Help needed: bunny recovering from GI stasis

[Maria2022]

Hello, I have a bunny who is 4 years old male. He recently went through horrible GI stasis!! He is recovering now. He received Baytril which is finished, but he is still having soft poop. My vet saw the pic and suggested to start another antibiotic metronidazole, suspecting anerobic infection as he is still having soft poop. My bunny is 8th day today on recovery. Does anyone else has the similar experience of bunny  having soft stool after 7 days. Anyone used metronidazole for GI anerobic infection? thank you

[DanaNM]

Is your vet rabbit savvy? Antibiotics are not usually a first-line treatment for stasis, and can make things worse. Is your rabbit on any other medications?

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

My vet is an exotic vet, I believe Rabbit saavy. My bunny completed other medication: Metacam(had reaction), cisapride, Cholestyramine. All are stopped now. I am also kind of puzzled about the new antibiotic metronidazole.

What do you think what antibiotic makes bad?

[LBJ10]

Antibiotics kills off bacteria, including good bacteria found in the gut. If your bunny is recovering from stasis, then too many antibiotics may interfere with his gut getting back on track. Metronidazole is typically used in other animals to treat parasites and bacteria that cause inflammation in the gut. But if you’re bunny just has mushy poop… I would be hesitant to jump to the conclusion that it is caused by bacteria. It’s very possible it was caused by the stasis and other antibiotic.

Have you tried a probiotic to help balance the bacteria in his gut?

[Bam]

I just want to add that I have used metronidazole twice for a bun that was suspected to have anaerobic bacteria in his gut. There was about 18 months between the two occasions. The prescribing vet is a bunny savvy exotics vet. The problem my bun had was very slimy, mucousy poop, not just soft stools.

There are probiotics that can help the bunny gut. Benebac is often used. I think you could discuss trying a probiotic first with your vet, if they still want him to have the metronidazole you can give a probiotic a couple of hours before or after the antibiotic.

[Maria2022]

I have not tried any probiotic yet. I will ask my vet today for that. Thanks. That helpful. 🙂

I just wanted to know if bunny has a cecal dysbiosis due to antibiotic, is it normal if he wants to chew many things. I am not letting him to do that right now. Any idea how long should I wait before I see any normal poop?

[Maria2022]

Thank you all for replying. My vet gave him metronidazole and I also asked for a probiotic. Hopefully, this time it works. I will keep you posted. I feel like this is going to be a long recovery for him.

[Maria2022]

Its been 4 and 1/2 days since I started metronidazole for my bunny. He is still getting mushy paste like poop. My vet wants to do stool exam for him. I am not sure whether bunny needs another medications. Poor guy getting all the antibiotics. He is eating and drinking well. I am still force feeding him with critical care so that he does not loose weight. He likes greens. Do you think I should change anything.

[Bam]

Do you see any trace of improvement in the way the poop looks now?

It can take several weeks for a bun to start producing normal-looking poop after a bad bout of stasis. If the poop is just loose  not foamy or mucosy, it might be that your bun just need more time for the gut microbes to get back to normal again.

Does the vet want to examine his poop for intestinal parasites? Metronidazole has effect on some but not all intestinal parasites.

It’s great that he has a good appetite! Does he eat hay? Hay is important food for the good types of gut microbes.

[Maria2022]

-There is a slight improvement in terms of the water content of the poop.

-he does not eat a lot of hay. Even before GI stasis, he was on mostly greens and pellets. I understand not eating hay will make his recovery delayed. Now I saw him was eating hay a few times now. Which is a good start for him. He is still eating his greens, no pellets no treats. Critical care 2-3 times daily.

-I am not sure whether the antibiotic caused this or is it his dysbiosis taking that long.

-He is running around, sniffing, eating but chewing a lot.

[DanaNM]

Have his teeth been examined? That could be the root cause of the stasis episode and could be affecting his slow recovery. Hay is very important for the gut microbes to establish correctly and for the functioning of the cecum.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

His teeth have been checked. He does have stage 1 gum disease. But I believe he is not in dental pain as he is eating, no grinding. Vet said eating hay would prevent it from progressing.

