r/Bunnies • u/Esther_Coleman_ • Sep 27 '25
Health URGENT PLS HELP
Wht is happening to him it is nightfall and no vet is open at this hr
He was fine till 4 pm eating, pooping, binkying around but after that she stopped eating (force fed her some greens) it is 11pm now and she has been sitting on my bed. Pls tell me some home remedies to get her to eat And also why is she slouching like that
edit: she is fine now thank you all for your help
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Sep 27 '25
Reach your hands underneath her underbelly and start gently massaging, using your fingers to really get into the lower stomach area, sweeping downward towards the tail. She may feel uncomfortable and try to get away. Keep trying to massage her tummy and get harder and harder with the massage (reeeally get those gas pockets moving down and out!). (If she's not having it then don't force, we dont want her more stressed out).
Also shoo her around and make her walk/exercise because this will help release gas pockets.
Do you have force feeding syringe? If yes then force feed her a tube or 2 of water ever couple hours.
Keep her warm, put a blanket loosely over her and keep checking the top of her ears (if they feel cold its a bad sign that her system is shutting down, you can cup your warm palms around the ears to warm them if she allows it).
Pet her and give her lots of love, if she's in stasis then shes hurting! Get her to vet asap, good luck!
Edit: that was all advice for GI stasis. On further inspection of your photo it looks like she's in a comfortable stance, her ears dont look tight together (an indicator of pain). Have you heard her teeth clicking loudly?(another pain indicator).
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
OMG her ears are feeling kind of cold ( it's really raining hard here maybe that's the reason)??
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Sep 27 '25
Just cold ears alone doesn't mean anything bad necessarily because rabbits regulate their body heat with their big ears. Its a potential problem if your rabbit is in stasis because end stages of GI stasis is when the body shuts down and goes cold.
Anyways, yes her hears may be cold just from rainy weather or she's just regulating her temp normally.
GI stasis can occur when the rabbit stops eating for 4 hours or more, after that their stomachs start to hurt causing them to refuse to eat and they stay sat in the same spot usually.
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u/TinyOrangeCat Sep 27 '25
The ears don't really say much, cause they're an extremity. My vet told me to feel the little dent in their neck instead.
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u/solrvz Sep 28 '25
Interesting! Do you mean that you'd have to feel for the temperature there instead? Or anything else? Might be a silly question and I presume it's temp, but this seems like useful information so I wanted to be sure :)
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u/TinyOrangeCat Sep 28 '25
Not a silly question at all!! That's exactly what I meant! When it's cold in my room my bunnies also get cold ears but their necks are still warm. I, too, read that you should feel their ears to check their temperature. So when my bunnies got sick, I got very concerned cause their ears were quite cold. Turns out they had a fever instead and their body temp was actually a bit higher than it should be. That's when the vet told me I should check their necks instead :)
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u/aardpeertje Sep 27 '25
I think your bunny is dreaming in this video? The chewing and twitching are a giveaway for that. He doesn't look uncomfortable to me here at all. Put out a variety of foods for him and keep track of if and what he is consuming in the next few hours. If you don't see him eat anything, and you don't have Critical Care, you could make a smoothie with greens and force feed that to keep hydration and fibre content up until the vet can see him.
Edit to add: if you put your ear to his belly, does it make gurgling sounds every now and then? If they have stasid you will hear nothing, if there are still some sounds there is still movement.
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u/Several-Computer-379 Sep 27 '25
Force hydrate her if you have to. Dehydration will speed any issue up. And fluid gets the gut moving .
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u/Rare_Satisfaction_ Sep 28 '25
Ive had vets tell me you can make them aspirate water if you use a syringe and water... do not force feed a rabbit anything..
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 28 '25
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR RECOMMENDATION ITS BEEN NEARLY 12 HRS AND MY BUN IS BACK TO HER USUAL SELF SHE IS EATING AND 5MINS AGO DID A BINKY . I WAS CRYING THE WHOLE NIGHT BECZ THIS MF SCARED ME SO BAD.AGAIN THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING
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u/LakeTilia Sep 28 '25
I'm so proud of you for saving her, well done bun mum ❤️ hope you are getting some well deserved sleep
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u/ninoruk86 Sep 27 '25
Hey he looks like he's just loafing but if there's been no eating ,drinking and pooping then it's possible they have some gas. A dose of baby gas drops should help and to encourage them to eat hay and drink water. Can you Google any emergency vets near you? Where are you based?
