# pollys not acting normal and didnt eat much



## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

so polly has not eatin as much as usual and seems reclussive today. she didnt eat a little parsley and i think she ate pellets this morning. ive let her out of the cage with the rest of her vegies and a litter box. im going to monitor if need althogh its 11:30 here and i have school today. could this be like a gi stasis? i wont be home till 11:30 tomorrow so i cant do anything like meds or anything until saturday. i can try to rub her belly or something to see if it helps. any suggestions? i definently saw her eat parsley so she has some food and water in her. will she be ok till saturday or wgT should i do?


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

She's definently drinking water.


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## JBun (Aug 9, 2013)

It depends on whether or not she keeps eating and pooping. If she stops eating and pooping for too long, it can be a very critical situation. The longer GI stasis goes on with out the proper treatment, the greater chance it has of becoming fatal to the rabbit.

So it's good that she's still eating a little bit. Usually what I do when I initially notice my rabbits not eating and having an upset stomach, is give them a few doses of simethicone,. Dosage is 1-2cc (20mg/ml) every hour for 3 hours, then every 3-8 hours as needed. I usually only end up needing to give 2 doses. Not long after the second dose I am usually seeing an improvement of eating better and being more active. I may also give a pain relief med, then I will encourage them to run around as much as possible. That also helps warm them up, as feeling unwell usually causes their body temp to drop. I may also give tummy massages. Then with their food, I'll pull their pellets and treats completely, except for a pinch of the pellets so that I can see when they've started eating them again, then I feed only grass hay and dark leafy green veggies, if they are eating at all on their own. I will also offer a water dish if they normally drink from a bottle. If she stops eating and pooping for more than 6-12 hours, or her condition worsens, you should get her to the vet. If she continues to eat and poop, just reduced amounts, but it doesn't get better by Sat., you should probably take her to the vet.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=484#.UZ8FPbx7LTo.twitter


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

I can get simethecone. (What are good brands that'd be at Kroger?) But I could only get her one dose. I might could get my mom to do more but probably not. Should I keep them seperated?


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## JBun (Aug 9, 2013)

If they are a bonded pair, it might be best to separate them just so you know if she is pooping, and how much she is eating. But I would still keep them close to each other so that separating them doesn't stress either of them. The only reason I wouldn't separate is if it is causing her a lot of stress, which could just make the stasis worse, but then you have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she is also eating and pooping.

The simethicone is just infant gas relief drops. You get it otc at any pharmacy. Brand doesn't matter. It's usually a 1/2 oz or 1 oz bottle. You can get many doses out of one bottle.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

I have her outside the cage and him in. Do you think it could make it worse? They can still we and touch each other through the bars.


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## JBun (Aug 9, 2013)

You just have to see what her behavior is like. If she is trying to get back in with him, then it might be stressing her. If she is staying calm then she might be fine being separated, or she may just feel too unwell to care.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

OK well she's fine she just layes down and the switches places every so often. I got a towel and turned her over and massaged her belly for a few minutes. I noticed she's pooping but they're small and some are stuck together they're also stuck to her butt. Will the baby gas stuff help with that?


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

They look like cecals but can cecals get stuck to her butt? I have seen her grooming down there so maybe she's eating them?


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## JBun (Aug 9, 2013)

They could be part of a cecal she ate. Parts of a cecal would usually be softer than tiny hard fecal poop would be. If it's small fecal poop you are seeing, taking away pellets and treats, and feeding hay and veggies, and making sure she's drinking, are what will help get the fecal poop back to normal. The simethicone is just to try and alleviate any gas pains that may be causing her to not want to eat. Once her stomach doesn't hurt as much, she should feel more inclined to eat on her own. Unless this is being caused by another health problem causing her pain. Then you most likely won't see any improvement over the next day, without pain meds and fixing whatever health problem could be causing it.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

OK. Actually I've found some poop and they're all small and shriveled up I don't think they're cecals. I'm gonna run and get the gas medicine and hopefully that will help. She didn't get any of her veggies I don't think. If she did it wasn't much. Is it hard to give this medicine BC I'm going to have to get my mom to give the meds the second and maybe third time.


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 9, 2013)

If poop is sticking to your rabbits butt that isn't a good thing, Even cecal pellets won't stick to your rabbits bum. I would take away any pellets, give her oats, unlimited hay, and fresh water, at this time I wouldn't give her any veggies as that could upset her stomach even more. Watch her behavior over 24 hrs. If the poop continues to stick to her take her in to the vet, If she begin to have normal poops then slowly bring her back to her regular diet, by giving her some veggies and some pellets, and then increasing it to her normal amount. If she is bonded I would separate her in case she does have something.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

How long should I keep giving this? We've done 3 doses.


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 9, 2013)

It could be a blockage when my grandmothers bun had a blockage of wool and her poops were very small and shriveled. What I do in the case of blockage, it give them one teaspoon of mineral oil (orally through a syringe) and then give them oats, unlimited hay, and fresh water, within 24 hrs they are back to their usual self.