-Before his gut stasis he never had mushy poop. All started after starting his first antibiotic enrofloxacin. When I finished the dose he was still having mushy for another 2 days. Then vet said he might have anerobic, so they started him on metronidazole. But I do not see any significant improvement. Does critical care make mushy poop. In that case I will decrease it. He is also eating 2 leaves of kale and one lettuce. I might decrease the green. The reason I am giving him green is cause he was used to with greens and never had issues. Now I think he needs to cut down on green and critical care.

My vet wants to do stool test.

[DanaNM]

If he isn’t eating hay normally, you should keep up the critical care. Greens are mostly water so they don’t provide the nutrition the bun needs, but CC has things to help get the gut functioning normally. It does sound like the first antibiotic threw off the balance in the gut. I think trying a probiotic could help if you haven’t already. I also wouldn’t rule out that his teeth are affecting his hay eating, because you said he’s eating but not hay. Usually hay is the first thing to go when a bun’s teeth hurt. Rabbits hide their pain extremely well. Is he on any pain medication?

I think doing a stool test would be good to rule out other parasites. Coccidea (a parasite) can cause diarrhea as well, but I think you would have other symptoms too.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

-Thanks in that case I will continue on critical care.

-He is on probiotics but is not helping.

-He is chewing hard surfaces, chewing his toys. I do not know if he has dental pain would he be able to chew on hard things. But you are right I should talk to the vet. He is eating very little hay.

-waiting for the stool result.

[Maria2022]

One weird thing I have noticed so far is licking walls and woods. He never did that before. Not sure whether its the cecal dysbiosis.

[DanaNM]

Chewing on hard things can sometimes be associated with pain, weirdly enough, and can happen even when there is a molar issue. Chewing on wood and other hard surfaces uses just the front teeth, but chewing long strands of hay requires side to side chewing motion with the molars. I had one bunny would would become obsessed with digging and chewing the carpet when he was having gas pain. There have been bunnies on the forum that had just the tiniest molar spur and it was enough to send them into stasis because it made them not want to eat their hay.  I wonder if he’s licking things because he’s craving something?

. . . 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.  

[Bam]

I have had a bun who had the tiniest dental spurs. He chewed cardboard frantically, then he stopped eating. The vets I had back then didnt think his teeth were the problem, but after 3 weeks of critical care they decided to burr his molars. A few days after that, he was back to eating like normal again.

Licking walls and other non-soft surfaces could be another attempt at relieving mouth pain. (Rabbits often lick soft things like pillows especially when theyre being pet, and that is normal).

Its good that the stools are a little less watery. Getting back from stasis can take time, regardless of the root cause of the stasis.

[Maria2022]

I appreciate your responses, very helpful info.

I am going to talk to my vet about it tomorrow. I am not giving my bunny unnecessary visit to the vet at the moment. But if it’s the  teeth I might have to take him to them. My exotic vet does not work every day.

 

[Maria2022]

Ongoing issues: 2 days ago I gave him a few pellets just to make him eat. But his mushy poop became more mushy and pasty. I stopped that. I am still feeding him critical care and vege, little hay.

I am feeling anxious and having caregiver stress, is there any way I could make myself a little calmer and less anxious while taking care of him. I guess cleaning his area is making me irritable. I work 8 hours shift. But when I’m home I check continuously on him. I think I need to stop that. I feel really bad that I might not be properly taking care of him.

ANy suggestions would be appreciated.

[Bam]

You are being a wonderful bun owner. But you should absolutely stop hovering over him all the time when you’re home, or you risk making yourself sick too, from stress.

When I had a bun who was very poorly for about 5 weeks, I spent a lot of time in the same room as him, but without interacting directly so much, unless he initiated it, or it was time for feeding or medications. A bun friend from BB had just introduced me to crochet when my bun became ill, and I found that crocheting helped me calm down and concentrate or sth other than my poor little bun. I crocheted a lap blanket, but I’m sure any craft that requires a bit of mindfulness and also concentration would do just as well as crochet. It does need to be sth that requires a bit of concentration though, or all the bad thoughts start flying in all directions and you’re back to just worrying again.

