# Bloated tummy



## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

My little guy Bunzai is about 3 months old. At about 3am I noticed his tummy was very bloated. At midnight I had given him a dish of water which he drank awfully fast (he also has a water bottle but I suspected he wasnt getting enough water from it). I figured the bloating was due to the fast intake of water but at 11am he was still bloated. His stools are also runny and a reddish/orange. There hasn't been a change in food or anything and he still acts 100% normal. I'm awfully concerned however. Any suggestions?


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

reddish/orange as in blood? i'm not even going to ask the general questions here and am just going to say that with the bloated belly and runny stools that are an odd color a vet visit is probably a good idea.


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

He has a vet appointment for 11am tomorrow already. I've been keeping a very close eye on him. Should I save any stools for the vet? And should I take any food away from him or just let him still go on as usual?


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

don't take his food away unless specifically told to do so by a licensed vet. stools i would try to take him out right before his appointment and put him in a bathtub so you can get a fresh stool and urine sample (just suck the urine up in a syring and take it in. do it as close to the vet appt as possible and keep in the fridge until you go to keep it fresh). make sure the urine is urine from a spot that doesn't have any feces in it though. having a fresh urine and stool sample is usually a good idea in case he won't provide one while there. 

you might go ahead and call the vet to ask about the food though and whether or not you need to hold it tonight since his belly is so bloated and it could be a sign of internal blockage or might just be gas or something else so best to ask the vet.


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

Bunzai is no longer acting like himself. All he has wanted to do is lay down and cuddle and usually I can't keep him to sit still. He's laying on his belly on a heating pad right now and I plan to stay up all night in case he gets worse and needs to go to the vet. Poor little guy is not feeling well at all. He is still eating and drinking however, which gives me some hope that he's gonna make it through. I'm terribly worried though.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

Sorry to hear. Keep us updated. Hope he's okay.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Is his abdomen swollen? If so, get him in sooner than the time you have listed. That type of swelling can be caused by internal bleeding. My very first hedgehog's stomach swelled/bloated. She was eating and drinking fine. We took her to the vet and learned she had a tumor that had ruptured and she was bleeding internally. She was eating mealworms 30 minutes before we euthanized her.

Abdominal swelling is a huge concern for me because of this and for me it is an urgent matter.


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

I think it was gas because his belly is normal now and he's back to running on his wheel til 9 this morning. I don't think I'm going to take him to the vet now. His stools are back to normal as well.


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

Nevermind I'm still bringing him


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Good idea. If something was wrong enough to cause him to bloat and it changed, I would have his stool tested and have doc check him over. Its better to have him checked out by a professional and have nothing be wrong now, than to have it come back and for the situation to be much worse or untreatable due to the wait.


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

Bunzai did very well at his appointment. The vet felt his belly and took a stool sample. Her guess was that it's just gas built up. He was an instant celebrity and everyone thought he was adorable. I'll know the results from the stool tomorrow.


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Keeping you in my thoughts. Please let us all know when you get the results tomorrow. So glad the vet wasn't too stressful for him.


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## Pickle (Sep 11, 2011)

Bunzai12 said:


> Bunzai did very well at his appointment. The vet felt his belly and took a stool sample. Her guess was that it's just gas built up. He was an instant celebrity and everyone thought he was adorable. I'll know the results from the stool tomorrow.


Glad to hear that, I've been reading along. Keeping fingers crossed!


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

glad to hear you got him in and he did so well (mine didn't want anything to do with the vet visit :lol: ) hope his stools turn out okay. keep us updated


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

The vet called and said his stool was normal. He still sleeps all the time though (he's not trying to hibernate though). He never used his wheel once last night. The vet said if by Monday he doesn't become more active than put him on 3 hour fast and she will do bloodwork and xray. Normally I can't get him to sit still. His bly is no longer bloated though.


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

Is it possible he's just depressed? I'm trying to get him active but he just wants to sleep.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Has he eaten at all? Drank on his own? 
If not, then definitely vet again. If so, how much? Usual amount?
And if he really hasn't eaten at all, then you'll need to start syringe feeding if he won't eat any other way.


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## Bunzai12 (Oct 26, 2011)

He's been eating and drinking normally and just this morning he was back on his wheel again


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