It does not sound like a gas problem, when my juniors had bloat you could actually feel the gas in them and it would pop when you ran your hand over their bellies


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## JBun (Aug 9, 2013)

I would be reluctant to be giving mineral oil at all. It's not a recommended treatment for blockages in most cases, as it coats the blockage so that it can't absorb water to help break it up. But if your bun is still pooping she doesn't have a blockage yet anyways, and just has a gut slowdown at this point. That is what the hay and veggies is meant to help with. The hay and veggies help provide needed moisture and fiber to help keep the gut contents moist and from getting dry, and hopefully prevent a blockage from occurring. The fiber also help get the gut moving and pushing the contents through better. So moisture from veggies and water, and fiber from hay and the veggies, are all essential. It would be a good idea to avoid any cruciferous veggies though, including the leafy ones, in case they are possibly causing any gas problems for your rabbit. I usually stick with basic leafy greens like green leaf or romaine lettuce, cilantro, and parsley. Also are there any new foods or veggies that you recently started right before this happened? 

As for whether to continue to give the simethicone or not, have you seen any difference or improvement from giving it? And how does she seem to feel now? How is she acting? Is she still pooping and eating at all, and how much and what is she eating, and how much and what does her poop look like now?


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

I'm not at home so I don't know but I will ask.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

Still not eating but she is drinking and pooping.


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## Watermelons (Aug 9, 2013)

If shes pooping then she would have to be eating.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

Well I'm not home so I guess she must be eating has BC I don't think she's eating veggies.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

Should I offer her pellets or is there anything that may get her to eat that has a lot of fiber?


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

Will baby food help? I think I have some carrot baby food and I read you can syringe feed them it. I'm trying to do as much as I can before I have to take her to the vet BC we are in a very tight spot with school starting up and my step dad losing his job and my dad taking my mom to court.


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## Watermelons (Aug 9, 2013)

If shes eating don't syringe her anything. All that will do is stress her out even further and potentially make the issue worse. You need to find out WHY shes acting like this.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

She's not eating my mom said. Shes drinking but not eating. My moms been giving her the gas stuff and doing massages. I think it may be stress. She's older and with all the bonding and moving around she probably just got stressed. It can't be diet I feed the appropriate amount of veggies pellets and hay. I checked her front teeth and I don't see anything wrong with them. She chews a lot so I don't think its teeth.


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## Watermelons (Aug 9, 2013)

What is actually happening? You keep changing the story here.
If shes eating which you said in your previous posts that she is, then don't force feed her. 
If shes pooping, then shes eating. Something has to go in for something to be coming out.

You need to encourage her to eat Hay and drink lots of water.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

How do I encourage her to eat hay. I'm not at home so I'm just saying what my moms telling me. Let me see if she's still pooping.


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## JBun (Aug 9, 2013)

It doesn't really sound like she is improving much, if at all. It would be good to get her into the vet tomorrow to get checked out. Unfortunately you can feed a rabbit exactly what is recommended and it doesn't matter, they can still have problems. Some people have rabbits that are sensitive to certain veggies, or to pellets, or to certain types of hay. I have one that can't have any pellets or he'll get GI stasis. So it could be something in the diet. Or it could be a health problem causing pain, and thus causing her to not want to eat much. Tooth problems like spurs on the back molars can cause this, a UTI, or other internal health problems. Pay really close attention to her behavior when you are back home with her. Does she seem to have a hard time chewing things, does she seem uncomfortable when she pees, is she peeing outside of the litter box a lot when she is normally good at using it, is she belly pressing, is she scratching at her ears. Look for odd bits of behavior, and it may give you a clue as to what is bothering her. If the vet doesn't find anything, then it may take some figuring out on your part, to see if you can sort out her lack of appetite. You may have to try eliminating certain things from her diet, to see if something she is eating is causing the problem.


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 9, 2013)

JBun said:


> I would be reluctant to be giving mineral oil at all. It's not a recommended treatment for blockages in most cases, as it coats the blockage so that it can't absorb water to help break it up. But if your bun is still pooping she doesn't have a blockage yet anyways, and just has a gut slowdown at this point. That is what the hay and veggies is meant to help with. The hay and veggies help provide needed moisture and fiber to help keep the gut contents moist and from getting dry, and hopefully prevent a blockage from occurring. The fiber also help get the gut moving and pushing the contents through better.  So moisture from veggies and water, and fiber from hay and the veggies, are all essential. It would be a good idea to avoid any cruciferous veggies though, including the leafy ones, in case they are possibly causing any gas problems for your rabbit. I usually stick with basic leafy greens like green leaf or romaine lettuce, cilantro, and parsley. Also are there any new foods or veggies that you recently started right before this happened?



