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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A GI Stasis.

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    • BakingBunny
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        Hello everyone, my bun is at the get right now and she’s been there since 10am. Here’s the story:

        I woke up on Monday to find that she wasn’t exited to say good morning. That was a bad sign so I gave her some left over GI meds from her last GI problem back in late November, early October. She didn’t get any better so I took her to the emergency exotics vet around 4:30pm. They gave her more fluids and more meds. She got a lot better, eating and running around. Then, on Tuesday she was up and down. She ate a lot of hay and pooped here and there. She didn’t drink any water though. One moment she’s running around, the next she’s in a little ball. I gave her gas drops and critical care last night in hopes she’d get better. This morning she wasn’t any better so I took her to another exotics vet. They took X-rays and found that her stomach was pretty enlarged and there was a lot of hay in there. So they put some IV fluids and pain relievers in her and I’m waiting for the vet to call to tell me how she’s doing.

        I really hope she gets better. If she does, what can be causing this? Everyone I know says her diet is healthy, even all the vets I’ve taken her to. She gets unlimited 2nd grade Timothy hay, 1-2 tablespoons of pellets, and 1-2 cups of leafy greens. So for her to get GI again so quickly is worrisome. I’m so worried I acted too late. I hope what they are doing is enough for her.


      • DanaNM
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          I’m sorry she isn’t doing well. 🙁  I don’t think you did anything wrong, you took her to the vet really quickly after you first saw symptoms that weren’t improving. It sounds like she just needs supportive care and meds for longer, so it’s good she’s at the vet now. The fluids and pain meds should help her feel better. Sometimes recovery from stasis can take a while.

          As far as cause, it’s hard to say. Is she molting? Have there been any other changes or sources of stress?

          Sometimes dental trouble can cause GI issues. Was she eating plenty of hay leading up to this 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.  


        • BakingBunny
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            She was molting hard but got through the worst of it. She does eat lots of hay. I took her to the vet for an upper respiratory infection earlier last month they said her teeth looked good. As far as stress I can’t sense she’s stressed she always seems pretty content.


          • GlennTheLionhead
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              Sorry to hear your bunny is going through this. Wishing her a speedy and easy recovery!

              It is always hard to say the cause but I noticed you mentioned she had a hard molt. You could try fortifying fiber in the buns diets, I see that she already has a good diet but even just fortifying with daily dried forage e.g a small handful from a bag of apple twigs and blackcurrant leaves and have 2 types of hay available can just help to add that extra kick of fiber that will help the digestion along and prevent stasis (if molt is the cause) we have a long haired bun who had a great diet but used to get stasis during the big molt and this is how we’ve kept the episodes at bay for the last couple years.

              I have heard pineapple helps during molts but mine won’t eat it so I haven’t been able to test that theory yet.

              Not sure if you did this or not but one thing that has helped mine is at the first sign of stopping eating i.e I offer a pellet and it is refused, I administer simethcone straight away, usually 2 doses an hour apart and often this has rectified the issue, if there’s no improvements after the second dose it’s a vet trip.

              It does sound like you have done everything right and she gets treated wonderfully by you. These are just suggestions/tips that have worked for me.

               


            • DanaNM
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                I suspect the molt plus maybe a slightly weakened system after recovering from her respiratory infection could have triggered it. Molting can be hard on bunnies, even when it doesn’t seem like they are ingesting a lot of fur. It’s really common for buns to have GI trouble around molting time.

                I agree that fiber is the name of the game, and making sure she stays hydrated. I sometimes will skip my buns’ pellet ration a day or two when they are molting just to make sure they are getting enough hay.

                The other thing is that some buns are very sensitive to specific veggies or pellet ingredients. I had one bun that was pretty sensitive to kale, it would make him gassy, even though my other buns all have no issues with it. If she has another episode soon after this one, it might be worth talking to you vet about doing a hay-only diet for a while, and then slowly adding things back in to see if you can identify a specific food that might be causing issues.

                You might also ask your vet to show you how to give fluids at home and have them give you some pain meds to keep at home. Often hydration and pain management are the first thing to try and are enough to get things moving again. You wouldn’t want to fully try to treat at home, but if she starts showing early signs that could help a lot.

                . . . 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.  


              • BakingBunny
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                  Thank you everyone for you support and advice. She just came home with me. The vet said her stomach feels a lot smaller. She is suuuper tired so I can’t tell how much better she is in terms of eating. The vet said she was eating the romaine they gave her and she needs to be given critical care. Her stomach feels smaller but hard to me (which is worrying me) but she pooped, and ate, a lot of cecotropes when she got home so I’m a little confused on how to feel. Relieved or worried?