My vet was adamant that I should let my bun sleep and rest during the night and not feed or handle him manually between say 10 pm and morning. Rabbits get stressed when they’re being handled all the time, and the human does need to sleep during the night, esp when you have to work all day.

 

[DanaNM]

Caring for an ill bunny is so incredibly stressful. 🙁 I agree with Bam that not hovering will help you both. You are doing a great job with him, the supportive care required can be really exhausting. Just know that if you are getting food into him every 8 hours or so, he should be stable, so you can relax a bit in between his feedings (especially if he’s nibbling a little on his own).

If he’s having lots of mushy poops, you might find that puppy pee pads will make clean up easier for the time being too.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

Thanks Bam and DanaNM. Much appreciate your soothing response.

I just bought puppy pad and my bunny started eating it, lol. I guess I can’t use it.

-My understanding of his current condition is Vet should judicially use antibiotics in the first place. When he had GI stasis, I guess simple fluid could make him better, but they made me so scared that I thought antibiotics will do the trick. But it actually worsened him.

 

 

[Maria2022]

Update: My vet strated him on antifungal yesterday, they found small amount of Cyniclomyces in his poop. Vet contacted specialist, she said my bunny also might be having mild pneumonia, and they want him on Enrofloxacin again for 2 weeks. Now I said I might go with antifungals first and then see how my bunny responds. If not improving well, I might try Enrofloxacin another 2 weeks.

Its been a month now since my bunny is having mushy poop. But I can see his poop is not as pasty as it was before. I could see small soft round shaped poop(looks like cecotropes). Not sure whether it’s a good sign or not.

[Bam]

If pneumonia is suspected, it must be treated. Pneumonia is very serious in rabbits.

[Maria2022]

Hey Bam, thanks for reply. I am waiting for another second vet appointment.

So my vet consulted a specialist 2 weeks ago. Based on that assessment without seeing my bunny they told me to start antifungal as there is small growth of cyniclomyces(which is a normal gut bacteria in rabbit). My bunny started to have more watery stool after starting antifungal. Now I think I should see another ver for a second opinion and regarding all of these antibiotic and antifungals use. Or do I need any other investigation?

Yesterday I talked to a lady who rescued hundreds of bunny. She said she never used antibiotic for simple GI stasis. And never antifungal(nystatin)!

I am not sure whether my bunny is being overtreated or not. He was having some improvement with his stools for the last couple of days as he was eating a good amount of hay and less green. I hope his not using the litterbox is just behavioral not an UTI

 

[Bam]

It could be good idea to get a second opinion.

I dont know any vet that treats stasis with antibiotics, unless they believe that the cause of the stasis is a bacterial infection.

[Cinnamon Bun]

Yeah, this is confusing. The only medication my vet gave my bun when she had GI stasis was for her liver, because it was enlarged. She put her on IV fluids and gave her simethicone for gas and painkillers. That’s all. I don’t know why the vet is giving all these antibiotics – but again, I’m no expert. Sometimes a vet can be an exotic but not exactly rabbit-savvy. I agree, I think you should go see another vet for a second opinion.

~♡

[DanaNM]

I’m also confused about the antifungal and antibiotic, perhaps they are trying to correct for an imbalance caused by the initial treatment? But if the antibiotic is for pneumonia that is important.

I agree with getting a completely independent second opinion from a rabbit savvy vet.

. . . 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]

I thought cyniclomyces was part of the rabbit gut microbiome. Just like anything else, it can be opportunistic… but it doesn’t sound like this is the case here. I mean, at least by what you’re describing. I didn’t read through everything. Have you considered a probiotic?

[Maria2022]

DanaNM, I am also confused. Initially they said his does not have any ova/parasites/yeast growth. Then vet talked to a specialist outside of my province and that specialist recommended nystatin. And they think he has mild pneumonia because of ?stress. I am keeping my bunny in a quiet separate room. Now I am considering to have further look.

