Chronic GI Stasis

[Becca]

Hi all. We rescued a female rabbit (Kate) from the humane society as a companion rabbit for male rescue. They are bonded and love each other!  We have had Kate for 7 months and she has had stasis 3 times (September, November, and now again today). The rabbits eat 1/8th of a cup of Oxbow Adult Rabbit food, are provided fresh timothy hay twice daily plus a haystack twice a week, and are given spinach and herbs as treats. When she is feeling well Kate eats like a champ. When the first bout of stasis occurred she had blood work and Xrays done. The vet did say she had an irregularity in her spine that may cause her discomfort later in life but as of now she is an agile and lively bunny, it does not appear to bother her. When we first got her 7 months ago she had ovarian cancer but had also just been spayed by the humane society which resolved the issue. Her Xrays did not show any new tumors. Her teeth were also checked. Any ideas? Where can I go to find answers. I hate that she is in pain so frequently and can’t afford the vet bills at this rate.

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome

Poor Kate, that must be so stressful.

Does the human society have any history on her? I wonder if she has been prone to stasis before?

Have you noticed if her stasis is linked to molting? Sometimes molting causes tummy troubles.

It might help her to add more greens in her diet. Fiber and moisture are really important for keeping the gut moving, and veggies are a good way to add moisture. Spinach is one that is good to give in limited quantities, but should not be a staple. There’s a full list of safe veggies and amounts here: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx

Fennel and mint are thought to be helpful for gas, which can lead to stasis. Dandelion, carrot tops, and cilantro are all good to incorporate as a staple.

. . . 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.  

[Asriel and Bombur]

Bombur used to get stasis quite regularly, mainly because of his EC, but our vet gave us a pretty strict diet to follow. We haven’t really had much trouble since, and at the first sign of trouble we bring out the gas drops and tweak his diet a tad.

Like Dana said, greens are very important as a bunny. Mainly pellets should be used as treats, not greens. Bombur gets 1 tbsp of pellets every day and 2-3 cups of greens, as well as unlimited orchard grass. Since decreasing the pellets his tummy has been relatively under control. Sometimes if we treat him to a little too much greens he’ll have some gas, but aside from that he’s been good. Some bunnies can’t handle pellets that well. Sarahthegemini had this problem with one of her buns and they were on an all hay and greens diet for a bit. Just something to consider

[Becca]

Thank you! We have also been giving cilantro and basil but have never tried mint and fennel! I’ll pick some up today. I appreciate it! The humane society had no history on her when we got her.

[Becca]

Thanks! As much as she LOVES the pellets we’ve been thinking of cutting them out completely. I’ll try the one tbsp a day and if it continues cut it out altogether! Luckily so far she responds very quickly to treatment and is back to herself within a day on meds. Fingers crossed.

[Bunny House]

Green leaf and romaine( when there’s is not a break out) are very good and cheap veggies to give as their regular meals everyday. They have a lot of water in it to keep them hydrated and keep their tummy and gut hydrated.

[Author]

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