Bunny Not Eating

[Bunny Bride]

Sorry in advance for the length, but this is a bit of a complicated situation to explain.  So my 1 year old lop mix bunny is currently being hospitalized overnight and I am extremely anxious over it all.  It may sound silly, but he truly means the world to me and I can’t imagine anything happening to him when he is this young.  I love him so much and am willing to do anything to help him, just not sure the best route to go.  As I’m sure many of you can relate, its so painful to see a sweet, innocent creature going through this.  

So backtrack to 2 days ago… I took him for his vet check up as I was wanting to switch him over to adult food and also I had noticed lately he seemed a bit gassy during the day.  His stomach would feel hard.  But then come night he would eat and poop as normal and the bloat seemed to go away.  After mentioning that, the vet did an x-ray which came back that he indeed did have a bit more gas than normal, but no cause for alarm.  She said to give him a month on his adult, alfalfa free diet and see how that went.  So I brought him home and things quickly went downhill….  His poops that night were significantly smaller than usual and he took a treat at first, but the following day he wouldn’t even take his treat which normally he goes crazy for.  He also had one bout of diarrhea (not true, but cecotropes stuck together) the night after the vet visit.  He was still eating hay and last night he seemed to really eat a decent amount of hay, so I was sure by morning I’d wake up to lots of poop.  Unfortunately that was not the case, and his litter box looked virtually the same this morning (usually he goes a lot at night).  What scared me the most is the fact that he didn’t touch his pellets for 2 entire days since leaving the vets.  He has never done that before, and normally eats 1/2 cup of pellets a day.  I called the ER vet this morning and they considered that an emergency and said to bring him in.  I agreed, but was also reluctant because I knew that taking him in again would stress him out even more, and may worsen the issue.  Its about a 50 minute ride so that doesn’t help matters.  I can’t help but feel that if I hadn’t taken him for the check up originally, that none of this would have ever happened.  I feel he just got entirely too stressed out from all this.  Regardless, whats done is done now, so I just want to make the best decision.  

The update for tonight was both good & bad.  They did another x-ray today and said there was no blockage and that the gi tract was looking good–actually much better than it looked at his check up where they saw some gas.  However the vet noticed a strange area around his liver and wanted to do bloodwork and an ultrasound.  They were concerned about liver tube torsion–once they explained to me what that is I pretty much was in complete shock and devastated…  I could not imagine how this happy bunny binkying around just days ago was now pretty much going to die.  They explained that surgery had a very low survival chance.  Luckily, they called back a few hours later and said his bloodwork was near perfect (ALT was 34 and they said torsion is normally in the 600s) and that the ultrasound showed no fluid or signs of liver torsion.  They said sometimes the way the cecals are in the stomach can just make the stomach shape and liver area appear different.  *I want to clarify they were only able to do a quick scan ultrasound today, not doppler because the internist had left for the day.  I’m not sure how much that matters being the bloodwork was normal.  Obviously that was a major relief to hear it was a false alarm, hopefully!

On the bad side, he still hasn’t eaten or pooped much at all.  They are administering critical care and other “supportive” measures.  They said his mood seems good and friendly and all vitals are good, but they were hoping to see more eating/pooping by now.  They considered a catheter and iv feeding, but think they will wait til morning as they don’t want to stress the rabbit out more unnecessarily.  So the diagnosis right now is basically stress induced stasis, with no blockage.  It feels like a catch 22 now and I’m not sure what to do.  It almost feels like I am causing or worsening the problem by having him there at all, and I truly feel taking him in the first place for his check up brought this all on.  My plan is to go in the morning and I am hoping to take him home and continue the supportive care at home because maybe he will be quicker to recover in his familiar environment.  The on call vet agreed that might work.  I have never done this before so they have to show me how to syringe feed and inject.  Any idea what might be causing this all if not stress?  Do I take him home tomorrow or let him stay there and start iv feeding?  Also has anyone experienced this stress based stasis without a blockage?  I’m soo scared and just want this to end well.  I am very worried about bringing him back home and what if he still won’t eat, then I really won’t know what to do next because the back & forth trip is becoming too much for him.  At the same time I don’t want to leave him there longer.  Thanks so much in advance for listening and all advice is appreciated! <3

[Bam]

It seems like you have good vets. I’m happy to hear his bloodworks came back so good.