                • DanaNM
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                    I would feel very relieved! Pooping and eating is amazing!

                    I think continuing with critical care until she’s 100% is a good plan!

                    . . . 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.  


                  • BakingBunny
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                      Well she’s definitely not eating yet. Just eating her poops. It’s just her really hard stomach that is making me nervous. She is also refusing to eat the critical care so I’m going to have to syringe feed her.


                    • Bam
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                        Make sure she keeps warm. She might like a warm waterbottle that she can snuggle up to – but she must have enough space so she can move away from the heat source if she doesn’t want it.

                        It is very good that she pooped and ate her cecotropes.

                         


                      • Wick & Fable
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                          If your rabbit’s stomach is hard, that is indicative of bloat and is a medical emergency that needs veterinary attention immediately. Often, owners believe they are feeling the stomach when they are actually feeling a different portion of the body. You can use this video for guidance on where to feel for the stomach in order to assess whether your rabbit may have bloat. Be sure to both watch and listen to the video, as the vet shares valuable information as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVW6Rw5rZzo

                          See here for some guidance on at-home measures that can be helpful, while also understanding that depending on the cause and severity of the current upset, at-home measures may not be adequate: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Gastrointestinal_stasis#At-home_treatment

                          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.


                        • DanaNM
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                            If she’s pooping, producing cecotropes, and eating her cecotropes, I think bloat is pretty unlikely (just my 2 cents, I am not a vet of course).

                            Many rabbits don’t like critical care even when they are feeling food so syringe feeding is pretty standard stasis treatment.

                            . . . 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.  


                          • BakingBunny
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                              Okay so she’s pooping and starting a long road to recovery. The vet said this was caused by severe dehydration. So in order to avoid this from happening again she needs more water. I really need advice on how to get her to drink. Now keep in minds I’ve tried:

                              She has a bowl and a bottle

                              Putting cilantro in her water

                              Putting bananas in her water (she LOVES bananas)

                              Putting pineapple juice in her water

                              Putting cranberry juice in her water

                              Putting ice in her water to keep it cold

                              Giving her room temperature water

                              Nothing seems to temp her to drink.


                            • DanaNM
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                                My impression is that dehydration is involved with more stasis cases than people talk about. Her dehydration could have also gotten worse once she started feeling bad. 🙁

                                Do you notice that she drinks from her bowl at all? Usually buns will drink water after they eat hay, so you could watch her after she eats hay to see if she drinks then. You can also feed her salad sopping wet. I have also noticed that one of my buns (Bun Jovi) loves to drink the bit of water that ends up at the bottom of the salad bowl, which is a bonus.

                                Long term, refreshing the bowl twice a day seems to be the best bet for getting a bun to drink regularly. Adding apple juice to water can help in a pinch when you need them to drink, but if stasis is suspected I don’t like giving added sugar.

                                Does your tap water taste good? In my old town our tap water was pretty bad and I know someone who gives her buns bottled water. Now they won’t drink the tap water at all, but they do drink more!

                                During her recovering you might also try making her some hay tea. When Bun Jovi was in stasis he wouldn’t drink water, but drank hay tea (I think it actually saved his life): https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/hay-tea-for-anybunny-who-doesnt-drink-enough-especially-for-ill-or-recovering-rabbits/

                                . . . 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.  


                              • LBJ10
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                                  I’m sorry your bunny isn’t feeling well. Can you syringe some water in her mouth? Give her veggies dripping wet?


                                • BakingBunny
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                                    The hay tea smelled really good to me and she gave it a few licks but ultimately lost interest. I tried syringing the water she spit almost all of it out. She isn’t eating much of her veggies, let alone when they are soaked, the water demotivates her.

                                    I am currently diluting her gas drops with water so instead of just getting a syringe of gas drops she’s getting around 8 syringes of gas drop water. I also gave her some wet hay because she is eating a lot of hay.


                                  • DanaNM
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                                      If you can find fresh grass, that can also be really good (hydration + fiber). Soaked hay is a good idea too!

                                      I’ve found it’s much easier to syringe water when I use a 1 mL syringe, the bun always seems to swallow way more of it than when I use a 6 or 10 mL syringe (like I usually use for CC).

                                      . . . 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.  


                                    • BakingBunny
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                                        I feel like she’s slowly going downhill. I’m giving her medicine, she’s starting to eat small amounts of critical care on her own, she’s producing cecotropes (and eating them), and she’s still eating lots of hay. But she isn’t producing as many poops in the litter box and she is pushing her stomach against the floor when the pain medication starts to ware off. Once I give her pain meds she stops. Her stomach also makes a lot of gurgling noises. I am giving her gas drops for that.


