Our two-year-old Harlequin, Pronto, often appears bloated and we’ve been searching for a cause. We give him and his brother unlimited Oxbow Timothy Hay, about a quarter cup of the Oxbow garden organics adult pellets, and veggies (parsley, Romaine, Spinach, some carrot once a week, etc.). I also give both of them an Oxbow Digestive every day which does seem to help. When he gets bloated we will often treat him with 1 ml. of simethicone infant drops and this appears to head it off. I will not give him veggies for a day or two to see if he gets better. Typically his poos are fine (large, round, golden brown, soft) and he has a great appetite. But, about every four months he will show the beginning signs of GI stasis (not eating, drinking, sitting in his litter box) and we do a more intensive intervention–1 ml of drops for each hour for their first three hours, belly massages, critical care, and water syringe fed and sometimes placing him on a towel on a heating pad on medium. Last week we were at our wit’s end, did everything for four hours in the middle of the night and it was the heating pad that appeared to finally help. We’ve had to take him to the vet for emergency appointments. twice in the past two years–one time an hour and a half away at 1 am to a 24-hour vet school hospital because no interventions on our part were working. But with hydration and pain meds he perked right back up. What can we change diet-wise to prevent these issues? Pronto is a healthy, happy, active little guy normally, but his belly blows up like a sausage while his brother Marco is muscular and svelte and eating the same diet.
I would recommend a full work up to see if there is an underlying cause. Full body x-rays, bloodwork and fecal test. He could have an intestinal parasite called Coccidia. He could just be ingesting a lot of hair. Or he could have a scarred area in his gut or something else going on. You can try preventing episodes by giving daily Laxatone hairball remedy (maple or malt flavor). If that doesn’t work some rabbits do well on a chronic intestinal stimulant given every day as a preventative (Reglan). Or giving him an injection of fluids under the skin once a week may help.
I recommend the following emergency protocol to follow, that you can start at home at the first signs of a decrease in appetite:
- Check temperature using rectal thermometer. Normal temp in rabbits is 100-103*F. If the rabbit is below 100*F you need to warm the rabbit. Place the rabbit on a towel on a heating pad set on low, and lace another towel over them. Recheck the rectal temp every 10 minutes while on the heat pad. Rabbits can quickly become overheated. You can buy a thermometer at a pharmacy. Get a digital one with a long flexible tip. For lubrication use vaseline or KY jelly. You can purchase a heating pad at a pharmacy as well.
- Administer an injection of warm fluids under the skin.
- Administer a pain reliever like Meloxicam/Metacam.
- Do not syringe feed the rabbit if the temp is below 100*F, or if the belly feels enlarged or firm. If you do syringe feed, do not feed more than 10ml every 3 hrs.
- If the rabbit does not improve within 2-3 hours they need to see a vet right away.
You can ask your veterinarian to prescribe SQ fluids and teach you how to administer them at home. And they can also supply you with some pain meds to have on hand for when he has his next episode. Your veterinarian can teach you how to take your rabbit’s rectal temp. Or you can look for videos online.
Is it possible for a bun to get bloated just from excessive grooming or not drinking enough water?
Yes bunnies often get bloated from excessive hair ingestion. A small chunk of hair exits the stomach and enters the small intestine, getting stuck. This causes the stomach to fill up with gas and fluid. The rest of the rabbit’s body becomes dehydrated, and their blood pressure drops, as well as their body temperature. The most important treatments for bloat are hydration into the veins or under the skin, pain meds, and keeping their temp up in the normal range. In many cases fluids under the skin and oral pain meds may help if given at the first signs of illness. If the rabbit does not improve within a couple hours then it needs to be hospitalized on IV fluids with a rabbit experienced vet. If the rabbit’s stomach is very enlarged then the vet will have to sedate the rabbit and pass a tube down its throat into its stomach to empty out the gas and fluid. With IV fluid treatment the blockage will usually pass. If it doesn’t pass within several hours then the rabbit may need emergency surgery to remove the blockage.
Some rabbits don’t drink much water, because they are getting enough water when they eat their greens. If a rabbit was left without water or greens, they could become dehydrated and sick. Dehydration could lead to a bloat. But the most common thing is that the rabbit swallows too much hair and then they become dehydrated. The myth is that it’s a large hairball in the stomach. That is false. The hairballs that cause blockages and bloat are small and get stuck in the small intestine.
What signs can we look for to tell the difference between stasis and bloat?
It can be difficult to tell the difference between bloat and stasis unless you get x-rays done. Some vets are unable to identify a mild bloat on x-rays. But a major bloat is obvious on x-rays, and often obvious when the vet palpates the rabbit’s belly. Bloated rabbits almost always have a decreased temperature. GI stasis rabbits are more likely to have a normal temperature. In both bloat and stasis there is often no appetite, and no stool production. They may act painful, or may just be sitting quietly.
What causes bloat?
A small chunk of hair exits the stomach and enters the small intestine, getting stuck. This causes the stomach to fill up with gas and fluid. The rest of the rabbit’s body becomes dehydrated, and their blood pressure drops, as well as their body temperature.
Rabbits can also develop bloat if there is a constriction of the intestines. This can happen in recently spayed female rabbits. They can form adhesions from the surgery (fibrous bands of scar tissue that form between internal organs and tissues, joining them together abnormally).