Some buns do perk up when they get home to their familiar environment.

GI stasis without blockage is as a rule deemed stress-induced if no other cause can be found. It doesn’t take a whole lot of stress. The pH in the cecum changes when the bun is under stress, that causes an imbalance in the gut microbiota (microbial dysbiosis) to some degree, that causes gas. Gas that can’t escape causes pain, rabbit loses its appetite. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Syringe-feeding a bun is a bit tricky if you have to do it without help from another person. It can absolutely be done though with a lot of stubborness on your part. Expect to get quite a lot of Critical Care on yourself and on the bun until you really get the hang of it. It’s great if the vets show you how to do it. If you can give subQ fluids at home that’d be really great too. Many of us here on BB have nursed stasis buns back to health at home after initial vet treatment. We’ll be happy to give you tips on how to do it.

You can mix the CC with something yummy to make it more acceptable for your bun. Canned plain pumpkin is often popular and has good fiber. Baby fruit- or veggie puree or mashed banana are other alternatives. Ask about getting a painkiller and a gut motility drug to administer at home.

[Bunny Bride]

Thank you so much for the support. Just a couple questions…

1-if indeed it is stress induced, that would be stress from the vet visit and strange environment. So does that almost mean I must take him home? Under the reasoning of, how can he get over the stress being in the exact place that brings it on?

2- They said the X-ray from yesterday (when he was first hospitalized) did not show any gas. So if no gas now, then where would the pain be from and should he even be on pain meds then?

3-what is the subq? Injectable?

I appreciate your help. Most likely I will end up doing the treatment at home, which I am nervous since I’ve never done. I think I am just so baffled and confused as to his diagnosis when they are saying all vitals are good and no gas, yet he still won’t eat. And this all came in after the initial vet visit, just crazy!

[Bam]

1. All animals get used to their environment with time. So the stress of being away from home will subside with time provided he gets good care where he is. Vet clinics can be pretty stressful though, with barking dogs etc, so as a rule it is best to bring a bun back home when its condition allows it.

2. We don’t know if there is pain, so pain meds or no pain meds should be discussed with the vet. Some vets prescribe metacam for stasis routinely, other vets are not so keen. There are some possible GI side effects that you need to consider. I think it’s good if you can have a painkiller available at home, to give if the need arises.

When my bun needed a painkiller (Metacam) his rabbit savvy vet also put him on ranitidin (Zantac) to protect his stomach lining from the possible GI side effects. Ranitidine also acts as a gut motility drug. If your bun gets a motility drug of any kind, bunny savvy vets tend to recommend a painkiller because there can be pain when the bowels start moving again after a bout of stasis.

3. Sub Q fluids is fluids in a big syringe that you administer under the skin with a needle. The fluids pool under the skin and the body absorbs it little by little. Its good for poorly bun that are at risk of dehydration. We have members that have given sub Q fluids at home to buns that have had long term illness. But in most cases, sub Q fluids are given as a “pick me up” by the vet when you bring in a bun that’s been refusing food.

[Muchelle]

I am infamously known at the vet hospital because I did at least three times take K home against vet’s advice to reduce his stress and admininster meds at home. Sadly I am very experienced in this matter and I’ve gone to the extent of dropping everything to care for him around the clock.

So, that said, I am by no means lightheartedly suggesting you to check the bun out and go commando at home, especially if this is your first time. IF the main suspect cause is indeed stress, the best enviroinment for him is certainly his own enclosure at home with the people he knows, but it’s a lot of work and you have to be ready to grab him and run back to the clinic if needed. I did so at 2 am one time, it wasn’t pleasant for anybody.

Take your time to be taught by the vet or one of the nurses how to properly hold him, syringe feed him and prepare his critical care & the medicines he needs and, if they are willing, make an agreement that you’ll update them by phone every day or every X hours as they see best fit. If you then see you aren’t comfortable with doing it or it’s too much to take, there’s no shame in taking him back to the clinic to be properly taken care of.

