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Tummy ache

Beau Belle

Beau Belle

Mama Doe
My poor little Teddy has got tummy ache again, and gets it every time daddy works night shift :( It’s been going on for a long time and I don’t know how to make it better.

He sleeps in the bedroom where it smells if daddy, I’m there so he’s not alone, we use one of those pet plug-in things which had made it better but there’s still a problem, the Vet has no real suggestions...

He gets really bad separation anxiety, but only for night shifts - day shifts are ok...

He’s grinding his teeth and I’ve just given him some gripe water.

I don’t know what I can do to make it easier for him :( He loves his daddy so much <3
 
Poor Teddy :cry: does Teddy have a bun friend, I can’t remember if he does? Some bunny to keep him distracted might help if not. What about apple sticks or willow stick balls or tunnels to chew, dig boxes, chill and chew mats? Have you tried leaving a radio or television on.
 
Zoobec said:
Poor Teddy :cry: does Teddy have a bun friend, I can’t remember if he does? Some bunny to keep him distracted might help if not. What about apple sticks or willow stick balls or tunnels to chew, dig boxes, chill and chew mats? Have you tried leaving a radio or television on.
Click to expand...

There are another two buns that he can see through a puppy-gate and whilst he’s happy to snooze with them during the day, he prefers to sleep in the bedroom (he’s free-ranging).

We’ve tried to bond him but not with great results; before he came to live with us, he lived in a house with 6 peeps and a cat, so he’s very humanized. He’s a dominant boy and won’t accept that another bunny might like to do something other than groom him - he’ll try to bite if they stop o_O He’s the most gentle bun, but the bonding process has proven disastrous and it’s not fair on the other bun.

He has a big cardboard box and numerous toys & chew sticks. He has two soft toys but as they won’t groom him, he’s not that interested; they sometimes get thrown about if they’re in the way.

I don’t leave the telly on over night, but I listen to a book as I go to sleep.

It is literally that his dad is not in the bed (he sleeps on daddy’s side) where he has a special rug. We’re at the point where we sit down and talk to him about daddy going to work and that it’ll be ok O_O

I realise this sounds bonkers, but it’s a real issue :(
 
Beau Belle said:
There are better ways to lose weight thanks to these shakes and another two buns that he can see through a puppy-gate and whilst he’s happy to snooze with them during the day, he prefers to sleep in the bedroom (he’s free-ranging).

We’ve tried to bond him but not with great results; before he came to live with us, he lived in a house with 6 peeps and a cat, so he’s very humanized. He’s a dominant boy and won’t accept that another bunny might like to do something other than groom him - he’ll try to bite if they stop o_O He’s the most gentle bun, but the bonding process has proven disastrous and it’s not fair on the other bun.

He has a big cardboard box and numerous toys & chew sticks. He has two soft toys but as they won’t groom him, he’s not that interested; they sometimes get thrown about if they’re in the way.

I don’t leave the telly on over night, but I listen to a book as I go to sleep.

It is literally that his dad is not in the bed (he sleeps on daddy’s side) where he has a special rug. We’re at the point where we sit down and talk to him about daddy going to work and that it’ll be ok O_O

I realise this sounds bonkers, but it’s a real issue :(
Click to expand...

You don't see any improvements whatsoever with time? Poor little Teddy.
 
Last edited:
Beau Belle said:
There are another two buns that he can see through a puppy-gate and whilst he’s happy to snooze with them during the day, he prefers to sleep in the bedroom (he’s free-ranging).

We’ve tried to bond him but not with great results; before he came to live with us, he lived in a house with 6 peeps and a cat, so he’s very humanized. He’s a dominant boy and won’t accept that another bunny might like to do something other than groom him - he’ll try to bite if they stop o_O He’s the most gentle bun, but the bonding process has proven disastrous and it’s not fair on the other bun.

He has a big cardboard box and numerous toys & chew sticks. He has two soft toys but as they won’t groom him, he’s not that interested; they sometimes get thrown about if they’re in the way.

I don’t leave the telly on over night, but I listen to a book as I go to sleep.

It is literally that his dad is not in the bed (he sleeps on daddy’s side) where he has a special rug. We’re at the point where we sit down and talk to him about daddy going to work and that it’ll be ok O_O

I realise this sounds bonkers, but it’s a real issue :(
Click to expand...

Have you tried the not making it an issue approach ? Does OH have aset routine prior to his night shifts and if so could this be changed so that there is no obvious (to Teddy) build up to OH being at work overnight

I think you have said that you already give Teddy an article of OH's clothing as a 'comforter'.

Also, it may be that you are inadvertently transferring your anxieties about the situation on to Teddy. You know that he may become poorly when OH is at work and Teddy is picking up on that anxiety.

Is Teddy still pooing and weeing OK ? What about his eating ?
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Have you tried the not making it an issue approach ? Does OH have aset routine prior to his night shifts and if so could this be changed so that there is no obvious (to Teddy) build up to OH being at work overnight

I think you have said that you already give Teddy an article of OH's clothing as a 'comforter'.

Also, it may be that you are inadvertently transferring your anxieties about the situation on to Teddy. You know that he may become poorly when OH is at work and Teddy is picking up on that anxiety.

Is Teddy still pooing and weeing OK ? What about his eating ?
Click to expand...

Hmm... The routine can’t be changed much: he gets up, he has a shower, gets ready and leaves... There isn’t really anything we can do to change that.

