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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Yeast infection

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    • ergodic
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        So my 4th bunny Snickerdoodle (11 month old neutered) has had two stasis episodes in the past week he seemed like he was improving but today, he had a gas episode 2 hours after I had given him his cisapride and simethicone (he was acting fine when I gave him the meds). I had asked my vet to check him out because he had a bald spot behind his ear. Long story short he has some yeast in ears.

        Can this cause stasis?, it might be that or greens or some other problem not immediately apparent. Does anyone have any experience with frequent gas in rabbits.

        Diet he gets Romaine  in the evening.

        1/2 cup of pellets (checked with the vet this is what they recommend for his size)

        and unlimited hay (1st and 3rd cut timothy)


      • Azerane
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          Hey there, if the yeast infection is painful, it could cause him to go into GI stasis because of the pain often results in lack of desire to eat. However I doubt it could directly cause gas. GI Stasis is not always a result of gas.

          How much romaine is he getting? I doubt it’s the cause though since romaine is very benign when it comes to leafy greens.
          How big is he? 1/2 cup of pellets is quite a lot, does he get them all at once and eat them all together or does he graze on them throughout the day. Do you split them into multiple feedings? Also what brand of pellets are you feeding?


        • ergodic
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            He is 7.9 lbs 3.6 kg. Yes I split his pellets into two different feedings one in the morning and one at night. I give him 1 cup and 1/2 veggies only at night.

            I have been using science selective. The vet was looking again at his x-ray she said they a little unclear since he was breathing rapidly but she wanted to observe him for the weekend since there was something that looked a little odd but because of the quality she was not sure.

            His last episode was gas (last Thursday), the emergency vet mentioned he was very gassy they sent the records over to my vet. This morning he was laying stretched out and pressing his stomach down had not eaten his food, and I could hear gas moving through his system. What is concerning is I was still treating him for his previous and just gave him meds 2 hours earlier and he was bright and happy.


          • Mikey
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              Youre over feeding him pellets. For every 6lbs you are supposed to feed them 1/4th cup a day. Youll want to slowly cut down on his pellet intake until you get to about 1/4th cup. The pellets you are giving him arnt very good either. You want a pellet that has a lot of timothy hay in it, but the closest thing i see to hay in your current pellets is alfalfa meal. Theres also a lot of soybeans in your pellets, and soybeans can cause a lot of gas in buns. As rabbits mature, alfalfa can become harder to digest, too. It can also add a lot of weight to a bun. Timothy hay and timothy pellets are two of the best choices for an adult rabbit


            • Azerane
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                I agree, too many pellets. Bandit weighed 3.2kg and I originally had him on 1/4 cup daily, after a bout of stasis the vet recommended I cut it back to 1 tablespoon daily. I cheated and made it 2 tablespoons daily, but he did better after that For your boy, I would at the very least halve his pellet intake as it could be causing the gas. Especially as Mikey mentioned with the ingredients of the pellets, while alfalfa meal is simply ground up hay, it is a legume hay, not a grass hay. Grass hay is highly preferred as a first ingredient for pellets, so switching brands may also help, just make sure to make the transition slowly if you do make it.


              • ergodic
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                  Actually my vet recommends 5-7lb 1/2 cup, I just checked her guidlines for rabbits on her, also when I was at SEAVS (Stahls) I specifically asked is he overweight and how much pellets. The answer were no he is just big and 1/2 cup. Both vets are very reputable.

                  But you might be on to something maybe it is too much for him, It might be an idea to reduce it some to see if it helps.

                  As to the pellets,SEAVS sells them and I give them to my other rabbit George who had gastric ulcer so his gut is sensitive. Specifically science selective is extruded which vets have told me are better for rabbits with sensitive stomach. From reading other post Science selective is good nutritionally also, but maybe his stomach has problem with pellets maybe he has problems with those pellets.

                  My vet is supposed to check with in with me tomorrow, I will be sure to ask her and maybe see about fixing the diet.

                  I think she wants to eliminate the lettuce first though, her feeling was it is something he is eating at night and lettuce is the only difference. If that is not it I think changing the pellets/amount should be next.


                • Azerane
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                    I’m not saying that your vets aren’t reputable, only that in my experience with rabbits and my vets recommendations, less is best when it comes to pellets. It’s not about being overweight either, some rabbits as you mentioned simply don’t tolerate pellets well. Your boy may be one of them, whether it’s the amount of pellets or the brand, he simply may need something different or a reduced amount. No two bunnies are the same. If she wants to cut out the lettuce first, stick with that for now. Making multiple changes at once would only mean that you wouldn’t know which change has caused the improvement.


                  • Bam
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                      Hi ergodic! I agree with the others. Pain/discomfort from a yeast-infection is (of course) stressful for a rabbit, and stress has a big inpact on the bunny tummy. It actually changes the composition of bacteria/microbes in the gut, esp the cecum. Gas is often a consequence when the gut microbiota isn’t right. It can take quite some time for a bun that’s been in stasis to recover completely.

                      Science Select is a reputable brand, I give it to my buns, it has a high fiber-content, but all buns are different and can have different sensitivities. If cutting out the lettuce doesn’t help, and if he’s a good hay-eater, I’d cut back a bit on the pellets and try to make him eat more hay. Hay is a good way to restore the microbial environment in the bunny gut.

                      You can also try a probiotic for buns. There are many different varieties, Benebac is one that our members often report good things about.

                      For acute bouts of gas, simethicone + exercise are the best things. Tummy rubs can be a bit risk, but you can sit the bun in your lap and slightly elevate it’s butt and lightly stroke the bunny’s sides, somewhat like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnuxGLa2reg


                    • ergodic
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                        Hi Azerane, I just wanted to let others know his situation, his current care and why I was doing what I was doing. Sorry it is a bad habit I picked up from my job dealing with attorneys, make the record clear. So I meant no offense. I actually never thought of the pellets and I am glad that people mentioned it. It is definitely the next thing we should look at if it is not the lettuce.

                        Bam, he is a huge hay eater, and he probably be cutting back pelts or out pellets altogether would not hurt him. Of course cutting out pellets altogther is something I should check with my vet a bout.

                        The probiotics are a good idea I am already giving one rabbit Benbac to get him to take his medicine.

                        That was the concerning thing, I actually had just given him the simethicone and cisapride and he was quite active when I checked on him.

                        I will keep everyone up to date, I should hear from the vet later today.


                      • Azerane
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                          There’s no problem at all, and no offence taken, I was just clarifying

                          It’s good to know that he eats hay well, looking forward to hearing what the vet has to say.

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                      Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Yeast infection