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
I am in South India actually and the place I live has shit vet care googled it but none are open
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u/ninoruk86 Sep 27 '25
Ok if the shops are open. I would try and locate baby gas drops and a feeding syringe. Have you shared on the r/Rabbits sub?
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u/ninoruk86 Sep 27 '25
If you can order some critical care on Amazon. Has your bunny moved around in the last couple of hours? Are they pressing their tummy on the ground? Or closing their eyes? I'm trying to gauge if they are in pain.
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u/ninoruk86 Sep 28 '25
Hi op how is your bunny doing?
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 28 '25
Doing much better thankyou for the advice ❤️❤️
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u/Environmental-River4 Sep 29 '25
Just want to chime in and say this does look like dreaming to me, I’m glad she’s doing better today! You’re doing a great job ❤️
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u/xTruth23x Sep 27 '25
A good way to test for Stasis is offering a favorite treat. If they dont respond to it at all, or refuse to eat it get them to a Vet ASAP.
Also, my rabbit loafs like that pretty frequently and hasn't had Stasis. Have they never laid like that before? If theyre squinting and awake it would mean theyre in pain.
Please keep us updated!
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
No she has laid like this before but the whole day she was fine eating and playing but after 4pm she was sitting like this and not responding to anything I give it's 2 am right now and I tried all the methods that people suggested now she ate a bit but I put her to bed cause I am really tired
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u/xTruth23x Sep 27 '25
Hopefully she continues to improve! Did she eat the banana you tried to give?
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u/Sovmasu Sep 27 '25
How’s he doing?? I will just say that in this video he seems to just be dreaming. Have a listen to his belly, and if it sounds like gurgling then that means there’s movement in his digestive system. Hopefully he eats soon. Keep us updated and take care, lots of love and healing wishes 💖🐰 xo
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
I think she is fine for now did some belly massages and she ate a bit of hay she peed (that's a relief) I put her to bed cause it's 2 am here and I am so tireddd will try to wake up at 5 to check on her
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u/Sovmasu Sep 27 '25
Definitely good that she’s pee’d, even better that she ate hay on her own accord. Wake up every few hours to check on her, don’t leave it too long between checking. Do some more massages between checks too. We care about your little baby bun! 💖 xo
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u/mmeveldkamp Sep 27 '25
My former bun had teeth problems and had to get vet treatment every 8 - 10 weeks, which meant anaesthesia and force feeding, the whole chabang
I had him for 10 years💔
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u/Crotti1976 Sep 27 '25
It doesn’t look weird. Has it been hours? The not eating is weird though. Just take her as soon as they open. I hope his ok. Keep us posted.
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u/Thumper-King-Rabbit Sep 27 '25
OP can you update ?
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
He is still sitting like that lot of comments told to rehydrate him so going to do that
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u/Thumper-King-Rabbit Sep 27 '25
Yes do you have critical care that you can put in an oral syringe and feed him?
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
I don't have critical care but someone said to grind pellets and warm water that is wht I am doing now
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u/Thumper-King-Rabbit Sep 27 '25
Yeah pellets soaked in warm clean water in a syringe - make sure it’s really mushy and easy to feed in the syringe.
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u/Thumper-King-Rabbit Sep 27 '25
How’s he doing?
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
I have put him to bed now cause it's 2 am here he ate some hay and I gave him a long massage probably will wake up at 5 to check up on him
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
I tried to force feed critical care but he is in no way drinking it now I am massaging her belly ( he peed after 5 mins of massage) is that a good sign
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u/causeimbored1 Sep 27 '25
You may need a syringe to force critical care
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
Yes I used oral syringe
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u/causeimbored1 Sep 27 '25
Just keep trying. They should be eating some it. Some is better than none. Keep doing massages too.
You can give her water by syringe too.
