Rabbit Gas/GI Stasis??

[usarocks95135]

My rabbit has eaten and pooped and his poop is fine, but he keeps lying down and looks like he's in pain. I can hear his stomach sometimes with a stethoscope so I don't think it's an obstruction? His stomach is also a little swollen

 

[squidpop]

Tell us what you feed your rabbit on a daily bases?

I would push fluids, offer water in a bowl with some fresh pineapple juice or apple juice to encourage drinking, to make sure your rabbit is fully hydrated. Rabbits digestive systems slow down if they become dehydrated for any reason.

If you think it is gas, you can get infant wind drops, infocol, simethicone from pharmacy or grocery store.
The dose for simethicone is in this article which also has lots of good advice so you should probably read the whole thing.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html


B. Simethicone

(liquid, pediatric suspension or tablets) is essential for the relief of gas pain which usually accompanies ileus. For relief of acute gas pain, 1-2 cc (20mg/ml suspension) can be given as often as every hour for three doses, then 1 cc every three to eight hours. This substance has no known drug interactions, is not absorbed through the intestinal lining and acts only on a mechanical principle: it changes the surface tension of the frothy gas bubbles in the gut, joining them into larger, easier-to-pass bubbles. Simethicone is practically inert, and is safe to give, even as a precaution, as long as it is not given long term. (Note: liquid suspensions of simethicone are relatively expensive. Less expensive versions, such as 125mg gel capsules are equally effective. A bunny can safely receive the contents of half a capsule at the rate described above.) A flatulent bunny is a happy bunny!

 

[usarocks95135]

Sorry so he usually eats a handful of pellets once in the morning and once at night, and unlimited timothy hay. He also gets about a cup of veggies every night. I'm not completely sure when he stopped eating, but the last time he pooped was around 7 hours ago and now he keeps going to different places and just trying to get comfortable. His stomach is swollen feeling and he sits strangely, like with his hips jutting out.
I syringe fed him the baby gas medicine and tried to massage his tummy but it does not seem to be helping. I also force fed him just a tiny bit of water and literally just one pellet. He doesn't like eating or drinking now, and he won't even eat alfalfa hay or anything now. He usually loves eating so it's really worrying me. Also I'm not sure when I can bring him to the vet because it's 3am right now and everything's closed and I have to teach kids in church tomorrow. I'm really worried that it might be bloat because in that case, there isn't much to do

 

[Azerane]

It sounds like you need to get him to a vet ASAP. If it's gas giving simethicone could really help until you get to a vet. But if he hasn't pooped in 7 hours, and it's going to be at least another 7 (from what I can tell) because you get him to a vet, that's far too late. Rabbits can decline very quickly. Are there any 24 hour vet clinics in your area. They will likely need to give a pain killer and a gut motility med depending on the problem and sub-q fluids since he hasn't been drinking. I also suggest carefully syringing water into the side of his mouth to keep him hydrated as that will help. If you can't get simethicone, gentle tummy rubs and encouraging movement can help. But he really does need to see a vet ASAP. If it were me with a vet emergency work/church/other commitments don't matter when a life is at stake.

Sending lots of healing vibes. Please let us know how he is. I'm really not sure how long I'm posting after your post.

 

[Aki]

Vet immediately, it can go downhill very quickly if you leave that kind of problem untreated. You need an x-ray to check if there is a blockage. The fact that the stomach is swollen doesn't mean that there is one : rabbit's stomaches fill up really fast when they stop pooping. If it is the case, the vet will give you something to help it pass if possible or it might need surgery (which is risky, that's true). If not, you'll need Metacam and something to stimulate the bowel's movement as well as critical care or a fiber supplement anyway. You also need to check that there is nothing else wrong : stasis is a symptom, not an illness in itself - if it can be caused by stress, it can also come from pain, a problem related to teeth...
Regarding what you are usually feeding him, that sounds like a lot of pellets to me - pellets in the morning and vegetables at night is enough (normally it should be around 2% of your rabbit's weight in pellets and 8% of your rabbits weight in vegetables + unlimited hay).