Actually not only is mineral oil a common treatment it is also an effective treatment, it helps get the gut moving again. Also just because the rabbit is pooping doesnt rule out a blockage, like i stated before my grandma's rabbit has had a blockage before (not any of my own, but I went over to her house and helped her out) and was still pooping very small poops probably the size of a pen tip. My grandma called the vet and he was recommending the same thing I am recommending to you, a teaspoon of mineral oil. Within in no time he was up and running and withing in 24 hrs he was back to normal. I personally wouldn't give your rabbit veggies at this time because with my rabbits they have very loose poop when I give them veggies and its not just one or two its all 12 of my rabbits.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

OK I will watch her when I get home and if she isn't improved tomorrow I will have to find a way to get her to the vet. If I take them to the vet will he know what part of her diet could be doing it?


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## tonyshuman (Aug 9, 2013)

We may have to agree to disagree on this, RabbitGirl 101. What Jbun and Watermelons have described is the current accepted veterinary method for treating GI stasis in rabbits. Hydration is #1, relief of gas and pain via simethicone and analgesics is 2nd, and force-feeding is only done if the rabbit is not eating on its own. Veggies can be an important and helpful source of water in a rabbit's diet. They only cause loose stools if the rabbit's GI bacteria cannot tolerate them, i.e. they were introduced too quickly and the appropriate beneficial bacteria needed to digest them are not present. If the rabbit has had veggies before, they are a great way to get water into the GI tract in rabbits. Carbohydrates such as oats cause the proliferation of bad, gas-producing bacteria, so they are not recommended in cases of stasis. In a case where a rabbit is on a pellet-only diet, there are stories of them helping with loose stool. This however is not a normal GI bacterial climate for a rabbit (the rabbit evolved eating lots of veggies and not a lot of grain). There is some fiber in the oats that may be helping in these situations--but that is only if the rabbit is eating primarily a low-fiber pellet. Mineral oil as a treatment for stasis is not accepted by the veterinary community. The primary goal is to make the ingested food move more quickly through the GI tract. Oils may lubricate the walls of the GI tract but only if excessive amounts are given. Most oils are broken down as soon as the ingested material reaches the small intestine, and many of these stasis events happen further down the intestines. It would take a LOT of oil to overcome the body's ability to break down oils and lead to lubrication of the ingested material. In addition, it could cause the blocked foodstuffs to become even harder to move by preventing water from getting into the inside of the blocked food.

This article is very helpful and written by an expert on rabbit health, with scientific training:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
Here is our Library article on GI stasis:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f22/gi-stasis-what-everyone-should-know-23808/

This is a link to the abstract of an article (recent, 2010) that suggests the therapy we are promoting
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20682434

I recently had 2 rabbits go through this, one living with my boyfriend in another city. Each rabbit saw a different vet, being separated by about 1000 miles. Both vets are well-respected in rabbit medicine. Both vets prescribed fluids, simethicone, analgesic, GI motility drugs, and force-feeding. Both rabbits recovered beautifully. This treatment is accepted practice and works every day for vets across this country and in other countries as well. There may be home remedies that have worked for a few people, but the scientific consensus in the veterinary community is what we have described.


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## tonyshuman (Aug 9, 2013)

Dietary causes could be some veggies that can cause gas in rabbits that aren't used to them, like cabbage, broccoli, kale, others of that family. Low fiber/high protein pellet could be a cause, as well as too much pellets. Not enough/low quality hay could be a cause. Too much sugar/carbohydrates could also be a cause.


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## flemish giant (Aug 9, 2013)

I don't think mine is dietary. I only give 1/2 a cup of pellets and I actually went down recently. They also have constant supply of Bermuda hay and get veggies everyday. People who have Bern to the vet for a go stasis about how much did it cost?


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## tonyshuman (Aug 10, 2013)

For a full-blown stasis episode, it was a lot. We did x-rays and he was hospitalized overnight, probably ran around $800. That bunny is my Tony and we went in as an emergency; I have had him for 6 years and I currently have the income/savings to afford that. He has been with me longer than my boyfriend/fiancee and through a lot of difficult times (5.5 yrs of graduate school, moving to 2 new cities completely on my own). He was going into shock by the time we went to the emergency vet, so he was worse off than your bun is. 

For the other bunny (belonging to my fiancee), who had more of a slowdown that didn't resolve quickly instead of a full stasis and didn't need x-rays or overnight hospitalization, but did need IV fluids eventually and a few hours of hospitalization, it was $400 or so. For a slowdown that resolves quickly after sub-cutaneous fluids and giving you a few doses of gut motility drug and pain meds, probably $200. You can discuss what you can afford with your vet.


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## Maureen Las (Aug 10, 2013)

Mineral oil is an "old school" treatment for GI stasis. In addition to what Claire has related it is very, very easy for a rabbit to aspirate mineral oil when it is administered.... "a terrible way for a rabbit to die." stated Pam Nock ( ARBA judge) and RO mod
It WAS a treatment many years ago but it is no longer an acceptable or current treatment.


