bloats

Question
hi,
 I just lost a rabbit due to a bloat.  I had him in the house thinking it was a hair ball.  He managed to pull through a and a week later the same thing happen by the time I found him he was dieing and it was too late to get him to the vet.  Now I have another rabbit in the house who came down with the same thing he pulled through and the vet put him on antibiotics. its been about three weeks now and he seems to be doing ok but I'm very worried that he may come down with the bloat again. We have bleached his cage and threw out his old toys is there any thing I can do to help reduce his risk for another bloat or should he be ok? hes a year old mini rex he eats dumore show food he has normal stools and he's indoors. The rest of my rabbits are in the garage (they are show rabbits and are very much loved)should they be ok to? sparki (the one that passed away) was out in the garage up intill he got sick he was only a year old and was a netherland dwarf. (the rest of my rabbits are netherlands to other than a lion head and flemish giant) I hope this is enough information for you. I'm very worried about my other rabbits and anything i could do to help prevent future bloats would be great!
thank you for taking the time to read this,
Nat

Answer
Dear Nat,

A true bloat is almost always fatal, and a rabbit who develops one bloat often suffers it again, if he survives the first. This is often because some rabbits have a genetic predisposition for this disorder--and particularly if they are white rabbits with dark pigmented spots and dark eyes.  It's believed that this is a neurological development disorder (it has to do with neural crest cell migration during embryo development, but it's a long story...), and it's not curable.

Bunnies so afflicted often have very large, somewhat "marshmallowy" poops that seem to be a mix of cecotrope and normal poop.  The condition is sometimes called "Cowpoop Syndrome," for lack of a better term, but it is NOT "megacolon," as some vets mistakenly call it.

Do any of your bunnies who bloated fit any of the descriptions above?  Not all Cowpoop bunnies are white with dark eyes, but it's much more common in that color of rabbit.  If you suspect this could be the problem, then regular administration (2-5 times a week) of lactulose along with subQ fluids can help keep the bunny's gut contents hydrated, and prevent the blockage that is usually the proximate cause of the bloat.

If you suspect a bloat is developing, emergency administration of pediatric simethicone suspension, gentle tummy massage, and turning the bunny so he's lying on his left side while you massage can help.  Please also see:

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

I hope this helps.

Dana