My guess is that he might have had some discomfort already, then even though it was resolved at the vet he must have been very stressed by the (righteous) exams they did on him to rule out the worse options. Probably he ate less and so his intestines are not as full as they should be, thus slowing his pooping.
He’ll be stressed either way, but he’ll get over it

ps. Is he a helicopter bunny?  

[Sirius&Luna]

I’m sorry you’re going through this, I recently went through it with my Luna. She was also hospitalised for 24 hours and we couldn’t identify a certain factor that caused it.

While the car trip was probably stressful, once he’s settled at the vet he won’t be in a high state of stress. It’s good you took him as they do need medication to help along the way. I know it feels like the trip can make it worse, but you also can’t know how bad it might have got without the vet. So please don’t think you were wrong to take him!

If you feel confident that you can syringe feed him at home, (Luna had oral meds too (loxicom and Zantac) that she put up quite a fight over with us) then he might recover better at home. The first evening I brought Luna home though I regretted it because I thought she wasn’t well enough and I’d have to take her back in the morning, but actually she did perk up being at home.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery! If you do bring him home get a good variety of veg to tempt him with – Luna wouldn’t eat anything except herbs at first.

[Bunny Bride]

Thank you all for the advice, I am willing to try it all. This clears up some of my medication questions. And yes, lol, he is a little helicopter bun! I am glad to hear your Luna was able to recover, I know it is all so surreal and scary. Just to give a quick update: Doodle also came home last night, around 5pm. So it was slightly over a 24 hr hospitalization. I don’t know your exact experience with Luna, but I am also concerned he was brought home too soon (even though it is what I wanted due to the stress.). It was not my asking, but the doctor recommended he come home. However I am worried he is not fairing so well. Poops are still VERY tiny, in fact smaller than when I dropped him off at the ER on Friday. Also he is still not eating and apparently did not eat for them either. He has peed, but hasn’t actually drank any water since he has been home. I did offer an array of greens and was only able to get him to eat 4 leafs, after dipping them in water bowl which for some reason he seems to like lately.

The official diagnosis at this point is stress induced stasis from the initial vet visit. So they did not find any underlying cause. The hospital treated him with injectables, subq, and critical care. They gave me all oral meds to take home–ranitidine, cisapride, meloxicam, and the critical care. I have zero experience syringe feeding and I asked the vet tech to demonstrate, but it is not going so well at home and this is worrying me. Doodle has been sitting in the same position all night which has me scared. No interest in food, yet very interested in chewing–wonder why? He is gnawing down on toys he never touched before. This is normally his active time.

I attempted critical care last night around 11pm and failed. I just couldn’t get him to take it I tried a bunny burrito on the counter, on the floor, and neither seemed to matter. He just gets soo tense and immediately jerks his head up and I don’t want to hurt him. Also I am afraid to roughly put the syringe in his mouth as I don’t want him to aspirate. They did give me the giant syringe–do you think it would be okay to use one of the smaller syringes that came with the meds? Or not good to cross mix them? IDK just thinking maybe that could help. Either way I know I need to get this critical care in him, but can’t figure how to do so without hurting him as he gets extremely stressed & jumpy. I am going to attempt another feeding now and hopefully talk to a vet in a few hours. I just don’t want his condition to worsen at home, its so nerve racking. Was Luna good with eating the CC? Some said pumpkin could help, but I will say he never would touch pumpkin prior to this. I tried giving him some at Halloween and he had zero interest. Thanks.

Random question–the sea grass twine on binky bunny store, any clue if that is safe/helpful for Doodle to consume at this time? Reason being, I gave a small piece to him with his medication on it and he chewed it up so quickly…. He just loves eating the twine.