LBJ10- you are right. Cyniclomyces is  a common organism. Opportunistic organism does not cause any illness unless the bunny is severely immunocompromised. That’s my understanding. He is on probiotics.

[Bam]

Rabbits don’t really get pneumonia from stress, but stress can aggravate a pre-existing condition or make the rabbit more prone to illness. Silent pneumonia isn’t uncommon in rabbits. It will as a rule show up on chest x rays.

From what I can find, cyniclomyces is often found in diarrhea in rabbits, which doesn’t mean that it causes diarrhea. I’m sure you’ve seen the article about how cyniclomyces guttulatis might become opportunistic if the GI tract is already damaged by other pathogens, for example coccidia.

Your rabbit don’t seem to have true diarrhea though. Which is a very good thing, since diarrhea often is fatal in rabbits.

[Maria2022]

Thanks, Bam. I saw the article already. That’s why my heart is telling me that something is not right regarding his treatment. He needs to be assessed again. His poop definitely not watery, its a mushy poop, his bottom is clean though. It’s a mystery.

I made an appointment for Saturday.

[Cinnamon Bun]

LBJ10 – Yes, her bun is on probiotics.

Maria, there are lots of different puppy pads you can use. Those basic blue ones are really thin and not that absorbent (I’m using them for a baby bun who’s only a month old and they are not absorbing properly – the urine just leaks right through), and buns tend to destroy them for some reason. Maybe it’s due to the lavender scent. The charcoal puppy pads are the best in my opinion. They are super thick, absorbent and control odors and my buns have never chew those. There are eco-friendly washable puppy pads options, also.

But if cyniclomyces are a normal gut bacteria, then why are they giving antifungal treatment? And the fact that his poops were actually improving before he started antifungal – ugh.

[Cinnamon Bun]

Oh sorry. People have already posted before me!

[Maria2022]

A lot of people are here helping me out with my bunny. I do not have enough words to express my gratefulness. I already made an appointment with a new vet next week.

[Maria2022]

Update: I saw a new vet today and had chemistry profile , x-ray and fecal test. Vet found coccidia one cyst in fecal sample. She also mentioned that my Bunny seemed to have few amount of good gut bacteria. We will be doing a fecal culture next and then fecal transplantation may be. Anyone have any experience with fecal transplant, any success?

[DanaNM]

My vet had prescribed “poop shakes” using cecals (ideally) or regular poops for one of my fosters that had cecal dysbiosis. We used poops from a healthy bun that already lived with the sick bunny, so there was less concern about introducing parasites or other diseases. I would mix the poops into the bun’s critical care. Unfortunately I can’t say that it helped, but my bun likely had megacolon, rather than gut imbalance caused by antibiotics.

Do you know what the method of the transplant would be? And this would be from the new vet or the same one?

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

They said mixing with critical care and feed him. This is a new vet.

I was wondering whether a coccidia cyst is a normal thing or not? Any idea? otherwise, I will start the treatment.

They will do a fecal culture to see to what extent there are good bacterias present. Then they will think about the fecal transplant.

 

[Bam]

Coccidia oocysts are not a normal find, and should be treated. Coccidia is not an uncommon parasite in rabbits, but it’s not benign like pinworms. If the fecal sample contained very few oocysts, chances are the infestation is still low grade, so I’d say treat asap. Coccidia typically cause runny stools and weight loss.

 

[Maria2022]

Thanks, Bam. I will start the treatment then.

[DanaNM]

I agree with Bam, since you are seeing symptoms (mushy poop), I would treat the coccidea. It is common in many rabbits but often doesn’t cause symptoms in adult rabbits unless there is a strain on the immune system. It could have been triggered by the initial stasis episode in your bun’s case. Sometimes rabbits with no symptoms show more cysts in their poop than ones with symptoms, so most vets usually will treat when there are symptoms rather than just presence of cysts alone.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

I have started treatment for him. Since the second vet visit my bunny is eating less hay again, pooping mushy still. He seems to be sleeping more as well. Intermittently eating hay and hoping. He also lost 20 grams of weight. So I am starting him twice daily critical care as he is not having any pellets.