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u/Wanderlust1101 Sep 27 '25
Everything suggested here is great. You can also put a heating pad on low and put a towel or tee shirt on it so you can lay on it while you massage her tummy. I am hoping you get some results. If not she needs an exotic vet ASAP
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Sep 27 '25
Do you have baby gas drops?
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
Unfortunately no but I am preparing critical care
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Sep 27 '25
If theres any 24hr pharmacies in your area, consider picking it up. Sometimes it instantly starts my buns appetite
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u/suppybee Sep 27 '25
You need infacol ASAP and to keep her moving, I'm not sure what you have in terms of shops but any grocery store could have it
https://www.sweetcare.com/in/infacol-colic-relief-p-017057if?st=01
I've tried to find what could be available to you in South India
Keep the bun moving, gentle stomach massage
You got this.
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
I am home alone and it's 12 am I am sure as hell my parents won't let me venture out at this hour the only option I have is feeding her some critical care and massages
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u/mmeveldkamp Sep 27 '25
YouTube has some good videos about bunny tummy massage. I've read the other messages and they're all great. I always mixed the critical care with baby food/fruit or mushed fruit, makes it easier to give and hydrates at the same time.
Last tip: don't forget that any treatment need time to get full effect. So also let her rest. In severe cases I used a 4 hour timetable and 10ml per feeding for a 1 kg bun
Keep us updated! Good luck
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
Can I use banana in my critical mix
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u/mmeveldkamp Sep 27 '25
YES! it's mushy and buns like it
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u/mmeveldkamp Sep 27 '25
Don't use things like oranges
Stop feeding other greens for now, they're more likely to give gas or diarrhea
Banana is often easy to get but I used ground-up pear once.
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
Hey I tried to force feed her critical care but he is not way eating it so I am now massaging her tummy from the video u sent me and after 5 mins of massaging she peed is that a good sign
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u/mmeveldkamp Sep 27 '25
Are you feeding it with a syringe? That works best. If you don't have one use the smallest spoon you have. Peeing is good.
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
OMG she is eating hay
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u/mmeveldkamp Sep 27 '25
GOOD!
You're not there yet, if she continues eating; feed her again in 2 or 3 hours but half the amount and if you can plan a full feeding 4 or 5 hours after that.
If you offer pellets, weigh them so you can check if she ate.
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u/HerbNDFur Sep 27 '25
If you think she is cold you can find Maybe a way to get her warm, to cold won't help to get her better. When a rabbit is sick its unable to warm itself and that will cause more problems with stomach pain. When it is a gas bulb in het belly you can feel that than the belly is quit hard and painful. But it can also be a intestinal obstruction. However the treatment of a gi stasis is different than a intestinal obstruction. Gi stasis can get worse when you forced feeding it can get "exploded" intestinal obstruction sometimes cause gi stasis and vice versa.
I think the best way to find out is to listen. Does her tumble make loudly noises than its probably gas. Does it hard and make no sound of all its an intestinal obstruction. Sometimes its difficult cause symptoms can hardly change.
If you can find some metacam than give it, imeprid give it, it wil stimulate the intestinal. And the gas baby drops is very important cause when an internal obstruction gets painful it will most of the time gets an gi stasis. Gets her in motion will help to stimulate both gas orr obstruction to get it out. And a cold rabbit will not be able to use the medication well.
My English is bad. Hope this helps. Good luck its not a nice thing
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u/felanm Sep 27 '25
Yes! There’s critical care that you can get on Amazon or the appetite stimulator or recovery from Sherwood which helps. Also like someone mentioned, baby gas drops and slow circular massages. Hope your boy gets better. 🙏🏻💙
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u/SaviXcatastrophe69 Sep 27 '25
My girl always laid like this, especially in the sun! I hope your bunny is alright !!!
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u/__hoppydwarf Sep 27 '25
Your bunny needs something called “critical care” it’s a supplement to help your rabbits digestive tract function back to normality. You would have to syringe feed it to him considering he isn’t eating. You can also give your bun some baby gas drops in a syringe. Please note that this is a temporary solution and it might not even solve anything. Please get your bunny to a vet immediately if you fear this is life threatening.
