left side of my rabbit is hard??

[crystall.xxi]

my rabbit is 5 years old and today i noticed that she was laying down and theres this big hard lump on her left side. but i made her stand up, and it looks completely normal. u cant see the lump. im pretty sure its just her stomach, but why is it hard? she doesnt look like shes in pain. btw, she just finished eating. she eats a packed cup of veges a day, but she occasionally eats hay. she was like that ever since she was small. i tried everything but she does eat it sometimes. i gave her a small piece of broccoli yesterday. did it cause some gas? pls reply asap im very concerned

[sarahthegemini]

You might want to post this in the house rabbit Q & A forum or the Diet and care as you’ll probably get more views

How is she now? How much hay does she eat? Rabbits need the bulk of their diet to be hay/grass so if she’s not consuming much, you must try and rectify that. If she’s always been this way, you could try different types of hay until you find one she likes. It’s very important.

Is she active? Or is she active if you encourage her? What’s her behaviour like? The brocolli could have caused issues if she’s not had it before. What veggies does she usually get?

[crystall.xxi]

her left side is still hard i have tried many types of hay, but the one im giving her now is oxbows botanical hay. she is more interested in this one and i see her nibbling on it occasionally. she is how she normally is, runs around sometimes but usually rests. she is currently sitting normally. i fed her some food to make sure she was stull eating and she was excited as always and she finished it. i recall giving her the broccoli a few years ago, but just a bit. for her vegetables, i give her kale every other day, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce and parsley ( i ran out of parsely at the moment). could it be bloat? or is it just gas?

[sarahthegemini]

It’s hard to say, I don’t personally have experience with bloat but I have had experience with gas. On several occasions, both bunnies had very gurgling tummies but were still excited for treats and happy to run about for them so I just encouraged movement and the gas passed after about 45 minutes. On other occasions, my doe had stopped eating, was very clearly in pain/discomfort and was lethargic. Not what you are describing at all! How long has her tummy felt hard now?

I see you’re a new member so I will alert the mods about your post – they will hopefully move it to a more suitable place so more knowledgeable members can help

[crystall.xxi]

tysm!! her tummy has felt hard for about an hour now.

[Wick & Fable]

Wick’s stomach is hard occasionally, but I chalk it up to his belly being full (which is when it usually happens). It usually goes away after a while though. I give him a small tummy massage by pushing his sides back and forth gently to help him if he’s uncomfortable, but generally his stomach is always hard after eating, then deflates to being normal and soft by the evening.

This being said, if your rabbit is showing signs of pain, lethargy, or any behavioral changes, it’s important to consult you vet, who may recognize the signs as something else.

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.

[crystall.xxi]

thx! her stomach is getting better but i was pretty concerned cause it never happened before. i gave her a tummy massage and she seems fine now. there are no signs of pain or lethargy

[Muchelle]

Is it just hard or can you feel a defined hard spot/mass? In that case take him to the vet asap. If the whole side is harder than usual, keep observing him but still I’d take him to a vet if the problem doesn’t solve itself in the next hours :/

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By crystall.xxi on 7/18/2017 4:57 PM

thx! her stomach is getting better but i was pretty concerned cause it never happened before. i gave her a tummy massage and she seems fine now. there are no signs of pain or lethargy

That’s great  

[crystall.xxi]

ty to everyone for the help! her hard spot is gone, and im pretty sure i was just feeling a full stomach. maybe i fed her too much than usual? shes doing great and it might have also been the fact that i gave her a little bit of broccoli and it cause some gas. but i just wanted to update everyone and say tysm!!

[sarahthegemini]

Wonderful news, thank you for the update!

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