Toby won't eat!

[kherrmann3]

OK, here's the story. Will left a bag of pretzels out (the hard, tiny twist kind). Toby got into the bag and chewed up a bunch of them. Will doesn't know how many he ate, but he chewed up 1-4 of them. They were all over the bed.

Now, it is 9:00pm, and he won't eat anything. He won't eat craisins, lettuce, pellets, hay, nothing. I am really worried. He was hiding under the table on Will's side of the bed, and now he is hiding in the box in their cage. He won't come out for pets or anything.

Would pretzels make him sick? I am not sure how much (if any) he ate, but he is not acting himself.

What should I do?! :nerves1

 

[Pipp]

:shame Bad bunny!!

This could have set up a gut imbalance. What's his output like? When Pipp ate too many carbs, she got cecal dysbiosis -- liquid cecals -- and it was a challenge getting her straightened out again.

I suggest having a lot of pedialyte, pumpkin and simethicone on hand.


sas :clover:

 

[naturestee]

Yup, sounds like a gut imbalance. I'd give simethicone (gas meds) and Benebac (found in many pet stores) right away, see if that helps. Fluids are a good idea too as all those carbs might cause some diarrhea.

Gentle belly rubs can help, and he might like something warm to lie with such as a rice sock or Snuggle Safe.

:hug:

 

[kherrmann3]

He didn't poo much since we got home this afternoon. I got home around 3:00pm, and he had pooped EVERYWHERE. Little normal poos. I didn't think much of it, because he's stolen pretzel from us before (much smaller amounts) and nothing happened. We went to the movies tonight, and came home around 7:30-8:00pm. There was only two little piles of normal, not dried out poops.

His tummy felt a little harder than it did last time I gave him tummy massages, but he has also lost weight since then. I gave him some tummy rubs. I did get a few bunny kisses in return.

Right now, he is sprawled out on the floor near the litter box. He's not flopped, but his back legs are kicked out behind him. He looks comfy, but he's not eating the fresh romaine that is set in front of him. That's so not like him! He's usually such a piggy at salad time!

:cry1: I am a nervous wreck right now.

 

[kherrmann3]

I don't have simethicone or anything. I don't even know where to get simethicone. Being that it's 9:00pm, there are no pet stores open. He was just cleaning himself, not hunched up or hiding anymore, just still not eating. I would syringe some water into his mouth, but he hates that and I don't want to stress him out unless I have to. Do you think that is a good or bad idea? (to give liquids through a feeding syringe?)

 

[Pipp]

naturestee wrote:

Yup, sounds like a gut imbalance. I'd give simethicone (gas meds) and Benebac (found in many pet stores) right away, see if that helps. Fluids are a good idea too as all those carbs might cause some diarrhea.

Gentle belly rubs can help, and he might like something warm to lie with such as a rice sock or Snuggle Safe.

:hug:

:yeahthat:

And if you can get him moving around in a stress-free manner, exercise is also good.

Hopefully it will move through quickly.

PS: I was thinking the pedialyte maybe especially necessary because of the salt intake, but I'd like to hear Naturestee's comment on that, first, though.


sas ray:

 

[kherrmann3]

He is free-run, so he can run around the bedroom all he wants. I don't know how to encourage him to run around (he normally will follow me into the closet, only to get chased out, same with the hallway) but he won't do either of those. He's semi-loafed now... Not grinding teeth or anything.

 

[naturestee]

You can get simethicone from any Walgreens, Walmart, etc. It's in the baby section labeled as baby gas meds. Pick up a small bottle of Pedialyte while you're at it. You can also ask for small oral syringes at the pharmacy counter or there might be some by the baby meds.

I wouldn't consider Pedialyte necessary yet, although if it's on hand then I'd use that before water. It's supposed to absorb faster so it might be more helpful in that way. Since there's no diarrhea (... yet) there's no loss of fluids/electrolytes.

Edit: Pipp, you mean Pedialyte for the salt intake from the pretzels? If the pretzel salt is a concern then fresh water would be a better choice. Pedialyte= electrolytes= fancy words for salts in water.

 

[Pipp]

kherrmann3 wrote:

I don't have simethicone or anything. I don't even know where to get simethicone. Being that it's 9:00pm, there are no pet stores open. He was just cleaning himself, not hunched up or hiding anymore, just still not eating. I would syringe some water into his mouth, but he hates that and I don't want to stress him out unless I have to. Do you think that is a good or bad idea? (to give liquids through a feeding syringe?)

