Intestine blockage

[Pipp]

That's good news, unlikely to be bloat.

Is he eating anything?

Hopefully he'll getback on track with the liquids, pumpkin, gas meds andthepain meds. Pretty sure the tummy massaging will also help stimulate the gut as well as break up the gas.

IMO, the gas med (Simethicome) isthe most important. Dehydration and gas are your worst enemies. Hard to get the gut moving or the bunny eating again until they're dealt with.

Still looking for that darn diagram.

sas

 

[naturestee]

You've gotten some great advice already. As already said, it's important to keep him hydrated (feed pumpkin, offer flavored water like Pedialyte, or syringe-feed water if needed, a vet could give sub-cutaneous fluids), and to give gas meds. Pain meds are good if you know that he tolerates them well. One of my buns (a dwarf hotot, btw) stops eating/pooping for 12 hours after getting pain meds. But relieving gas pressure removes a major source of pain.

Another way to help is to do gentle tummy massages. This can help move gas bubbles out and get the intestines moving again. Gentle is the key word!

You said he was a dwarf hotot. Aside from the one previous incident, has he had poop-related problems before? Are his poops larger/more mushy than your other rabbits, or does he easily get mushy poops from certain foods? I'm asking because dwarf hotots do sometimes have genetic intestinal issues that make them sensitive or make them more prone to GI stasis. I have two dwarf hotots (sisters) and they do have this problem. Not all do though, and I don't think it's something that would show up suddenly.

What brand of pellets were you feeding, and how much protein and fiber do they have? Some pellets have extremely low fiber and may contribute to or cause GI stasis. My dwarf hotots are sensitive to alfalfa/high protein and need low-protein timothy pellets. These two do best with small amounts of timothy pellets, lots of grass hay, and lots of veggies. Even slight increases in alfalfa have caused mushy fecals and runny cecals in both of them, while my other two rabbits can eat alfalfa with no problems.

 

[pamnock]

His age, the heat and humidity and the fact that he's a Dwarf Hotot (genetically inclined to poor gut motility) are working against him.

Stop the Petromalt and give a little Nutri Cal for cats/dogs. I've found it very helpful for supportive treatment in rabbits with GI stasis. It's easily absorbed in the intestines, helps keep the rabbit hydrated, stimulates the appetite, has vitamin E for good intestinal health, and it high in calories, so only a little needs to be given.

In cases of GI blockage, the intestines feel like soft, pliable dough. I would avoid palpating though -- this can be very painful and may lead to rupture.

Please keep us updated!

Pam

 

[BenNme]

thanks so much everyone! well, this morning, not much improvement. he only nibbled on a few of his greens, and still hasnt pooped. actually, yesterday he pooped 2 times, but that is it. i am worried that his cecum is getting blocked up now too.anyone have any ideas on what to do?

 

[pamnock]

Besides keeping the rabbit hydrated, Nutri Cal has been the best thing I've found for supportive treatment in cases of GI stasis.

Pam

 

[BenNme]

well, since i am already giving him metoclopramide syrup and petromalt, i am very hesitant to give him anything else. the metoclopramide spasms his intestines, trying to get things moving, and the petromalt makes his intestines all slippery. he isnt really eating anything, just a nibblewhen i hold up to his face here and there. so i plan on feeding him some canned pumpkin. i actually got him to eat one or two pieces of oatmeal a couple mintutes ago. every time i give him his meds, i also syrynge approx. 2 cc. of water into him. i have a question though. i have been letting him excercize in his playpen a bunch, trying to get him moving. well, when he is in there, at first he seems interested and trots around for a little while, but then he just wants to lay down. should i let him lay down, or should i keep him moving, or should i alter between letting him lay, and running around? oh, by the way, he only has been doing this for the past couple of days while he has been sick.

thanks in advance~kim

 

[BenNme]

he has always been super healthy, no problems till his first bout of GI stasis, and now this second one. my other 2 rabbits are dwarf hotots too. they all usually have about the same poops. he has had diarhea before, but only for a short period of time.

naturestee wrote:

You've gotten some great advice already. As already said, it's important to keep him hydrated (feed pumpkin, offer flavored water like Pedialyte, or syringe-feed water if needed, a vet could give sub-cutaneous fluids), and to give gas meds. Pain meds are good if you know that he tolerates them well. One of my buns (a dwarf hotot, btw) stops eating/pooping for 12 hours after getting pain meds. But relieving gas pressure removes a major source of pain.

Another way to help is to do gentle tummy massages. This can help move gas bubbles out and get the intestines moving again. Gentle is the key word!

You said he was a dwarf hotot. Aside from the one previous incident, has he had poop-related problems before? Are his poops larger/more mushy than your other rabbits, or does he easily get mushy poops from certain foods? I'm asking because dwarf hotots do sometimes have genetic intestinal issues that make them sensitive or make them more prone to GI stasis. I have two dwarf hotots (sisters) and they do have this problem. Not all do though, and I don't think it's something that would show up suddenly.