I have tried giving Teddy a t-shirt or similar; it didn’t really change anything. The plug-in diffuser is so far the thing that has helped.

I understand what you mean about transferring anxiety, but I don’t believe that is what’s going on - I would love for Ted to wake up and feel ok <3

He’s eating and drinking and toileting, but what happens is that - without fail - I wake up to him having a sticky bum when OH isn’t at home overnight. When OH is at home, it isn’t a problem; when OH is working, it is a problem.

This morning Teddy was grinding his teeth, and eventually there was more sticky poo and I’ve had to give him a little wash.

Part of the problem, perhaps, is that Teddy gets a lot of attention when OH is at home. They lay on the floor together, watching TV. Whilst I give him lots of attention too, he’s daddy’s boy and I think the issue starts when OH isn’t here in the evening. Sometimes he’ll (Teddy) stay up and wait, even after I go to bed. When OH is here, Teddy puts himself to bed.

It feels awful to say OH should give him less attention though... They are very close.

I’m just wondering if anybody else’s bun has a similar issue and how we can help Teddy overcome it x
 
I don't think giving him a lot of attention is going to fix this. That's exactly what 'transfering your anxiety' means (the fact that you obviously want your rabbit to be OK has nothing to do with it, you are just expecting a problem and acting different from usual because of it... which is completely natural but probably not helping). Gas and sticky bum means he is not eating enough long fibers. That's it. He might have separation anxiety or he might just be a very anxious bunny who is easily thrown by a change in his routine but that's not really important. The important thing is that you've got to find something that will make him want to eat long fibers even if there is something unusual going on (your husband not being there during the night) and which will act like a reward to 'compensate' the absence of your husband and 'reprogram' him to look at it like a positive thing because he gets something out of it. I've had some VERY anxious rabbit and I have to leave for a few days every once in a while for my job. When I do, I leave several piles (litteral piles) of high value high fiber things on the floor (for easy access). I've got several special hays which I keep for those occasions (second crop, Crau hay, mountain pasture hay... very flagrant hays with lots of dried flowers in them, which aren't really suited for daily consomption because they are a bit higher in calories and calcium but are really fine for occasions like these) and grass / dandelions from the garden. You might try things like this too:
https://www.cunipic.com/en/producto/vet-line-intestinal-rabbit/
 
Maya said:
I don't think giving him a lot of attention is going to fix this. That's exactly what 'transfering your anxiety' means (the fact that you obviously want your rabbit to be OK has nothing to do with it, you are just expecting a problem and acting different from usual because of it... which is completely natural but probably not helping). Gas and sticky bum means he is not eating enough long fibers. That's it. He might have separation anxiety or he might just be a very anxious bunny who is easily thrown by a change in his routine but that's not really important. The important thing is that you've got to find something that will make him want to eat long fibers even if there is something unusual going on (your husband not being there during the night) and which will act like a reward to 'compensate' the absence of your husband and 'reprogram' him to look at it like a positive thing because he gets something out of it. I've had some VERY anxious rabbit and I have to leave for a few days every once in a while for my job. When I do, I leave several piles (litteral piles) of high value high fiber things on the floor (for easy access). I've got several special hays which I keep for those occasions (second crop, Crau hay, mountain pasture hay... very flagrant hays with lots of dried flowers in them, which aren't really suited for daily consomption because they are a bit higher in calories and calcium but are really fine for occasions like these) and grass / dandelions from the garden. You might try things like this too:
https://www.cunipic.com/en/producto/vet-line-intestinal-rabbit/
Click to expand...

My bun feels unhappy when his bestie is away - this is the issue.

Somehow I’m not being heard here: it is incredibly rude to suggest I put my anxiety on him. He’s been with us for over three years - do you not think I would prefer this not to happen **for his sake** ??

I’m NOT EXPECTING problems. It happens anyway.

I DON’T behave differently. OH has been working night shifts for as long as I’ve known him - I’m very used to it.

Teddy IS NOT sick - I took him to the vets several times - absolutely healthy - until the pattern became obvious and I realised what it was about: missing his daddy.

He has a selection of hays (including fancy ones) and he doesn’t get anything different when OH is working nightshift - bunny routine stay the same.
 
Beau Belle said:
My bun feels unhappy when his bestie is away - this is the issue.

Somehow I’m not being heard here: it is incredibly rude to suggest I put my anxiety on him. He’s been with us for over three years - do you not think I would prefer this not to happen **for his sake** ??

I’m NOT EXPECTING problems. It happens anyway.

I DON’T behave differently. OH has been working night shifts for as long as I’ve known him - I’m very used to it.

Teddy IS NOT sick - I took him to the vets several times - absolutely healthy - until the pattern became obvious and I realised what it was about: missing his daddy.

He has a selection of hays (including fancy ones) and he doesn’t get anything different when OH is working nightshift - bunny routine stay the same.
Click to expand...
I don't have any suggestions, but I used to have a rabbit that had similar issues, we never got to the bottom of it before she died.. But she was so very attached to me that being apart seemed to really hurt her. The biggest problem was I was her safe space so if I was missing it was a real issue.. I was almost like her bonded rabbit friend [emoji38] I never got to try to bond her, I was hoping bonding her would lessen the issue.. I'm assuming your rabbit has a bunny friend? :)

I don't have any advice really sorry :(
 
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