The readers' digest version of this answer is that bloat is a condition in which rabbits, particularly those between 4 to 8 weeks of age, become inflicted with - and 98% of them die. The outward symptoms are that that the rabbit stops eating and drinking, it becomes lethargic, its belly often swells up, and often times this is further complicated with presence of mucous in the poop, or freely coming out instead of poop. Most commonly, the rabbit dies within 72 hours, however it can last as long as a couple of weeks.
There are several reasons a rabbit gets "bloat". Rather than give a detailed description of each, I will list the names of these causes: 1 - Mucoid Enteritis 2- Bacterial Enteritis 3- Coccidia 4- GI Stasis. All 4 of these cause the same symptoms, so its important to do the homework and know which problem you have on your hands. Coccidia is the easiest to discover, as it can be detected by a fecal test done via a Vet. Detection of the other 3 varieties is not so easily discovered. The common denominator though is that the rabbit will have either diarrhea or constipation.
There are several reasons a rabbit gets "bloat". Rather than give a detailed description of each, I will list the names of these causes: 1 - Mucoid Enteritis 2- Bacterial Enteritis 3- Coccidia 4- GI Stasis. All 4 of these cause the same symptoms, so its important to do the homework and know which problem you have on your hands. Coccidia is the easiest to discover, as it can be detected by a fecal test done via a Vet. Detection of the other 3 varieties is not so easily discovered. The common denominator though is that the rabbit will have either diarrhea or constipation.