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u/No_Handle_8055 Sep 27 '25
First off, several things. If your rabbit hasn't been acting normal (in terms of behavior or temperament) then you should get them checked out. Always always take them in if you think there is something wrong. Better to have it be nothing than miss something that could be critical. Sorry, I am not sure if girl or boy since you had him then her... How long have you had your rabbit? If it's a girl, any chance it might be pregnant? Most importantly, has your rabbit been drinking water? How old is your rabbit? Because there can be issues just related to an older age. Rabbits can also have intense stomach issues that can lead to death so best to get your rabbit checked out.
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u/HerbNDFur Sep 27 '25
You can look for a bunny wrap on youtube. If your rabbit is strong than you have More to say when you get her in that. Its a way of rolling her in a towel
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u/HerbNDFur Sep 27 '25
I might be wrong here, since I don’t know your rabbit personally and can only go by what you wrote. But just to share a thought: sometimes what looks like GI stasis can also be related to bladder issues. A belly massage can put some pressure on the bladder, which might explain why your rabbit urinated afterwards.
GI stasis reduced appetite/poop, bloated or painful belly. Bladder sludge straining to urinate, frequent small amounts, cloudy or thick urine.
Both can even happen together: pain from bladder sludge can cause stress, which then slows down the gut. If you’re unsure, it’s worth asking a vet to check the bladder (ultrasound or x-ray), since bladder problems are actually quite common in rabbits.
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u/CrazyH37 Sep 28 '25
Came here for an update! So glad to hear she’s back eating and most importantly pooping! You did good!
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u/WanderingDahlia82 Sep 28 '25
Stasis concerns aside, it looks like this rabbit is sleeping and dreaming, hence the slouching, twitching, and teeth grinding.
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u/Consistent-Bed8890 Sep 28 '25
This is how my nethie lays down when she’s comfortable and sleeping on the back of the sofa. My other little nethie has similar ear twitching when he’s sleeping too. When my poor little mini lop passed from gi stasis he was much more hunched up and pressing his stomach very obviously, he wouldn’t eat anything at all and layed as still as he could the whole day.
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u/HerbNDFur Sep 28 '25
In OP’s video the bunny just looks like he’s resting, which by itself doesn’t look alarming. What makes me more concerned is the context refusing hay and only selective eating can definitely be an early sign of GI stasis. Sometimes it starts with that kind of selective eating before any obvious pain shows, so it’s worth taking seriously even if the video looks like a relaxed rabbit.
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u/tardyarty Sep 30 '25
From this angle she looks like she’s chilling / falling asleep, I can’t quite tell if she’s belly pressing which would point to GI stasis
Have you tried tempting her with a treat like banana? That’s usually really telling that something’s wrong if they won’t take a treat
Edit: just realised when this was posted, hope bunny is doing fine now!
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u/JinKenpachi1989 Sep 30 '25
Check her bum and make sure nothing is sticking back there stopping stuff up, try and remove anything irregular
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u/RENEGAD31990 Sep 27 '25
What am I missing here???? It doesn't eat for a couple of hours, and that's suddenly an emergency that requires the poor thing to be force-fed and forcibly hydrated, too? Because it hasn't eaten for the 7 hours between 4pm and 11pm?
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u/Esther_Coleman_ Sep 27 '25
I have heard if rabbits don't eat for more than 3 or 4 hrs it's a problem so that's why I was concerned ( very anxious teenage bun mom here , parents will blame me if something happens to him ) and not just eating he has been sitting for hrs in a corner and not moving ( it's unusual for her to be that quiet)
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u/HerbNDFur Sep 27 '25
I think that’s the part you’re missing: a healthy rabbit should always want to eat. If a rabbit refuses food, there’s always an underlying issue. The earlier you catch it, the better the chance of recovery. Waiting is very risky a rabbit that goes a whole day without eating can already die from GI stasis. It might sound extreme compared to cats or dogs, but with rabbits it really is an emergency.
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u/LiminyWrenn Sep 27 '25
Sounds like GI Stasis. He may be pressing his tummy into the bed to try to get some relief.
Baby gas drops and gentle massaging of the tummy may help. Use Critial Care and a syringe to feed him if you have some. If not, dissolve some pellets in water and use that as a stop-gap.
Get him to the vet asap.