Athena has stasis

[Meg]

Please send happy, hungry bunny vibes to Athena!  My beloved 5-year-old Lionhead/Dutch bunny girl has some GI stasis as of today.    She was eating well at night, but then in the morning she refused everything, even treats, and wasn’t moving as much.  Also, we live in Chicago and it was super freaking cold last night (-10 or so), and even though I kept the heat up to 65 overnight, there are some awfully cold drafts on the floor near where the bunnies are.  In the morning I noticed she was shivering!   

 

So after watching her for an hour or two I took her to the vet where we waited to get worked in as an emergency (we were there for 3 hours).  The vet said her belly felt OK, but she took x-rays, did bloodwork and urine and chemical (?) testing, and saw some stasis — no obstruction, but not much food in her belly, and some gas bubbles. 

 

The vet said she wanted to keep Athena in the hospital for a few days, and that Teddy (her BFF) couldn’t stay with her.  !!  I was really surprised by this.  Teddy had stasis a few years ago, and seemed in worse shape than Athena, and our vet then (in a different city) never mentioned hospitalization.  And she is a nervous bunny, scared in new environments, and I was afraid of the stress it would put on her, especially being separated from Teddy. 

 

So I ultimately decided I felt more comfortable bringing her home.  She got the sub-Q fluids and meds, and they sent us home with Critical Care, Reglan, Metacam, and cisapride.  I gave her some Critical Care right when we got home and she licked it off the syringe willingly — I didn’t have to force feed her!  (:  Then I had to leave to teach a class, sadly, but when I got home a few hours later she was hopping around a little, and at one point she and Teddy both ate some hay for a few minutes.  That made me really happy.  She also asked for her evening treat (Oxbow’s Skin & Coat pellet) and ate it.  Oh, and a little leaf of kale!  That’s all I’ve seen her eat in the past hour since I got home, but I’m encouraged it’s something.  She’s also pooped a couple little piles of small, weird poops since we got home — again, better than nothing. 

 

So I am still very concerned for my bunny girl, and would love any advice and/or good vibes for her.  But happy to see her doing a little nibbling and exploring.  And happy to have her home with me and Teddy.  I’m hoping that was the right decision.  

 

Thank you for your help!!  It’s always so scary having a sick bun. 

[longhairmike]

when we lived in IL, we took our buns to the Downers Grove animal hospital. they have 3 rabbit savvy vets. keep offering hay.
i would skip the kale because it tends to cause gas production. if her gut isnt cleared out yet, you dont want any increased pressure.
try light tummy massages to get things moving again

[Meg]

Thanks! How do you do the tummy massages?

[Meg]

Also, any tips on syringe-feeding the Critical Care? I can barely get her to take 10ccs at a time — it’s just a lot of food at once for her. (And the vet recommended 50-60ccs at a time, which I can’t imagine!) So if she’s not interested in taking it willingly, the only way I can get it in is by wrapping her in a towel and setting her on her back on my lap, which just seems like such a stressful position to have to be force-fed in. :/ Does anyone know of any better ones?

[Roberta]

Many vibes…………….. Get well Athena

[Meg]

Thanks, Roberta!

[Meg]

I’m still really struggling to get Athena much Critical Care — I can’t seem to find a position that works. Please help!

Also, Teddy has not been eating or pooping as well since accompanying Athena to the vet. He was in great shape beforehand, but I think the trip stressed him out. (And going all that time without eating, too. They had hay in their carrier but neither eats when they’re in there.) He’s still eating and pooping some, but not normally. Do you think I should give him some more time or start syringe-feeding him Critical Care too?

Thanks for the help!! I really need it.

[Roberta]

I would probably try syringing some water first for Teddy… Sometimes i just takes a little hydration to get things going.

[Meg]

Thanks. Now Athena has really mushy poops. One big one was the size of a small Tootsie Roll!! What do we do about this?

I have to start another thread for Teddy

[Bam]

When my bunny has had stomach-trouble of stasis/gas-type, this has happened twice, it’s “ended” with sth like a splurt of loose stools. And after that there has been normal droppings and a return of appetite.

I hope this will be so in Athena’s case as well. I’m only guessing that there will be some build-up of poop if the gut slows down and then when it gets moving again, the build-up splurts out.

How are they doing now?

[Sarita]

I agree with Bam – that is probably just from her pushing through the poop from the gut slowdown.

[Meg]

OK, thanks! Athena’s poops have gone back and forth. You’re right, I did see several piles of more normal-looking (though smaller) poops after that first mushy stuff. And then last night she started eating some parsley on her own, and then her poops were almost back to normal! I wanted to frame them. But then nothing in the past 7 hours other than 3 inches of thick poop that looks like cecotropes all stuck together in a column. I don’t know what that is. But I am trying to push more Critical Care since they really do seem to do better once they’ve been having more of it.

Teddy is eating and pooping even less than Athena (although he is a little bit). So more Critical Care for him too.

I am doing this alone and feeling so run-down (I was sick for a few weeks right before this). How do you guys do the nighttime feeding schedule? I’ve noticed that they seem so much better at night than in the morning/daytime, and I suspect it’s because I haven’t been doing syringe feeding in the wee hours (just giving them other food) so they’re not eating regularly enough. Do you usually get up midway through the night to do another syringe feeding? For how long do you do that?

Thanks for your help!

[calipa_st]

I am no help with advice, but wanted to send good healthy vibes your way!

[Author]

Messages