secondary gi stasis - please help

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 1sd reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 9 months ago by Wick & Fable.

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- 10/11/2017 at 3:36 AM
  lacy
  Participant
  1 posts
  Long time lurker. Great info here. I need help. : -( Long post.
  My 2 year old bunny (10 lbs) stopped eating on thursday night after eating his dinner. he is fed 1/2 cup timothy hay based pellets through out the day, all he can eat timothy hay, and a otn of kale and other greens. i took him to the vet friday morning at 9:30.
  
  They told me he had pasteurella/respiratory infection and that was causing him to not eat, because he didn’t feel well. They put him in an oxygen tank for 4 hours and he ate a piece of kale while in there. The doctor sent me home after giving him fluids and some gut motility drug – I believe it started with a C, i’m unsure. His directions were to try and entice him to eat and that his future looked bright. He also prescribed 1.1ml metacam 1x a day, 1ml baytril twice a day. I called him a few times once I got home with my bunto let him know he ate a piece of kale when i held it up to his face, that he had begun pooping a little, etc. He said these were all good signs.
  
  Fast forward to Sunday and I realize he is not eating as much at all again. some veggies, no hay or pellets, no poops. I make up my mind to take him to a 2nd vet for a 2nd opinion. I take him in 8:30 Monday morning to a vet that was recommended by another rabbit owner. She tells me all she can do is give him some fluids, that she seconds the respiratory infection after being around him for a few minutes (he was not breathing heavily or anything), and to just syringe feed him critcal care as he also has secondary GI stasis. She sends me home without critical care and with one 3ml syringe.
  
  I was trying to figure out how to syringe feed my 10 pound bunny, and how much he would need, and was constantly reearching GI stasis, as the $600 I spent obviously wasn’t going to get me any help. So, it’s tuesday now, and I am able to get about 35cc of critical care in him a day . I work 9-5. That’s with waking up at 3 AM after going to sleep at 11 PM to feed him more. I called my vet to follow up and she told me 40cc a day was no where near enough and I would need to be doing over 200cc a day. I wish she told me that yesterday and showed me how to syringe feed him, as most of yesterday was spent trying to figure out HOW to do it without hurting him. I also only had a 3cc syringe..!!!
  
  I need help. I don’t know what to do. He is still active but I worry the stress of me trying to syringe feed him might be making this worse. Neither vet did any kind of test on him that I am aware of, they just looked at him. I am worried about taking him to ANOTHER vet in such a short period of time and stressing him out, especially if they don’t do anything to help me. Today I only managed to syringe feed him about 38CC total during about 5 feedings. I also took it upon myself to syringe feed him 1/2 water and 1/2 pedialyte (unflavored.). He managed to get about 20cc of that thru out the day. I also have been giving him the baby gas drops as his tummy is rumbly. Today he has not pooped very much and they have been very tiny. I noticed him eating a lot of greens (it made me SO happy – he ate a lot of cilantro, kale, and baby spinach. well, a lot for how sick he has seemed) and picking at his hay. It seems like he does not want to eat his hay. I have tried 3-4 different varieties since Saturday. I just want my bunny to be ok. Can anyone please help me? Is there any way to get him to eat more critical care in one sitting? He seems to hate it so much.
- 10/11/2017 at 6:19 AM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5842 posts
  Did anyone look at his teeth per chance? Eating greens but not much hay is a potential sign of dental problems. See if he’s making weird mouth movements independently or if the hay bits he is eating are only partially chewed, then dropped out of his mouth.
  
  It sounds like your rabbit doesn’t like critical care? What consistency do you end up feeding him and have you tried mixing a bit of banana or something else in it to make it more enjoyable? Also, I’d continue to schedule the cc feedings to be before when you’d usually feed him greens (aka when he’s hungry) and just keep cc’ing him until he doesn’t take anymore. When Wick was on cc for being underweight, I think he got 5 syringes per sitting, so that was about 70cc per day, which is more than you currently have, less than what your vet required, but Wick is 2lbs, so the discrepancy is justified.
  
  It’s difficult balancing stress and health, but if he’s not eating, he needs the nutrients, thus he needs the cc, stressful or not. Rabbits are pretty empathetic, so don’t administer it expressing too much stress. Send him good vibes and calming phrases, even if he’s freaking out.
  
  In terms of consulting varying vets, I say never be afraid to suggest for a vet to consider this or potentially check out that. Wick has his latest molar grinding on Tuesday and I booked an appt on Friday because Wick was not his usual self. We went in and my vet was puzzled, but I insisted he’s still showing dental discomfort, despite a smooth operation. After a bit, Wick’s vet looked at his teeth again and behold we identified a new issue that’s he’s being treated for now. Had I just left following the general Re-exam, Wick wouldn’t have had his teeth rechecked to find the issue. Don’t hesitate to call or request a vet look at certain items.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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