I tried to give CC by offering as a soup and made it pellet-shaped. He does not like it at all. He seems to be adjusted with syringe feeding pretty well.

The vet was not concerned about any other issues, such as pneumonia or UTI. His bum looks good. I don’t have to clean it every day.

I have sent fecal culture and sensitivity.

Q: Is there any critical care pellets that I can buy?

Q: In Canada, is there any commercial 100% timothy pellets?

Q: How helpful Oxbow digestive tablet?

Q: Any safe vitamin supplement for bunnies?(I forgot to ask this to my vet)

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[DanaNM]

Critical care is a product made by Oxbow. They make a few different pellets, but none that are formulated specifically like critical care. Critical care is usually used for rabbits that won’t eat, so it’s designed to be fed with water mixed in as you have been (which also helps with hydration).

For weight gain once the rabbit is eating on his own again, some people will make critical care “cookies”, but forming little patties out of it and drying them in the oven on low temp.

I don’t have experience with the digestive support tablet. And I don’t live in Canada so not sure about the timothy pellets, but usually places that have things for horses sell them.

For the vitamin, not really that I know of. Are you thinking to replace the nutrients lost due to her illness? Supplementing her with CC (or another recovery food, there are a few other brands now) is probably the best thing. Recovery foods are formulated to be easily digestible to help buns that are recovering from illness.

You also might try offering hay tea for some added nutrition and hydration: 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.  

[Maria2022]

Thanks DanaNM. Hopefully, I will continue the critical care.

[Maria2022]

My bunny lost 180 gms over a month after the stasis. My second vet and specialist recommended I give him 1 teaspoon of pellet. I agree his hay consumption has significantly improved and I cut down his vege and CC. Now I am unsure about the pellets. One of the journals I was reading said giving pellets would prolong the turnaround. AT this point which one should be prioritized, not losing weight anymore vs getting his normal poop back(which is a long process).

He is on unlimited hay, how unlimited hay he should consume?

I posted about his litterbox: I have added another one. He seems to have had only one accident in the last 3 days. I feel his GI issue sometimes makes him uncomfortable and he pees outside. He is using the litterbox mostly.

[Bam]

It could be very difficult for him to sustain his weight on hay only, let alone gain back some of the weight he’s lost. A small amount of high quality pellets should be rougly the same as giving Critical Care, and Critical Care is not considered harmful. The main problem would probably be if you’d feed him so much pellets that he’d fill up on them and not eat as much hay as he needs.

It is a bit tricky to assess amount of hay. A pile the size of the rabbit itself per day is often mentioned as a guideline-typ measurement. But there must always be hay available to a rabbit, which means you have to give more than he actually eats. Adding small wads of hay throughout the day and serving hay in multiple places can make the bun more interested in eating hay (“old hay” is less yummy than “new hay” even though it comes from the same bag or box, found hay is yummier than hay served).

It’s not uncommon for a bun that doesn’t feel well to pee outside of the box.

[Maria2022]

Do you think Amazon is fine for rabbit food?

 

[Maria2022]

My setup for him right now- he has hay in 5 places. 3 of the boxes are full of hay and I change it every day (it get wasted a lot). He seems to like going to different areas and eating the hay. I do not want to put him on a lot of pellets. I have Oxbow pellets. Little hesitant to use the pellets, but he was on oxbow critical care though. Not sure switching to another brand would be a good idea. I heard good brands as sherwood and science selective. Sherwood actually has a free choice pellet option.

https://store.sherwoodpethealth.com/adult-rabbit-food-free-choice-timothy-pellet/

[Bam]

Sherwood does have a free choice option which I think would suit rabbits very well. You can change pellets, just do it gradually. It might be that another type of pellets are better for your bun than another, even though the overall quality of the pellets are equal. All my buns have gotten a variety of different pellets because I believe in food diversity, since wild rabbits as a species forage in many different places over quite a large area on a daily basis. I only use quality pellets – Supreme selective, Oxbow, Cuni Complete, Burgess.

