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Nell keeps getting bloat/colic

Fionabun

Mama Doe
Hi there folks. I'm looking for some suggestions.

My 3 year old doe Nell (neutered) keeps getting bloat (or colic). I'm saying 'bloat' or colic as I'm never able to tell the difference. She has had it four times since September, twice in the last 10 days. She goes off her food, lies in the corner sprawled out panting, and her flanks/ribs look all drawn in. On the two most recent occasions this has happened suddenly with no warning.

When it happened last week she got back to normal the next day with Infacol and belly rubs. Well I found her unwell this evening, having been sparky two hours before. Again, she seems to be making progress by the hour. She has done poos, drank water and eaten a good lot of veg and a small number of pellets. She is getting her Infacol and belly rubs regularly.

Any ideas anyone, there have been no changes to her food (hay or veg) that are all that significant. She is not a particularly greedy rabbit though perhaps had more of an appetite last night than I have seen for a while. I try to go easy on cabbage. She did have a molar spur first time round and had a dental. Second time the vet did file her teeth down as they were a little overgrown though we thought perhaps not the full explanation. I'm wondering if something else is going on that would cause this. I don't know enough beyond this. She is having a 28 day course of Panacur (11 days to go).

I will definitely be seeing my vet about this but would appreciate your advice.


Fiona x
 
I don't feed my bunnies cabbage at all, as it upsets both Bobby and Salt. The only other thing I was going to suggest was teeth, but you seem to have looked into that.
Squidgy used to have lots of tummy problems until I changed his pellet food over to Allen and Page, I wonder if that's worth a try?
Hope someone is along soon with some answers for you.
 
I would totally stop for now giving any green veg especially cabbage and broccoli (if you give them any) until this all seems to have settled, and leave it a while before you introduce any and then give them a tiny piece of one only slowly increasing the amount. An odd few rabbits are very susceptible to problems with 'greens' particuarly if they have other issues going on at the same time.

I would certainly investigate the teeth issue and see if there are any problems in that department.

Is your rabbit a good hay eater?
 
Hi there. Thanks for replies. We are seeing the vet this evening about it.

She is not a brilliant hay eater, better than she was though. I could cut out the veg, OMG I will feel awful!! She lives with two others though so it would be all or nothing I guess!

Poor love, loves her little greens so she does!

Fiona x
 
Has your Vet checked Nell's bladder? Bladder sludge/stones can mimic colic symptoms.

Post surgical adhesions (eg after a spay) can also cause a few Bunies to have problems with their GI tract.

I would suggest (UNQUALIFIED OPINION!!) that the episodes of GI pain are a secondary symptom to another problem so hopefully yur Vet will give Nell a thorough check (Teeth, Bladder, GI tract etc)

Good luck at the Vets

Janex
 
I would say get her teeth checked too. Evo went like this loads of time, and it was ages before we dicovered that it was dental pain which was causing him to go off his food, which then lead to bloat / stasis.
 
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