Chronic GI Stasis problems

[Thomas Kernan]

Hi everyone.  This is our first post here.  We have a little lionhead bunny, Dandelion, that is nearly 3 years old.  She has had several GI Stasis problems over the course of her little life.  Recently she had a bad episode witha very large gas bubble trapped in her stomach, and had to be hospitalized for 2 days.  It was very scary.  We’re pretty experienced in taking care of her now because she has had so many episodes (4 -6 a year).  Normally some tummy massages, a little simethicone, and if needed some meloxicam, and metoclopramide will do th trick and she’ll be ok.  This time nothing was heping so we brought her in thankfully.  She is back home since last night, and this morning would not eat her greens.  Stayed home to take care of her and rub that little belly into a fine moving machine.  It may just take some time since this episode was so bad.  

I’ve looked all over the internet and asked her various vets (we’ve found a good office now but it was tough) what causes this, and the answers are always so unsatifactory.  We do not feed her pellets or fruit or any store mixes.  She gets plenty of western timothy hay, and lots of fresh greens with a good variety.  She eats better than us usually.  Her bonded mate, Giovanni, eats all the same stuff, and gets none of these problems.  She does clean him alot though.  However she’s had these issues before they even met.  We’re at our wits end trying to figure out things that we can do differently to help prevent this as it is crazily stressful on bunnies and humans alike.  Does anyone have any good insights into what causes gas and stasis problems?  Her poos are much smaller than her partner’s in general.  Can bunnies have a stricture?  Can hair remain in the gut for a long time maybe not always causing a backup but clogging the pathway kind of like a fatty artery? 

well Any opinions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.  Time to rub the belly.

[Sarita]

Has the vet ever looked at her teeth?

[Thomas Kernan]

Yes.  She gets regular dental treatments every 4 – 8 weeks.  This last incident her teeth seemed just fine they said as it had only been a short while since they were last trimmed. 

[Sarita]

I would imagine that her episodes are somehow related to her dental problems.

[Andi]

Wow, what a nightmare 4-6 times a year! I have some bunnies that are 1 to 2 times a year, usually during molt.

I wish i could find this bit of information i just recently read, so I can quote it and post a link. For the life of me I cannot find it, but I am going to mention some of it just in case it may be relevent or lead somewhere. Anyways, it mentioned ulcers being a problem, and someting to do with the rabbits lower half of the stomach where it conects with the intestine, and how dead tissue build up or similar was found. Both being isses related to some rabbits and Stasis, though it could have also been bloat i was reading about. But as i said I mention this because it may be something to look further into.

I had a rabbit who had a bad case of GI Stasis the day after his neuter when i first got him. A few years later it happened again, and an X-Ray showed a blockage (and u could feel it, softball sized), I was able to get the rabbit to pass this a day before we had booked surgery. But months later when he showed same symptons and again a huge mass in his abdomen, we tried the same treatment. This is where things turned very surprising. He died, we did a necroscopy and found the huge ‘mass’ was a abcess on his right Kidney.

If you have not had X-rays done yet, i would suggest to do so, and even better maybe a ultrasound to see if there is anything that doesn’t look right.
For something simpler, make sure all the veggies you are feeding are not causing gas (Broccoli, cabbages etc.), that’s if you are not doing this already.
I will see if I can find all the Vet write up’s my Vet printed out for me to read on Stasis, and see if there is anything interesting there.

Good luck, and I sure hope you can find some answers on how to stop this repeated problem.

[Sarita]

Andi, are you referring to the bloat article Petzy posted because she mentions about 7% of rabbits being necropsied in 1980 had stomach ulcers and her theories were all speculative and more research is needed.

[Sarita]

Not the thing with the stomach ulcers though – my vet has mentioned this to me as well.

[Rippy]

I have similar problems with my 1 year old Lionhead. First time he molted it took 2 weeks before he was feeling normal again. Now he is molting again and he had 3 stasis incidents in little over a week but we managed to get him going again in a few hours. Thing is my Shmoo is just a terrible hay eater and as soon as there are GI problems on the horizon he will eat even less of it. He is on Alfalfa hay now since it looks like this is the only hay he will eat enough of. He has been molting for about 2 weeks now so I hope he is done really really soon (so much stress).

[Thomas Kernan]

Thanks for the info.  She has a recheck on Saturday so I will be asking the doctor to see if she can find anything more abnormal than just gas like an ulcer or abcess.  She has been pretty good since I last posted.  She was running around with her playmate, but then seems to have gotten lethargic again and not pooping in the last hour.  I may just be too focused on it though.  Here’s to hoping she poops out that critical care she ate a bit ago.  

[Sarita]

Have him check the teeth again too.

[Thomas Kernan]

Oh I will. I’ll be asking alot of questions I think this time. She stopped pooping for a bit today, but just started again. It’s smaller than even this morning and very hairy. Have any of you ever used laxatone or anything like that? I have known a few people to do that but I’ve never tried.

[jerseygirl]

Welcome here! I really like the name for your little Lionhead!

