# Need to give simethicone- How does ml compare to cc?



## cmh9023 (Apr 20, 2007)

I need to give Buster simethicone because from everything I've been reading he has gas. I bought the Walgreens brand of Infant Gas Relief Drops. The active ingredients says " Simethicone20 mg (in each .3 ml)". In the health section I'm seeing dosages in cc's not ml's. How much should I give a 2.5 lb rabbit? The syring has the option of .3 ml or .6 ml.

Thanks!


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## TinysMom (Apr 20, 2007)

cc = ml


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## Pipp (Apr 20, 2007)

He can get .6 cc's every hour or so for up to three (or four) doses in an eight hour period. It's pretty safe stuff. Hope he's feeling better soon! :hug2:



sas


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## cmh9023 (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks. I'm kinda worried. This came on pretty quickly. He's not eating his pellets, hay, greens or even his pumpkin.He wouldn't drink the simethicone on his own and he won't take it mixed with pumpkin. So, I syringed it into his mouth. I hope I got enough in.He hates being handled/held...we're still working on that...so he struggles like crazy. I think he swallowed it though. 

There were was a regular amount of poops, normal looking,in his box when I got home from work, but I haven't seen any since. He keeps laying all the way flat down which he almost never does and then gets up and goes back down again like he's uncomfortable. I have been giving him stomach massages but he clearly was tired of it and when off to lay down behind my couch so I think I'll leave him be for a while.Is there anything else I should be doing? We do have an emergency vet.At what point should I take him? Otherwise I will take him to the vet as soon as possible tomorrow. Thankfully I don't have to work.

Cara


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## Pipp (Apr 20, 2007)

Sounds like gas. I use an electric toothbrush to do tummy massages on my gassy bun, Dill. You can also put him on the dryer to get those vibrations. 

Keep him moving if you can, exercise is good, so is keeping him warm. And constant tummy massages, lifting his back end up a little and rolling him side-to-side. (You're basically hoping he'll bless you with a bunny fart -- a flatulent bunny is a happy bunny). 

Dill always looks like he's going t croak any second, and then he's suddenly eating and binkying around again after a few hours of (rather intense) treatment. 

Worse case scenario, he may need liquids and pain killers, but if he's not experiencing diarrhea or stasis symptoms, it is just gas and not bloat, the massages and Simethicone should take care of it.

A lot of bunnies will stop eating or even go into shock because of thepain, but the Simethicone and massages shouldprevent that.

Let us knowhow it's going! 



sas ray:


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## cmh9023 (Apr 20, 2007)

I read about the signs of bloat and it doesn't seem like that. What symptoms are different between gas and stasis? His fur is like fuzzy lop fur and I comb him as best I can but, as I said,he totally struggles when he's held so I don't do the greatest job I'm afraid. He gets fur in his poop so I've been given him pumpkin every night which has helped somewhat. But tonight he won't eat it. The furstring poop makes me worry about stasis? Poor little guy...its awful seeing him so uncomfortable. He seems to just want to lay around should I make him get moving or let him rest?


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## Pipp (Apr 20, 2007)

PS: Don't worry about getting him to eat, just work on getting a lot of Simethicone into him and doing what you can to break up the gas bubble. If it goes on awhile, maybe some Pedialyte. 

A trip to the vet usually works, not because of anything the vet does,but because the car ride helps! Hopefully you won't need to take him at all. 

Sending good vibrations Buster's way! 



sas :bunnydance:


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## Pipp (Apr 20, 2007)

Bunnies with GI Stasis will get gas, and bunnies with gas can stop eating leading to GI Stasis. If he's had good poops today, stasiswon't be an issue forawhile -- tomorrow at the earliest.Twelve hours without eating isn't a concern, although much longer than that can be an issue. If he goes 24 hours, it's vet time. 

It's most likely something he ate that didn't agree with him, although it could be the start of a slowdown. Liquids (Pedialyte is best) and possibly pain meds will be the ticket regardless. (And massages, vibrations, etc). 

And of course the Simethicone.Make sure he gets the full .6 cc every hour ortwo. He can get four doses if it's not better after #3.

My bunnies will eventually realizethe massage is helping, and they settle down, hopefully Buster will too. 

EDIT: Definitely keep him moving.Or at least if he rests, make sure he's resting on something that's vibrating. 



sas


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## cmh9023 (Apr 20, 2007)

Great information! Thanks!

One of my other buns takes Metacam for arthritis. I think that's pain medication? Should I give him some? That'll be my last question or awhile...I'll quite bugging you and get on with the treatment  Thanks SO much.


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## Pipp (Apr 20, 2007)

*cmh9023 wrote:*


> One of my other buns takes Metacam for arthritis. I think that's pain medication? Should I give him some?


Yup, Metacam shouldhelp, although he may pop out of the attack it before it takes effect, it takes awhile to work, the Simethicone works a lot faster.

