GI stasis recovery: what’s normal?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 7 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 07/20/2022 at 9:54 AM
  Jessica6829
  Participant
  32 posts
  So I returned from vacation to find my bunny significantly under weight and in bad shape. I got her into a vet as soon as I could (within 14 hours of returning home) and she was diagnosed with GI stasis. She was hospitalized for the day to be given subQ fluids and was put on cisapride 3x a day until pooping normally for 2 days.
  
  She has seemed to be recovering well but is still experiencing some abnormal poops every once in awhile. She’s eating like normal (lots of hay and greens) but pellets don’t seem to agree with her right now so I haven’t reintroduced those. About once or twice a day she’ll poop and it’ll have some large poops some small poops and some normal poops in it. Otherwise it’s completely normal.
  
  I am also hearing some gurgling sounds from her belly or gut and every once in awhile she still seems uncomfortable or in pain. She’ll sit in a sort of loafed position with her feet out in front of her and occasionally make a chewing noise with her teeth. I called and asked the vet about the gurgling yesterday and they weren’t concerned with it and said to just keep her on the cisapride 3x a day and feeding her critical care until her poops are completely normal.
  
  She is acting relatively normally otherwise, even starting to binky a bit. But I have noticed her grooming a lot and that she seems to be intensely scratching her ears. I checked her ears and nothing was wrong that I could see inside or out. I’m not sure if this is her normal amount of grooming or if I’m just hyper attuned to her right now but it seems like a lot.
  
  In all my years of having rabbits, I’ve never had one go into stasis before so I’m wondering what’s normal for recovery and what others have experienced? How concerned should I be about the poops and grooming?
- 07/20/2022 at 2:39 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17028 posts
  it isnormal for a bun to have weird poop for quite som time after a bad bout of stasis. You can se oddly shaped poop, necklace-poop (chain of poops strung together), intermittent mushy poop etc. It means the gut microbiota is disturbed, but as long as there is appetite, poop will eventually normalize.
  
  Pellets are often the last thing a stasis bun gets back to eating. As long as the bun eats hay, the gut milieu will get back on track – but it can readily take weeks.
  
  Its good if you can weigh your bun 1-2 times per week and keep a weight diary, just to see so she doesnt keep losing weight.
  
  If tour bun is a lop Id suggest you get her ears examined by a good vet. Lops are prone to ear infections. Ear infections are painful and pain can make a bun lose its appetite.
- 07/21/2022 at 11:36 AM
  Maddie Rae
  Participant
  40 posts
  I also just had a rabbit go through a bad bout of stasis after not owning a bunny who went through this in a while. My bunny was the opposite and had appetite for pellets upon coming home from the vet but wouldn’t eat her greens! Mine also had to have some sharp teeth grinded down and we were afraid this might have caused discomfort in her mouth that made her act funny. 2 days later and she’s essentially back to normal behavior wise.
  
  But really it just seems like the whole process of going to the vet is pretty stressful and disrupting for them, so it makes sense they need time to go back to themselves, behavior and schedule wise. I think poops and eating behaviors are still the most important to monitor, and unless she’s showing obvious signs of pain/discomfort (i.e. grinding teeth like mine was) it shouldn’t be too much to worry about. You can also always phone the vet for advice and what signs they think you should lookout for 🙂
- 07/21/2022 at 12:24 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Stasis recovery can be slow, it really depends on the case. And agree with Bam, some weird poops are normal, but it’s important that she’s pooping. Gas pain is also common as the gas can build up with the gut slow down. Is she on any pain medication? Pain management is also important for buns that are recovering from stasis, especially when they are getting a motility medication, so I would ask your vet about pain meds if she isn’t currently on one.
  
  I also agree with Bam that a thorough ear exam would be a good idea as well, because pain from an ear infection could have set off the whole stasis episode.
  
  . . . 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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