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Ralph's got diarrhea again... :(/ UD Now he looks bloated :(
- Thread starter Candiflare
- Start date
hurricanhoney
Wise Old Thumper
Hope he's feeling a bit better now. Have they given advice as to what to do to help him stop getting these bouts in the future.
Candiflare
Mama Doe
They haven't 
I just don't get it, I'm confused.
I think the shot of metoclopramide just caused him to have diarrhea again because when I got home from work he had it all over his tail again.
He has also lost weight... for the first time since he was a baby I can feel his spine and bones.
I'm putting biolapis in his water and fibreplexing every 4 hours. He's on only hay and I'm just waiting til he improves. What happens if he just doesn't eat anything?
I just don't get it, I'm confused.I think the shot of metoclopramide just caused him to have diarrhea again because when I got home from work he had it all over his tail again.
He has also lost weight... for the first time since he was a baby I can feel his spine and bones.
I'm putting biolapis in his water and fibreplexing every 4 hours. He's on only hay and I'm just waiting til he improves. What happens if he just doesn't eat anything?
hurricanhoney
Wise Old Thumper
They haven't
I think the shot of metoclopramide just caused him to have diarrhea again because when I got home from work he had it all over his tail again.
He has also lost weight... for the first time since he was a baby I can feel his spine and bones.
I'm putting biolapis in his water and fibreplexing every 4 hours. He's on only hay and I'm just waiting til he improves. What happens if he just doesn't eat anything?
If he stops eating you need to give the vets a call. I've only been syringe feeding at the advice of the vets so I would check with them if that happens. Is his eating reduced?
Candiflare
Mama Doe
I don't have critical care, and when I got back I gave him about 3 pellets just to see what his appetite was like. Luckily he did eat them. And I have seen him eating hay.
The weight loss isn't dramatic but it is noticeable. And I'm not surprised if he's doing this much diarrhea.
If he doesn't get better in the next few days I'm probably going to take him to Great Western because it's not too far away.
Do you think all this could be "the grass" like the vet said?
The weight loss isn't dramatic but it is noticeable. And I'm not surprised if he's doing this much diarrhea.
If he doesn't get better in the next few days I'm probably going to take him to Great Western because it's not too far away.
Do you think all this could be "the grass" like the vet said?
hurricanhoney
Wise Old Thumper
I've got recovery food here if you need it and other supplies.
I'm so sorry that Ralph is still in trouble.
It's possible that the grass started off the tummy upset, should it be dysbiosis. Spring grass is full of nutrients & has less fiber. This can change the type of bacteria in the caecum where bacteria digest the food & release the important nutrients in the caecotrophs.
If the wrong sort of bacteria take over, they can ferment the food to gas = bloat, & make toxins which slow down the gut, causing the runny caecotrophs (dysbiosis). The severity depends on which "bad" bacteria have taken over.
The way out of the situation is to stimulate the gut to work faster to expell the bacteria faster & at the same time "starve out" the wrong bacteria. There is the high hay diet, reducing pellets stopping veg, fiberplex has the right sort of bacteria in with fiber, there are gut motility drugs eg maxolon.
When the caecs are very runny it's important to prevent Ralph from getting dehydrated & get control of the situation, which means a firm diagnosis.
There are other possible diagnoses too, but they are much rarer. Thumper has had dysbiosis causing paralytic ileus (whole gut stopped without bloat) but his caecs were very very smelly, & like dark olive green /brown toothpaste, not like runny paint.
It's possible that the grass started off the tummy upset, should it be dysbiosis. Spring grass is full of nutrients & has less fiber. This can change the type of bacteria in the caecum where bacteria digest the food & release the important nutrients in the caecotrophs.
If the wrong sort of bacteria take over, they can ferment the food to gas = bloat, & make toxins which slow down the gut, causing the runny caecotrophs (dysbiosis). The severity depends on which "bad" bacteria have taken over.
The way out of the situation is to stimulate the gut to work faster to expell the bacteria faster & at the same time "starve out" the wrong bacteria. There is the high hay diet, reducing pellets stopping veg, fiberplex has the right sort of bacteria in with fiber, there are gut motility drugs eg maxolon.
When the caecs are very runny it's important to prevent Ralph from getting dehydrated & get control of the situation, which means a firm diagnosis.
There are other possible diagnoses too, but they are much rarer. Thumper has had dysbiosis causing paralytic ileus (whole gut stopped without bloat) but his caecs were very very smelly, & like dark olive green /brown toothpaste, not like runny paint.
Candiflare
Mama Doe
Can someone explain how it's possible to have a big golden poo coming out of Ralph's bottom, surrounded by dried diarrhea on his tail? How can they do liquid and perfectly solid at the same time?
If it's his caecals which are causing the problem, does that mean he has caecal dysbiosis?
If it's his caecals which are causing the problem, does that mean he has caecal dysbiosis?
Candiflare
Mama Doe
Thanks Thumps. I don't think that it's the grass, I think he's definitely got caecal dysbiosis. The fact he is losing weight makes me worried that he is becoming malnourished.
Will the biolapis and fibreplex replace the minerals and bacteria he is missing? Or do you think I should be pushing the vet for more treatment?
Will the biolapis and fibreplex replace the minerals and bacteria he is missing? Or do you think I should be pushing the vet for more treatment?
Candiflare
Mama Doe
Well... it stopped... and then I mowed the grass and put him out on it again... and it started again. I tried to make sure he ate as little as possible, but now I find I'm repeating the same procedure again. I want him to be able to run about on the grass in the sun, but if he's going to get diarrohea every time he goes out, then I can't let him and I'll have to put him in the run with the rubber matting in the shade (which isn't as nice..)
Maybe our grass is particularly lush or something?
Maybe our grass is particularly lush or something?
prettylupin
Wise Old Thumper
No not at all. It is Spring -always a dodgy time for grass and bunnies, and the lush growth spurts that occur during warm weather as we are having now are very rich in sugars which can really throw a bun's caecal flora. My bun has had acute bloat 3x in the last 2-3 weeks - and it could all be down to the grass - despite like you keeping it mown (this is very important at this time of year).
He won't have to stay off the grass forever - but I would restrict the amount of time spent on it - so in the run on the matting, and then out for a 5 min hop, and then back in again. His caecal flora will adjust given time and gentle introduction and eventually the grass should stop sprouting so quickly once we hit June. But for now I would control the amount he eats by restricting time spent on it. I don't think he has to stay off it completely, 5-10 mins should be ok once he gets over this bout, and you can increase it slowly from there. :wave:
