Going Through GI Stasis

[VikingBunMumma]

I hope this is the right place for this…. Just looking for tips, and piece of mind. 

My baby’s name is Piper, and she is my first rabbit. She’s about 8 months old, and just got spayed on March 24th. The surgery went well, but she pretty much immediately went into GI stasis. I’ve now spent over $1000 treating her, and I’m so happy to report progress…

She’s on a laundry list of meds right now, and I took her in for SubQ injections a few times last week and over the weekend. 

I won’t go into the meds she’s on, because my vet is being super awesome, and they seem to know their stuff. She’s on all the regular stuff, pain meds, Critical Care, probiotics… You name it. I think they’re doing her some good.

She absolutely HATES medicine time, and I’m not particularly great at it. It tends to take me 40 minutes to fill and administer them, since Piper is a master at getting out of her bunny burrito while I’m trying to give her Critical Care. I tend to get her swaddled up, and then situate her on the floor between my thighs, and I lean over so I’m staring at her upside down. Generally she looks pretty grumpy about the setup, but it’s pretty effective since if she tries to run away, she runs right into my face.

Her incision is healing very well, but we’re on Day 9 of the poop watch… She’s not pooping at all. She wasn’t eating ANYTHING until this past Wednesday, though it was just nibbling a bit of lettuce. She then stopped on Thursday evening. Today is the first day she’s been REALLY EATING, hay, pellets, and she’s eaten three romaine lettuce leaves, though I’d feel better if she ate MORE. She’s sipping water… And she even went exploring in the kitchen, hopped around the living room… I was so happy!

Is there a way I can get her to hop around and play more? Still waiting on that poop…

Another area of worry for me is, I’m out of sick days from work now… I’ve used several to take care of her, and I’m a wounded veteran who has a lot of appointments as well. Tomorrow I go back to work… and with my commute, I’ll be away for 12 hours. I’m so afraid that she’ll go backwards without me home. I have a security camera set up over her large cage at least… so I can spy on her…

Sorry for the long post… I’m a worried bunny mumma…

[BanditCamp]

I’m a wounded vet as well so I understand your issue. What would make medicine time easier is smearing banana on the syranges or another fruit she likes. Than just be quick about administering the medicine when she thinks it’s yumyums.

As for holding the rabbit do a bun burrito as this is less stressful for you and your rabbit as it limits her movement safely and gives you access to her face. After medicine time always offer kind words and pets and give plenty of space. Ensure she poops and pees as this is the signs that your worries are over. Eventually all your buns personality will swing back and you can be a happy vet again.

If she continues to not poop call your veteran immediately cause there might be something wrong.

(((Sending army vibes and wishes)))

[Luna]

I’m a little confused as to the timeline – when you say Day 9 of poop watch, do you mean she hasn’t pooped in 9 days? I really think she should go back to the vet if she doesn’t poop today. But that’s great that Piper is eating and even exploring. I agree with trying to disguise the meds in something else that’s delicious. Luna escapes the burrito every time too, so I put some leafy greens on the end of the syringe to “trick” her, and now if she ever needs meds she will just sit there and take it straight from the syringe without any disguise necessary. The security cam is a great idea. I got one for Luna because she developed stasis when I was away at work, but now I can check in on anytime on her food/water intake, and her poop.

[VikingBunMumma]

I have been taking her to the vet CONSTANTLY, as a note… This is all under very careful direction of a well-versed veterinarian… She had a hospital stay through the worst of it, and now she’s home with me, but I’ve been taking her to the vet for extra treatments whenever I can. And when I can’t (simply due to work hours conflicting with their operating hours, as I exhausted all my days off for her as it is), the vet checks in twice a day. I’m in constant communication with them.

So yes, it was day 9 of no poops, no eating on her own.

She finally pooped two small nuggets last night, so we’re finally progressing. She’s as feisty as ever, though she’s been slow to start playing again. I finally saw some exploration and play in her last night, and she ate a bunch of greens (four romaine leaves and a bunch of hay). Today, I had to go back to work… But I came home to a bunny eating her third romaine lettuce leave for the day, and snarfing up hay…. And then while I was on hold with the vet, she jumped up to her second level of the cage for the first time since her surgery!

….. And I think I just heard her fart, so it’s time for tummy rubs. But she’s honestly starting to act a little more herself… It’s very slow progress…. But with the help of my amazing vet, and Critical Care (oh lordy she hates that stuff…), I feel better about this than ever.

I do like the idea of smearing banana on the tips of the oral syringes though. It’s worth a shot. Though as soon as she gets a taste of that Critical Care, she ducks somehow manages to duck her head under the front of the towel… No matter how snugly I burrito her, she ALWAYS finds a way out. I swear she’s Houdini.

I’m hoping the vet calls me back and says we can skip her meds tonight, to see if she’ll pass all the food she’s been eating naturally, in case any of the meds are blocking her up at all, and so she gets a break. She’s a very unhappy camper when it’s treatment time… But she’s never bitten me.

Come on Piper! <3 You can do it!

[Luna]

That’s great that she finally pooped! Two nuggets are better than nothing . It’s good that she did so well while you were at work, and the security cam is a great peace of mind. Luna sends get well vibes ((((Piper))))

[Author]

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