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

OK so I have attached a pic of her poo which I believe has improved ALOT. At first they were sticking to her but but now they are actually falling and there are a few that seem normal. I have a cardboard box with a towel and two worm water bottle BC I read their temps can go down. My mom was taking very good care of her she got about 4 doses of the gas stuff and 1 mil of carrot baby food. I'm going to feed her another mil of baby food and another mil of gas meds. Do Yale think a reason she may not be eating is pain? Can I buy anything from Kroger for pain or with her poops getting more normal is it starting to clear up? She hasn't ate anything herself but has drank my mom also said she has run around a few times and has chewed.


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

OK so I gave her the gas meds and her baby food and a belly massage and she instantly perked up when I let her down she ran off and sniffed her veggies and water I think she may have nibbled a little veggie. Now she's flopped on the floor I'll post a pic of that and of some poop on her butt. I don't know if its from earlier or if its still sticking but I'm seeing improvement!! She does look bloated though. Is that gas? You can see peeta checking on his wife its driving him crazy he hates her not being with him.


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

Well Polly ate her cilantro (must be her favorite) so I gave her some more. I also made a pellet water and carrot baby food mix to see if shed eat it. I put the pellets and water in the microwave to make a mus.So hopefully it will intice her. Peeta is so jealous of all the attention Polly is getting and the good food. I've got to feed sheep at 7am Tomorrow so I'll give her some more gas meds and if she doesn't eat some more carrot baby food (hopefully she won't get addicted.)


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

Also should I get her moving? I heard that helps the gut too.


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

She at some veggies last night. Also drank most of her water.


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## nora123 (Aug 10, 2013)

Hi some veg particularly cabbage and colliflower can cause gas bloat in rabbits and make the problem worse I find if my rabbits stop eating and pooing its an emergence I give them grated carrot dandelion dock leaves and picked grass to tempt them to eat I also administer metoclopramide given to me by the vet but if you havent got that, the baby simethicone will help with the gas but dont leave it until bunny stops eating and pooing completely they go down hill so fast they need treatment within 12 hours of not eating the poo strung together like pears attached by hair is the first sign of a fur ball developing so please get treatment straight away as once the gut slows down it is very hard to get it going again also if a rabbit of mine does stop eating I liquidise some of there pellets and syringe feed them with it about 10mls about 4 times a day and about 5ml of water at the same time 4 times a day this helps to keep the gut going until the simethicone or metoclopramide and pain relief has time to work hope this helps


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

She's started eating and drinking and they were never held together by hairs. I looked for that. She's getting better so hopefully she will get her full appetite back soon. I feed turnip greens, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, cilantro, and parsley.


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## JBun (Aug 10, 2013)

Stop feeding the turnip greens. It's possible they are causing all of this. They are a cruciferous leafy veggie, and can possibly be the cause of the gas and upset stomach. There's another member on here who's rabbit had problems with turnip greens causing stomach upset. So stop those completely and see if she starts to improve.

The poop is looking pretty good, so as long as she is pooping even a little, then she is also eating at least a little bit. It does help the digestion, for them to run around and play. So let her run around as much as possible. Yes, the reason they stop eating is because of pain and/or nausea. It could be from gas pain, or other health problem causing the pain. That is typically why a pain med is given when a rabbit is experiencing GI stasis. The best pain med to use for rabbits, is metacam. But it is rx, so you would have to get it from your vet. But if this is food related and you are able to sort out if it is the turnip greens causing it, or maybe something else, then she should stop having gas and start feeling better, and the pain meds wouldn't be necessary. But that belly does look like it may be bloated in that picture.

So has she been eating any hay? Hay really is one of the best things for her to be eating, but I know that she has to do it on her own. You can't really make her eat it.


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

I think she is. This morning the hay was pat down like she was laying in there Nd with the mount she's pooping she must be eating some hay. I'll stop the turnip greens. I think they probably should've mentioned it on the sites I looked up vegetables for.


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 10, 2013)

We will have to disagree because we are trying to give treatments for two different things. GI Stasis is different from a fur/wool blockage. 
I've had rabbits with bloat/ GI Stasis and let me tell you it is not the same thing, its a lot harder to fix. It happened very late at night and I was able to massage the gas out, you could hear the gas popping when you ran your hand over their stomachs. Luckily I was able to massage all the gas out and they are fine now. When my grandmas rabbit had a blockage, the mineral oil did the trick and he recovered a lot quicker than my rabbits that had the GI Stasis


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 10, 2013)

angieluv said:


> Mineral oil is an "old school" treatment for GI stasis. In addition to what Claire has related it is very, very easy for a rabbit to aspirate mineral oil when it is administered.... "a terrible way for a rabbit to die." stated Pam Nock ( ARBA judge) and RO mod
> It WAS a treatment many years ago but it is no longer an acceptable or current treatment.



Not if you administrate it correctly. MANY people use it still today, and let me tell you there are no problems. If you guys don't agree with me thats your opinion. I know I can name at LEAST 20 people that use mineral oil. Some related to me, others that i had just met. If you give it to your rabbit on the back yes anything could kill your rabbit that way, you rabbit has to be in a sitting position. Also the amount you don't want to administer to much only a teaspoon even for the larger of breeds. So no it IS a treatment for rabbits and still used to this day with amazing results. You have to remember that if you don't correctly give it to your rabbit your rabbit can choke and die. The reason it was called old school is because people were giving it to their rabbits on their back. Making the rabbit choke.