This stasis thing is a puzzle. I have a Doe who gets gut slowdowns but not nearly as often as Dandelion. Still, we’d all like it to be zero episodes!
I also thought of ulcers like Sarita mentioned. We did have a member here that posted about their rabbit having developed chronic GI problems. I think they did end up giving something for stomach ulcers but haven’t heard any updates. (Members username is Blackavar3 if you want to look it up). Ulcers can be the result of another underlying problem and/or stress. You may want to talk to your vet about a full workup to see if there are any underlying problems.

I have read that people have found that a diet of pellets and hay and no veg actually helped though not a popular diet recommendation. By the way, I’m not suggesting you do such a big diet change. I do think that it might be worth testing with vegetables though. Taking out certain ones or quantities for example. Some rabbits just don’t seem to cope that well with veggies. I wonder whether they don’t have the adequete enzymes to break down some forms of the food?

With laxatone, make sure the rabbit is well hydrated if you choose to use it. As it’s petroleum based, it can give a waterproof like coating to gut content. If the content is not adequetely hydrated first, it’s more difficult to get it softened after laxatone is given.

[lashkay]

Awww, I hope the roses go back in the cheeks of little Dandelion…Gosh, you learn something new everyday. Jerseygirl, I didn’t know all that about hydration and Laxatone. I would just squirt about as much Laxatone (or Petromalt, as its also known) as we put toothpaste on our toothbrush, it was the same consistency as toothpaste gel too, on my finger and Lash (my first bunny) would consume it off my fingers. Laxatone is malt flavored and Lash loved it! But I was flying blindly, little did I realize that it might have truck with Lash’s hydration issues or anything else. Now I will be more watchful that the bunny gets enough water before giving it Laxatone. Is that what you would say to watch out for?

[jerseygirl]

lashkay, I do know others use laxatone as a preventative during molting time. Using it for years without issue like you have done. I think the caution is using it when a rabbit is already has a large gut impaction. Last thing you want then in not being able to soften up the mass with fluids. In general use though it’s up to the caregiver. As general maintainance: water and hay primarily the other aids (such as papaya and laxatone) as secondary measures. In my opinion.

[Andi]

Is you bunny eating her cecotropes?
Are you giving any extra’s like acidophilus to help maintain healthy gut flora?

This is a quote from my Vet;

In the gut, gas is produced all the time. If you have a fairly normal flora and balance, it is not an issue. If you have a mild imbalance, stasis will form. If it is severe and sudden imbalance, you get bloat.

I know when we are helping orphaned baby bunnies, we will feed them other healthy rabbits cecotropes and then acidophilus in their feedings to help maintain a healthy flora, as they are not getting that healthy bactiria from their mothers milk anymore. Healthy guts for rabbits is a must, specially in these babies bunnies, or we loose them.
I myself have to take acidophilus after any antibiotics I take, as the antibiotics don’t just kill off the bad bactiria but the good, and I get gut ‘issues’, I do the same for my own bunnies, giving them acidophilus after an antibiotic treatment has finished. Which has also been reccomended by my Vet.

It’s unfortunate there are so many ‘things’ that can be the cause of tummy troubles in bunnies, making it difficult to narrow down. I would get everything looked at again, and then keep a diet diary for your bunny, to keep track and monitor if there are any affects from foods.

Sarita – Thanks for clearing that up, my brains flustered this week LOL. I had sent the link to my Vet to read over, she sent me back some great info too. Her email back to me started with

I love reading the articles that you send me on bunnies. It helps me to understand the information owners are receiving and their interpretation of events. That helps me speak with owners more clearly.

[Thomas Kernan]

I just read that simethicone work by making smaller bubbles combine into bigger ones making it easier to pass. I always assumed it worked the opposite way. My vet always does not recommend it… and now I am worried it might not be good. It is recommended on-line so much though?

[Andi]

Can you link where it’s mentioned how simethicone works? Because that does seem odd, making one big one instead.
I use Ovol for gas, like many others and have found it very helpful, getting a non eating bunny running around and eating after just a couple hours.

 

NVM, i looked it up –

Chemical action and pharmaceutical effects

Simethicone is an anti-foaming agent that decreases the surface tension of gas bubbles, causing them to combine into larger bubbles in the stomach that can be passed more easily by burping. Simethicone does not reduce or prevent the formation of gas in the digestive tract, rather, it increases the rate at which it exits the body.^[1] However, simethicone can relieve pain caused by gas in the intestines by decreasing foaming which then allows for passing of flatus. Simethicone is not absorbed by the body into the bloodstream, and is therefore considered relatively safe, with sources reporting the worst side effects as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas and heartburn. While sold as a treatment for colic, randomised controlled trials have not borne this claim out.^[2][3]

Simethicone solutions of differing concentration also have industrial applications for reducing foaming in certain chemical processes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simethicone

[Thomas Kernan]

Well Dandelion is starting to do a better. Still not 100%, but getting better. Where do you get acidophilus? One time she was given some probiotics. That will be another I ask the vet about tomorrow. Does anyone else use them?

