Thank you: my rabbit suspected of intestine rupture/blockage is fine

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

my rabbit is currently hospitalised now. I'm just really worried. The xray showed alot of food in stomach, den gas especially on d right side and it was scary as my vet said because there isn't a clear structure of the intestines. I'm just wondering what will happen if the intestine really ruptures? any chance of survival? he hasn't been eating but he does drink if i feed up. He was suffering from gut stasis previously but got back to normal and 2 weeks later, this happens. Just all of the sudden.

Thank you so much.

ANSWER: Dear Pam,

This is very bizarre.  Is there any reason to think that your bunny suffered a ruptured intestine?  Even a blockage will rarely do that, though it's not impossible.  If he truly has a ruptured intestine, his chances of survival are slim to none.  I really hope that's not the problem, and that the radiograph was merely not clear.

If he is suffering a true bloat (blockage of the stomach), the only way to save him is to insert a nasogastric tube to relieve the pressure in the stomach so that the tight turn of the small intestine just at the end of the stomach can be opened again (It's believed that an extremely gassy, full stomach can press this area shut, causing a blockage).  Blockages are another potentially fatal problem, and you can tell they are happening because the bunny's abdomen becomes rock hard and non-yielding.  Death will ensure in a few hours unless aggressive emergency measures are taken.

If your bunny is suffering from ileus, then please read this for clues about how to help him:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

and share this with the vet:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.pdf

The main thing with ileus is to get the intestines *moving* again, and then worry about why they shut down later.

I hope this helps.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


xray   QUESTION: Thank you for your quick reply. I called the vet they suggested to put him on drips and then i think if he's stable they would do a surgery or something. They're not really sure either so they're giving him critical hay and monitoring him.

I hope you will try your best to view the xray. I should have given you earlier. I'm sorry if its not so clear. I tried to get d best I could. Thank you so much for your time.

ANSWER: Dear Pam,

Surgery on the stomach is often a death sentence.  If the intestine is ruptured, there is not much they will be able to do.  The stomach looks *very* full from the radiograph, but the bunny doesn't appear to be obviously suffering a bloat.  The lower GI tract just looks quite empty except for some gas bubbles, which can happen if the entire gut is shut down.  The intestinal muscles lose their tonus, and everything just looks flat.

Please share this with the vets:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.pdf

Surgery is a last last last resort, as it can make matters much worse if this is simply ileus.  If there are no GI sounds, then ask the vets about the motility treatments I sent you in the other article.  

I hope he will be okay.

Dana

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QUESTION: Thank you so much for all the information you gave. He is doing well already. He finally poop alot. I can take him back already. You were right,he is suffering from a series of ileus which cause his intestines to swell. Thank you so much for everything. I appreciate your prompt reply and the useful information that you gave. Thanks again.  

Answer
Dear Pam,

I am SOOOO glad the vets did not resort to surgery!  But now the task will be to find out *why* he suffered from ileus, which isn't a disease in and of itself.

Most common causes are incorrect diet:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

and dental problems:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

I hope this helps.

Dana