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## JBun (Aug 10, 2013)

RabbitGirl101 said:


> We will have to disagree because we are trying to give treatments for two different things. GI Stasis is different from a fur/wool blockage.
> I've had rabbits with bloat/ GI Stasis and let me tell you it is not the same thing, its a lot harder to fix. It happened very late at night and I was able to massage the gas out, you could hear the gas popping when you ran your hand over their stomachs. Luckily I was able to massage all the gas out and they are fine now. When my grandmas rabbit had a blockage, the mineral oil did the trick and he recovered a lot quicker than my rabbits that had the GI Stasis


 
The definition of the word 'stasis' is a state of inactivity or a stoppage of flow of a body fluid. GI stasis is what used to commonly be called hairballs or fur blockage. GI stasis is a slowdown of a rabbits digestive system, that can in turn lead to a blockage. There are many things that can cause it. A rabbit molting and ingesting too much fur, too many carbs and sugars in the diet, a sensitivity to certain veggies, stress, and other health problems that cause discomfort and pain that causes a rabbit to stop eating and thus the gut slowing down. Stasis is just a term to describe a set of symptoms that can have many causes. Bloat on the other hand, is not the same thing as GI stasis, though stasis occurs with bloat. Bloat is a term to describe extreme distension of a rabbits abdomen. It can be caused by a reaction to a certain food, bacteria, and other unknown causes. When this happens, GI stasis usually does as well, as the gut slows down or stops. The two terms are just descriptions of symptoms. Even if you were to ask several knowledgeable breeders, you may get some different answers, but you'll find the general consensus is that bloat and GI stasis(or wool block), are two different things. If you want to read a description of the cause of stasis and what exactly it is, you can check out these links, or even ask some of the other breeders on RO. Even Barbi Brown, a well known breeder, describes GI stasis as wool block and a slowdown of the gut.

http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/gi_stasis_in_rabbits.htm
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=484#.UZ8FPbx7LTo.twitter
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

OK well anyway.... what should I be doing right now? She eats any cilantro I give her so I've been giving her unlimited. Most of her poops are still small and some are sticking together (I don't see anyhair). Should I continue with the gas meds? I've only given one dose I fell asleep.


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

She's eating all her veggies. So I'm gonna stop feeding veggies unless I need to continue BC I'm pretty sure she ate more than 2 cups. Bout to go get more pellets BC I'm out and I'll see if she will eatany of those.

How do I get her poops normal? Will they get normal eventually or do I need to be doing something? Maybe pick up some papya tablets? I think she may be starting her moult but I'm not sure.


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 10, 2013)

JBun said:


> The definition of the word 'stasis' is a state of inactivity or a stoppage of flow of a body fluid. GI stasis is what used to commonly be called hairballs or fur blockage. GI stasis is a slowdown of a rabbits digestive system, that can in turn lead to a blockage. There are many things that can cause it. A rabbit molting and ingesting too much fur, too many carbs and sugars in the diet, a sensitivity to certain veggies, stress, and other health problems that cause discomfort and pain that causes a rabbit to stop eating and thus the gut slowing down. Stasis is just a term to describe a set of symptoms that can have many causes. Bloat on the other hand, is not the same thing as GI stasis, though stasis occurs with bloat. Bloat is a term to describe extreme distension of a rabbits abdomen. It can be caused by a reaction to a certain food, bacteria, and other unknown causes. When this happens, GI stasis usually does as well, as the gut slows down or stops. The two terms are just descriptions of symptoms. Even if you were to ask several knowledgeable breeders, you may get some different answers, but you'll find the general consensus is that bloat and GI stasis(or wool block), are two different things. If you want to read a description of the cause of stasis and what exactly it is, you can check out these links, or even ask some of the other breeders on RO. Even Barbi Brown, a well known breeder, describes GI stasis as wool block and a slowdown of the gut.
> 
> http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/gi_stasis_in_rabbits.htm
> http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=484#.UZ8FPbx7LTo.twitter
> http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html



Well I think of GI stasis differently, I guess you could consider i think of it as a serious and non serious case. Yes both are a case that need to be treated. However the blockage I find very easy to treat. The gas build up is when I seek medical attention. I believe at this point we can agree to disagree and leave it at that point. Everyone raises their rabbit differently, some ways may be frowned upon from both sides of the spectrum. However both rabbits will turn out perfectly healthy. Everything's based on opinion and this can definitely be place under the opinionated category. Thanks and have a great day.


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## NorthernAutumn (Aug 10, 2013)

Thank you to our Infirmary moderators, *tonyshuman, angieluv, and JBun*, for that clear explanation of GI stasis vs bloat. 
We really appreciate your willingness to share your many years of veterinary expertise with us here on RO.

*RabbitGirl101* - your point has been made. Time to move on, please.

