GI stasis experiences/bladder sludge

[luvmyhunybuny]

Hello everyone~
One of my bunnies (2 years old) stopped eating a few nights back. I could tell she was extremely uncomfortable so I immediately gave her mylicon and metacam. She was no better by the next morning, so off to the vet we went. The xray confirmed a small ball of food in her upper tummy with a small amount of air/gas on one side of it. There was not an excessive amount of gas in her tummy or intestines and she did have some guts sounds, though not normal. The xray also showed a small amount of bladder sludge. Vet said it was not enough to cause concern, but she did have some. Her teeth looked good. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

I am super anal about my rabbits diet. They get Sherwood Forest pellets, unlimted hay, daily greens/veggies. I do give whole oats as a snack at night (about a tablespoon) and one barley biscuit a day. I just wish I knew why she went into stasis. I have 6 rabbits and have never had to deal with this. For the people who have had buns go into stasis, did you ever find out the reason or has anyone had this happen once and not again? Would the small amount of sludge be enough to cause her to feel poorly and not eat? I am terrified there is something wrong with my girl that we aren’t catching. 

[Cupcakesmom]

My first bunny, Cupcake, went into stasis a few times, but we never could figure out why. There were no changes in her diet, or in her environment. Sometimes it just happens. Its like when you eat something and it doesnt agree with you, but the next time you eat it, youre fine. Hang in there and keep an eye on her…it may come back again and it might not. I think you are doing a great job!

[Sarita]

Many times my vet could not find specific reasons for my rabbits to have stasis and I think that is pretty common – it’s a guessing game. When I’ve had multiple rabbits too with the same diet too. I had a rabbit Mango that when he was young he had several bouts of stasis and there was no apparent cause (teeth were good, no other problems) and when he got older it stopped.

Of course I’ve had stasis problems in rabbits with dental issues or UTI’s or URI’s as well but it was apparent the reason.

As for sludge – I’ve had a number of rabbits with that issue however they were older than 2 years old – seems to be more common in my experience with older rabbits. I think it can definitely contribute to feelings of discomfort and it may be part of the reason – but it’s difficult to know. Have you noticed any other symptoms from the bladder sludge like trying to posture when urinating or small spots of urine around her litter box?

[LongEaredLions]

Also, a bit off topic, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to give that much oats every day. They are just fattening to bunnies and fill them up so they don’t eat hay. (Which could contribute to the stasis) I would give less oats, or none at all.

[luvmyhunybuny]

Hi Sarita~
No, I have not noticed any other symptoms. There is, on occasion, a puddle of pee by her litter box, but this has been happening since she bonded with Smudge. I assumed it was territorial issues. I have not seen any chalky urine either. The amount showing the xray was very small, so I am not sure it is something it is even bothersome to her. 

[luvmyhunybuny]

Longearedlions,
Thanks for the suggestion, but my rabbits are not overweight and one tablespoon shared between a bonded pair is really not a lot. I have been giving oats to my rabbits for years without issue. And aside from the daily barley biscuit it is the only treat they get.

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