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Archie had a gut slow down last night!

Mervinius

Mama Doe
So I've been watching pippin like a hawk to check she isn't getting gassy or pulling fur. Then at 10pm last night Archie started lying uncomfortable and looking very sorry for himself. We tried everything and he wasn't getting better so we took him to the Emergency Vets at 3am!

They said his tum was full of food and he had only a small amount of gut noises. I kept him warm and they gave him pain meds and by 5am he was eating and pooping again. There were a few small poops but now they are back to a medium size.

We were given gut meds etc but I try not to give them to him if he starts eating himself he hates fussing and I don't want to stress him further by wagging lingerie syringes at him.

So to the questions. The vet asked what he'd eaten that morning. All he had was 5g of pellets and hay. So don't think it was anything there. So must have been something over the last few days.

Sunday morning he escaped and ate a lot of his willow basket!
And had a selection of herbs from a woodlands mix (including chicory root)

Monday he had raspberry leaves with a few dried raspberries.

Tues he had dandelion, Birch and blackcurrant leaves.

These are all things he's had before but we do limit the willow basket because we have wondered about it causing problems before.

Has anyone else had a bun who's gut has slowed down after eating willow baskets (it's from hay experts) or from eating chicory root?
I can't think it's any of the other herbs but may be wrong.

Feeling a bit frazzled and that we are doing something wrong because they keep getting poorly tummies even after we have made sure they are on the best diet.

Any ideas?

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So I've been watching pippin like a hawk to check she isn't getting gassy or pulling fur. Then at 10pm last night Archie started lying uncomfortable and looking very sorry for himself. We tried everything and he wasn't getting better so we took him to the Emergency Vets at 3am!

They said his tum was full of food and he had only a small amount of gut noises. I kept him warm and they gave him pain meds and by 5am he was eating and pooping again. There were a few small poops but now they are back to a medium size.

We were given gut meds etc but I try not to give them to him if he starts eating himself he hates fussing and I don't want to stress him further by wagging lingerie syringes at him.

So to the questions. The vet asked what he'd eaten that morning. All he had was 5g of pellets and hay. So don't think it was anything there. So must have been something over the last few days.

Sunday morning he escaped and ate a lot of his willow basket!
And had a selection of herbs from a woodlands mix (including chicory root)

Monday he had raspberry leaves with a few dried raspberries.

Tues he had dandelion, Birch and blackcurrant leaves.

These are all things he's had before but we do limit the willow basket because we have wondered about it causing problems before.

Has anyone else had a bun who's gut has slowed down after eating willow baskets (it's from hay experts) or from eating chicory root?
I can't think it's any of the other herbs but may be wrong.

Feeling a bit frazzled and that we are doing something wrong because they keep getting poorly tummies even after we have made sure they are on the best diet.

Any ideas?

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Mervinius - I am sorry Archie has been worrying you!

Well my suspicion would be connected with moulting. It's that time of year and even if it doesn't show, some buns are going under the weather with it.

It's unlikely (but not impossible) that the excess of willow caused an issue. I would up the fibre - lots of hay and grass (I tend to mix the two together) and fresh forage.

Naughty little man!

But you did the right thing to take him to the vet. Will you be able to catch up on some sleep for yourself today? x
 
Hi Mighty Max.

They have been molting but not a heavy molt. To be honest they always seem to be molting! There is certainly no fur strung poops though so I don't think he was blocked. It just stopped moving.

He's had a few dandelion leaves today as well as his morning pellets which he ate at super speed and course he has been hay munching. I just brought home a new bag of meadow hay and they are tucking in to that now. I'm going to keep him away from the willow just in case

Luckily I was off work today so I grabbed a few hours sleep earlier, but feeling a bit dazed.


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Hi Mighty Max.

They have been molting but not a heavy molt. To be honest they always seem to be molting! There is certainly no fur strung poops though so I don't think he was blocked. It just stopped moving.

He's had a few dandelion leaves today as well as his morning pellets which he ate at super speed and course he has been hay munching. I just brought home a new bag of meadow hay and they are tucking in to that now. I'm going to keep him away from the willow just in case

Luckily I was off work today so I grabbed a few hours sleep earlier, but feeling a bit dazed.


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Hi M :D

No, there doesn't have to be fur strung poops or a blockage for a rabbit to be off colour and go off food during a moult. It can happen with no signs at all, and the only thing you have to go on is the weather, a rabbit not munching - and a moult!