*Flemish Giant*: the standard advice at this point is to push the hay as much as possible. Gas meds as needed. How is the belly doing?


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

Here belly feels looser than it was. She ate her veggies and most of her pellets. I added some timothy hay to make her hay more interesting and I'm gonna fill some paper towel rolls and a box with hay. I also gave her a few Papua tablets just in case it was her fur blocking her intestines I think she may be starting to molt.


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## JBun (Aug 10, 2013)

I agree that pushing hay is the best thing if you want to get her poop looking normal again. The fiber from grass hay is what helps get the poop back to a normal size and consistency. And continuing to feed veggies should be a good thing for her too. You may not need to feed as much, but as long as you don't suspect the lettuce, cilantro, or parsley of also causing digestive upset, it will still be good for her to be getting them. Pellets on the other hand are less important at this point, and may actually cause a slowdown again if introduced too quickly and if she isn't eating enough hay at this point. So maybe start slowly reintroducing pellets in small amounts, and encourage the hay eating and veggies. The timothy hay is good to give if she will eat it. I may have missed you mentioning it, but what type of hay is she normally fed?


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## flemish giant (Aug 10, 2013)

She normally gets Bermuda hay. Its the only hay I can find at a feed store around here.


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## nora123 (Aug 11, 2013)

Oh great maybe she just had a bit of gas


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## nora123 (Aug 11, 2013)

Hi for future reference if one of my bunnies stop eating i first try it with metoclopramide which relieves gas if you havent got any of that then the baby simethicone will help but if my bunny is still not eating after giving a couple of doses of that i presume its not gas and give the metoclopramide or emeprid and start to syringe feed recovery food or liquidised food and water in case its the start of gut stasis sometimes caused by an air ball it can take days for it to clear and i give the metoclopramide 3 times a day until the bunny is eating and pooing normal but do look up barbi brown she covers practically everything hope all this helps


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## hannaroo (Aug 11, 2013)

If the poop was held together by hairs that is most likely the cause the your rabbits gut slowing down. It's prime shedding time ATM and grooming must be increased. My rabbits only have short fur but I have to groom them every other day just to keep the fur at bay!
I would recommend keeping and eye on her and grooming each bun every day until the fur slows down with the malting to prevent this becoming a further issue  
There's a lot of good advice here to follow if she sti won't eat much but if this continues I would notify your vet 

Good luck x


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

Her poop was never held by hair I was just giving the papaya tablets as a precautionary. She's eating normally I'm just waiting for her poop to get back to normal. I'm giving simethecone about 3x a day. She's getting tired of it though.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

OK so im gonna post a few more poop pics. A lot are looking normal but there's still a few that are abnormal. Is the one that looks like it has a tail have hair?


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

Do y'all think I can put her with peeta now?


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

It's probably fine to let them be together now, if she is eating and pooping regularly, but you are still going to want to keep an eye on her at feeding time, to make sure she is eating and to keep track of how much. And it looks like her poop isn't normal yet, so you should be able to pick out which ones are hers. It doesn't look like there is fur in them, but are just very irregular shaped. I would think that she should be getting back to normal soon. If she isn't but is eating a little still, you could try cutting veggies out, just to see if one of them is causing the problem, but make sure she is eating a lot of hay instead. If she isn't back to normal in a day or two, and her poop is still irregular shaped, you may want to get her checked by your vet, or at the very least get a fecal test done. Just to rule out parasites. A mild case of digestive upset really shouldn't be going on for too long, or it probably means that something else is going on with your rabbit. 

If she seems to be doing alright and doesn't seem to be feeling uncomfortable, you can probably hold off on the simethicone for now, but keep an eye on her behavior to make sure she doesn't start having gas problems again.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

I think I'll keep them seperated till her poop is normal.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

Maybe it was the turnip greens BC I stopped feeding them last night but I've been feeding them for a while so I don't know why it would just start.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

I just found this. Its diarrhea right?


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

The picture is blurry so it's hard to tell. Is it watery and mushy? Do you see any mucous?


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

It looks like a black sludge. What would mucus look like? It wasn't real watery more sludgy.


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

Mucous would look like snot mixed in with the poop, or a clear jelly type substance. You can look at pictures here.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/drop/Drp_en.htm
And this one has some good pictures of what watery diarrhea looks like.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Bunny_201.pdf

I think it would be a good idea to stop pellets and only feed hay right now. And if she really is having diarrhea, then you need to get her to the vet *today*. Rabbits can dehydrate very easily with diarrhea and go downhill quickly, plus it is an indication of a bigger problem like coccidiosis or bacteria.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

It didn't look like either. I changed her litter box after too but I'll keep an eye on her poop and if I see it again I'll take a better pic. I'll take away pellets then. Should I take away veggies too? She's not really eating hay. Also are the Papua tablets a good idea? Both peeta and Polly seem to be shedding more than normal maybe molting.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

I caught her eating a little hay from a toilet paper roll. I also mixed the timothy and Bermuda in a box. I also put some cilantro in there to see if shed eat some hay to get to the pieces of cilantro I think I'm gonna put some papaya tablets in there too.


