I’m sorry you’re gonna through this. I had a bun who passed to this a while back. I always say this, never give gut motility drugs before an X-ray as a blockage in an intestine could be ruptured from the meds. And X-rays can’t always show a blockage( my one had a blockage that an X-ray couldn’t show).

Metaclopromode and cisapride are amazing drugs but can cause very intensive mussel cramping pains when used together. Mine was on it for 12 hours and had to take him off metaclopromide since it was too much with cisapride. Sometimes 2 is worse than just one drug. Are you syringe feeding him pure water? He might be dried up somewhere along the gi tract and direct moisture to that area can help soften things up. And you’re doing the four feedings that critical care says to do? Have you been able to see a different rabbit savvy vet for this?

This is an emergency that needs to be seen and I’m sorry no one responded earlier. Ask the vet if you can discontinue one of the gut motility drugs. You can stretch the stomach muscles enough to where the receptors can’t talk with eachother to tell them to empty the stomach if too much food has been given.

Did you take pictures of the X-ray you could post on here? Did she say she saw poops on it and they were just stuck?did the intestines have any poop in them or was the only thing full the stomach? This seems to me to be a blockage in the cecum since it isn’t showing up on an X-ray. Are you able to get another X-ray now and see if anything has moved along his gi tract?

He seems to be in much more pain than he should. See if the vet can switch metcam to buprenorphine, it’s a great painkiller, it can make them lethargic but it helps ease their pain and allow them to calm down to try and get things moving again. As metacam is just an anti inflammatory and not a pain killer.

I don’t want to scare you, but my bun had stasis on and off for 5 months and then the last bout he had, it was for a week and X-rays didn’t show anything. Ended up he had a blockage in his cecum.

Okay. Then keep doing what you’re doing and hopefully he gets better.

We did all we could and with a blockage, you can’t really do anything. Since he wasn’t getting better we had an exploratory done and the vet removed hair and poop from his cecum but unfortunately with gi surgery in buns, the mortality rate is about 95% so he passed right after waking up. That’s why it’s so important to do oral fluids Incase subq fluids aren’t getting to the gi tract.

Is there a picture you can upload of his butt? Is the sticky substance colored and does it smell?
If you say its not pee, then that has to be pure diarrhea and that is very bad for a bun, that means a bacterial infection of the gi tract. Does the brown liquid have a smell?
I would try and syringe feed him 100 ml of water to try and keep him hydrated. have you taken his temperature?
Has he pooped any clear jelly out yet? It would mean his GI tract is starting back up and an indicator of a inflamed gi tract.

Hi there, sorry your bun is poorly

Just catching up on this, and skimmed, so sorry if I missed something that’s been covered!

It can take different combinations of motility meds, depending on where the slow-down is. Ciscipride works mainly on the upper GI, and metaclopromide/reglan works on the lower, so a combo of the two can be needed. I’m guessing since the vet saw the build up of gas in both areas, both regions might be slowing. The cramping can be very painful so the pain meds are very important.

Loud gurgling can be gas, which can be very painful, so keep up with his pain meds and tummy rubs. You can also try massaging along his spine, which stimulates the gi tract (or so I’ve been told… and I’ve found it seemed to help poorly buns before). I’ve noticed with my buns that they did better with splitting the metacam into smaller more frequent doses rather than a larger less frequent dose. Do you notice he does better right after his pain med dose?

It is concerning that there are still not poops after such a long course of motility meds, but restarting a gut that’s in full stasis can be like “jump starting a train”, so try not to lose hope, and stick with the treatment as much as possible. It can take several days for poops to return.

Antibiotics can help, they can make things worse. If he does have an infection in his GI the vet can prescribe an antibiotic for that. I agree with BH that it is important to figure out if the brown is from urine, mucous, or poop… and true watery diarrhea is a medical emergency for buns.

Taking his temperature regularly is a good idea, as pain can cause rabbit’s temp to fluctuate and send them into shock. If that happens they end up with a low temp, and it’s important to keep him warm. You can provide a warm bottle wrapped in a towel for him to cuddle up to, or just hold him on your lap and use your body heat.

I hope he improves soon!

