Makes gurgling gas noises,but…

[ryl515]

Hi! 

So a few weeks ago (maybe around a month?) my bunny was making A LOT of gurgling gas noises. Since my girlfriend is a vet tech and knows multiples doctors, she asked the one she trusts the most, Dr. Nat, about what to do  — the kind of vet who gets behind in her schedule because she is extra thorough in all of her exams. I had already done research myself prior to that and started giving her (Matilda, my bunny) baby gas drops that were a 25mg concentrated dose. I also did occasional belly rubs that would get things moving around and the noises going again, hopefully breaking things up as much as I could to help. I also found out the cause of it was most likely kale from the kale+cilantro combination she got at night.

The vet asked for all of the details on my bunny and had me get tablet forms of things so Matilda was definitely getting the full dose. Since she is a Flemish Giant mix and was 13.3lbs when I brought her to the vet a few weeks earlier (for free since my girlfriend works there!) for a mild case of sore hocks () that we were able to clear up, Dr. Nat had me get cherry flavored extra stength Gas-X, which is 125mg. She also told me to get a probiotic, which is a strawberry flavored tablet Matilda goes crazy for every morning and she loves taking either one since they’re basically like a treat to her being cherry and strawberry flavored. Everything got a lot better and I was giving her less Gas-X each day, but I still noticed I would hear the noises sometimes. It’s nowhere near as often and it seems to only be in the late evening for some reason, if that makes any sense.

Here’s the thing that doesn’t make sense and I can’t find any information about — absolutely everything is the same even though she had and still occasionally has gas symptoms. She still drinks the same amount of water, eats the same amount of food, pees the same, and poops the same. She even eats more hay than she used to since I got her a tray thing that connects to the side of the cage! She never acts like she’s in pain. Still gets excited and runs to put her hands on the cage and stand on two feet when I come in the room, still moves around and explores the area when she is out. Until she comes to lay right beside my anyway. (SIde note: I opened the door to her cage, a couple x-pens connected together with a sheet of linoleum floor left over from when the previous owner of the house redid the bathrooms and towls/mats scattered around for comfort and traction, and laid down with her last night and she hopped up to me, runs into my face, then flopped up against my face lol). If she is laying down not moving, it’s because she’s a big lazy bunny and not because she looks like she’s in any kind of pain. 

I don’t understand what could be making these gas noises since she isn’t showing warning signs of GI stasis. She’s taking a little cilantro and red lettuce at nights now and my girlfriend brought me some dandelion and oregano last night Dr. Nat gave her from her personal garden. Though she was skeptical at first when I gave her a little of each, Matilda eventullay ate both. I need to make sure Matilda is healthy and will be around for a long time because I’ve had too many tragic bunny stories. My first was sick since the day I got him and died of a heart infection, my little Netherland Dwarf had a GI tract blockage and died in my arms when she had a heart attack in my arms when I tried to give her medicine after spending a week at the ER vet, and my purebred Flemish Giant (23lbs!!!) got scared in surgery for a broken leg and got brain damage from a heart attack so I had them put her down since she was going to be a vegetable, and that’s no way to live.

Wow. this post is really long. Sorry! Thanks for reading it all if you made it to the end! I just wanted to make sure I gave all of the information I could think of, but please ask questions if it helps come to any conclusions.

I think it’s time to go give Matilda her introduction post now 

[Luna]

Hi! If she isn’t showing other symptoms with the gurgling noises, then it could just be the sound of digestion as opposed to gas. Every so often I listen to Luna’s stomach to see if I hear something rather than nothing, just to make sure things are moving along, but I have to put my ear up to her stomach in order to hear anything.

[sarahthegemini]

You know what, I have to thank you for making this thread because I am having the same concerns! I never used to hear gurgling and now I’ll hear it every so often after veggies. Sometimes not very loud and sometimes almost deafening. But like yours, neither bun shows any other signs of gas – they still eat well, poop plenty and are as active as normal. The first 2 times I heard really loud gurgling, i was able to give gas drops, however they’re on to me now and won’t take any! Since then, I’ve heard super loud gurgling and I just got them running around and within 45 minutes all gurgling had stopped. Sometimes I hear gurgling that isn’t very loud and it ends on its own after about 20 minutes. 

I’m sorry I can’t really offer advice but I do agree that it could be normal digestion sounds as opposed to true gas.

[Wick & Fable]

I agree with Luna, and will also add that when I’m by Wick, sometimes I hear his body gurgle. He himself is fine, so I think perhaps some rabbits are more gassy and have louder bodily processes than others. If there are any behaviors or physical changes, definitely go to see a vet.

Keep encouraging hay eating behavior because hay helps push everything through, in addition to probiotic (Wick gets probiotic twice a day as part of medication treatment).

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[ryl515]

I bet it’s always been this way and I just became sensitive to the noise after the kale induced gas episode. I hope so. Matilda is my little (big) girl

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