I imagine he's quite full!

Simethicone is the ingredient in just about all gas meds, including Gas-X, Mylanta, etc. As long as its the main ingredient listed, it should be okay. It's a pretty safe drug.

You can also plop him on a dryer or something else that vibrates. That will help break up any gas bubbles.

He sounds like he'll be okay, but you will have to keep a very close eye on his output.

Best thing food-wise when he does want to eat again is to limit him to just hay and water for a day or so.



sas :bunnydance:

 

[kherrmann3]

Do you think it would be beneficial to get those tonight? I would have to send Will out to Walmart. Would Pick'N'Save have simethicone? I would think they have Pedialyte. Which kind of Pedialyte do I get? Are there different kinds? I've never had this problem before...

 

[naturestee]

I've bought both at Pick 'N Save before. Baby aisle. I'd get the unflavored Pedialyte if possible, since he's already had a ton of carbs. Normally I get the apple flavored stuff because they like it, but it does have a tiny bit of sugar in it and Toby doesn't need that right now.

And I would get those tonight. Simethicone is a godsend.

 

[Pipp]

naturestee wrote:

You can get simethicone from any Walgreens, Walmart, etc. It's in the baby section labeled as baby gas meds. Pick up a small bottle of Pedialyte while you're at it. You can also ask for small oral syringes at the pharmacy counter or there might be some by the baby meds.

I wouldn't consider Pedialyte necessary yet, although if it's on hand then I'd use that before water. It's supposed to absorb faster so it might be more helpful in that way. Since there's no diarrhea (... yet) there's no loss of fluids/electrolytes.

Edit: Pipp, you mean Pedialyte for the salt intake from the pretzels? If the pretzel salt is a concern then fresh water would be a better choice. Pedialyte= electrolytes= fancy words for salts in water.

Ah, thanks. I always thought salt dehydrates and its always been confusing to me that electolyte replacements contain salt.

And for the record, I'm having far better luck with adult simethicone. The bunnies like it a lot better, it's more often on hand, it works better and its cheaper.

My:twocents


sas :bunnydance:

 

[kherrmann3]

Is it just called simethicone?

 

[naturestee]

How do you convince a rabbit to eat an adult gas tablet?:?

Pedialyte (and Gatorade, etc.) have salts to replace those lost through sweat or diarrhea. They're also supposed to be absorbed into the body faster because the salt content is more similar to that of our body cells. The body needs some salt. Too much or too little can both cause problems. Also, salts in Pedialyte aren't necessarily table salt (sodium chloride) but other salts that our body uses too.

 

[naturestee]

kherrmann3 wrote:

Is it just called simethicone?

That's the main ingredient. There are a ton of different brand names. Just go with whatever treats gas and has simethicone listed as the active ingredient.

 

[kherrmann3]

kherrmann3 wrote:

Is it just called simethicone?

I am confused with this stuff. Is it a liquid? Are there brand names that I should be looking for? Once I get it back here, how much do I give him? He's just shy of four pounds...

 

[naturestee]

The baby version is a liquid and usually comes with an eye dropper to give it with. Toby can get 1 mL every few hours.

 

[kherrmann3]

Thank you so much, guys. I was all panicked and hoping that someone was online to help. I should have known better. People are always on here and helping!

I just sent Will out to the store (well, he offered, because he left the pretzels out). I am going to go to bed, and he is waking me when he gets home so I can give Toby the simethicone then and again in the AM when I get up.

I should just go with the simethicone tonight?

 

[Pipp]

Sorry if you missed this post earlier...

Pipp wrote:

Simethicone is the ingredient in just about all gas meds, including Gas-X, Mylanta, etc. As long as its the main ingredient listed, it should be okay. It's a pretty safe drug

Naturestee, mine will more readily take the tablets (especially the berry flavored ones) then the mint flavored baby meds I can get here.

My guys will get a 1/4 tablet of a 60 mg suspension pill, I stick it in the corner of their mouths and they'll usually chew it.

If not, I crush it, mix it with water and syringe it into them. They struggle less with that that with the baby drops.

ETA: The usually simethicone dose is 1 ml/cc (or more) every hour for three hours (or four if really needed), and then no more for I think six or eight hours.


sas

 

[naturestee]

LOL, here the tablets are mint and the baby stuff is apple/banana flavored. Still, nobody took it willingly exceptDora.