I hope he's enjoying the new meadow hay and you don't have any more night-time scares :)
 
Oh ok. It could be that then. I guess I should have noticed him pooping less but it's hard to tell with two of them where all the poops are coming from!

If we had noticed is there anything we can have done to prevent it slowing down so much. I'm just thinking of in the future if I notice less poops should I give them anything?

They are both munching on their new hay, but everytime I go over they think something better might be on offer. lol.



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Oh ok. It could be that then. I guess I should have noticed him pooping less but it's hard to tell with two of them where all the poops are coming from!

If we had noticed is there anything we can have done to prevent it slowing down so much. I'm just thinking of in the future if I notice less poops should I give them anything?

They are both munching on their new hay, but everytime I go over they think something better might be on offer. lol.



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Geez, rabbits are all the same, aren't they? :roll:

Regards preventing a gut slow down, the advice I was given by a wonderful American Vet was this:

The cause of this condition is not the presence of hair in the stomach, but rather a gastrointestinal tract motility disorder that results in firm impacted stomach and cecal contents. If we do not correct the underlying problem, then this condition is destined to reoccur.


I sort this with piles of fresh wet leafy greens (of all sorts), fresh grass where possible and a good quality hay (preferably a choice)

You're probably doing everything right M :wave:
 
Well they certainly get plenty of hay. They have a choice of timothy and meadow and they have been loving their forage.

Yes they get very excited just when I bring over a new handful of hay. They hay that's only 20mins old has apparently lost all flavour. Haha.

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Well he's definitely seems more like himself. He is pooping they are nice and round but smaller and darker than pips. I think he hasn't been eating enough hay.

I'm guessing there is fibre in our dried forage leaves?

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Well he's definitely seems more like himself. He is pooping they are nice and round but smaller and darker than pips. I think he hasn't been eating enough hay.

I'm guessing there is fibre in our dried forage leaves?

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Glad to hear he's doing well :)

Yes there's good fibre in forage - fresh or dried :)
 
Well both are eating and pooping this morning. Pip had a bit of a funny turn last night, but I think that was from the stress of the night before. She is a sensitive bun. I've decided to not feed them the woodlands mix of dried forage anymore and keep the willow basket out of reach. I noticed there was quite a high 12% of protein in the woodlands stuff which is odd cos it says it's just different dried leaves.
So we'll see if that helps the lovely furballs x

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Well both are eating and pooping this morning. Pip had a bit of a funny turn last night, but I think that was from the stress of the night before. She is a sensitive bun. I've decided to not feed them the woodlands mix of dried forage anymore and keep the willow basket out of reach. I noticed there was quite a high 12% of protein in the woodlands stuff which is odd cos it says it's just different dried leaves.
So we'll see if that helps the lovely furballs x

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Not sure which Woodlands you mean?

http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/pets/woodlands-herbal-forage

This one has only 6.9% protein ..... You probably mean another one?

If it's just forage, then that's good and fibrous for rabbits. Mine eat mainly forage and hardly any veg at the moment
 
Yeah it's not that one. They call it rabbit forage food I think. It says it's just dried forage but I'm not sure.

They can still have all their lovely forage from the hay experts though. They do love their dandelions.

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hi mervinius .. i share your pain .. similar issue with one of mine today ...
Hi Griffski. Sorry you have a poorly bun too. I hope they get better soon.

Archie is back to his mischievous self and his poops are golden once again. :)

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lol ... not golden yet ... but he is 'productive' again and back indoors short term on hay diet so hopefully soon :)

bunnies seem so binary ... as soon as he started to eat i could relax but minutes before i thought he was heading for night at the vet's.

so glad Archie back to himself .. i know what you've been through ..
 
lol ... not golden yet ... but he is 'productive' again and back indoors short term on hay diet so hopefully soon :)

bunnies seem so binary ... as soon as he started to eat i could relax but minutes before i thought he was heading for night at the vet's.

so glad Archie back to himself .. i know what you've been through ..


Yes, not much of an 'in between' with bunnies :roll:

Wishing all a quiet night :)
 
Yes they do like to totally freak us out. Mine are very good at binkying and acting totally normal and then Bam they are flat and teeth grinding and I go into panic mode.

I am glad he is productive and hope golden poos are on the way..

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