How serious is bloat in rabbits?
Bloat in rabbits is life threatening. If your rabbit doesn’t eat its meal right away, and doesn’t take any treats, be very concerned. For a dog or cat you might wait a day or two to take them to the vet. For rabbits you should not wait more than a couple hours. Their lack of appetite may be just GI stasis, and they just need some SQ fluids, pain meds, intestinal meds, and syringe feeding. Or they could have a life-threatening bloat. Bloated rabbits go into shock and can die. Or their stomach can rupture. Getting rabbits treated right away is very important. The earlier the bloat is treated, the better the prognosis.
If your rabbit is not eating, it needs to see a rabbit experienced vet right away. A good rabbit vet will recommend an x-ray, all rabbits that stop eating should absolutely have x-rays done. Bloodwork is very important as well. This tells us how sick your rabbit is, and if there is something else going on, like a twisted liver lobe.
Treating a bloated rabbit can be expensive. I recommend being prepared by having pet insurance and a savings account. If your rabbit gets sick it could easily cost $500-5,000.
What are the early signs of bloat?
Rabbits can be fine, eat dinner as normal, then be lethargic, hunched and not eating treats 1-2 hours later. Often there are no early signs, it is very sudden in onset. You can try and prevent bloat by giving Laxatone hairball remedy every day when shedding and groom them daily when shedding.
Are certain breeds of rabbits more prone to bloat?
Bloat occurs in all breeds and sizes. Most common in healthy middle-aged rabbits (3-6 yrs). But can happen at any age. If a geriatric rabbit bloats, there is often an underlying cause, like kidney insufficiency.
Are rabbits with megacolon more prone to bloat?
Megacolon rabbits are prone to a different kind of bloat, involving the large intestine instead of the stomach. Sometimes they just get a lot of gas in their cecum. That is not truly a bloat, because it is not a blockage, and is instead just excessive gas buildup.
Many megacolon rabbits have irregular sized poop, that may be fused together or oval in shape, and may get quite large. Because Megacolon rabbits have motility issues and enlarged poops, these poops can get stuck in the colon. This then causes a large intestinal bloat. Hydration, pain meds, enemas and other meds can help but if the blockage is severe the rabbit may not survive. If the rabbit has a large intestinal obstruction and is not improving with medical treatment then they may need surgery. This type of surgery is very challenging.
What causes recurring bloat episodes in a rabbit?
Could be chronic hair ingestion, intestinal parasites, scar tissue, adhesions, kidney insufficiency, or other issue.
If I think my rabbit is bloated, is there anything I can do to treat at home in case I can’t get to a vet right away?
I recommend the following protocol to follow, that you can start at home at the first signs of a decrease in appetite:
- Check temperature using rectal thermometer. Normal temp in rabbits is 100-103*F. If the rabbit is below 100*F you need to warm the rabbit. Place the rabbit on a towel on a heating pad set on low. Recheck the rectal temp every 10 minutes while on the heat pad. Rabbits can quickly become overheated. You can buy a thermometer at a pharmacy. Get a digital one with a long flexible tip. For lubrication use vaseline or KY jelly. You can also purchase a heating pad at a pharmacy as well.
- Administer a dose of warm fluids under the skin.
- Administer a pain reliever like Meloxicam.
- Do not syringe feed the rabbit if the temp is below 100*F, or if the belly feels enlarged or firm. If you do syringe feed, do not feed more than 10ml every 3 hrs.
- If the rabbit does not improve within 3 hours they need to see a vet right away.
You can ask your veterinarian to prescribe SQ fluids and teach you how to administer them at home. And they can also supply you with some pain meds to have on hand.
How soon after noticing symptoms of bloat should I get my rabbit to a vet?
Within 2 hours.
How is bloat treated at the vet? Will my rabbit need to be hospitalized?
A good rabbit vet will perform x-rays and bloodwork right away. After bloat is diagnosed the rabbit should be hospitalized and started right away on IV fluids, injectable pain meds and heat support. They may need a tube briefly placed down their throat to relieve the excessive gas and fluid in the stomach. The rabbit should be monitored closely and have repeat x-rays performed every couple hours to see if the GI tract starts moving. Once the GI tract is moving and the small hairball passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, the rabbit is usually out of the woods. If the GI tract doesn’t start moving within 4-6 hrs, or the rabbit gets worse then they need surgery to remove the obstruction. The longer you wait, the worse the rabbit will get.
How well do rabbits typically recover from bloat? What kind of home care should I be prepared to give once my rabbit comes home from the vet after a bloat episode?
Rabbits usually recover pretty well, if the bloat is treated quickly and properly. Often they will need to continue pain meds, intestinal stimulants, extra hydration, and syringe feeding for 2-5 days afterwards.
What kind of food should I avoid feeding my rabbit so he/she does not become bloated?
Avoid carbohydrates, large amount of fruits or sugary foods. Keep the pellets and greens limited so the rabbit eats a lot of hay. Rabbits are always grooming and are always ingesting hair. Hay will help keep the intestines moving properly and keep the hair moving through. Exercise also helps the gut move properly.
Other than a correct diet, what else can I do to minimize the possibility of my rabbit becoming bloated?
You can try and prevent bloat by giving Laxatone hairball remedy every day when shedding and groom them daily when your rabbit is shedding.