What brand of pellets were you feeding, and how much protein and fiber do they have? Some pellets have extremely low fiber and may contribute to or cause GI stasis. My dwarf hotots are sensitive to alfalfa/high protein and need low-protein timothy pellets. These two do best with small amounts of timothy pellets, lots of grass hay, and lots of veggies. Even slight increases in alfalfa have caused mushy fecals and runny cecals in both of them, while my other two rabbits can eat alfalfa with no problems.

 

[pamnock]

BenNme wrote:

well, since i am already giving him metoclopramide syrup and petromalt, i am very hesitant to give him anything else. the metoclopramide spasms his intestines, trying to get things moving, and the petromalt makes his intestines all slippery. he isnt really eating anything, just a nibblewhen i hold up to his face here and there. so i plan on feeding him some canned pumpkin. i actually got him to eat one or two pieces of oatmeal a couple mintutes ago. every time i give him his meds, i also syrynge approx. 2 cc. of water into him. i have a question though. i have been letting him excercize in his playpen a bunch, trying to get him moving. well, when he is in there, at first he seems interested and trots around for a little while, but then he just wants to lay down. should i let him lay down, or should i keep him moving, or should i alter between letting him lay, and running around? oh, by the way, he only has been doing this for the past couple of days while he has been sick.

thanks in advance~kim

Most experts tend to discourage the use of any petroleum based products such as Petromalt. It is believed that the petroleum based products actually bind to the blockages making the problem worse. They also don't make the intestines "slippery". Plenty of mucous is being formed inside the intestines, so you'll find that any blockages are covered with mucous and already "slippery" enough.

Viruses are often the cause for slowing down the intestines, leading to stasis, or in worst cases, blockages. However, there are many illnesses that can lead to stasis.

Vitamin E (which is also in Nutri Cal) can be very helpful in supportive treatment of stasis. Vitamin B12 shots (also in Nutri Cal) are commonly used, as well as pain management.

I haven't found Reglan (metoclopramide) to be any more effective than any other treatments -- but in most cases, it doesn't seem to hurt anything.



Pam

 

[Pipp]

You need to balance the exercise with some rest... Gentle tummy massages andsomevibrations will help ifhe's having gas pain (which is usually evident when he's pressing his tummy down and/or can't seem toget comfortable).

Did you try the Simethicone? That should havetaken away the gas.

The Petromalt can coat the mass and cause it not to hydrate, and it's pretty well accepted that hydrating the mass,providing fiber and getting it to move through the system are the keys.

Is he eating the pumpkin? Especially if he's not eating, the Nutri-Cal is areally a good call (Pam Nock is a MAJOR bunny expert, I regularly pass her info on to my vets), it may not have the fiber, but in addition to the above helpful ingredients,it gives him the nourishment and strength, and it's a lot easier toget it into him stress-free than having to syringe feed him. If you squish a ribbon of it into his paw, he'll lick it off. It's made for cats and dogs, but bunny-savvy vets and other rabbit pros swear by it for rabbits.

Is he pooping yet?

And how old are your other two Hotots?

sas

 

[BenNme]

hi everyone, sorry it has taken me so long ot post back. i have been extremely busy, my horse just colliced yesterday, so i have been over there every four hours feeding him & making sure he is ok. anyways, today i took ben to the vet, and we got everything all worked out. i will keep you guys updated on his progress.

 

[Pipp]

Poor Kim! This isn't a good month for you or your little or big friends.

Hope everything works out well for both Ben and your horse. (Rabbits and horses actually have similar systems).

Please do let us know how it worked out with Ben. It's a learning experience for RO readers.

Good luck! :clover:



sas :expressionlessand the gang of fur :brownbunny:bunny5:bunny2:bunny19:brown-bunny

 

[naturestee]

I hope your horse is okay. And please, keep us updated on Ben!

 

[BenNme]

hi,

ben is doing good. i have been syrynging him baby food (which he LOVES by the way, his favorite is tender sweet peas):bunnydance:. the vet that i went to was a total moron. he was trying to convince me that ben had a tumor and that was the problem. (he wasnt my normal vet) but, anyways, he got a shot of metoclopramide, an injection of fluids, and another injection of pain medicine, and that combination seemed to have done the trick. even thoughlast nightben was eating quite a bit, today he hasnt been eating quite as much as i would have liked, so i gave him some baby food. i am also syrynging water into him. the vet said that ben was very dehydrated. also, ben has been pooping like there is no tomorrow, so that is extremely good! so,,, so far so good, i just hope he keeps on improving! oh, by the way, steevie (my horse) is doing good too. the poor boy is starving because for today and yesterday he was onlyallowed to eat1/4 flake of hay every 4 hours, when he is used to getting 5 flakes a day! vets orders. tommorow he gets put back onto his regular diet though. thanks again for all the help everyone!

 

[naturestee]

That's great news!