Gas

[kirbbun]

Hello! I am new here, I hope this is the correct place to post this. I got a rabbit (first one ) about 3 weeks ago and he is currently 13 weeks old. Yesterday I noticed he had a little bit of gas (loud gurgling stomach, some teeth-gritting) after his morning (young rabbit, oxbow) pellets and some running around. He was still eating his hay and drinking his water. I tried to massage his tummy but he is still getting used to me so I could only do it a little. After about maybe 3 hours he was perfectly fine (no loud stomach gurgling & was eating, drinking, and pooping). I didn't give him his pellets at night since I didn't want to make it worse if it was the pellets causing him gas. I called the vet this morning and she said that it sounds like he is probably still adjusting and to keep feeding him what I am. I fed him his pellets after the call and he was perfectly fine. Around 6 in the evening (before his dinner) he had another gas episode but it only lasted maybe 10-15 minutes. At first he ate some hay then he laid down and that is when I heard his stomach (way softer than yesterday but still noticeable). He ate more hay and went poop and his poops look normal. I guess I'm asking if this is normal or if some owners have experienced this in the first couple of weeks that they have brought a rabbit home? So far he seems to be adjusting well and he seems happy (binkying, flopping, sleeping in positions that say he is comfortable in his environment) and I have been spending as much time as possible with him while also respecting his space so I can't really pinpoint what the issue may be or what caused it. I know gas drops and tummy rubs help but is there anything else I can do? I just wanna make sure he is okay.

-I would also like to add that his previous owners weaned him off his mothers milk and fed him just vegetables and hay. When I got him I introduced the pellets slowly but he was liking the pellets more than the vegetables and ate that more so now I just give him his pellets and hay. Could this be the problem?

 

[JBun]

Are you feeding unlimited pellets or do you restrict to a certain amount? What kind of hay do you feed? And no other foods, no treats or anything else?

 

[kirbbun]

I give him 1/4 cup per day which is split so he eats half in the morning and half in the evening. I feed him unlimited alfalfa hay and no other foods currently. The last time I gave him a treat was he got 2 tiny bites of my apple which was on maybe Tuesday? He does get tiny pieces of banana but not frequently. I think last week he got 2 tiny halves of a slice of banana and that was on Friday and Sunday.

 

[Preitler]

I would intruduce grass hay, alfalfa and pellets are both rich stuff, grass hay is pretty much the best for their digestion. I assum that what he got previously was grass hay? Which vegetables was he used to? I would rather use those as treats, although occasional fingernail sized bits of fruit don't hurt either.

My rabbits mostly hate their belly being touched, I put those on my knee, facing me, and rock the whole bunny, it is quite obvious if it makes them feel better or not. Enticing them to hop around every now and then helps too.

Some gurgling can be somewhat normal now and then, that you hear is a sign that it's moving, which is good. Problems start when there is too much of it or when it'S trapped.
Get some Simethicone drops (Infant gas relief drops) so you have it at hand when you need it.

 

[kirbbun]

They were feeding him alfalfa hay and romaine lettuce, parsley, cucumber, and a little bit of celery. I will definitely try to introduce grass hay and use those vegetables as treats. Thank you for the advice

 

[Blue eyes]

If he was doing fine eating romaine and parsley and celery, then there really is no reason to stop those. If his poos were normal with those greens then he can still have them.... along with unlimited hay and some pellets.

Switching to a new home can cause a rabbit to stress a bit. It's generally advised to maintain the same diet for a week or two when a rabbit moves to a new home. If greens were suddenly stopped that could possibly account for some of those gut changes.

Pellets are often favored by rabbits which is why they should be limited. Younger rabbits can generally have more pellets -- provided they aren't causing tummy issues, and provided they don't cause him to eat less hay (or fewer greens).

The bulk of a rabbit's diet should be that unlimited grass hay (no need for alfalfa hay if he is getting alfalfa pellets). The hay should be followed by greens. Pellets should only be a minor portion of his diet. Fruit is a treat only and I suggest avoiding it almost completely until he's back on a daily diet that includes greens.

Here's a chart that shows a breakdown of diet:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/feeding.html
So to summarize, if he was already doing fine with greens, then go ahead and let him have them. Just start with a small amount and gradually increase each day. You can work up to a couple cups worth of greens. Romaine is fine. Parsley isn't recommended as a daily offering. The link above also has a list of what greens are fine for daily feeding. Any new-to-him green needs to be introduced slowly to give his tummy time to adjust.

 

[kirbbun]

Thank you so much for the diet advice!!! I wasn't sure if I should keep him eating the veggies since I know it's more recommended for adult rabbits and I was afraid that it might hurt his tummy when he came home with me because of the environment change for him (looking back now, not the smartest choice). The change in his diet was definitely a fast one
I will add grass hay and re-introduce the veggies to his diet. Thank you again.

 

[kirbbun]

If he was doing fine eating romaine and parsley and celery, then there really is no reason to stop those. If his poos were normal with those greens then he can still have them.... along with unlimited hay and some pellets.

Switching to a new home can cause a rabbit to stress a bit. It's generally advised to maintain the same diet for a week or two when a rabbit moves to a new home. If greens were suddenly stopped that could possibly account for some of those gut changes.

Pellets are often favored by rabbits which is why they should be limited. Younger rabbits can generally have more pellets -- provided they aren't causing tummy issues, and provided they don't cause him to eat less hay (or fewer greens).

The bulk of a rabbit's diet should be that unlimited grass hay (no need for alfalfa hay if he is getting alfalfa pellets). The hay should be followed by greens. Pellets should only be a minor portion of his diet. Fruit is a treat only and I suggest avoiding it almost completely until he's back on a daily diet that includes greens.

Here's a chart that shows a breakdown of diet:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/feeding.html
So to summarize, if he was already doing fine with greens, then go ahead and let him have them. Just start with a small amount and gradually increase each day. You can work up to a couple cups worth of greens. Romaine is fine. Parsley isn't recommended as a daily offering. The link above also has a list of what greens are fine for daily feeding. Any new-to-him green needs to be introduced slowly to give his tummy time to adjust.

Thank you so much for the diet advice!!! I wasn't sure if I should keep him eating the veggies since I know it's more recommended for adult rabbits and I was afraid that it might hurt his tummy when he came home with me because of the environment change for him (looking back now, not the smartest choice). The change in his diet was definitely a fast one
I will add grass hay and re-introduce the veggies to his diet. Thank you again.