[Maria2022]

My province has Versele laga(i guess that is the Cuni complete)and Oxbow available. The rest of the brands have to be shipped with double the price, lol.

[DanaNM]

I fed Oxbow adult rabbit pellets for many years, and the rescue I volunteer with feed their pellets to all the rabbits. They are generally a high quality pellet, but no brand is 100% perfect. Since your bun has had those pellets before and you have them on hand, I would try introducing them slowly and see how he does. Starting with a teaspoon sounds like a good plan to me. I agree that getting his weight back up is important, and replacing the nutrition that was lost during his illness will help his immune system.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

Sorry I have another question. I apologize.

I put him on hay only diet and little pellets(will slowly increase). I saw some good poop still soft but round. Intermittently I can also see some liquidish poop. Now does bunny produce cecotropes that are soft? I can’t differentiate his mushy cecotropes with soft stool.

[Wick & Fable]

You will generally never see cecotropes because rabbits eat them directly from their bottoms. For pictures of various types of poop, see here: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit_poop

If this is a recent diet change, I’d give him a little more time to see how it changes the poop consistency.

Can you post a picture of the liquidish poop or is there one in the wabbitwiki page it looks similar to? A rabbit can have not 100% golden, dry poops and still be healthy.

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]

This guide has pictures of all different types of healthy and unhealthy poops:  https://imgur.com/a/5N4lD#ra2RfjI

Liquid poop is not normal. Overall it sounds like your bun is having issues of cecal dysbiosis. Usually the recommendation is a hay-only diet, but the problem is that your bun is losing a lot of weight. When the cecum is not functioning properly, that also impacts nutrient absorption, so going hay-only when there is prolonged cecal dysbiosis would mean the bun is essentially starving.

I would send pictures of the poop to your vet and discuss. If the pellets made things immediately worse, it may be better to just keep going with critical care only to supplement. Providing additional richer hays, such as alfalfa and oat hay, could also be an option to discuss with your vet.

In general, remember that stability is important, so I wouldn’t change too many things too quickly.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XQZBU9vhAg48c6uEWVA74tTF2QKSZGpC?usp=sharing

I am not sure whether you can see the dates. The last picture is from this morning. Yesterday he had mushy.

[DanaNM]

Yeah it doesn’t show the dates.

Most of the pics do look like cecal dysbiosis to me.

The pic ending in 818 looks like normal cecotropes, so it’s good that he did produce some normal ones.

The last pic (# ending in 223) is starting to look a bit better in terms of being more formed. The mushy poop (pic # ending in 103) looks very close to diarrhea. Poor bun, he must be so uncomfortable.

Before the initial stasis symptoms, what were his poops like? Did they used to be drier and uniform?

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

Thanks, DanaNM for taking the time to look into the pics.

I do not have pics from before his stasis. But it looked like 2 poops sticking together and dry. He was grooming a lot and slowly lost appetite. In two episodes I saw loose poop as I gave him sweet food 🙁 to make him eat. Even the day he had stasis he pooped but he was not eating and I took him to the vet.

Diarrhea like poop was when he had metronidazole in Nov the early week.

Recent poops are more formed but of different sizes and shapes. Yesterday he had a little liquidish(he got simethicone, meloxicam and probiotic may be too much sweets). I stopped CC and greens. Today his poop looking like more formed some liquidish. I am adding pellets slowly. He is losing weight I think he needs the pellets now.

Does alfa alfa hay cause GI upset? If not I am going to add few alfa hay.

[DanaNM]

So do you mean that even before he had any stasis (like since you’ve had him), he’s never had quite normal poop?

I ask because there are chronic genetic conditions that can cause these issues as well, and the dietary recommendations are different from the usual recommendations for a bun with soft poops. Did he ever produce large oval shaped poops? Also, how old is he?

