"Tummy bunny" parents please help.

[Snowberry]

I feed mine lots of carrot and banana which I know is meant to upset tummys but its the one thing Snowdrop does well on!

 

[SarahP]

Can we be very clear on what we're talking about on this very interesting thread - are we discussing bagged leaves only? eg at supermarkets you can get a bag of chopped spring greens or a bag of greens you chop up yourself.

 

[donnamt]

Can we be very clear on what we're talking about on this very interesting thread - are we discussing bagged leaves only? eg at supermarkets you can get a bag of chopped spring greens or a bag of greens you chop up yourself.

i dont buy the ready chopped stuff myself, but it they do come in bags

and i realise ive named the shop rather than put "T" oops :lol::lol::lol:

 

[Candiflare]

I've bought them making sure they were well within sell by date, and when they've been opened on the same day of purchase they have smelled - I thought it was a sour smell:lol: I was throwing away more than I could use, that's one reason I stopped using T.

I need to see if we could grow some in the garden

Same happened to me with Kale. Why does it always smell? Is it because air gets into it? Or not enough people buy it so it doesn't have a very quick turnover?

 

[poppymoon]

I don't have any sense of smell so when veg have been in the fridge for a couple of days, I have to go by how it looks. I can't get to a shop every day so I'm thinking of feeding the washed veg within 2 days and buying some readigrass for the odd days.

 

[Hunnybunny2007]

Can we be very clear on what we're talking about on this very interesting thread - are we discussing bagged leaves only? eg at supermarkets you can get a bag of chopped spring greens or a bag of greens you chop up yourself.

I used to buy the chopped Kale and spring greens as the T I used hardly had the ones you could chop yourself - which seem to be okay because they aren't sealed:?

 

[crackerz]

I have been getting kale and greens from "L" as they have been on offer. Plus they seem to be of better quality than the ones in our "T" and "A".

I have had quite a few batches of greens and kale from "T" in particular that seemed odd. They appeared to be really old, dry and a bit smelly. Even the chickens wouldn't touch it.

Although my 'tummy bunny,' Catkin, won't touch anything remotely green at the moment.

 

[Bunny Buddy]

Bad news update

Roo's having another episode of bloat

He had 2 episodes about a month apart this time last year, so it's seasonal, though cause not identified yet. I'm taking him for a car ride as he's usually okay by the time he gets to the vets.

 

[thumps_]

Roo's having another episode of bloat

He had 2 episodes about a month apart this time last year, so it's seasonal, though cause not identified yet. I'm taking him for a car ride as he's usually okay by the time he gets to the vets.

I'm truly sorry to hear about Roo, & hope that the car journey has got the gas moving for him.
Whatever the underlying cause(s) [& for us it's often several small things in short succession, finally tipping the balance] by far the majority of buns improve if we can increase their fiber intake, to stimulate the gut naturally. (Snowdrop may be different with congenital megacolon) Poppymoon so generously sent me dried cone flower (Echinacea) until I found some last bushes of bramble leaves. Raspberry leaves & Bramble leaves are traditionally good for bunny tummies.

 

[Bunny Buddy]

I'm truly sorry to hear about Roo, & hope that the car journey has got the gas moving for him.
Whatever the underlying cause(s) [& for us it's often several small things in short succession, finally tipping the balance] by far the majority of buns improve if we can increase their fiber intake, to stimulate the gut naturally. (Snowdrop may be different with congenital megacolon) Poppymoon so generously sent me dried cone flower (Echinacea) until I found some last bushes of bramble leaves. Raspberry leaves & Bramble leaves are traditionally good for bunny tummies.

Thanks. Thankfully Rudy did seem to pass his gas on the car journey, he sulked for a while but has been looking comfortable and eating ever since. I haven't thought about raspberry canes/leaves for ages - I shall go and gather some for him. FHB believes Roo's problems are at least in part caused by ingesting hair and Tinks is moulting at the moment so he has probably got his wife's hair clogging up his digestive tract. It's also been questioned in his case whether his intestine has a sharp bend in it somewhere, therefore indigestible matter clogging it easily

 

[poppymoon]

glad he's feeling a bit better i've noticed stringy poops from both of mine over the last couple of months - darn moulting - and they are both short haired and only groom themselves:roll:

this may sound like a dim question but are blackberry/bramble leaves available now? (surrounded by fields here so i ought to find some)

 

[thumps_]

Can we be very clear on what we're talking about on this very interesting thread - are we discussing bagged leaves only? eg at supermarkets you can get a bag of chopped spring greens or a bag of greens you chop up yourself.

That's a good point SarahP, which I hadn't considered because all the green veg in the 4 supermarkets I've tried this winter has been chopped & packeted, apart from occasional spring greens, or a few, coarse outer leaves of cauliflowers.

I think that scientific proof is beyond the scope of the lay person. There are a few other factors eg whether the big chains have bought produce in from a different country than usual.
Maizey's post reminded me that buns can get dysbiosis with yeast overgrowth, there's the possibility of moulds too.

I think we can see if this issue is widespread across the country, & whether people can potentially reduce the risks of GI issues in their buns, by choosing where to buy their veg.

 

[giantbunnymummy]

I've been reading this with interest as I now seem to have two 'tummy bunnies'

My two only ever had organic, non-supermarket veg from where o/h works until Oct/Nov when o/h was in hospital and I started buying Ocado/Waitrose kale and greens for them. Jester had two bouts of stasis requiring trips to the emergency vets between Oct and Dec. Wondering now if there could be a link :?