                                        • Wick & Fable
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                                            Remember that input impacts output, so if she’s not eating as much, it’s quite natural that she’s not going to be producing as many poops. Gurgling noises are not necessarily 100% — what they signal is not only gas bubbles, but gas bubble movement, and there are times when hearing movement is very much preferable to not! It’s great to hear she’s starting to eat some CC on her own.

                                            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.


                                        • DanaNM
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                                            I agree that some noises from the gut are better than no noises. A silent GI tract is in stasis. Eating lots of hay is amazing.

                                            Can you encourage her to move around a bit??

                                            There are also other things that can cause abdominal pain. Liver torsion is one that is commonly confused with stasis (and sometimes coincides). I think if you are still seeing lots of signs of pain, but she’s eating and pooping, you should contact your vet. Some gas could be the culprit, but it would be good to let them know what you are seeing.

                                            . . . 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.  


                                          • BakingBunny
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                                              Thank you all for the replies, I decided to take her back to her emergency vet because she was in pain, they have the most wonderful rabbit savvy vet there that got her through her first GI back in October (they weren’t available when this emergency came up). After she did a thorough examination she did say that my bun was still dehydrated but she believes that this is all caused by my bunny having lower back pain. Her body is going into stasis from the pain she is experiencing and she is getting better until she starts feeling pain again. So my bunny has to be confined into her pen for 2 weeks with pain and GI meds until she heals. The vet is going to look over the X-rays that was taken from her last vet visit and get back to me by Thursday to see if she finds anything. Thanks fully there is no blockages.


                                            • Bam
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                                                Thank you for this update! I’m glad you have a great rabbit vet!

                                                It sounds promising that you have found a possible root cause for this. Rabbits are sensitive to pain. The fact that her behaviour changes as the pain meds wear off is a pretty solid indication that there is a pain problem. Luckily rabbits do very well on meloxicam even for longer term use.


                                              • DanaNM
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                                                  That’s great you were able to see a trusted vet! It makes a world of difference. And a pain-related cause makes perfect sense with her symptoms. Hopefully she will start improving with better pain management.

                                                  . . . 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.  


                                                • BakingBunny
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                                                    So I’m supposed to keep her confined to her pen for 2 weeks to give her back time to heal (vet’s orders). She is back to her normal self and I feel so bad cause she desperately wants out and she still has a week left. I hope this won’t just cause more stress. Her “calming” pain meds aren’t making her as sleepy as they used to. I’m trying to provide new toys and fun stuff for her to play with, but that only keeps her entertained for like 15 mins. I can’t giver her treats or pellets until she loses weight. Any suggestions how to keep her entertained/busy?


                                                  • Bam
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                                                      This is obviously a bit difficult. Fresh apple twigs would probably be the best thing to keep her occupied – it’s like meaty bones for a dog. The twigs must be pesticide free. Willow twigs would work too and willow toys. That’s what I had prepared for my bun when she was spayed a month ago. I also made a bed for myself on the floor next to her and my plan was to spend as much time as could next to her, quietly reading or watching Netflix on my tablet. (It turned out she didn’t need that much confinement, but I had everything prepped beforehand.)

                                                      It’s of course good that she’s feeling so much better that she’s starting to get restless, but it’s very difficult to keep a restless bun entertained in a small cage.


                                                    • DanaNM
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                                                        I’m glad she’s feeling better! And it is so hard to see them frustrated, but just remember it’s temporary!

                                                        Phone books are good for shredding. You can also hide her pellets in hay stuffed in a toilet paper roll to make her forage for them. Palm plates and willow twigs/baskets are also very popular with my buns!

                                                        . . . 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.  


                                                      • BakingBunny
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                                                          I just got through her Sub Q fluids. The vet gave me enough to administer at home for 10 days. But now, yet again, she’s not drinking. She has a fountain, a bowl, and two different water bottles in her pen. I’ve tried all different temperatures from so many different sources (sink, fridge, filtered). She didn’t even want the hay tea.

                                                          I’m lost on how to get my bun to drink water! If anyone has dealt with this before, please, I need help.


                                                        • Bam
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                                                            Could she perhaps need more pain meds? Rabbits are very pain-sensitive and they tolerate quite high doses of oain meds, particularly meloxicam. Is she on any medication now?

                                                             


                                                          • BakingBunny
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                                                              Yes she is still taking Meloxidyl and Gabapentin two times a day. She’s otherwise normal and happy. I let her out of her pen for 15 minute playtimes and she’s Binkying and happy. I don’t know why she is refusing to drink.


