HELP

[PickyPenny]

Please help! My rabbit has stopped eating and drinking anything all day. She also has not pooped or peed at all. She has been sitting and lying down in her cage all day and has not been active at all. Unfortunately, the pet hospitals around me are all closed on Sundays and Monday’s labor day so the earliest date I can get her to a vet is on Tuesday and I’m scared it’ll be too late then. I’m thinking she might have a blockage. Is there anything anyone can suggest for me to do?

[Bam]

You can try giving her baby gas drops (simethicone). A suitable dose is 1 ml per hour for three hours, then 0,5 ml every 2-3 hours. You can also give her a very light tummy massage.

You are right in thinking that this is serious. Most often it’s not a blockage but a gut slowdown, but there’s no way of knowing that without an x-Ray. So the best thing is if you can entice her to eat on her own. Fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley are often appreciated. If she’ll eat a treat like a slice of banana it’s better than nothing.

The discomfort/pain your bun is showing can very well be due to gas build up. That’s why gas drops and a massage can make quite a significant difference. I’ll find you a couple of good links and post them.

[Clover&Fluff]

Oh no sorry to hear your bun is not well. Try getting Apple baby food and feed bun bun with a syringe. You can mix water with it to. Also try mixing pellets with water and mix all together and syringe feed. Gently massage buns belly as well hope that helps good luck. How old is your bunny?

[Bam]

Info about GI stasis-long but has lots of very good advice:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

How to massage a rabbit:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JnuxGLa2reg

Make sure you keep your bunny warm, they often get hypothermic when they are poorly, and that’s very risky. You can f ex sit her in your lap with a fleece blankie on her, so your body heat keeps her warm.

[PickyPenny]

Hi, Clover she is about 8 months old.

[LBJ10]

I agree. It sounds like it could just be pain from gas. Simethicone, belly massages, etc. are the best thing you can do. Keeping her warm, as Bam suggested, is a good idea too. Give it a shot. If she doesn’t show improvement, then something else could be wrong. In that case, you would need to find a vet. Is there no after hours/emergency vet there?

[Whitesnowy]

Any news?
Have you thought what have the rabbit done before that happened – ate something?

[PickyPenny]

UPDATE: 

Hi all, I drove to a 24-hour clinic and it has been confirmed that Rue has GI stasis. She has some blockage going on and she also has gas she is unable to release. I have been given some medication and critical care for her and will be watching carefully for the next few days to see if she improves. I was told that the blockage looks like it’s just food and should pass in time. 

She is still very lethargic but has been drinking and eating a little after her medication. She has also pooped a little although the pieces are quite large and long which I’m assuming is because of the blockage. If she does not get better soon, I will be looking at a surgery for her. Please keep her in your prayers!

[Benthebunny]

Poops are great Keep her warm. Thats the best thing to do.

[Bam]

Thank you for the update. GI stasis is serious but many bunnies get through it. It can take a while though, so Try and be patient and don’t despair. Surgery is the absolute last resort.
That she’s eaten a little and pooped is great. The oddly shaped poops are due to the blockage/ gut slowdown and nothing to worry about -the important thing is that there is poop.
I’m glad you took her to the vet. GI stasis needs to be taken seriously and the sooner the bun gets proper care, the better the prognosis.

[VivaLaBunz]

How is she doing?

[PickyPenny]

VivaLaBunz,

She’s doing great. She’s pretty much back to normal but I’m setting up a follow up appointment to make sure that she’s in perfect health again.  

[LBJ10]

Glad to hear she’s doing better!

[LittlePuffyTail]

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