[Thomas Kernan]

I have been reading a bit about GI Stasis vs. Bloat… I am not sure but just a guess, I wonder if simethicone sometimes helps and sometimes worsens the situation. If there is pain from the foam… maybe the simethicone helps. However, maybe at times the the simethicone causes the bubbles to stick together and become too large, causing bloat? If one of the side effects is bloating I could see how this could happen. I am not sure but I might stop using simethicone on our rabbits if they get stasis and see what happens. Her situation this stasis, prompt me to try this. Sometimes, the simethicone has seemed to work in the past, but below is what happened this time.

I caught the Dandelion getting sick earlier because I was at home for lunch around 3:00 pm which is earlier than when I catch it at 6:00 pm, which is when I get home from work. I gave her a dosage of metaclopromide and some simethicone. When we came home from work,s he was not doing well still. We gave her meloxicam right away. From here we tried the belly rubs, letting her run, and syringe feeding here critical care. She was letting the critical care drip out of the side of her mouth instead of swallowing it. As time passed we gave her more belly rubs, a bit more simethicone, but she seemed to be getting worse. She was starting to get more lethargic and let me pick her up super easily which is a bad sign in our feisty bunny. Around 12:00 am she still had not eaten much so we thought to syringe feed again. However, after just 10ccs her abdomen felt bigger. I was worried our usual routine when she gets the stasis was not working. So we got her to the emergency vet, which luckily is an exotic emergency vet. They showed us the xray and the gas bubble in her stomach was huge! They started her on an IV which is the most drastic measure that has had to be taken with her so far. Anyway she is better, but I can’t help but wonder if the simethicone made all the smaller gas bubbles into one giant one?

I will post here if we have better luck not using simethicone. Our one bunny seems prone to stasis, so unfortunately we have had to get her through many of these instances. We are lucky and thankful that she has made it through so many instances. We do have her on a regular dental schedule, no sugary treats, and she gets the same greens as her partner Gio who does not get stasis.

[jerseygirl]

With bloat, it’s said the gas collects because of a blockage or a plug if you will. I suppose even if the gas bubbles go from lots of small ones to one big one, it’s still the same amount of gas trapped. So if there is an actual blockage, I don’t think smithecone could actually worsen the situation.

Using smithe is one of those things you can use early on before seeking vet treatment or if your rabbit seems a bit off. You can see that at the beginning of a stasis episode or just from a bit of gas from foods. I’ve also read an article by a vet where he said he didn’t use it much in treatment anymore as gas was rarely an issue in stasis. There was no caution though about it being harmful to use – just that it may be of little use.   In Jerseys last episode, she did have a bit of gas in her cecum but motility drugs go her right again. So I’m not convinced that gas isn’t an issue in stasis…I thinkit does start to build during a gut slowdown.  Then again, her “stasis” could have just been a bad gas episode.  Chicken or the egg scenario.

I’ve always gotten the impression that it is an inert substance and have not come across warnings not to use it unless it was to do with a batch recall. It’s one of those “jury’s out” situation whether it’s effective though. I have used it and seen positive effects for mild gas episodes in the rabbits.

[mikenyny]

My male rabbit – Lionhead 1 1/2 years old – stopped eating, gradually over a few days. After was no longer taking apple peal – our “treat” – I took a closer look and he was having a problem in biting and chewing so I took him to the vet. She found that his 2 top front teeth had the condition called malocclusion. She showed me and they had grown about 1cm longer – bowing outwards. She had the device to cut the teeth – gradually, one at a time, and did so.
The next day he was able to eat 1/2 pellets from my hand but his food intake gradually tailored off again, so I took him back to the vet about a week later. This time the “regular” vet was there and cut the top 2 teeth down a bit more and filed them off as well. I had taken some pictures from the internet of “normal” rabbit teeth, and now his teeth looked pretty normal except for the slight bowing outwards. She said that I should keep an eye on their growth and bring him back if they needed cutting again.
However, his food intake didn’t get any better; in fact it slowed to almost nothing although he was drinking a lot of water. I check the internet and (on entering “rabbit drinks but does not eat”) kept coming up with “GI stasis”. I took him back to the vet and told her he was not eating, not pooping but drinking an awful lot; I was by now feeding him with a large syringe with blended mush from his normal vegie diet. I asked her to check his teeth, mouth and throat – which she did and everything was fine (as well as his temperature – which was also fine). She then suggested an X-ray. The X-ray results showed he had an awful lot of gas (full) in his stomach and she said – what I had in fact also mentioned – he had GI stasis. She prescribed 3 items:
Criticalcare (powder), Cisapride liquid and Metoclopramide syrup – but said I had to buy the last item from the pharmacy myself as she didn’t have any.
Tip: With the Criticalcare powder, you have to mix it with HOT water before you can administer it with the large syringe. When you have mixed it, let it cool. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find the Metoclopramide, but the good news is (after only 2 (2x a day) doses, he has started eating again – so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[Sarita]

Hi mikenyny – I’m glad your rabbit is better. I am going to lock this post however since you replied to a post from 2010. You need to start a new post instead of piggybacking on old posts…please feel free to send a PM to any forum leader if you need help on posting a new post.

[Author]

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