Last night, I refused to come downstairs to eat my dinner. I wanted to continue hiding under mom’s bed. I also rejected my favorite treat (Oxbow’s Timothy Treats). That’s when mom knew I wasn’t feeling well.
It is a serious problem when bunnies stop eating and stop going to the bathroom. When this happens, it is very important that humans help us get our guts moving again. If the vet’s office is not open, there are steps that you can take to help your bunny.
As soon as Mom realized I wasn’t well, she picked me up and felt my tummy. It was bloated (like a helium filled balloon) and she could hear gas bubbles. She gave me a gentle massage as well as Oxbow’s Critical Care, 1cc of simethicone, and 0.35ml of metacam for pain relief (the dosage of metacam is based on bunny’s weight). A couple of hours later, I had not yet improved so I got another dose of Critical Care and simethicone. Mom continued to massage my tummy through the night.
My humans took turns staying up with me. At around 7am this morning, I started to show interest in food again. I ate a small portion of dill and carrot tops. I also ate a good amount of hay. I look more alert and I’m moving around my room on my own. I even gave mom some tooth purrs when she rubbed my head.
In cases of emergencies like this one, mom keeps Critical Care, simethicone, and metacam on hand. In the states, you can get Critical Care from your vet or you can even get it on Amazon. You can get simethicone from the drugstore (check Baby and Gas Relief/Indigestion sections). You will want the baby/infant version, which is 20 mg. Be sure it does not contain any sugar. A popular brand is Mylicon. Baby gas drops will come with the oral syringe. 1cc is the same as 1ml. Our metacam was prescribed by my vet and again, the dosage is based on bunny’s weight.
For tips on tummy massages, check out this video at around 3:08:
https://www.youtube.com/
For a more in-depth article about GI Stasis and what you can do to help bunny when a vet is not available, please check out this article by the House Rabbit Society:
http://rabbit.org/