Has he had it before? It can make some bunnies lose their appetites, although that hasn't happened to any of mine.Better that he's out of pain, though, you can just give him one 24 hour dose andwatch for signs of him being out of pain but still not eating. 

I'll keep an eye on this thread, no worries, we'rehere to bebugged. 



sas


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## naturestee (Apr 20, 2007)

How is Buster this morning?


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## cmh9023 (Apr 20, 2007)

Pipp,

Thank you, thank you! Things are looking good this morning. I rubbed his stomach off and on throughout the night and he actually began to just sit still for it and didn't resist so I think it must have felt good to him. I checked on him at about 6am and he was still laying flat looking miserable so I planned to call the vet as soon as they opened. Well, before I made the call I checked in and he was nibbling on some romaine that I had put in there during the night. Now he's pigging out on his hay and moving around!  He's made a few smallish, odd shaped poops which seems consistent with what I read about. When I saw the poop I started clapping and praising and kissing him...he looked at me like I was crazy!  So I'm going to watch him through the day but it looks like maybe he won't even need to go to the vet.

However, I want to be more preventative so here's my plan: Comb him daily even though he hates it; add another kind of hay with his timothy to encourgage hay eating (although he does eat a lot of it already);maybe cut back on pellets for a few days;1 tsp of pumpkin and a papaya tablet at night; always add a bowl of water in addition to his bottle. Anything else? Petromalt? This is the first time I've had a bun with this type of fur that sheds so much.

I feel kind of proud  Before I found RO I probably would have rushed him to the emergency vet to the tune of about $500. I feel like I helped nurse him back to health  Maybe now that I rubbed his stomach all night, he'll let me touch him without being such a brat 

Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!!!!


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## cmh9023 (Apr 20, 2007)

P.S. - I'm off to get some sleep! Hehe.


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## jordiwes (Apr 20, 2007)

:yes:so glad he's feeling better. I went through the same thing with my Wesley a couple of months ago. I too felt very proud that I helped him recover .

Great job!


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## naturestee (Apr 20, 2007)

Woo hoo! That's great news!

I wouldn't recommend the Petromalt. It can actually coat masses of hair and make them harder to break up. 

What kind of brush are you using? The best I've found forgetting lots of loose fur off fast is the Zoom Groom, plus running wet hands through the fur.

P.S. You'd think that after massaging their bellies and making them feel better they'd let you touch them more, but it didn't work that way with Sprite's bad gas episode last year.:rollseyes


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## cmh9023 (Apr 20, 2007)

He seems to be doing pretty well. He's been eating hay and ate a plate of romaine, however I don't think he's drank any water (although I had wet the lettuce). I didn't give him pellets today. He's pooping somewhat but not very much. He's usually a mega-pooper. The poops are somewhat smaller than usual, kind of wet-ish, and oval.

I was wondering when he and his poops should be back to"normal"? I am going to be in Portland next week Tuesday through Thursday so if he needs to go to the vet I'd like to get him in tomorrow so I can take care of him for 2 days before I leave. My neighbor takes care of my pets when I'm away, but she'd never be able to give him medicine the way he struggles and wiggles. 

Thanks,

Cara


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## naturestee (Apr 20, 2007)

He should be back to normal in a day or two. Try getting him to exercise more and feeding more canned pumpkin. When they are molting my buns get 1-2 tablespoons at a time, more if they beg enough. And usually twice a day, the spoiled beasts!


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## Pipp (Apr 20, 2007)

I think Petromalt or Laxatone(?) is recommended as a preventative measure for molting bunnies, it's just not good for a bunny that already has a problem.

My bunnies normally pop out of a gas attack with normal poops, so his system is a bit upset, either from whatever caused the gas, or from the gas itself. 

As well as the pumpkin, I'd make sure he's drinking a lot by giving him an additional crock of water spiked with a little carrot or apple juice. (Or give him some Pedialyte which he should drink from a syringe). That and lots of hay should help no matter what the problem is.

It's more likely a veggie caused the gas than the pellets I think,although every bunny is different.'Poopy butt' is often caused by too much protein or too many carbs, the pellets are the usual suspects, but I don't know if his poop is cecal or fecal matter,so I don't knowwhetherrestricting pelletsor veggies is best, it's such a 'crap shoot' (pardon the pun). A food sensitivity or a bad spot on a veggie (or if he's a free run bun like Dill, he may have picked something up off the floor) is the usual problem here, although if he's a hairy critter in a molt, maybe it's a hair hare thing. (Stringy poops are okay, btw, it means the hair is passing unimpeded).

If he's not better in a day or two, the vet will probably prescribe a gut motility drug -- Cisapride, which moves the food/hair through the stomach, and/or Metoclopramide, which I believe stimulates the intestines.

Good luck with him! 



sas :clover:


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