[BB Administrator]

bunnybride: The twine we sell in the store is untreated. Yes, safe HOWEVER, like with other things that are “safe” it’s about how much is consumed. For example, our cardboard houses are easily digested (if a bunny wants to actually eat, not spit out the pieces during destruction), but if it is consumed in large amounts and a bunny fills up on that instead of other “priority” nutrition – hay, greens and pellets, then of course that can be a problem. But it sounds like that is not what is going on in your case. Just keep an eye on it. Eating up some twine won’t be a big deal — eating a whole roll of twine…well, that’s something to watch.

Helloworld!!

[Bam]

Try to make him move around a little. It’s good for the intestinal movement. Sitting very still often indicatesdiscomfort.

“No interest in food, yet very interested in chewing–wonder why? He is gnawing down on toys he never touched before. This is normally his active time. ” This makes me think his molars could be the problem. Rabbits can develop molar spurs that cause them pain. The bun often starts chewing almost frantically on cardboard or other non-food items, but refuses food. The wet greens he’s eaten could have felt good in his mouth if he’s sore. A vet needs to check his teeth with an otoscope to be able to see the molars, sometimes that’s not enough (if the bun is feisty) and the bun needs to be put under for an exam + molar burr. Teeth problems are very common in rabbits.

As for feeding, it’s not super-easy. It’s a good sign when a bun fights meds/force feeding, because it means the bun has strenght and willpower. It’s impractical for the owner though. You do get better at it with practice. When I had to force feed my dental bun (before we knew he had a molar issue), it was very stressful for both of us, but my vet assured me it’s far worse for a bun to go with an empty stomach.

What syringe you use is completely up to you. I prefer using a small syringe. Sometimes you need to saw off the tip of the syringe to make feeding easier. You can make the CC more runny with extra water if that makes it easier, and you can divide the day’s food ration up into like 5 separate feedings. If he doesn’t like pumpkin I agree that’s not a good choice, you can try mixing the CC with a veggie or berry/fruit baby purée/ smoothie. Pear-blueberry was acceptable to my Bam. The CC is fine nutrition-wise with just water though, so additions are just to make the bun not hate it so much. A lot of the CC will spill on you and the bun, but that’s like par for the course. As long as he gets anything in him.

Also make sure he keeps warm. They can get hypothermic when they’re poorly. If you don’t have a rectal thermometer you have to go by his ear temp: If they’re icey cold he probably needs warming up. You can do that by sitting him in your lap, so he gets warmth from your body. A hot water bottle or handwarmers in the cage can be appreciated, but he must have space enough to move away from the heat source if he doesn’t want it.

[Bunny Bride]

I’ve been trying everyone’s tips, thank you for clearing up the twine issue. The situation is still very touch and go right now. We have a vet appt today as a precautionary, I may cancel it for now though as I’m afraid of re-stressing the rabbit out again and being back at square one (since that is kinda what brought this all on). I do see some very, very slight progress–but not enough to feel much better. Mainly because I still cannot get him to take the critical care and I only see him drink his water for a couple seconds. So I am very concerned about that. I am trying so hard with the CC and it just seems nothing is working. I tried mashing it up with some banana and putting it on a plate hoping that wouldn’t be as stressful as the force feeding, but he doesn’t touch it. And when I attempt the syringe feed I’m not able to do it because he keeps jerking his head and body up the minute the syringe even gets close to his mouth. During his hospitaliazation, the vet tech also seemed to have trouble with the CC feeding but admittedly he was able to get a bit more in than I can. I think Doodle was just more scared and uncomfortable with the tech, whereas with me he will fight it the whole time. At the same time, I know he can’t just stop eating so that’s where I am lost on what to do.

Food wise yesterday–he still has no appetite on his own, The tiny bit he eats I have to coax. Like I will sit in his pen for about an hour and I’m able to get him to eat maybe 5 pieces of hay dipped in water. I did see him take 1 piece of hay on his own. He also ate 1 piece of lettuce on his own. I got him to eat 1/2 a slice of banana. When I put the CC on it he wouldn’t touch it though, and he still hasn’t taken treats. He is doing a lot of chewing, so I gave him a healthy chew toy made of grasses and compacted hay cubes. The weird thing is he approaches all his bowls and hay bin, comes over to get his treat, but then there is no follow through. He will just hop away after putting his nose in his hay bin. Almost like he wants to mentally eat, but then can’t.

