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Bloat, Impaction or just gas?

Ivor/Anna

Warren Scout
Hello, I noticed that Ivor my dutch was a bit lethargic yesterday when i went home for lunch, By about 10pm las tnight his belly had swollen up and was really hard and he hadnt pooed at all for about 3 hours.
I was going to take him to the vet this morning as my vet has open sessions at 9am on saturdays. Anyway when I got up his belly had gone down and he had passed a few small dried dark poos. he is still eating and becoming a bit more active now.
Has anyone got any tips, i would take him to the vets but there isnt really anything for the vet to look at now that his belly has gone down.
Ive brought him some really nice new forage to eat and im going to try him with some kale which ive read should help with fibre.

Has anyone else got any suggestions?
 
Hmmm.

If he is eating now, passing droppings and seems ok in himself, then I'd probably see how he goes. However, if he stops eating again I'd get him to the vets promptly, bunnies can go down hill reaaly fast (if one of my lot hadn't eaten or pooed for 3 hours, I'd be very worried).

It sounds like he had bloat/gas, has he eaten anything different? If you have any Infacol (you can buy it in the supermarket in the baby section), I'd give him some of that. Also, make sure he has plenty of hay and access to water.
 
It does sound as though Ivor had a gassy belly. I would not advise feeding him Kale as that can exacerbate the problem. If he is still passing small hard poo then that is indicative of a reduced GI motility. That needs close monitoring and can be caused by a diet lacking in fibre, dental problems etc.
Try to encourage Ivor to eat lots of hay and I would avoid introducing new forage feed until you are happy that his guts are back to normal. Infacol can be given when you suspect a Bun has a gassy tum. Gentle abdominal massage can also be helpful.
If you can locate some dandelion leaves and Blackberry leaves feed a few of those (do wash them well first). You could also add a probiotic to his drinking water, something like Avipro or Bio-Lapis.
I hope Ivor will now remain well but if he is still passing small poo on Monday I would take him to your Vet for a check-up

Janex :)
 
sounds like he's on the mend - don't give him any new foods or veg that he's not used to eating as this will cause gas. Make sure he's drinking plenty too, he may prefer a dish of water to a bottle. Possibly he's had a furball slowing things down in his guts - mine are moulting at the moment. I give mine bromelain tablets (one a day) from holland and barrett when they're moulting - this is the pineapple enzyme, which helps keep the stomach contents moist so they pass along easily. If he has gas and looks uncomfortable, you can also give him a fruit flavoured rennie rapize to dispel the gas. Hope he's well soon :)
 
First thing I thought of is a furball. But you should better get him to the vet to clarify the cause.
If it is a furball, you could give fresh pineapple juice to Ivor. As said before, pineapple contains an encyme that helps the hair get off.
 
Thank you for your help everyone, im certain now that it would be a furball because he is moulting very heavily and has been for 2 months. I brush him every day but he has a very thick coat. Im going to try to get the pineapple tablet from holland and barrets today. His belly has gone down and he seems a lot happier now but if its happened once im sure it could happen again.
 
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