                                                            • Bam
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                                                                It is very weird. How does her poop look? Is she peeing?


                                                              • BakingBunny
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                                                                  Her poop looks nice, plump and round. She was peeing a lot with her subQ fluids. Now not so much. She peed 2-3 times yesterday and has yet to pee today.


                                                                • Bam
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                                                                    As long as the poop is ample in amount and look plump and fine, shes not dehydrated. If she gets fresh greens she might very well be getting the fluids she need. If not, maybe your vet would be willing to prescribe more sub q fluids? One of our moderators (LPT) gave one of her buns sub q fluids for a very long time. The bun (Bindi-Loo) became very old despite multiple health issues.


                                                                  • BakingBunny
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                                                                      Hmm, I hope so. I do give her fresh greens freshly rinsed in the morning and evening. She has a recheck appointment on the 3rd and I’ll talk to her vet and see what he recommends.

                                                                      Thank you so much for the replies.

                                                                      Happy Holidays!


                                                                    • BakingBunny
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                                                                        Okay, I think she’s starting to get a little dehydrated because her poops are small and lighter now. I gave her all her GI meds and her pain meds because she didn’t seem her self this morning and I don’t wanna take any chances. I decided to mix 3 freshly squeezed oranges with 6-8 cups of water. She willingly takes it by 10ml syringes. Is that okay? Will the oranges hurt her?


                                                                        • Wick & Fable
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                                                                            Oranges are a rabbit-safe fruit (https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Treats#Fruits). That being said, you do not want to “over do it” with sugar when a rabbit is in GI distress, as excessive sugar (as opposed to getting the rabbit to eat critical care or hay) can irritate the intestinal lining further (similar to what we expect when a rabbit eats too many treats and gets an upset stomach). That being said, the benefit of hydration can outweigh the additional sugar, especially since you diluted it with water.

                                                                            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.


                                                                        • DanaNM
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                                                                            I think apple juice would be a safer choice for mixing with water. Citrus can be a bit weird on the gut flora sometimes.

                                                                            . . . 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.  


                                                                          • BakingBunny
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                                                                              The reason I chose orange juice is because she is a VERY picky bunny. Her list of hates are far longer than her list of likes. She doesn’t like apples, so I’m not sure how effective apple juice would be in regards to enticing her to drink. She loves oranges, bananas, and is okay with blueberries. Every other fruit I’ve tried to give her she rejects. I also tried cranberry juice but she didn’t like that either.


                                                                            • Bam
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                                                                                If she approves of orange but hates apple, orange is the way to go. It must be something that she finds appealing.


                                                                              • BakingBunny
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                                                                                  She is going in and out of GI stasis. She has an appointment on the 3rd and I could find anyone on Thursday or Friday to see her. I’m managing to put whatever I can into her to help her digestive system. She doesn’t poop most of the day, then everything I give her kicks in around the evening and she poops. I was wondering if giving her “Healthy Gut” probiotics will help her or make things worse? Any advice?


                                                                                • DanaNM
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                                                                                    I’m sorry she’s still up and down. 🙁

                                                                                    Bene-bac is really commonly given to rabbits and isn’t known to cause issues, so it could be worth a try. Usually it’s used in cases of cecal dysbiosis.

                                                                                    Fiber and hydration are really the name of the game, so the more fluids and fiber you can get into her, the better. Are you still giving critical care?

                                                                                    Also, did your vet ever rule out liver torsion?

                                                                                     

                                                                                    . . . 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.  


                                                                                  • BakingBunny
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                                                                                      I am providing critical care as much as possible. She’s not as eager to drink it as she was a few days ago and I’m scared to force it because she’s already in pain and stressed. How can I provide more fiber? She’s eating her hay.

                                                                                      No, her non-emergency vet hasn’t gotten a chance to see her again since her really bad GI attack. I’m going to go through all of the possibilities with him on Monday. I really hope to get to the bottom of things.


                                                                                    • DanaNM
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                                                                                        If she’s getting CC and eating her hay, that’s great for both fiber and hydration, I wasn’t sure where she was at with those.

                                                                                        Hang in there, hopefully you can get some answers soon. I know it’s soooo stressful caring for chronic cases like this. 🙁

                                                                                        . . . 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.  


                                                                                      • BakingBunny
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                                                                                          Thank you for the support. She’s eating hay, it’s keeping her hydrated that’s super hard to do. I don’t know why she’s refusing to drink. To hydrate her I’m giving her as much Critical Care as I can (I refill her bowl when it empties and/or change it when it gets “too old” for her). I’m also giving her diluted gas drops because she loves those and it’s a way to trick some water into her.

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                                                                                      Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A GI Stasis.