So that is pretty much all he consumed all day. I will say he definitely is not stressed like he was at the hospital and seems more happy here, though still not “himself”. So its like I don’t want him stressed because it will worsen the little progress he is making, but at the same time I know not taking the critical care or eating much is a huge problem. Anyone know of any signs or what I could be looking for to know that I absolutely need to take him back to the vet? I am scared of thinking he is “looking ok”, but then him taking a sudden turn for the worse due to lack of eating. I’ve been trying the heating suggestions as yes his ears are a little cold. And I gave him some exercise, he mostly laid down but did hope for a few minutes. Thanks.

[Sirius&Luna]

Has he been pooping?

Is there anyone else that can help you with the force-feeding?

It’s good that he is voluntarily eating a bit, but like Bam says, the fact that he seems to want to eat but then doesn’t does make it sounds like it good be teeth related. Did they check his teeth when you took him in?

Luna would perk up about an hour after giving her the oral meds, and that was the best time to tempt her with food.

It is important that you get food down him though, and if you’re unable to then you might have to take him back to the vet i’m afraid

[Bam]

“The weird thing is he approaches all his bowls and hay bin, comes over to get his treat, but then there is no follow through. He will just hop away after putting his nose in his hay bin. Almost like he wants to mentally eat, but then can’t.”

This too is typical of dental buns. My Yohio could run up to food and even grab a piece, then drop it like it was hot.

Could you get someone to help you feed him the CC? It’s way easier if the bun can sit in another person’s lap, facing the room, while you stabilze the head with one hand and with the other hand insert the syringe between his front and back teeth (there’s quite a gap there where the syringe can be fitted.) Then you push the plunger just a tiny bit at a time, giving him the chance to swallow.

I’ve never managed to make a bun take CC voluntarily, so that’s not a particularly bad sign at all.

Signs of serious illness are for example lethargy and a marked tendency to withdraw from social interaction.

[Bunny Bride]

Some good news is that he is eating a bit more on his own today so the vet said to hold off on coming in—decent amount of hay and greens. And yes he is pooping and although they are still very small, I did notice they are now more round & uniform in shape. Also he is drinking more water on his own now. Still no pellets.

Yes I think you are correct that there are some dental issues but not sure to what degree. I have absolutely noticed him dropping food a lot even prior to this stasis episode. At his initial check up which led to all this, the vet briefly looked in his mouth and mentioned…spurs or burrs not sure? But basically she said that he was not getting enough hay and fiber for his teeth. She said it wasn’t so bad that they needed cut or anything, just to increase hay. He never did eat enough hay. Most likely because I had him on unlimited pellets—but now that he is a year old I’m switching to adult and only 1/4-1/2 cup. Hopefully that will encourage hay. Anyways I am not sure if I should take the vets word for it and hope diet change is enough or if I need to somehow look further into this tooth issue? I certainly don’t want it to cause another stasis scare!

3 questions on recovery from stasis:
Do you think the vet should prescribe some type of antibiotic? She didn’t mention it, but I’ve read of some cases where they give it to keep bacteria at bay.
Also, although I definitely see some progress, I still notice he sleeps more and is more lethargic than he used to be. Not really his spunky self at all. Should I expect this during stasis recovery or is something else going on?
Lastly should I still keep giving the pain med meloxicam every night? He doesn’t seem in pain and I just don’t want to over medicate.

Thanks so much everyone! I really appreciate this support in his hopeful recovery because this has been such a scare for me.

[Sirius&Luna]

Molar spurs are common, not just if bunnies don’t eat enough hay but that is one of the causes. At a year old he definitely shouldn’t have unlimited pellets, his diet should be 90% hay. Try experimenting with different varieties of hay to get him excited. Hopefully eating more hay will wear his teeth down, but if you notice he continues to drop food and not eat enough in the next week or so then he might need to have them filed down.

You definitely don’t need an antibiotic after stasis. Antibiotics often upset the stomach and cause stasis in fact.