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

If she is having soft mushy poop now, it would be better to take away the veggies for now, but she does have to eat something, so I don't know. It would be much better for her to be eating hay at this point. Will she eat the timothy if she isn't eating much of the Bermuda hay? I would stop the tablets. She's not in danger of a gut slowdown from excess fur if she continues to have mushy poop. And it's possible they could add to the upset.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

She hasn't shown much interest in either hays.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

I just added a little bit of alfalfa hay too. Those are the only kinds u have. Ill call some local feed stores and see what they have tomorrow. Maybe I can find oat or orchard?


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

Can I add some rose petals to it? I read that sometimes that gets rabbits into hay. They're white roses from the front yard no pesticides and they just grow back every season


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## Watermelons (Aug 11, 2013)

Stop adding unnecessary things to the diet.

Hay and water.


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

It might not be a good idea to be adding something new into her diet right now. So is she usually a good hay eater, before all of this started happening?


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

Yea. She would always be laying in her litter box eating hay. And sorry watermelon just trying to get her to eat hay. I can't feed hay and water if she won't eat hay. Should I stop veggies then?


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

I would maybe give it a few hours to see if she's just not hungry enough and will eat it a little later, unless it's already been several hours without her eating. If she absolutely won't eat hay, I guess you might have to go ahead and feed some veggies, just so she's getting something to eat.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

OK at 10 if she hasn't ate any hay I'll feed her veggies. I'll also call and see if I can find some more variety tomorrow.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

Well she just ate some hay. I guess I was feeding so many vegied to make sure she got enough water and stayed eating that she wasn't hungry. Should I go back to her regular feeding but leave out pellets? I probably won't feed more veggies today either.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

With the removal of turnip greens are my rabbits still getting enough veggies with green leaf lettuce, parsley, cilantro, and romaine lettuce.


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## NDrAbBiTs58041 (Aug 11, 2013)

flemish giant said:


> With the removal of turnip greens are my rabbits still getting enough veggies with green leaf lettuce, parsley, cilantro, and romaine lettuce.



Yes should be ok. If they have had all of that before.


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

yup they were slowly introduced to everything. so polly's poops are looking normal. ive decided to move her back in after I give peeta his veggies. they're probably missing each other. 

quick question. I have the bag of alfalfa hay over their little box cage area of their cage and peeta's going bonkers over it. can they have a sprinkle of it in their hay or is that a bad idea? I think im going to feed Bermuda as a staple and buy a bag of different hay every couple of weeks.


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

Your rabbits should be just fine with those greens. Normally veggies are just supplemental nutrition if a normal amount of pellets is being fed. If for some reason a reduced amount of pellets is fed, then the nutrition from the veggies is more important.

As long as she seems to be eating the hay ok, I think it might be good to hold off on the pellets and veggies for a few days, until you see an improvement in her poop. Then if it gets back to normal, you could start reintroducing one thing at a time in small amounts. Maybe start with pellets and gradually increase the amount. Then if she seems ok with those, try reintroducing one veggie at a time. This way if there is a problem food, you will be able to discover what it is.

It might be best to hold off on the alfalfa for now, until you get her digestive problems sorted out. Alfalfa can sometimes cause digestive upset if introduced too quickly, and you probably don't want to be complicating her digestive problems at this time. Maybe just move the bag so it isn't sitting there tempting her


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## flemish giant (Aug 11, 2013)

yea ill put the alfalfa back up. if I do the different hay every couple of weeks will it need to be introduced slowly? so you think I should introduce them slowly? so ill have to feed separately. im going to be feeding 1/3 a cup of pellets for each rabbit. I really think it may have been the turnip greens. after I took them away she seemed better but ill introduce the veggies slowly if its needed. she looked so sad when peeta had veggies and she didn't though


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## JBun (Aug 11, 2013)

Well, with the way her poop looked today, it had to have been the last of the turnip greens coming out, or another veggie is causing an issue, or maybe something else is going on. So since that mushy poop this morning, have her poops gotten any better? She may not like not getting veggies, but it should only be for a few days, and it's for her own good.

Usually grass hay doesn't need to be introduced slowly. Most of the time it doesn't cause any problems, except for maybe oat and other grain hays that have grain heads in the hay, because the extra carbs from the grain could cause digestive upset. So with oat hay, an early cut is better to feed, or a mature cut with no seed heads. But I think now that she is eating hay, you may be better off just sticking with the grass hay that she is used to eating, while you are getting her digestive problems sorted. No need to risk upsetting things by introducing a new hay at this time, since there is really no need, as she has started eating her usual hay again.


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## flemish giant (Aug 12, 2013)

ok and her poops looked normal and have returned to the litter box. I haven't seen any abnormal poops.


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## JBun (Aug 12, 2013)

That's a good sign! I would give her at least another day or two of having normal poop and only eating hay, before slowly starting her back on pellets.