Alfalfa does not tend to cause digestive upset. In fact, one of the leads at the rescue I volunteer at often gives it to buns with cecal dysbiosis and has found that it often improves things. But, with any new food, you should offer a small amount first and see how the bun responds. A small handful would probably be an appropriate amount to try.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

He had normal poop since I got him. I believe he does not have any prior genetic issues. He is 4 years old. Never had any large oval poop, always consistent poop. He used to eat pellets and green, no hay.

I will start alpha hay a small amount from today.

[Maria2022]

His poop this morning  went downhill today. Some water surrounding his poop. Last 48 hours I have added pellets. Yesterday night gave him little alpha alpha hay. Not sure  what is causing loose poop issue. I just gave him 5-6 ml critical care to maintain his hydration.

I am in a very tricky situation right now. He is losing weight on hay only diet, looks like cant tolerates pellets.

[Maria2022]

I am adding the pic of his poop. I am unsure whether its his poop mixed with urine or its the liquid poop. I guess I am freaking out. It might be the urine.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZHzd5lNxCgXeV3vzyd9PKf6_hAtZ4Ujf?usp=sharing

[DanaNM]

Pics ending in 315 and 452 look like urine pooled near the poop! So don’t worry about those. The others seem like they are just a bit more wet than they should be (so they are staining the fabric a bit), but they are formed which is good.

I agree the poops don’t look great. But they also don’t look completely awful (they are formed). Is he showing signs of pain?

My sense is that recovery can take time. You might try just hay plus alfalfa hay, or just hay plus critical care. My understanding is that he still had some soft poops even on hay only?

Usually it’s recommended to introduce a new pellet slowly over a week, so 48 hours may not be enough time for him to fully adjust to them.

 

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

I agree DanaNM. He is eating a very good amount of hay. His poop is formed but soft and water is leaking where he sits.

I have had him on only hay for 48 hours, still had soft stool but there was an improvement,  and then I saw he got a little lethargic and I reintroduced critical care. Otherwise, he is ok, not very playful but active and hoping.

He is using his litterbox and I have not seen any accidents for the last 4 days. He does not look in pain but for caution, I gave him Metacam a very small dose yesterday.

 

[DanaNM]

I’m glad he’s improved a bit again.

Another thing you might try (run by your vet of course) are dried greens and herbs. Some bunnies cannot tolerate fresh greens, but do well with dried greens. You can get dried dandelion and some other greens online, and many people will dried herbs and veggies themselves for their bunnies. Some bunnies also benefit from wild plants, and certain herbs are known to help with various digestive issues in rabbits.

I’m recalling when I had a bun with cecal dysbiosis, some other members suggested plantain (narrow or broadleaf), sow thistle, and burr clover (not the same as regular clover). Blackberry leaves and raspberry leaves are also supposed to help with diarrhea and digestion.

This lists the medicinal properties of various herbs. I’ve always given my buns fennel when they are ill, and they do seem to like it:

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/herbs.html

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

That’s an awesome website. I will try to dry some herbs. Unfortunately, we don’t have plantain or dandelion in our province.  Just parsley, cilantro, mint, and basil.

 

 

[Maria2022]

I talked to my vet and she mentioned those stains are cecal water. I guess dysbiosis and megacolon bunny get this issue.

[Bam]

Cecal water aka poop juice can occur in anybunny who has some sort of disrupted gut microbiota.

Parsley cilantro dill and mint and basil are all good bun-herbs. Parsley has quite a bit of calcium but you wouldn’t be feeding heaps of it.

You can dry other veg as well, it is true that some buns just do better on dried greens. You can even dry grass yourself, although grass might not be available to you right now.

[Maria2022]

Thanks Bam and Dana.

My bunny this morning was acting weird!! It seems like he wants to puke. Then he passed couple of farts(I could hear it) while he was drinking water. Usually, he sleeps in the morning, eats less hay. Last night I gave him extra 5ml CC, total 10 ml. I guess that might be the cause. No change in his hay. no other food. Right now, he drank water and swallowing and had another puking behavior. I am not sure what’s going on?

Last 2 days he is munching on something even if he is not eating hay or ceco. It’s weird. Not sure whether his teeth are responsible. The vet said he does have a few molar spurs but it should not cause any problem now and moreover, it’s a new behavior.