I imagine he’s more lethargic because he’s still not eating enough. It took Luna about a week to be totally back to normal.

How long did the vets say to give pain meds for? Mine said 2-3 days, and I would’ve carried on a bit longer but Luna started putting up such a fight by day 3 I decided it wasn’t worth it.

[Bunny Bride]

They said 3-5 days for pain meds. I am seeing very, very slow improvement but still trying my best to keep up with the other meds. The Reglan and Cisapride are every 8 hours. I feel bad but I’ve really only been getting them in about once a day because of the resistance. It’s getting to the point now where he knows his meds are coming, and when I go to pick him up he is running from me. Then once I get him, he starts biting. So its a very stressful process and I know its stressing the bun out…..so I am pretty much giving those 2 meds just once a day now since I am seeing progress with his eating. He ate greens and hay all on his own yesterday. However I am still being very cautious about a relapse– it seems like with buns they can seem fine one minute and not the next so its hard not to have anxiety over it. We have continued to postpone any more vet visits to avoid the stress which could set his progress back. If I should see anything take a turn though I’d probably have to take him back in.

[Bunny Bride]

I did notice he is doing the teeth grinding from time to time since he got back from the ER, any ideas what could be causing that? Does it mean pain? Normally I only hear that sound when he is getting a bunny massage.

[Deleted User]

The massage would be tooth clicking, indicating happiness. Grinding, on the other hand, is indicative of pain. Have you been giving metacam (or some other pain relief) regularly?

[Bunny Bride]

Vet felt progress was too slow, so we brought him back in. She wants us to do subq fluids and meds for 3 days at home now to speed improvement. I did see progress with him, but guess wasn’t enough. Hopefully I’m making the right decision here.

And yes I’ve been giving metacam daily. I honestly have a hard time differentiating between the tooth clicking vs grinding. Maybe I can find a video.

I think the most stressful part of all this is the judgement calls— just making sure I’m doing enough vs doing too much and making it worse.

[Bunnisox]

Posted By bunnybride on 1/17/2018 12:02 PM

I think the most stressful part of all this is the judgement calls— just making sure I’m doing enough vs doing too much and making it worse.

I absolutely feel you 100% on this sentiment. One of my buns is going through a very similar issue, I think the root cause is him not drinking enough water, if any at all. I am SO torn on taking him into the vet because of the high amounts of stress it causes, and not taking him to the vet, hoping to treat him @ home – I’m so incredibly terrified that whatever option I choose, it will make things worse.

I think it all comes down to how they’re doing. If their condition is super bad to the point of not pooping, or not eating, I feel they need to go into the vet – so I honestly think you’ve made the right decision here with your bun bun. My bunny is still eating, albeit small amounts, and still pooping, even though they’re smaller than usual – so I’m keeping him at home, for now.

Have you tried belly massage? This has helped my other rabbit through a bout of stasis not long ago, and seems to be helping with Muffins right now. Also, any suggestion from your vet on Bene Bac? Again, that was helpful to my other rabbit a few months back.

My thoughts are with you during this difficult time. Please keep us updated on Doodle’s condition!

[Bunny Bride]

Yeah that’s exactly how I felt too. It’s like a catch 22 sometimes. What did you end up doing, I mean have you decided or started any treatment yet? The gas seemed to have cleared up, but yet he is still in stasis. Like your bunny, he is eating and pooping, though much less and smaller. Has yours touched his pellets at all? Mine used to love pellets and hasn’t touched them in 7 days or treats.

I’m still undecided on if I should continue doing the subq they gave me or just go back to the oral meds. Reason being—my fear of taking him in to the vet again today was kind of confirmed because he has had a bit of a setback. Yesterday was his best day yet—he had 2 small bowls of mixed greens, decent amount of hay, for the first time all week he ate 1 treat and actually approached his pellets and literally ate maybe 2 or 3, and he even did some binkies at night.

