The digestive system of rabbits is delicate and susceptible to various disorders. Most often, farmers are faced with tympany - bloating of the abdomen, accompanied by intense pain. The first step when dealing with bloating in rabbits is to find out the cause, and treatment is carried out according to the diagnosis. You cannot delay contacting a veterinarian, who will prescribe the appropriate medications, otherwise the pet will die.
Causes of the disease
Rabbits eat constantly, and food is pushed through the intestines by swallowing and promoting new portions.If this process goes wrong, then stagnation and fermentation of food particles begin. The abdomen swells, gases pressing on the intestinal walls cause intense pain.
Tympany in rabbits occurs for many reasons:
- Insufficient fluid intake, which causes the stool to become compacted. The daily water requirement for an adult is 500 ml.
- Sudden change of diet. Most often, rabbits that are weaned from their mother are affected. In adult individuals, the problem arises during the spring and autumn change of food.
- Bacterial infection leading to intestinal dysfunction.
- Stress, which causes indigestion, is often observed in timid animals. Intestinal bloating can be caused by aggressive animals, transportation, or noise.
- Eating poor quality food. Bloating occurs when a rabbit eats frozen or moldy grass, wet hay, or fermenting food.
- Low animal mobility.
- Diseases leading to narrowing and even blockage of the intestinal lumen. This is inflammation and twisting of the intestines, tumors.
- Parasitic diseases. This is helminthiasis, coccidiosis.
- Penetration of a hairball or foreign object into the intestines.
- Intestinal dysbiosis after treating a pet with antibiotics.
Sometimes dental pathology becomes a provocateur of intestinal bloating in rabbits. When a pet cannot chew food normally, large food particles enter the intestinal tract and clog it.
Symptoms of bloating
The farmer has little time to identify the cause of the swelling and begin treatment. If the problem is ignored, rabbits die within a few hours. The fact is that the gases accumulated in the digestive tract put intense pressure on the diaphragm. The animal begins to have breathing problems and dies from lack of air.Common symptoms of bloat in rabbits:
- the pet is inactive, scared, lethargic, drowsy, detached;
- no appetite;
- stomach growls;
- unnaturally small feces come out;
- constipation lasts at least 12 hours;
- teeth grind;
- body temperature is reduced;
- rapid breathing;
- the eyeballs are bulging;
- the body is trembling;
- The rabbit constantly taps its front paws.
If the stomach is very swollen, the rabbit may fall to the floor in pain and lie as if dead.
How to cure a disease
A rabbit can be treated with medications and folk remedies, agreed upon with a veterinarian.
A sick pet is separated from its relatives, given plenty of water, and given freedom of movement. If possible, let them go for a walk.
Drug therapy
List of medications used for bloating in a rabbit:
- Activated carbon is the simplest and safest remedy. Take 2-3 black tablets, ground into powder, for a glass of warm water - this is the dose for one individual.
- Veterinary medicine "Timpanol". Intended for the treatment of bloating in animals, the active ingredients are natural and safe. For 1 kg of animal weight, 0.5 mg of the drug is prescribed; this amount is dissolved in a tablespoon of warm water. The solution is active for half an hour.
- Anti-flatulence drug "Espumizan". The dose for one individual is 25 drops per 1 kg of weight. The solution is given every 3 hours.
- Carminative drug "Simethicone". Give 1 ml every hour. After the symptoms have subsided, the pause between doses is increased to 3 hours.
- The antispasmodic drug “No-spa” helps if bloating is a consequence of stress. But if the stomach is swollen due to fermentation, then the medicine cannot be used.
If the cause of bloating is helminthiasis, then anthelmintic medications are used. The infection should be treated with antibiotics. Analgesics are used to relieve pain. All these drugs are prescribed by a veterinarian, who also sets the optimal dosage.
Folk remedies
The best method to improve your rabbit’s well-being is massage to push feces stuck in the intestines out. The abdomen is massaged with your fingers, slowly, smoothly, without sharp pressure, so as not to injure the internal organs. You can do a circular massage, and moving from the neck to the tail. The duration of the procedure is about 5 minutes. If during this time the pet’s condition has not improved, then other methods are used.
A good remedy for bloating is an alcohol-containing liquid (vodka, medical alcohol). The medicine should not be stronger than 30 °, so strong alcohol is diluted with boiled water to the desired degree. The dose for a young individual is a tablespoon, for an adult – 2 tablespoons. The medicine is poured into the animal's mouth with a syringe.
It is strictly forbidden to treat a rabbit by applying a hot heating pad to its belly. This will provoke increased intestinal fermentation. There is another effective folk remedy for bloating in rabbits: 200 mg of ichthyol tablets, 0.1 ml of lactic acid, 0.3 ml of valerian tincture, 6 ml of boiled water. The ingredients are mixed. The medicine is poured into the pet's mouth.
Enemas
An enema is used to help the rabbit remove feces. It is filled with warm boiled water, a couple of drops of sunflower oil are added.A syringe is filled with the solution, and the tip is lubricated with Vaseline for better insertion into the anus. The medicine is injected into the intestines of the baby rabbit. Then the animal is turned over on its back and the abdomen is massaged. After 1-2 minutes, stool should come out.
Special diet
For 3-5 days, a sick rabbit must eat a special therapeutic diet. You should not give your animal vegetables (cabbage is especially harmful), fruits, leafy greens and tops, and legumes.
Feed the recovering pet hay and oats. To replenish vitamins, it is allowed to give zucchini and pumpkin. Among the herbs that will benefit bloating are wormwood, dandelion, parsley, dill, and chamomile.
Preventing bloating in rabbits
To avoid having to treat bloating in rabbits, you must follow these recommendations:
- give washed and fresh food;
- put only dry grass in the feeder;
- do not feed cabbage, beet tops, legumes, or silage too often;
- observe the feeding regime;
- give clean water;
- do not allow the drinking bowl to be empty;
- gradually introduce new foods into the diet;
- throw away expired food;
- regularly clean the cage, remove accumulated hairballs and other debris;
- provide enough space for pets to move and exercise.
For preventive purposes, rabbits are periodically treated to chamomile, wormwood, dill, mint, thyme, and nettle. With proper feeding, hygiene and adequate conditions for physical activity, you can be sure that your rabbits will remain healthy and active.
