E. coli and rabbit food

Question
Can bacteria on leafy vegetables like coriander or parsley, dill, lettuce, or celery, carrots, etc. cause gi problems in rabbits? I am also wondering if e-coli which has been found on some vegetables lately (in the news) is a problem for rabbits and if so, what are the symptoms? Is washing vegetables with tap water good enough? I am asking because the last two times my bun had stasis problems was a few days after feeding him carrots, and this time after feeding him coriander.
Also, last night I gave my rabbit some fresh squeezed pineapple juice. The first time was fine. Later I gave him some more and it caused a bad reaction - he was running around, opening his mouth and putting his front paws up like he was trying to get something out of his mouth, it kind of looked like he was regurgitating and chewing more and swallowing it again. He was very agitated. It seemed like maybe he was gasping for air and breathing through his nose very quickly. When he finally settled down, we left some celery leaves and celery for him over night before we went to bed. He ate quite a bit overnight, but I can still feel a mass in his stomache (the reason we gave him the pineapple juice as advised by another 'expert' who said it would break down the mass- which does seem to have gotten smaller-). Upon examining his feces, which were average size today, we found that there were pieces of paper inside (or at least it looked like paper) and was easy to break up, whereas before, when the gi problem started his poop had gotten really small and hard.
Is it okay for me to keep feeding him pineapple juice (which he seems to enjoy) and celery? Is celery good for rabbits?
I just checked him again and his stomache is gassy (rumbling) and he is sitting still.
Your advice is much appreciated.


Answer
Dear Pepper,

E. coli bacteria can cause GI problems in rabbits as they can in humans.  Signs of infection would be true diarrhea/runny stool with a very strong, disagreeable odor.  Prompt treatment with oral ciprofloxacin is usually an effective remedy, but it must be done quickly to avoid dehydration and other complications.  If you don't already have a good rabbit vet, you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

It sounds as if your bunny may have aspirated pineapple juice, which can be very serious, if he got a significant amount in his lungs.  When syringe feeding a bunny *anything*, you must be sure to squirt sideways, make sure his head is tilted downwards, and administer slowly so he doesn't inhale anything.  Aspiration can cause pneumonia, which can be life-threatening.  If he's still acting lethargic and inappetent, he needs to be seen by a good rabbit vet immediately.  As my instructions say, if a rabbit is not eating and acting lethargic, the internet is not the place to seek help.  Get bunny to a vet right away.

Pineapple juice--especially canned--will not do much to break up a hairball, and the high sugar content can promote gas and GI upset.  The key to getting a bunny to pass an intestinal mass is to get the mass hydrated, which you can do by feeding very wet greens, giving subcutaneous fluids, and administering osmotic laxatives such as lactulose (from the vet) or epsom salts dissolved in water.  Please read this for full instructions:

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

I hope your bunny will be fine soon.

Dana