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Small pets

Bloat

5 replies

BuzzardBird · 24/04/2015 14:12

I have taken my bunny to the vet this morning as he is off his food and not moving around and as I suspected he has bloat.
The vet has given him injection and told me to feed him the recovery paste every hour but he won't eat at all. I have tried everything coriander, dandelion, carrot, hay, i've tried syringing the recover into his mouth but it is just dribbling out. I have tried gently massaging his tummy but he can't stay in one position for too long as he is uncomfortable.

The vet thinks as he is a good weight and quite strong for a 1yr old that he has a better chance than most but it is breaking my heart that I can't make him better.

Please can anyone suggest anything? I have had to seperate him from his mate as she keeps trying to mount him and that is all he needs. :(

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 24/04/2015 15:50

Poor bunny

Is there a chance he's got a blockage? Is there anything that he might have chewed?

I have no rabbit experience but many guineapig keeping years. With pigs (not sure about rabbits) I'd wrap them in a towel and use kindly restraint measures to keep them still until they took the food.

We had a fibregel in a syringe for GP3 ( it delivers a measured dose) it was a nightmare to get it in the right place and push the plunger without pushing down his throat.
With the Recovery, we mixed it up runny (food and fluid together) and used an syringe (no needle) behind the teeth , so they chew and swalllow it.
Can you hold his muzzle and stroke his chin to make him 'gulp'. It'll take a while to do in dribs and drabs and again, I have no idea how long a rabbit will sit there.
But if he doesn't ingest , everything will go into stasis. It's one of those times when you need to be a bit cruel to be kind and do it for their own good.

Good Luck - have you got a willing volunteer?

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BuzzardBird · 24/04/2015 16:11

Thanks for answering 70's. I have been trying to syringe feed him but it's not working, he doesn't want to eat. When DD gets home from school it might be a bit easier to try and get it in his mouth properly. He lets her handle him whilst I am only getting away with it as he is so poorly.
I am so frightened of hurting him, he has now stopped cleaning himself too so is covered in liquid food, he is normally so clean. :(

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Midori1999 · 24/04/2015 19:35

Has he actually got bloat or is he in stasis? If it's bloat he really should be an in patient at the vet having intensive treatment. If it's stasis (most likely I suspect) then be possibly needs to be in an incubator and will need sub cutaneous fluids and guy motility drugs as well as possibly syringe feeds and pain relief. (The injection he had may have been pain relief, did the vet say what it was for?)

Is he passing any poos at all and if so, what are they like? It's an emergency that he eats, not eating for any length of time is very serious for a bunny. If you can't get him to eat then he really needs to go back to the vet but ideally he needs to see a rabbit specialist vet. Most vets know practically nothing about rabbits sadly.

I hope things have improved since your last message any way.

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Midori1999 · 26/04/2015 08:37

How is he? Any news?

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BuzzardBird · 27/04/2015 12:56

Sorry, busy weekend nursing bunny. The vet said it was bloat, gave him 2 injections to help get his stomach moving and some Recovery for me to attempt to syringe feed him. He finally started eating again on Friday night and is eating a little now and again.
His pellets are still really small so I am still trying to encourage him to eat a little fresh hay quite often and less of the greens.
I think he is prone to this condition as we have been through similar with him before but only for a few hours recently.

Thank you all for your help