Constipated bunny

[Malaya]

Hello, my name is Malaya and I have a 2yr old Panon rabbit named Bb. He’s the reason I get up every day. He’s a free roaming rabbit who only goes in his two story condo to eat n potty. I’ve had a couple of close calls with him where the first time he took his last breath pretty much but God didn’t let it happen. The second time which was just 3 months ago he had symptoms of constant moving not being able to get comfortable, arching his back and I could just tell he was going through something so I started searching for answers so I could ensure to never let it happen again. Needless to say google has more contradictory threads and answers that I could take. Anyway sorry for rambling but for the last 2 days he’s been doing the same exact things as a few months ago. Well I pin pointed the culprit. Without a doubt it’s the food I decided to buy for the second time thinking I was being nice and wanted to give him what I thought was great for him. It’s not!!!!! Every SINGLE SOLITARY ingredient is literally toxic to rabbit specifically!!!! I am now back to this horrific experience praying my baby don’t die! There are no rabbit vets or wild life vets in my area. Please do not give this to your baby.

 

[bunny momma]

Bunnies are prey animals and they hide their pain as long as possible. Your bunny sounds to be in pain. Any abrupt change in diet can result in GI stasis where the gut stops moving. A bunny in pain will stop eating and the GI system gets worse. As you know it is a very serious condition that needs prompt attention.
Your bunny needs pain medication, an exam and glucose test to see if a GI obstruction is likely. If not motility meds, syringe feeds, and fluids.
Will he eat anything, favorite forage or herbs?
I know you said there are no rabbit savvy vets in your area, yet if he is in pain any vet may be better than none.
Sending positive thoughts and prayers for your bunny.

 

[Malaya]

Thank you for your reply. Since the only vet that would take a bunny is 3hours away I was able to talk to a professional online and he guided me through the steps to try and pin point what was wrong. Although he couldn’t see him he said the same thing you said about possible GI but told me to go immediately and buy some baby liquid gas drops syringe feed it to him every 2 hours for 6 hours 3 drops at a time. He also told me it would be ok to get slither of Norco just enough to taste it on his tongue to sooth his pain while waiting for the gas drops to work. Thanks to this man and God because my baby finally pooped ALOT and has relaxed his body. I have been gently rubbing his back and bottom trying to ease him. I felt like my world was crashing down. I never knew I could love something so much. I’m going to contact the same online vet at 8am to let him know if any progress. He said even if the symptoms go away there could still be a bigger issue. I’m trying to make plans to get him in an office.

 

[bunny momma]

I am glad to read he produced a lot of poo. However, if he does not eat regularly he can relapse. There are mixed reviews on effectiveness of using baby gas drops in bunnies, yet it seems to help in some bunnies.

Where I live we need a prescription for strong pain meds. Some opioids can slow the gut, so not usually the first pain med given for GI stasis. If your bunny is prone to these episodes, perhaps see if the vet would allow you to have a veterinary pain reliever on hand. It may also be good to get some recovery food that you can mix with water and syringe feed.

I hope you can get him examined so the cause of these incidents can be confirmed and addressed.

 

[Shimmer]

Is he a good hay eater? Commercial food (ie pellets- muesli mixes are not recommended these days) should only be a very small proportion of a rabbit's diet, if at all. Encouraging more hay (or grass) eating helps to keep the guts going and the teeth worn down properly as it is full of long, tough fibres - which is exactly what rabbits are designed to eat.

As he's free roaming, has he chewed and eaten anything that he shouldn't? Carpet, cardboard, skirting boards, wires, etc? It's worth checking around and making sure he doesn't have access to them if there's an issue.

I hope he makes a good recovery.

If you can access it, this is an excellent source of information, and there's a section on diet:

Home

Creating better tomorrows for all pet rabbits The UK’s largest organisation for rabbit lovers!

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

 

[Malaya]

Good morning bunny momma and Shimmer thank you for taking the time to read and lend amazing advice and care. I truly appreciate it. I agree that giving my baby gas drops worried me i believe it may have worked but I don't want to use that as a go to fix. And yes ma’am ( bunny momma ) it seems he’s prone to these episodes. My baby was a gift to me, I had only had one bunny before Bb that passed away 2 days after bringing him home. I’d never raised a bunny before in my life. He was a lil bitty baby when he was given to me, everyday I lived to ensure his life. He’s 2 years old, almost 3 literally owns my heart n mind, And yes sir ( Shimmer ) he’s a huge hay eater some pellets also. Although he seemed better last night, today he’s lethargic and not eating. I can’t stop crying and it’s like he wants to be left alone which is really killing me. I want to be next to him I stayed up with him watching him and syringe feeding him purified water and rubbed his body but he still wants to be off by himself. i am not the type of person to get on the internet n be so vulnerable but I have no outlets. Also yes sir being a free roamer he has ate on my baseboards, chargers cabinets ext. He’s been sleeping in his pin at night but daylight he’s mostly open. Should I put him in his pin more often ? If so for how long at a time? Should I stop being all over him right now and give him space? I’m just scared to death that there could be something I’m not doing or I could do more? I don’t want to let him hide in a corner and pass away I’ll lose it. And please if you don’t mind i have one more question for either of you on treats. I cut a piece of a banana or apple once a week as a treat, could that be hurting him ? I can’t get my baby to a vet I don’t have the means and I know it’s probably the only that can save him. Please don’t judge me I am harder on myself than anyone else could ever be. Thank you for all of your advice.

 

[bunny momma]

Were you able to update the vet you spoke to about him?
Since he is pooping, an obstruction is not as likely; so, in addition to pain relief, which is essential, as directed by a vet, you might want to syringe feed him. If you do not have recovery food (critical care brand?), you can soften his pellets to syringe feed. Grinding//pulvering dry pellets before adding water or a small amount of juice works ok.
He could have an infection too, so talk to the vet about getting a Rabbit Safe antibiotic.
Sending more positive vibes for you and your bunny.

 

[Malaya]

Thank you so much !!! I will right now get some pellets and soften them and try syringe feeding him. And no ma’am when I tried getting connected to him again they wanted an additional $4.99. So I came back here to see if anyone had replied. I’m gonna do the pellets now and see how that works. Thank you..

 

[Malaya]

Were you able to update the vet you spoke to about him?
Since he is pooping, an obstruction is not as likely; so, in addition to pain relief, which is essential, as directed by a vet, you might want to syringe feed him. If you do not have recovery food (critical care brand?), you can soften his pellets to syringe feed. Grinding//pulvering dry pellets before adding water or a small amount of juice works ok.
He could have an infection too, so talk to the vet about getting a Rabbit Safe antibiotic.
Sending more positive vibes for you and your bunny.

Can you please tell me what this means? His poop has NEVER looked like this!??

 

[bunny momma]

Based on post #3 your bunny was producing a lot of poo and was improving after getting the pain meds and the baby gas drops. In your subsequent posts his condition has deteriorated considerably and it is urgent that he get (additional) professional care. Sending positive vibes for your bunny.

 

[Shimmer]

Your rabbit needs professional veterinary advice. Gut issues can escalate quickly.

Is he still eating as normal?

 

[bunny momma]

How is your bunny today?

 

[Malaya]

My baby made it through. Thank you all for your advice and concern it helped me emotionally to stay calm and focus on my baby. I fed him through a syringe with watered pellets and pain reliever like advised it helped so much!!! He got out of his system what ever it was. Thank God! I truly appreciate this site for being an outlet for such emergencies and more. The love of my life He is.