Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > rubberband!!!!

rubberband!!!!

22 10:04:07

Question
QUESTION: Hi im pam the one that had the bunny with the urine scald. Thanks to your advice hes perfectly fine! However this question is about my other girl bunny. Holland lop 1yr old. She was wondering around the living room munching on some hay. I remembered later that i had left a rubber band near her. So i went back to pick it up before she ate it. And to my surprise it wasnt there! She was still chewing on something, i tried to check her mouth but found nothing.  I tried to look fir the rubberband and had no luck. Im almost positive she ate it! Wwhat should i do?it was a pretty big rubber band to i used it to tie her hay bag, and i left it their as well as her bag while she was eating but i completely forgot! Should i just check that shes eating and pooping. What can i give her to pass it down. What should i do if i dont see it in her poop. Thank you so much.





















ANSWER: Dear Pam,

At this point, the most you can do is give her LOTS of fresh hay and fresh greens and hope the rubber band will pass through uneventfully.  It's likely that she chewed into little bits before she swallowed it, and if so, the bits should cause no harm.  It's also possible that even a whole rubber band can pass through her without harm.

But short of surgery, there's not much you can do now except keep a close eye on her behavior and appetite.  If that stays normal, then things are probably moving through.  But if you see her acting sick, as described here:

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

then you should get her to a rabbit vet immediately:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If she seems fine in about 48 hours, I'd suspect you're in the clear, though there is the remote chance that a large item like this could stay in her stomach.  The more roughage you push through her, the more likely it is to push through the bits of rubber band.

I hope this helps, and that she'll be just fine.

Dana

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

QUESTION: Thanks for your advice i will do just like you said. Ive been checking her. Shes behaving, eating, drinking, and pooping fine. Is this is a sign she'll be okay? Also i read bananas and mineral oil can help it pass through succesfully, is this true? And if yea how? Thanks once again:)

Answer
Dear Pam,

Bananas, I don't think would help.  Mineral oil might actually help break down the plastic that makes up the rubber band (they're not made of real rubber any more), and *could* help soften it.  But I wouldn't give more than a 1/2cc or so.  And do this only after consulting your vet.

Hope she'll be fine soon, and you can have some peace of mind.

Dana