Bunny's recovering from stasis but won't accept critical care

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This topic has 2sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 1 hour, 24 minutes ago by Bam.

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- 01/15/2025 at 7:55 PM
  Inaya
  Participant
  28 posts
  Hi!
  
  My bunny is recovering from stasis and it’s very scary , as it’s our first time (hopefully last!!)
  
  He doesn’t drink water at all, will only have a few bites of hay outside his litterbox, and will sometimes accept lettuce. He is willing to eat his forage (but I’m not giving those as I want everything stuck in his stomach to come our first.)
  
  He barely goes to the bathroom and when he does they’re the tiniest droppings.
  
  Our vet gave him fluids, and told us to continue force feeding him a lot of critical care. We also try and syringe feed him water and baby gas drops.
  
  But it’s very hard to force feed him to have his critical care, and it’s very stressful for him. I’ve tried wrapping him in a bunny burrito, but he trashes and always finds a way out. He also flinches any time I try to put the syringe in his mouth. Do you have any suggestions on how I could make this easier for both him and me? The only way he’ll get food, water,a nd gas drops down his system is if we force him, but it’s very hard and I really would like suggestions to make this less stressful for him.
  
  Thank you so so much!
- 01/15/2025 at 8:01 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17059 posts
  If he’s eating something and still pooping (even if they are small), then I wouldn’t stress so much over the force feeding. If the vet gave him sub-Q fluids then he may not feel thirsty at the moment. Have you tried making the Critical Care thicker and putting it on a plate? One of my bunnies would eat it off of a plate. I also hear that Sherwood and Emeraid is more palatable to many rabbits.
- 01/16/2025 at 12:40 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16979 posts
  It can be very tricky to syringe feed a rabbit. That he’s feisty is considered a good thing though, weak rabbits dont have the energy to make a fuss.
  
  Maybe you could mix the critical care with something that makes it more appetizing. Canned pumpkin for example (not pie filling mix that has spices and sugar). A tiny amount of apple juice (unsweetened) or baby fruit puree could work too, but only in very small amounts as a flavor enhancer, since sugar messes with the gut bacteria).
  
  He might be interested in eating fresh herbs on his own. That wont contain enough fiber or calories to sustain him, but it could help him regain his appetite.
  
  If you can get a friend/family member to hold him in their lap in the burrito while you do the feeding, that could help make the process easier. Also use a syringe that you feel comfortable with. I’ve had luck with a rather big syringe (10 ml), that I loaded from the top, but some people prefer smaller syringes. You might need to customize the syringe tip with a warm knife.
  
  Did the vet give you a possible cause for the stasis episode? Like, did they look at his teeth (molars, not just the incisors), did they find any signs if a partial GI blockage on x-rays? Is he molting right now? Did they look inside his ears? (Esoecially important for lop rabbits, a painful ear infection can cause a bun to stop eating.
  
  Did they give you a painkiller to give at home? Any other meds?
  
  It can take a while for poop size and amount to get back ro normal post a stasis episode. If a bun relies solely on critical care for nutrition, you need to give quite a lot, divided up into 4-5 separate servings. The rabbit stomach can contain about 20 ml, so dont give more than per serving.
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