Daisy had her bad bout of stasis this week and was admitted to the vets, but hadn't had any veg for the preceeding few days - only lots of apple branches and raspberry canes (which I'd given for the first time).

I don't know what is wrong with Daisy but since early January she started leaving caecals in her tray and had a few softer poos too. On vets advice I cut out veg and pellets completely and gave her a (very varied) hay only diet. Jester joined in too as separate feeding was a nightmare! I reintroduced the occasional bit of carrot and tiny bit of green stuff every few days (organic again from o/h's work) but Daisy's probs have continued. She's had bloods done which came back fine, but after her bad stasis bout on Sunday I'm worrying there's something worrying/undiagnosed going on

Vibes for Roo :wave:

 

[thumps_]

I've been reading this with interest as I now seem to have two 'tummy bunnies'

My two only ever had organic, non-supermarket veg from where o/h works until Oct/Nov when o/h was in hospital and I started buying Ocado/Waitrose kale and greens for them. Jester had two bouts of stasis requiring trips to the emergency vets between Oct and Dec. Wondering now if there could be a link :?

Daisy had her bad bout of stasis this week and was admitted to the vets, but hadn't had any veg for the preceeding few days - only lots of apple branches and raspberry canes (which I'd given for the first time).

I don't know what is wrong with Daisy but since early January she started leaving caecals in her tray and had a few softer poos too. On vets advice I cut out veg and pellets completely and gave her a (very varied) hay only diet. Jester joined in too as separate feeding was a nightmare! I reintroduced the occasional bit of carrot and tiny bit of green stuff every few days (organic again from o/h's work) but Daisy's probs have continued. She's had bloods done which came back fine, but after her bad stasis bout on Sunday I'm worrying there's something worrying/undiagnosed going on

Vibes for Roo :wave:

I really empathize with you giantbunnymummy. That 2 buns should get gut issues at the same time with a change from fresh organic to shop bought veg is interesting. Is Jester back to normal now?

Your vet's advice should have treated the standard situation of inbalanced caecal micro organisms.
I think it may be worth persuing further tests. As Rudy's Mum said earlier, a very small minority of stasis buns have a sharp angle where the small bowel enters the caecum & this can block easily. My own vet was discussing ultrasound of Thumper's tummy to look for a fibrous band compressing his caecum & causing delay in emptying without palpable impaction, before I realized that shop veg was a major factor with us. I honestly don't know why Daisysunshine isn't improving.
We've got everything crossed that it proves to be something which is simple & easy to treat.

The top bunny vet in the North of England is Francis Harcourt -Brown in Harrowgate South Yorkshire. She'll give free advice to another vet over the phone. Every one on RU who's seen her, speaks very highly of her indeed.

 

[thumps_]

So far 12 people have posted about veg sources.
8 have issues with T
3 have issues with A
No issues raised with S, CP, or L

Please feel free to discuss your bunnies tummy probs on this thread too, while we group together, because it really is a nightmare when going through it.

 

[Boudicca]

I flippin jinxed myself!!! I posted the link yesterday that Matilda&Twinks posted over a year ago after Matilda had stasis! well tonight Im looking after her bunnies and I arrived to find Matilda all hunched up in their shed not interested in anything or moving!!! I've spent the last 3hrs metacaming, making her move and running to Sainsb for fresh herbs and finally she's started to nibble hurrah!! but to add to your list she has been eating Tesco greens (the whole ones not chopped in a bag)! I was speaking to her mummy and she said she hasn't been happy with Tesco greens recently!!!

 

[donnamt]

I flippin jinxed myself!!! I posted the link yesterday that Matilda&Twinks posted over a year ago after Matilda had stasis! well tonight Im looking after her bunnies and I arrived to find Matilda all hunched up in their shed not interested in anything or moving!!! I've spent the last 3hrs metacaming, making her move and running to Sainsb for fresh herbs and finally she's started to nibble hurrah!! but to add to your list she has been eating Tesco greens (the whole ones not chopped in a bag)! I was speaking to her mummy and she said she hasn't been happy with Tesco greens recently!!!

hope she continues to eat xxx


looks like i wont be buying spring greens again :?

 

[Jenefina]

I've had numerous problems with Pye's tum and his usual greens are the whole bagged ones from T or A but for the last couple of months A have only had shredded so I've had to buy crappy ones from T, most of which end up in the bin. He has had a particularly pants winter with his tum... I'll mention it to FHB when I go on 23rd, maybe she can add to the theories, I'll try anything to help

They have had whole spring greens from the local market but I can;t for the life of me remember if that actually made any difference, looking at his record I would say not....

 

[poppymoon]

i haven't bought spring greens for ages - last 2 lots i got from different shops were rank. really yellowy splodges on some of the leaves. my furries all have sweetheart cabbage now instead.

might try one of the local farm shops for my stuff i think:?

 

[Bunny Buddy]

Vibes for Roo :wave:

Roo says thank you for the vibes ... he's eaten them along with everything else in sight :roll: I'm definitely going to try a car ride with him next time he's got bloat symptoms, he was panting and shaking when I first saw him but no symptoms (except being grumpy) when he came back home. He even stole some carrot of Tinks a couple of hours or so later.