3943. A Yangon rabbit has a bloated abdomen

 

Rabbit bloat is life threatening as it will kill your rabbit if you do not seek veterinary attention promptly. 

The main options for treatment once at the vet include emergency surgery to relieve the obstruction or high levels of fluid therapy and pain relief (as well as other supportive treatments).

Spasmogesic, enema, big dog's urinary catheter to release the gas

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BLOAT AND GASTROINTESTINAL BLOCKAGE IN RABBITS

1. What causes bloat and obstruction?
2. Why is bloat a serious condition?
3. What does bloat look like in a rabbit?
4. How does your vet treat bloat?
5. Follow up care

6. Prevention

BLOAT AND GASTROINTESTINAL BLOCKAGE IN RABBITS

1. What causes bloat and obstruction?

Bloat is the distension of the stomach and intestines with gas and fluid. A very serious health problem of rabbits.

Causes
1. In many cases, a mat of fur ball. Long-haired rabbits or those housed with long-haired rabbits have a higher risk of getting this problem.

2. Inadequate dietary fibre.

3. Sudden change of diet.

4. Ingestion of foreign material like carpet, cloth fibers, rubber or plastic which block the gut.   

2. Why is bloat a serious condition?

The rabbit cannot vomit or belch. So the stomach cannot empty. It fills with saliva and stomach secretions, dilating the stomach till it prevents blood flow to vital organs like the kidneys. 

Gastrointestinal obstruction is the most common cause of sudden unexpected death in healthy rabbits. Death occur rapidly without treatment.

Unless the condition is caught early, the prognosis is guarded, even with medical care.

   

3. What does bloat look like in a rabbit?
Suddenly stop eating and defaecating. Very tired or lethargic. 
Progressing to hunched posture, tooth grinding, weaker, not moving, lying down often in a stretched out position.   

4. How does your vet treat bloat?

Laboratory tests
Abdominal X-rays or multiple X-rays to see if the obstruction is moving
Aggressive supportive care including powerful pain medication and fluid therapy to get the obstruction to pass.

Most rabbits require exploratory surgery. 

5. Follow up care

Post surgery - need to monitor the rabbit very closely to make sure the gut begins to move. Stethoscope to listen to the rabbit's intestinal tract for movement sounds, palpate the belly gently. Observe appetite and faecal output. Recovery after 3 days appear to have a good prognosis for a complete recovery.

6. Prevention

A diet with appropriate fiber levels, maximise hay and minimise pellets to move the fur balls.

Regular grooming and hair clipping of long-haired rabbits. 

 

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Rabbits have a complex gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly when compared to other species like dogs and cats. A rabbit’s GI system has been designed so that they are able to get the maximum amount of nutrients they can out of any of the foods they eat. They even re-eat some of their faeces (a process known as caecotrophy) to allow them to re-process nutrients that weren’t absorbed the first time through! 

Unfortunately, due to the complexity of their GI system they are prone to developing problems. Many of these are easily treatable however some are life-threatening. 

Today’s article looks at one of the most serious conditions that rabbits suffer from – gastrointestinal bloat. What is it? 

Gastrointestinal bloat generally occurs when there is a blockage in the GI tract, most commonly in the early intestine. Rabbits are unable to vomit or eructate (burp) effectively meaning that the only way that food (and other items ingested) can leave the stomach is through the intestines. 

When food is broken down in the stomach both gas and different types of liquid are produced, leading to more stomach contents than just the food that was first ingested. 

When an intestinal blockage occurs, this process keeps continuing leading to the stomach becoming enlarged or bloated. 

If a blockage occurs in the intestines there is now nowhere for the stomach contents to go, which leads to the stomach becoming enlarged or bloated. 

In some cases the stomach can become so enlarged that your rabbit’s whole abdomen looks and feels like there is a large balloon inside of it. 

As the stomach enlarges it compresses a number of blood vessels which lead to your rabbits blood supply network being disrupted which can become life threatening very quickly. The stomach also can get so large that it ruptures. 

What is it caused by? In most cases the blockage is caused by a combination of hair and food that has been ingested by your rabbit. 

This hair/food combination forms together to form a small ball that is called a trichobezoar. 

Other foreign items can also be ingested by your rabbit and cause blockages; in one of the cases we have seen a small pebble was to blame for the obstruction. Carpet fibres, plastic can cause this obstruction. 

What are the signs to watch out for? Rabbits that have a complete gastrointestinal blockage will generally go from being perfectly normal to very sick and not wanting to move within a few hours. 

They generally won’t want to eat anything, will not be moving much (often sitting in a hunched position) and their abdomen will feel bloated and painful. 

If your rabbit is showing any of these signs getting them to your nearest rabbit vet as quickly as possible is very important. How is it diagnosed? In many cases your vet will be able to have a fair idea that your rabbit may be bloated from examining them and palpating their abdomen.

In most cases radiographs (x-rays) will be taken to assess the severity and treatment options. Taking a blood glucose measurement (which involves taking a small amount of blood from your rabbit) can also often help to confirm the blockage.

Is it treatable? This condition is life threatening and in many cases it will kill your rabbit if you do not seek veterinary attention promptly. 

The main options for treatment once at the vet include emergency surgery to relieve the obstruction or high levels of fluid therapy and pain relief (as well as other supportive treatments). How do I prevent it from occurring? 

