How can you tell if a rabbit has gas and what should you do?

Answer 1

Gas is very serious in rabbits, and can even lead to death. Because their belly hurts, rabbits will often decide not to eat, but when rabbits don't eat they quickly go into GI stasis. (Rabbits can't safely fast, not even for short periods, like humans, cats, and dogs can.)

GI stasis can kill your rabbit within a day or two, so it's important to closely observe your bunny's health and behaviour every single day. Many rabbits die because no one paid attention until it was too late.

Certain foods are likely to give your bunny gas. Some rabbits are more sensitive to these foods than others. If your bunny gets gas easily, avoid these foods entirely; if not, just don't feed them too often or in large amounts. These foods are:

• Bell peppers
• Non-leafy vegetables and fruits: any veg high in carbohydrates (sugars, starches)
• Cruciferous Vegetables:
• Watercress and other cresses
• Mustard greens
• Kale
• Collards
• Chinese broccoli/Gai-lan
• Cabbages
• Brussels sprouts
• Kohlrabi
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Bok choy and other choys
• Rapini/Broccoli rabe
• Turnip and Japanese variants (Komatsuna, Mizuna, Tatsoi)
• Rutabaga
• Canola/Rapeseed
• Arugula/Rocket
• Radish
• Daikon

Signs of Gas/Pain

• Not eating or drinking - won't even accept a favourite treat
• Lying with belly pressed flat and hard against the floor, or sitting in tight, hunched position
• Glazed eyes or squinting
• Sudden aggressiveness
• Tooth grinding - this is different from the gentle, rhythmic "purring" sound that happy rabbits make; it's louder, crunchier, irregular in rhythm
• Sudden shyness, hiding, facing the corner, or lying down in unusual and hidden places
• Reluctance to move or difficulty moving
• Lack of interest in surroundings and your company, loss of curiosity
• Bloating
• Loud gurgling noises coming from the belly

First Aid for GasMassagethe rabbit's belly gently, from below the ribs down to the abdomen. Rub as deeply as your rabbit will allow; but, if he struggles, let him go: the massage should feel good, not painful, and you could bruise the internal organs and make things worse.

If you feel big gas bubbles, try to break the up and move them toward the back end. Try rubbing in circles, or in a rippling/vibrating motion. Try raising the rabbit's hind end (tuck the rabbit's head in your elbow, and support the spine). Try using an electric or battery-powered vibrating massager.

Simethicone in liquid suspension (look in the baby aisle of the pharmacy)

The usual dose for rabbits is 20mg administered once every hour for the first three hours, then once every eight hours. A large rabbit might require a bigger dose.

You have to read the label to find the mg:mL ratio in your bottle, because this isn't standard across different brands. (Note that a CC and an mL is the same measurement.) For example: If the ratio is 20mg/1mL, then your dose is 1CC. If the ratio is 60mg/1mL, then your dose is 0.3CC.

If your bunny doesn't get better after a few hours you should go to the "rabbit-savvy" vet because the bunny needs pain medications, motility drugs, and fluids. Pain medication is an extremely important part of recovery for rabbits, and you absolutely can't give a rabbit human pain medications. See related question below for info about rabbit vets.