not eating/peeing much *update* gi stasis

[sleepy538]

callie hasn’t eaten much since yesterday’s morning salad. she didn’t eat her night salad at all, but nibbled a bit on pellets and hay.

callie is destructive and loves ripping stuff, so i have a lot of strategically placed cardboard around my room. i think she’s been eating it lately, which is clearly a problem. i took it all away. she also likes to rip up my rug and has never eaten it, but i’m afraid she may have. 

right now she won’t touch her food but hunted around my room for a piece of cardboard that i hadn’t taken away and started eating that. 

she’s drinking plenty but not peeing much. she is pooping, but not regular amounts. 

i massaged her belly and she laid perfectly still, which is highly unusual for her. 

there’s a small piece of cantaloupe in her cage – her favorite – and she only took a bite. 

vet tomorrow? or is there something i could do?

[hannaroo]

I would book a vet appointment immediately. A rabbit that eats cardboard in excess when they don’t usually can be in the early stages of GI status or other health issues x

[Sindri]

Something you could do right now if you cant get into the vet right away is get some sweet potato baby food and give her a little bit of that. I think my vets office told me 4 cc I had a syringe and gave a little to my girl when she stopped eating peeing and pooing a couple of days after her spay. It did the trick by the next day she was back to her old self. Hope she gets to feeling better.

[Deleted User]

Gee? Half my buns diet is cardboard. Luckily I have never seen him unwell, but have taken note of this forum (thank you).
One thing every one else complains about is buns chewing on this, that, skirting boards etc., and I just assumed cause Henry has heaps of cardboard that is why he hasn’t been overly destructive with our home. One for me to maybe reconsider and think about????? Wishing Callie the best. (let us know what the vet says?). Ta sleepy538.

[hannaroo]

It doesn’t mean that your bun defiantly has GI status but it can be a warning sign if they don’t usually eat (not chew) te cardboard as it sometimes means they are trying to get the fibre to try and get their gut moving again. Early treatments the best way to go if your bunnys appetite isn’t great it usually means they’re feeling under the weather x

[Bam]

You can keep massaging her tummy. In this link there are some excellent instructions on how and suggestions for further treatment.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Best of luck to you. It’s really scary when your bunny isn’t well.

[sleepy538]

i’ve been massaging her, which she seems to like. she ate part of a baby carrot last night and some lettuce this morning, but nowhere near her usual crazy appetite. the vet opens at eight, so i’ll be calling then. she’s still active and playing, so i’m not in emergency mode yet. thanks for the sweet potato info; i’ve never heard that.

[sleepy538]

we went to the vet this afternoon. he said he doesn’t feel a blockage but the cardboard issue leads him to believe it’s a small one. he gave me critical care to feed her until she starts eating again and an antibiotic (orbax-never heard of it) as a preventative measure. if things aren’t better by monday, we’re going back so he can take xrays.

[hannaroo]

(((Vibes for Callie)))
Good luck for the next few days. Hopefully she’ll be much better over the weekend x

[jerseygirl]

{{{Callie}}}
How’s she going?

[tanlover14]

Poor Callie. Vibes for her!

Did the vet give her Sub-Q’s? Sub-Q’s have bounced my stasis-y buns make from stasis more times than I can count! My buns hated the CC so I mix it with pumpkin and carrot juice every time! It may help the feedings go down easier if she’s not willing!

[sleepy538]

oooh tanlover, i didn’t know i could mix it with stuff! i’ll definitely try that. subq’s are next up. because she wasn’t completely blocked up, we were hoping to avoid that. because she’s not improved, we’ll be going back to the vet tomorrow for subq’s and possibly xrays to evaluate the situation.

as far as the cc, does it matter what i mix it with? any bun-friendly fruits/veggies, or are there restrictions?

[tanlover14]

Just normal dietary restrictions – however, when buns are in stasis me and my vet tend to get them to eat whatever they will accept (as long as it’s not incredibly bad). Just to get them eating. I offer any veggies they want – and carrot juice and pumpkin aren’t mixed with anything (make sure it’s JUST those ingredients) so it makes it much better than something like applesauce that has sugar additives. Just keep watch of the things you normally watch out for. Maybe break up some cilantro bits to add a good smell to it?

Next time, I wouldn’t skittish away from the sub-q’s! I would actually push for them. All of my buns have managed to scrap their way out of stasis using sub-q’s since it keeps them hydrated and helps loosen up whatever may be causing the bout of stasis if it’s fur, etc. They have always got my buns going again. I swear my them, even though they REALLY suck to give.

[sleepy538]

thanks for the info tanlover. the subq’s are going to be a breeze compared to the cc!