This condition is difficult to prevent completely. However ensure that your rabbit has a good diet with at least 70% hay and less pellets and that they are regularly brushed or shaved (to minimize hair ingestion) does help to minimize their risk. 

long-haired rabbits to be brushed daily
rabbits staying with long haired rabbits to clean the environment of hairs.  

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Sheep bloat

It’s important to know that sheep can bloat on hay too, especially risky is a sudden change to hay that is heavy with alfalfa and/or clover. In making any changes to sheeps’ diets, always make the changes slowly and gradually.

 

The only thing different about the bloated ewe’s environment that day was that it was early May; she was not on pasture and her hay had not changed. The temperatures had been in the 40s with rain. That day the temperature had suddenly soared to the 80s and the sun came out. I believe it was the stress of the sudden heat wave that put her rumen into distress.

 

 genetic proponent to bloat.

 

n readily fermentable carbohydrates as is found in grain concentrates. Occasionally, it can happen when animals are changed to lush pasture after being on over-grazed pastures.” (Lawson, pg 121)

 

Treating Sheep Bloat

Treatment of bloating sheep consists of measures that will stop the formation of additional gas and will assist in the removal of the gases already present.

I keep on hand bottles of “Bloat Gard” that I purchase commercially. This is one that I like the best because it’s ready to use and all I have to do is catch the suffering sheep and get them to swallow the bloat remedy-giving them the entire bottle.

There is also another product that requires pre-mixing before administering. And there are also many different home remedies for treating bloat. Be sure to consult your sheep books or your veterinarian. They will recommend other methods that may include forcing a hose down the gullet and in extreme emergency situations, a hole can be made in the rumen to let gases escape.

Mike Neary, Extension Sheep Specialist at Purdue University published an article that is on the internet at http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/articles/pasbloat.html. He recommends the following:

“Treat bloated sheep with care. The build-up of pressure in the rumen can actually cause a partial collapse of the lungs. Furthermore, blood from the body is forced out of the body cavity to the extremities and can cause a form of acidosis. Thus, stressing these animals complicates the situation.

“If animals can be caught, use a stomach tube to help release free ruminal gas. Also, mild agitation of ruminal contents can aid in the release of the trapped gas bubbles. Mineral or vegetable oils can be used as antifoaming agents and help release gas. Treatment with commercially available anti-bloating agents can also be done at this time.

“Some people will actually use a rumenotomy (puncturing the rumen-located high on the left side of the lumbar region in severe bloat cases) in severe, life-threatening situations. This procedure is not for the weak stomached, as the pressure will result in the expulsion of a significant amount of the rumen contents. Also, the area will need to be cleaned and sutured after the rumenotomy is performed.”

I would never wish any shepherd to experience the death of a beloved (or not so beloved) sheep from bloat. I hope that you never have to see what bloat looks like. But do try to recognize the symptoms of healthy ruminating sheep so that you are able to also recognize signs of ruminant distress. And keep on hand some remedies so if an emergency should arrive, you can quickly react and hopefully save an animal.

 

 VIDEO OF RABBIT WITH GASTROINTESTINAL BLOAT 

20 Dec 2020. SUDDEN DIETARY CHANGE can cause bloat in rabbits

. A Yangon rabbit has gastrointestinal bloat---Dietary change. One week ago, somebody recommended a better brand of rabbit food. The owner switched to the new brand immediately. 

Her 30-month-old male rabbit's abdomen swelled up like a balloon. He was hunched in pain, lethargic and had a high fever (40.1 degrees C). X-rays showed the intestines filled with gas and some bubbly fluid in the large intestines. 

Diagnosis is gastrointestinal bloat due to a sudden change of diet. This is a life-threatening condition. Dr Thein Tun Aung of the Royal Asia Veterinary Surgery, Yangon discussed this life-threatening case with me.

 I advised a small dosage of Spasmogesic (0.1 ml in 1 ml of normal saline), to alleviate the gastrointestinal cramping. Give subcutaneious fluid therapy and antibioitcs. An enema (of soap and water or other types) via a catheter. To aspirate the contents from the rectum via the catheter or forceps to reduce the faecal and hair impaction in the rectal area.

Video link of rabbit after 30 minutes after SC Spasmogesic injection. https://youtu.be/2a3tEunh0Qw The video shows the rabbit with less bloat and pain after one Spasmogesic injection. It had more energy and wanted to hop off the table. 21 Dec 2020.

Update 48 hours after the Spasmogesic injection. The rabbit was active. Passed out watery stools with no occult blood.

The owner who surfed the internet, found Royal Asia Veterinary Surgery for a second opinion as her rabbit had a much distended abdomen. Now she is very happy with the outcome.

Spasmogesic is effective in relieving stomach and intestinal cramps especially in race horses from my experience at the Singapore Turf Club. It relieves intestinal cramp and brings down the fever in horses within half an hour in impaction colic .

MORE INFORMATION and X-RAYS ARE AT: https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2020/12/3943-yangon-rabbit-has-bloated-abdomen.html

VIDEO LINK: Rabbit gastro intestinal bloat due to sudden change of diet Video link https://youtu.be/2a3tEunh0Qw

 

 

 

Rabbit gastro intestinal bloat due to sudden change of diet

Video link

https://youtu.be/2a3tEunh0Qw

 

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