Surgery for furball 7 yr old rabbit

heatherrr828 · Jul 25, 2023

Hello,

I am new here and hoping that someone may have good news for me, or at least an experience to share.
I have two indoor free roam rabbits.
One is female and she will be 7 years old in October, I have had her since she was a 5 month old bunny. We are very close.
About 2 years ago I rescued a male lion head rabbit from a shelter to bond with Sundae.
Since then Kepler and Sundae have been best buns together!
Which leads me to this event...
Sundae has a giant furball in her belly from grooming Kepler for 2 years.
She can barely poop and get stomach makes loud grumbling noise like a humans for days now. She is still eating some hay and drinking, and I have been supplementing critical care to ensure she gets enough food.
Our vet said prescribed pain meds and 10 ml pineapple juice, as well as continue critical care. She said surgery on an older rabbit is riskier. Which I know and understand. I also fear the pineapple juice may be more harmful than good. I don't see how it could possibly break down that hair enough to pass. Does anyone else here have experience with their older bun getting surgery? Or anything similar to this that has happened to your bun? I'm so sad and scared for her. I appreciate your input

Preitler · Jul 26, 2023

In my opinion about pineapple juice, it's benefits are more theoretical than anything, (like appleseeds being toxic - you would need to stuff the rabbit with about its body weight of seeds to get any effect), and although the sugar in 10ml doesn't help most likely isn't going to cause much problems, imho it also will do nothing. Hair is incredible resistant stuff.

I don't really can imagine that fur can accumulate over a long time, how was that diagnosed? Imho it's more the recent intake that can make problems. So first step is brushing and plucking all lose fur from both rabbits. Daily. No matter if they like it, but always give a treat afterwards.

My vet treats blockage or loss of appetite due to ingested fur with parafine oil, this is somewhat disputed though because of the possible risk of inhaling some of it and causing lung problems - for me it worked. Surgery was never mentioned.
I also give Simethicone (Baby gas relieve drops) to get rid of the gas (at least 20mg per serving 2-3 times a day), that can't hurt, along with tummy massages (about 10 minitus every other hour) and making them move.
And making them eat, either syringe feeding or giving them their favorite foods (Leafs from apple trees, hogweed, dandelion, wilted or dried nettles and so on). What I also did was pressing hay or grass against their mouth, until they bite at it out of anger and fury, more than once they kept nippling once it was in their mouth.

heatherrr828 · Jul 26, 2023

Preitler said:
In my opinion about pineapple juice, it's benefits are more theoretical than anything, (like appleseeds being toxic - you would need to stuff the rabbit with about its body weight of seeds to get any effect), and although the sugar in 10ml doesn't help most likely isn't going to cause much problems, imho it also will do nothing. Hair is incredible resistant stuff.

I don't really can imagine that fur can accumulate over a long time, how was that diagnosed? Imho it's more the recent intake that can make problems. So first step is brushing and plucking all lose fur from both rabbits. Daily. No matter if they like it, but always give a treat afterwards.

My vet treats blockage or loss of appetite due to ingested fur with parafine oil, this is somewhat disputed though because of the possible risk of inhaling some of it and causing lung problems - for me it worked. Surgery was never mentioned.
I also give Simethicone (Baby gas relieve drops) to get rid of the gas (at least 20mg per serving 2-3 times a day), that can't hurt, along with tummy massages (about 10 minitus every other hour) and making them move.
And making them eat, either syringe feeding or giving them their favorite foods (Leafs from apple trees, hogweed, dandelion, wilted or dried nettles and so on). What I also did was pressing hay or grass against their mouth, until they bite at it out of anger and fury, more than once they kept nippling once it was in their mouth.

Hello,
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I took her to the vet on Monday & an x-ray was done showing a large amount of something in her stomach, and vet said most likely fur.
I do groom both buns daily, though no amount of grooming can combat all the shedding of our double mane lion head.
I plan to use clippers on him but not anywhere close to down to his skin.

My bun just got out of surgery and vet confirmed her stomach was full of hair.
I get to pick her up at 4 pm & begin extra care with her for the next couple weeks.