Now today, after the 3 hour vet ordeal and giving the subq fluid and meds, his day has not been as good. No treats or binkies and only 1 bowl of salad. Good with hay though. Of course it could all be a coincidence, but after yesterday being so good it’s a big letdown. I can’t help but wonder if there was any benefit to taking him in and switching to injectables. Today may have been more improvement had I just left things alone. Very hard to weigh the best option. I honestly think either way I end up doubting or regretting it.

[Bam]

Tooth clicking (“purring”) and tooth grinding can be similar, but as a rule, tooth grinding is louder and more staccato, tooth purring more subtle and even. It depends on the bun though, some buns tooth purr quite loudly. a bunny that tooth chatters in pain tends to look very uncomfortable, whereas a tooth purring bun is relaxed.

[Bunnisox]

How is Doodle doing today? <3

I had decided to do stay @ home treatment w/ my bun, as he was still eating/pooping a bit. If he stops doing either, I will take him to the vet for sure. I typically get really good results with belly massaging every hour or 2 for about 10-15 minutes; both of my buns really enjoy belly massage and will let me do it for hours if I wanted to, I’m sure. I mix up their usual timothy hay with some oat hay, orchard grass, and a small bit of alfalfa to encourage hay consumption. I try to get them to move around a bit, if they are bunched up and haven’t moved for a while (I don’t do this super often, as I know they are in pain and sitting like this, helps – but every so often, if they haven’t moved for a while, I try to get them to move around a bit). If they aren’t drinking enough, which has been the main culprit for my 2 dwarf buns (https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/164803/Default.aspx), I purchased some apple juice (Motts For Tots, specifically, as it’s already watered down) and have put a small amount of that in a separate water dish for them, to encourage drinking. It’s worked for Muffins, which is great – but Waffuls will not touch it. For her, I have had to resort to syringe feeding water, which she despises – and acts like I’m trying to kill her when she sees the syringe in my hands. As for pellets, maybe try a different brand if your vet has already ruled out teeth problems as the root cause. I have had really good results with Small Pet Select pellets & hay. They are super good quality, and I get them typically after 2 days of ordering. Their pellets are really high in fiber – higher than most other brands (25-29% Fiber). My rabbits prefer these over the ones I used to get from Oxbow.

https://shop.smallpetselect.com/collections/pellets/products/premium-rabbit-food

Last thing I use that has helped tremendously are supplements. I use the following 2 products, one of which was recommended by my vet, the other I found on my own and my vet said it would be helpful:

1. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016MZTD22
2. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IIU3HHG

That first one there has helped tremendously with my buns recovery process. But I would 100% check with your vet before giving them anything, please.

My Muffins is feeling much better today and has been running around binkying, his poops are bigger, and he’s eating more. I’m still continuing treatment, though, as just like you said above, it can change in a moments notice and they’re going downhill again. Keep your hopes up, though – I know it’s hard, but it definitely helps to have a positive attitude about their recovery.

[Bunny Bride]

I’m glad to hear Muffins is doing good today! It’s always fun to watch them binky, but even more so after being sick. Do you have him on any meds right now? How long has this ordeal been going on for him? It definitely can be a nerve wracking process.

Doodles also had a pretty good day. Sounds like I am taking an approach similar to yours and for today it has been a success so far. At the same time I don’t want to get my hopes up too soon. I did not do the subq fluid or inject meds today…. I’m usually pretty good with following what the vet says, but at the same time I think you also have to know your own rabbit and judge the progress accordingly. So I am trying to use common sense in that I don’t want to overmedicate him by using a too aggressive approach at this point. Should things worsen, then I will go that route. But being that he was having progress, although slow, I feel it is best right now to not disturb the process which could cause him more harm than good. I read an article on stasis saying that it absolutely can be a slow process and they specifically said not to get too aggressive with treatment if the rabbit is showing signs of recovery, as this can cause a setback and in some cases hurt the rabbit. You probably have seen this article already, but I’ll post the link for you. I thought it was really informative. So as of today, I haven’t given him any meds yet. Not even the oral. I am just kind of playing it hour to hour and day to day, monitoring him and seeing what to do next. I may give some syringe meds at some point tonight or tomorrow. It just seemed like the medications were a bit too much and becoming counterproductive by making him more sick & lethargic and then not wanting to eat. He ate a lot today–so much hay, bowl of mixed greens, and even had some of his pellets. He was just so much more himself, sounds like how Muffins is acting for you as well. So I will be very happy if this can keep up. Between the subq fluids and oral meds I feel like I have a whole little bunny medic arsenal here, which I guess is a good thing since I have all these options.

