There are motility drugs such as cisapride, though in my personal (and non-medical) view, it’s more important to keep some supplies of critical care and feeding syringes in such cases to keep the digestive system going.

Here is a list of first aid items to keep on hand: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/First_aid_kit_for_rabbits

Gut motility and pain medications are on the list, as well as Critical Care.

True bloat is not at all the same as GI stasis or a gut slowdown. (I’m only mentioning this because when you’re seeking info online or speaking to your vet, it’s important). Here is a description of true bloat, which thankfully is a lot less common than GI slowdown/stasis: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Mechanical_diseases/bloat.htm

True bloat requires swift vet attention and is very often still fatal.

For the GI stasis/gut slowdown that often occurs with molting, fluids are good and necessary. You can give extra runny CC or cooled “hay tea” in a syringe, there are also rabbit appropriate fluid replacement formulas. A vet will give sub q fluids for mild cases and I’ve fluids for worse cases.

Meloxicam is good because GI trouble causes pain and pain can make a rabbit “shut down”. Meloxicam should be given together with famotidine (Pepcid, which is a cheap, easy to find OTC drug), to protect the stomach lining from the meloxicam.

Motility drugs should only be given if you’re certain there’s no blockage, and you cant know that at home unless you see poop. A GI slowdown is however a lot more common than a blockage.

I recommend having a good, quick thermometer with a flexible tip in the first aid kit. It’s not very difficult to take a bun’s temp, here’s a good video on how to: https://youtu.be/YZd10Hk0maA It’s super important that the bun gets actively warmed up if the temp drops below 37.5 degrees C or approx 99 F. A low temp indicates that the bun is going into medical chock. For warming the bun up you can use a pet heating pad or a warm water bottle, a microwaved sock filled with rice (put a cup of water in the microwave when you heat it so you dont wreck the microwave) or hand warmers wrapped in a towel or surgical gloves filled with warm water.

These meds and interventions can absolutely save a buns life. There are times when you cant get hold of a vet. I have that problem here outside of office hours.

Yes, true bloat is rare. The stomach will rapidly fill with gas and become distended. The stomach will actually start putting pressure on other organs and major blood vessels. This is why bloat is so deadly. Bloat should not be confused with gas pain (which can lead to stasis). This is a much more common condition. As Bam said, there is a lot of things that can be done at home to treat stasis. So yes, it’s good to have things on hand to help them if they are having an episode.

So do they have big molts? Some bunnies will have a few big molts per year, while other bunnies will just shed little bits of fur 365 days a year. There is a lot of debate about whether or not it is beneficial… but some people swear by papaya enzyme supplements. I think Oxbow makes one.

That’s great! Hopefully you’ll never need a vet in the middle of the night, but it’s really reassuring that there is one!

Gas pain can become symptomatic from one hour to the next.

One very important home remedy is to make the bun move around. Dont let the bun go into hiding, thinking that things will be better with a bit of rest. Block off access to any hiding spots where it’s difficult for you to reach.

The bun won’t want to move, rabbits have very strong instincts telling them hide away and lie low so as not to attract predators. You have to actively make it move around. Movement helps gas (and poop) move through. Pick the bun up, and then put it down some distance away so it has to hop back to where it wants to be. You should do this often, every 30-45 minutes. The bun will not be happy to oblige, but don’t let that stop you.

I think a big thing to have on hand is sub-cutaneous fluids. You can ask you vet to show you how to do it and have them give you a bag. Myra used to have a lot more trouble with her molts, and would often perk up after sub cutaneous fluids. Dehydration is a huge contributor to stasis but is not always the first thing we think of.

Simethicone helps with gas, but not motility. Movement helps too, as others have mentions.

My other go-to’s are to syringe feed a small amount of watery critical care and give metacam.

I will also sometimes skip pellets in advance when I need to bump up hay consumption.

The Oxbow supplement is a cookie/biscuit… which might be more appealing since I’m sure they taste more like pellets. I’m glad we were able to alleviate some of your worries and that you found a closer vet to use for emergencies.