourants (although it is orange flavoured), it's chemically inert so it shouldn't do any harm. Maybe your vet isn't familiar with the fact that infacol really is just simethicone, and they would probably be happy to administer that themselves. Or maybe they just don't like the idea of self-diagnosis and non-animal drug administration?

I'v just had the call back from the vet and I'm not very happy really.

They are quite happy to see her if I would like to take her in tonight at around 6.30pm but don't think its really necessary from what I've described the symptons as. Seeing as she is eating, pooping and weeing normally they dont think there would be much they could do as it's passing normally.

I got the feeling they were trying to say I would be wasting everyones time and upsetting my bun with the journey but I can be a bit over sensative at times. :roll:

But I cant just leave candy with wind even if its not bothering her..... it's bothering me !!

thats what appeared to be wrong with my gizzy last night and he was actually admitted . He,s still in the vets and being kept in tonight but is doing ok tho .

hi gina, glad to hear gizzi's doing ok.

I'm intend to take candy at 6.30pm but other than the fact that she's passing wind, she's fine, in fact she's following my daughter round cos amys eating a pear and candy after a bit.

Her tummys getting softer now, maybe the vets right and I'm worrying over nothing but I can't help it. It would be different if candy say mummy my tummys hurting a bit, a lot or I'm in total agony but she cant, so being a pesamist I have to go with the agony bit and go.

Glad bun's feeling better. You are right to go to the vet though, it's much better to catch wind and other tummy problems early, it's much easier to treat in the early stages.

Infacol definitely won't hurt your bunny though. Like Alison said, it contains the same ingredient that a vet would give to a windy bunny anyway. Maybe the vet just hasn't heard of it. It is meant for babies - I was surprised how many of my friends with "real" babies hadn't heard of it. In fact, my o/h's nephew had some of Evo's (new packet) when he was over here, and was a bit windy.

Difficult one. I can understand where the Vets coming from with self medication (as an example I've messed up my own thyroid gland with that) but as she isn't displaying any other worrying symptoms and the Vet doesn't seem alarmed, the balls in your court. I've given mine Infacol... my old dear Molly was resting in an awkward position recently and her belly looked quite bulbous. I gave her Infacol and pretty soon after, she was laid flat out. Lets face it, Infacol will have been tested on animals before being passed for use on babies..........

the crux of the matter is when self medication is OK as an aid but not as a substitute for Vet attention. Be guided by her symptoms, good luck and let us know how she gets on.

i think the best thing is to follow your instincts . If you are concerned then it would be worthwhile getting her checked over , for your peace of mind as well .

If she's acting normal she can't be in any pain with it anyway - when they get bad wind they crouch in a corner and don't want to eat. A trip to the vets can bring on stasis, as it stresses them out, so unless it's absolutely necessary I don't think you should take a rabbit to the vets.

With the infacol it's possible the vet thought you meant calpol which is paracetamol and not recommended for bunnies - It's most likely the vet just doesn't believe in medicating an animal with home remedies - she's a professional after all - But if I'd taken my son to the doctors every time he was poorly it would have been ridiculous - Luckily there are home remedies for children's ailments. Unlike children our bunnies don't have pharmacies stuffed with home remedies for them, so you have to use your common sense. If a remedy is tried and tested and recommended by hundreds of experienced bunny owners, and on bunny health websites, you can be sure it's fine for your bunny, and much less stressful than a trip to the vets.

If Candy was obviously in pain with the wind that would be different though - it's most important to see a vet for painkillers, but it doesn't sound like she was in pain? Maa trumped yesterday whilst eating her hay, it's just wind - I wouldn't worry unless she seemed ill with it.

Candy has nothing wrong with her other than a 'slight touch of wind', (he should have seen her this afternoon, she was almost self propelling round the room), no treatment needed.

He also tried to pick her up for some reason that I was unable to work out as he'd already said she was ok, I stopped him and explained that unless she felt unwell there was no way she would allow him to pick her up, he reassured me that it would be ok...... candy bit him, twice.

So back home now, I dont feel any better as I don't trust what he's told me which isn't much, candys tummy is still gurgling but isn't hard any longer and my purse is a fair bit lighter.

I do feel like I wasted everyones time but not because there was nothing wrong but because I feel my worries weren't treated seriously.

If this ever happens again, she's having infacol before she has a trip to the vet.

Thanks to everyone for your kind messages and support.

Going to make peace with balloon features here after the car journey :lol: :lol:

elve

Thank you, I wish I could be so level headed, my common sense seems to fly out of the window when it comes to candy, thank god your all here to pull me back down to earth. I just hope that one day I will be able to relax and not watch for every little thing and then worry about it.

A couple of hours on and Candy is fine, she tucked into her tea like she'd never been fed and is now munching on her hay, all nice and chilled.

Bet she's thinking, big daft human, all that fuss about a bit of wind.