Ingestion of a string = a potential problem?

[Maureen Las]

Watermelons wrote:

Basicly what that link is saying is not to use it with rock hard blockages that totally obstruct the GI system, and if your rabbit has a rock hard blockage and are in GI shutdown they need surgery. So that means we tell everyone to wait until your bunnys in total GI shutdown and that surgery is the only cure?

Add some logic into the issue;

Whats the point in offering more food, which can potentially add to the problem of a formed blockage, if youre not going to offer some type of laxative/lubricant to help keep things moving through. If the gut is slowing down, its not going to be doing enough to help move the food through on its own! It needs something else in there to help everything slide through so it doesnt form one of those rock hard blockages that only surgery will fix.

Especially for bunnys who have a chronic stasis issue, it seems even more important to make sure a product is used to help keep things moving before it gets worse!!! Most rabbits will happily lick up some hairball remedy, saving you from making the issue worse by forcing something down their throat.

Besides in the case of an ingested staple or string, it is even more important that there is some type of lubricant in there preventing the object from getting stuck and creating a serious issue.

Rehydrating a rabbit becomes more difficult when a hydrophobicsubstance is introduced into the GI tract. A Petroleum based productis ahydrophobic substance which mean thatH20 hasdifficulty penetrating it ( it is water repellant)This is why the idea of using a FOOD source like olive oil was introduced into a discussion on Etherbun

Using a lot of Laxatone is something from the past that originated from veterinarianswho were cat/ dog vets and thought that it would work for a rabbit too.
Definitely old school !...

 

[tonyshuman]

I am not a fan of the petroleum products for bunnies for a few reasons. One, I think a lot of it might get broken down when bile is pumped into the small intestine. To get enough into a rabbit for it to act as a greasy lube in the gi tract, I think you'd have to administer a lot more than the dime-sized amount typically used. I think an amount like what jenk did use is more likely to make it to the intestines undigested.

Secondly, I don't think that lubing up a blockage will help in stasis cases because the dryness of the blockage is an issue as said before. I would be concerned about an overly slippery lump of ingesta as well; the walls of the guts might not be able to gain purchase on it.

the body makes mucus to provide lubrication in times of intestina distress. The requirement to make this is water, primarily. I think it is better to stimulate this natural lubricants production, which is just the right amount of slipperyness, than to add an overly slippery abnormal product that inhibits hydration of ingesta.

That said, our HRS and humane society recommend laxatone. I have seen some overly greasy poos at the shelter and think their low rate of gi problems is due more to a hay-heavy diet than the occasional use of laxatone. Also, since rabbits don't chew a lot with their back teeth, more folding up the hay accordion style, the string is probably intact. I would just go with a second bowl of water + something tasty and encourage more hay intake. My guys like the stemmy oat hay, so id use that.

 

[Jenk]

tonyshuman wrote:

...Since rabbits don't chew a lot with their back teeth, more folding up the hay accordion style, the string is probably intact. I would just go with a second bowl of water + something tasty and encourage more hay intake. My guys like the stemmy oat hay, so id use that.

I gave Pink two (1-mL) doses of Laxatone yesterday, which was as much as I felt comfortable giving him.

Thankfully, he's eaten a ton of timothy hay in the past 24 hours and is running around/ doing binkies as I type this response. He seems none the worse for wear; I will at least worry a bit less. Heh.


Jenk

 

[tonyshuman]

That sounds good. 1mL of laxatone is quite a bit; I know Pink is a big bunny, though. At the shelter we give a quarter-sized portion to "medium" bunnies and a dime-sized to small bunnies. They don't get tiny dwarves there though, so something like a dutch or a big nethie would still be a "small" bunny. For the big bunnies, which I think Pinkerton would be, we give about a half-dollar sized amount. Still, I personally would not give the petroleum-based laxatives to rabbits--because of what I understand about how their GI systems work--in the case of a fiber-related blockage/slowdown. In my opinion, getting a fiber greasy isn't going to help as much as getting it and everything around it wet.

 

[Jenk]

...I personally would not give the petroleum-based laxatives to rabbits--because of what I understand about how their GI systems work--in the case of a fiber-related blockage/slowdown. In my opinion, getting a fiber greasy isn't going to help as much as getting it and everything around it wet.

What you've stated is what I've read/heard from most sources, including an exotics-only vet. (I've only had vets who also treat dogs and cats tell me that Laxatone is okay to give rabbits, if need be.)

Interestingly, the exotics-only vet isn't keen on the idea of EVOO, either, saying that any oil has the potential to keep water from reaching dry/hardened ingesta material. (I know that EVOO is digested by the body but don't know how far it makes it through the digestive tract before it's considered absorbed/digested.) He did say, however, that if push came to shove, he would prefer that EVOO be given instead of Laxatone.


Jenk

 

[ahall83]

Jenk. I dont mean to change the subject on you but didnt know if it would be ok to pm you. Where about in illinois are you? Ive been looking for another vet and places to get bunny stuff and was curious if you were close and had any suggestions. Thanks. And again sorry for going off topic. I hope all is well with your rabbit

 

[Jenk]

[email protected] wrote:

Jenk. I dont mean to change the subject on you but didnt know if it would be ok to pm you. Where about in illinois are you? Ive been looking for another vet and places to get bunny stuff and was curious if you were close and had any suggestions. Thanks. And again sorry for going off topic. I hope all is well with your rabbit

I don't mind PMs. In fact, I've sent you one in response to your question. :biggrin:


Jenk