Rabbit ate carpet

Question
Hello, About three weeks ago, my rabbit ate about 3 square inches of carpet,
including the plastic netting the carpet strands are woven into. He has never
stopped eating/drinking/pooping, but it does take him much longer to eat
the usual amount (a previously insatiable eater), and he has passed some of
the carpet fibers/netting, but I do not believe all that he ate. In addition, he
has had a few (less than 10 total I would guess) small droppings, with most
being the normal size. His main symptoms are taking longer to eat and being
mostly subdued. I took him to the vet last weekend and she thought his
stomach felt full and prescribed laxatone (she is recommended on
rabbit.org). The carpet fibers are still coming out in his droppings, but only
one or two a day, and now the fibers are shriveled looking, instead of the
fluffy looking fibers that he passed in the first two weeks. He eats timothy
hay, some grain hay, several types of leafy greens and a total of 1/4 cup of
timothy hay pellets a day, he is a rescued three pound holland lop. Since
taking the laxatone, he has been much more active/in good spirits, but is still
taking longer to eat, and still passing some fibers. Finally, my question is:
how long do you think it will take for the carpet to pass and do you think
there is a chance that it could turn into a blockage at any point? Thank you
for reading all of this, and for your consideration. Thanks! Sami

Answer
Hi Sami,

I can't tell you how long it will take to pass through.  Three square inches in a small bunny may take awhile, but if he's a good hay eater this is helping to pass it through, along with the laxatone (malt flavored petroleum jelly).

As long as he's eating, and he's got normal output quantities for what he's eating, it will work its way through him.  

He's a chewer and you need to give him safe and acceptable alternatives.  Seagrass mats, wicker balls, tubes and tents, lots of fresh timothy hay, hay cubes, are all good alternatives.  even untreated pine wood blocks coated with some vegetable oil are good.

If he still goes after the carpet area, put some 12" x 12" ceramic floor tiles down (upside down, so that he doesn't slip on them) over that area so he can't get at the carpet.

Lee

PS - just watch him very carefully for the near future and watch his intake and output.  If his appetite drops, and he's not excited about food and such - doesn't appear hungry or won't eat, get him back to the vet right away and have them do an xray of his gi tract.