Thanks for the recs–I’m going to buy those for Doodle once he recovers. I’ve heard great things about Sherwood products, but didn’t know they had digestive supplements like that. Really could be beneficial long term because he had cecotrope issues as a baby, so it seems his gi tract is already on the prone and sensitive side. The Mott for Tots may be a good alternative since I don’t want to give the subq fluids yet. Have you ever tried pedialyte? I’ve seen people mention that too. Does Muffins seem to chewing a lot during the gi episodes? That’s the biggest concern for me today–Doodle is chewing his straw mats and willow tunnel a lot, which he usually doesn’t. Normally I’d be happy about it for his teeth, but I’m concerned if it could be pain related. Or dental, but the vet said his teeth weren’t bad enough to be causing any issue. The chewing thing started after his hospitalization, so I imagine it has to be stasis related. Even on the pain meds he still does it, albeit a bit less.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

[Bunnisox]

I’m so glad to hear he’s doing better today, even if it’s just a little bit. A little bit is better than not at all, or the opposite direction – so that’s good to hear!

I give Muffins and Waffuls a small dose of both of the supplements I listed in my previous post, every day, to help with their digestive support. I am hoping I won’t have to do this in the long run, once I am able to get them both to drink more water.

I think you’re absolutely right when it comes to knowing your bunny and doing what you judge to be right for them based on that knowledge + weighing what the vet advises; sometimes we just know.

I have read a lot of articles on GI stasis and gut motility, but I don’t believe I’ve ever read this one – it doesn’t look familiar. I will give that a read when I get home from work today. Thank you!

The reason I am such a big fan of the supplement I recommended was because I’ve seen it work for my 2 buns, and all of the reviews I’ve seen, it seems other people have had successful results as well. If you look at the information about the product, it gives very specific information about what it does. I’ve copied that info for you, here:

“The digestive support tablet works in 3 very specific ways. First, it provides protein digestive enzymes (Bromelain and Papain) and a dose of high quality papaya that was freeze dried to preserve nutritional value. The papaya aids in protein digestion which minimizes the amount of protein that will enter the ceacum where bacterial fermentation of fiber occurs. Too much protein in the ceacum will raise the pH and support the rapid growth of unhealthy bacterial populations that cause bloat, G.I. stasis or other digestive problems. Second, it provides a full compliment of B-vitamins that are normally produced by healthy fermentation patterns. If these fermentation patterns are disrupted then B-vitamin production is reduced and this often leads to a loss of appetite and reduced energy levels. Proper levels of B-vitamins are necessary to maintain a healthy appetite. Third, it contains a unique blend of herbs that actually stimulate the lower digestive tract to naturally contract and relax in a rhythmic pattern to help optimize healthy fermentation patterns. This works great for rabbits and other small herbivores that are less mobile (don’t get enough exercise due to age or arthritis) or that simply have trouble with digestion (especially megacolon rabbits who lack the lower G.I. tract innervation necessary to stimulate muscle contraction). The herbs have been shown to directly trigger rhythmic muscle contraction/relaxation in lower rabbit digestive tract independent of nerve stimulation.”

Again, though – I would recommend talking to your vet before giving this, or any other medication.

I have tried pedialyte, when Waffuls was going through a bit of a stasis issue a while back – she absolutely hated the taste of it. So I’m hoping just mixing a small amount of apple juice in their water will encourage drinking on their own, so I don’t have to force-feed them pedialyte or water.

As for the chewing, if your vet has ruled out teeth issues, I’m wondering if it could be a stress-related behavior? If he’s in pain or was under a lot of stress, he could be chewing a lot to cope with either/or..? I wish I had more information about this, but your guess would be as good as mine @ this point as none of my buns have exhibited this behavior.

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