[jerseygirl]

Syringe feeding CC is definitely a trial!
Have you tried offering a thicker mix in a bowl?

when buns are in stasis me and my vet tend to get them to eat whatever they will accept

Ditto this. Doesn’t just have to be critical care. Try lots of other things then the CC if all else fails.
{{{Callie}}}

ETA: I know giving pineapple juice is often called into question but in my mind, I don’t think some hurts.
The sugar in it is a simple form & provides energy if they’re not eating much. The acidity *may* help balance the gut.
It’s also providing some hydration and could stimulate the appetite further.

[somebunny243]

Hello Sleepy538

My bun had GI a few weeks ago and I gave him critical care, cisapride and pinneapple juice through a syringe too but my vet also suggested papaya tablets which aid digestion. Im told it helps to break up the mucus surrounding the blockage. Anyways my bun goes crazy over them, he thinks they’re treats haha! I was told to give him 1-2 tablets daily, even after the GI cleared up. It’s now a preventative for the future… Might be worth looking into

[sleepy538]

i took callie to the vet yesterday, at which time he gave her fluids and suggested that we do xrays and bloodwork. we got those done today. good thing i did my xmas shopping or else i wouldn’t have any money to spend!

anyway, bloodwork results will come back tomorrow. the xrays showed she’s in gi stasis, but i’m still a bit confused about what it all means. he said her stomach, cecum, and bladder were all full, likely due to the cc and bits of lettuce she had this morning. however, i don’t remember exactly what he said after that. he didn’t use the word “blockage” but something to that effect. he saw something on the xray that shouldn’t have been there. also, there were pockets of air (gas) in there.

now the plan of action is 75ml of cc (25ml 3x/d), subq’s, and metacam, although she doesn’t seem to be in too much pain. he said it’s a low dose and shouldn’t make her zombie-ish as it did to cosie. he said not to offer her any other food besides the cc and hay for the first few days so that everything gets moving again.

doing the subq’s with her for the first time at home was quite a trip! she is fast!! hopefully i’ll get a system going with her. giving her the cc is also evil. she does not want any part of it. i might try putting it in a small bowl and see if she licks it. oddly enough, she’s a charm with the antibiotics and now metacam. i guess because those are quick squirts!

the vet said that she should be improved in between five to seven days. fingers are crossed!

[tanlover14]

Interesting that he said not to give her anything else besides CC or hay.. The first thing I can get my buns to go to is something like fragrant herbs. I swear they eat a tiny bit of salad and then a tiny bit more before finally going back to their hay and pellets.

We have extra Metacam at my house that my vet says to use for comfort if they go into stasis also so the Metacam seems like a good call also. Has she been eating anything on her own or only force feedings? I swear they always end up with more on them than in them… but they immediately clean themselves so you know they’re getting even more that way.

Sending lots more vibes her way! <3 <3

[sleepy538]

i just got off the phone with the vet. bloodwork results are perfect, thank goodness!

he said to continue on with the fluids, cc, and metacam. he also said to start introducing food again but not taper off the cc until she is back to herself. yesterday when i brought her for the xrays i had some romaine lettuce in her carrier. he said it’s only a teensy bit better than iceberg and to scratch it from her diet. i’ll be posting a question in the diet forum about that at some point.

she bit me today while i was giving her the cc. not because she was mad, but because my hand was nearly in her mouth. either way, it hurt. i need a new system for giving cc.

i can’t wait til she’s healthy again, for both of our sakes!!

[tanlover14]

How are you giving her CC, Sleepy? I give it by syringe.

Huh. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that about romaine! Definitely keep her on the CC until she’s back to herself. A few times we haven’t given because they’ve eaten some bites and they’ll go spiraling right back in. My vet actually has us give CC ANY time we are worried about their eating, better to be safe than sorry!

Sending both vibes for both of you!

[jerseygirl]

the xrays showed she’s in gi stasis, but i’m still a bit confused about what it all means. he said her stomach, cecum, and bladder were all full, likely due to the cc and bits of lettuce she had this morning. however, i don’t remember exactly what he said after that. he didn’t use the word “blockage” but something to that effect. he saw something on the xray that shouldn’t have been there. also, there were pockets of air (gas) in there.

Impaction?

So she’s is toileting regularly right? Just not the usual volume?

Cardboard can cause issues for some rabbits. Yet others have iron guts and get away with eating all sorts if things!

[sleepy538]

impaction wasn’t the word, but your description is correct.

it’s a good thing she’s extra snuggly; it makes up for the hard time that she’s giving me!

[jerseygirl]

Aw! Please give her some snuggles from me.

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