((((Vibes for Watson))))

This article shows what true diarrhea looks like: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/drop/Drp_en.htm

I also found this on ciscapride:
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/GI_stimulation/cisapride.htm

I wonder if he might be reacting negatively to it?

Here’s some info on metaclopromide:
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/GI_stimulation/metoclopramide.htm

You might have already found this, but this article is the most in depth that I know of on stasis, including discussion of treatments and the recovery process:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

The article says “It may take several days before any fecal pellets are seen, and it may take two weeks or more of motility therapy before the intestine is moving normally again. We know of one case in which a rabbit produced no fecal pellets for 14 days, but finally did respond to gentle, consistent administration of the above treatment regimen. Patience and persistence are key.”

So don’t give up! 

Gotcha!

It sounds more like urine.

Completely your call, but I think you could safely split his dose and give 0.05 every 12 hours as the residence time is only about 8 hours for metacam. My vet said this was fine with my bun (they only worry so much about increasing the total amount).

Glad he’s responding well!

This part of the last article I shared does stand out to me in your case:

“V. The Road to Recovery: Reduce Stress. (“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”)

It is essential that the caretaker faced with a rabbit in GI stasis be patient, allowing the treatments and medications to work. Rabbits are easily stressed, and excessive handling should be avoided. It may take several days before any fecal pellets are seen, and it may take two weeks or more of motility therapy before the intestine is moving normally again. We know of one case in which a rabbit produced no fecal pellets for 14 days, but finally did respond to gentle, consistent administration of the above treatment regimen. Patience and persistence are key.

Do not make more trips to the veterinarian’s office with the rabbit than absolutely necessary (the stress of travel can slow recovery), but DO contact your veterinarian frequently to report on progress and any changes. Whenever possible, administer medications at home, where the rabbit feels safe and secure.

While you are treating your sick bunny, NEVER separate him/her from his/her bonded partner(s). The stress of separation itself can make the problem worse. We have known bunnies who seemed at death’s door to recover when they were provided with the love and constant attention of their bonded mate. If your bunny does not have a mate, it is even more important that you, his best friend, show him a great deal of calm attention and affection during his ordeal. Rabbits seem to understand when they are being fussed over, and it may help them recover more quickly to know that they are not being abandoned in their misery. But do this within reason. Many a rabbit can sense a caregiver’s fear for his safety, and this in itself can cause stress. Visit and love your bunny, but also give him time to himself to recover.

Every bunny parent should have a stethoscope (not necessarily an expensive one) to monitor intestinal sounds. The gradual return of gentle gurgling is a very good sign: once this begins, the rabbit is on the road to recovery, even if fecal pellets don’t begin pouring out the chute. Administration of intestinal motility agents, gentle massage and supportive care as recounted above should be continued, and gradually tapered as fecal pellets slowly begin to come through the system.

Do not be alarmed if the first batch of fecal pellets is small, hard and misshapen, and even accompanied by some mucus. This is to be expected. Also do not be surprised if the rabbit produces a small bunch of pellets, nothing for a day, and then a bit more. The intestine sometimes seems to regain its function in fits and starts, rather than all at once. Consistent, gentle nursing and reduction of stress are essential at this time.

PLEASE RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO FORCE ADDITIONAL, AGGRESSIVE TREATMENT ONCE THE RABBIT BEGINS TO RECOVER. RECOVERY FROM GI STASIS IS SOMETIMES MADDENINGLY GRADUAL. [We know of one instance in which a rabbit was starting to produce fecal pellets and showing signs of recovery, but the veterinarian overseeing the case insisted on anesthetizing the rabbit to perform oral gavage, enemas with an extension tube and vigorous abdominal massage. Despite advice to the contrary, this veterinarian believed that the mass in the stomach could not possibly pass without such treatment. Tragically, the rabbit died. Necropsy revealed a ruptured liver. We cannot help but wonder whether excessive handling and the unnecessarily aggressive treatments contributed to, or even caused this rabbit’s demise.]”

It sounds like you are taking great care of him, and your vet does sound like she knows what she’s doing. So keep up the good work, and glad you are going to get some rest! Taking care of a sick bun is so stressful and exhausting. Come on Watson, give us some poops!