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## flemish giant (Aug 12, 2013)

And slowly back on veggies?


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## flemish giant (Aug 12, 2013)

Is that right? I'm about to feed so I need to know if putting slowly back on veggies is the best idea and how fast to reintroduce veggies and pellets?


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## JBun (Aug 12, 2013)

If it were me, I would wait til tomorrow before starting to gradually reintroduce pellets first, then gradually increase the amount each day til back up to the full amount. Then after that, start gradually reintroducing veggies one at a time, starting with a small amount and increasing if there's no upset. Maybe over a weeks time to get back up to the full amount for each thing, unless you encounter poop or digestive problems.


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## flemish giant (Aug 12, 2013)

So a week for pellets and then a week for veggies? I mean I feed a very small amount of pellets. That'd be like 3 pellets a day or something.


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## JBun (Aug 12, 2013)

Didn't you say you will be feeding 1/3 cup a day? That would mean that you would start giving 2 tsp. the first day, or 1 tsp. for two feedings, then increasing by that amount each day for a week. You can go faster if you want but, I tend to be more cautious when dealing with digestive problems, since they can turn into a serious problem so quickly. 

And that would be at least 3 or more days for each veggie. Taking it one veggie at a time gives you the chance to catch it early if one veggie starts causing digestive upset. It's up to you how you want to do it. I'm just sharing what I would do if it were my rabbit.


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## flemish giant (Aug 13, 2013)

OK I'll do 2 tsp the first two days and add an additional 2 every day after so it'd be 8 days. Then introduce each veggie slowly in a 3 day period?


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## flemish giant (Aug 13, 2013)

and also with peeta im kind of convinced hes saving food for polly. he left like two little leaves of green leaf lettuce and like half of his pellets. although I usually don't feed pellets and their veggies together I am until im done transitioning polly bc I don't have time in the morning to let her out and measure it and then wait for her to get done to put her back in. is it possible peeta is saving some for polly? its been an hour since I put it in.


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## flemish giant (Aug 13, 2013)

never mind he was just pacing himself. I guess I just give him too much credit. hes not that much of a gentleman.


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## flemish giant (Aug 13, 2013)

A few of their poops have some hair connecting the. They seem to be shedding and maybe starting molting? Peetas. Bad shedder from his Angora side I guess. I'll pet him and fur will fly. So do I need to do anything? Like add pineapple juice? I know its a bad idea to add stuff t diets but I don't want anybody clogged up either. They're both eating hay though.


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## Maureen Las (Aug 13, 2013)

Maybe brush them really well. I have become really diligent about brushing my rabbits probably because I just can't stand stasis... 
and remember that it is really hay that moves the GI contents through the GI tracts. Veggies do not provide the same roughage to rabbits that they do to humans but they do provide water.


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## flemish giant (Aug 13, 2013)

Peeta hates being groomed though. He was OK with it when. We first got him but not he bits the comb or brush. Polly will sit there and let you do it though. I need to get her to trust me more though.


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## hannaroo (Aug 14, 2013)

Suri isn't fond of being grooming so I brush her for as long as I can and the go over gently with a lint roller to remove as much loose hair as I can and this seems to help. You can also get brushes a but like gloves that can be gentler if this helps?


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## flemish giant (Aug 14, 2013)

You can use a lent roller?


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## Zeroshero (Aug 14, 2013)

Do you think something like this would work?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8251


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## flemish giant (Aug 14, 2013)

I saw an abnormal small poop today. I don't know if it was from today or not though. It was underneath a box. All other poops are normal. She's still eating her 2tsp or pellets and drinking water and eating hay.


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## flemish giant (Aug 24, 2013)

So her poop is getting small again. I started introducing parsley. Should I I remove parsley? The poops look normal just smaller not tiny tho.


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## flemish giant (Aug 25, 2013)

Bump


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## Maureen Las (Aug 25, 2013)

There is no need to stop a small amount of parsley unless it is in any way preventing her from eating more hay. Hay is the most important part of her diet right now.


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## flemish giant (Aug 25, 2013)

I'm introducing everything back to her but the parsley seems to have made poop smaller


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## hannaroo (Aug 26, 2013)

You need to write a food diary and also take note of her behaviour for a few weeks to find a pattern and maybe a cause of the problem. Your vet can also check the diet in detail to help you figure it out x


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## Azerane (Aug 26, 2013)

It could be the parsley and you may need to cut it out or cut down on the amount you're introducing. Otherwise, I will ask if she is shedding? Because that can often cause smaller poops for a time. I strongly agree with keeping a food and behaviour/poop diary, mine was extremely helpful when Bandit went through a stasis issue and really helped to see when he was beginning to improve etc.


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## flemish giant (Aug 26, 2013)

She is shedding. All of my rabbits are.


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## flemish giant (Aug 26, 2013)

I will start the diary today its kind of hard to document her poop though with peers in there. So far I've introduced pellets over an 8 day period and parsley over a 3 day period. I've now started green leaf lettuce.


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