 

[DanaNM]

Do you think he could have been choking?  Rabbits can’t throw up, but choking is not unheard of. Although I’ve never heard of a bun choking from drinking water. Was it more like a cough? Could he have possibly inhaled some critical care during his last feeding?

A dental issue could cause trouble swallowing, and molar spurs can cause a decrease in appetite (and can be a root cause of GI problems).

I think since the vet noticed a molar spurs they are worth treating, especially with this new development.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

I am giving the link below of his munching video

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cR_eWieY1ZbPQvwAOlx_fjXjj80C8y7p/view?usp=sharing

I am not sure whether it’s choking or coughing. He is also munching in a circular motion like eating something.

He is eating hay ok, drinking water. I saw him taking rest and during that time he looks ok, no munching. I saw him puking 3 times now, it is not persistent.

 

[Bam]

Rabbits cant puke, but we dont know if theyre capable of feeling nauseous. Its very fortunate that he was able to pass gas in the other direction. A vet can prescribe Reglan (metoclopramide) to suppress nausea and aid gut motility.

Even tiny spurs can stop a bun from eating. I had a bun who had the tiniest sours and my vet didnt think they were enough to keep him from eating. After 3 weeks of persistent refusal to eat and forced syringe feeding they decided to do a dental burr. 5 days later he was all back to normal. This bun didnt have a mushy poop problem though.

[Maria2022]

He is eating hay though. Since the GI stasis, I had a hard time getting him to eat hay. Now I bought local farm hay and he is eating a good amount. His weight loss issue is making me give him CC.

Now I do not know why he is munching like this.

I have not seen any puking in last 6 hours . SO finger crossed for now.

[DanaNM]

Hmmm, to me that video looks like something in his mouth is bothering him. It’s good he’s eating hay though.

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

My vet saw the video, she thinks the same maybe something in his mouth bothering. They will see him next Monday. If bunny stops eating and drinking then take him to the emergency. Our emergency does not have an exotic vet(Nova Scotia, Canada)

Finding a rabbit vet is not easy here. I did not realize it up until my bunny had stasis. I called so many hospitals to get rabbit vet. Emergency did not want to take him cause they don’t have a rabbit vet. I do not blame other people when they say there is not any exotic/rabbit vet around them. Most of the clinic or hospital deny to take the rabbits in.

I am watching him today. He had loose poop yesterday whole day , I am afraid to give him anymore CC. Not sure whether CC is causing the issue. Or may be syringe feeding caused him something in his mouth?! I am not sure.

 

[Maria2022]

I have noticed this morning just now, he is eating his hay fine, then drinking water from the bowl after that he wants to puke the water.

[Maria2022]

With a heavy heart my bunny is no more, he died this early morning. My gut feeling he had choking. I am at loss now 🙁

 

[Bam]

Oh, I’m so, so sorry.

You tried so hard to help him. Noone could have done more than you did.

[DanaNM]

Oh no 🙁 I’m so sorry.

You did try so hard and did so much to help him.

(((Binky free little bun)))

. . . 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.  

[Maria2022]

The pain is unbearable. The last few days he wanted to have vegetables from my hand, licking and looking at me. But I was strictly givinv him hay. If I would have know that he would be gone I would definitely gave him some vege. I am feeling extremely guilty. i donno whether taking him to the vet at that time could save him. Vet was not concerned and I was also not sure what was going on. He chocked and probably wanted some help. But I was not there . My poor little handsome man is gone. 

[Bam]

Again, I’m so sorry. It really hurts to lose a beloved rabbit. There’s something profoundly horrible about not being able to help an animal in need.

You did absolutely everything you could. If you had given him greens and he had passed after that, you’d very likely be wondering if maybe the greens were the cause of his demise. Good, concientious bun owners tend to be very prone to self-accusation- even though it’s completely unfair. There are so many “what ifs” and no good enough answers.

You loved him, everything you did was in his best interest. You sought a second opinion and you never stopped trying. Please try to find some peace in that.

 

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