Rabbit GI stasis

[cs]

Hi guys, I need help. My bunny got gi stasis and is not behaving the same as before. He is not drinking any water, eating a lot less hay and his poop has gotten smaller. I took him to a “rabbit savvy vet” but it did not help the situation much. He was given medicine (metoclopramide) that I administer every 8 hours. The bunny is eating pellets, veggies and treats though. I soak the veggies in water prior to giving it to him. I have also tried force feeding him water. He is peeing clear and is running around but I can tell that he is in pain because he sits in his litter box with his belly pressed against the floor. His stomach feels bloated. His ears periodically get hot so I cool them down with water. What am I doing wrong and how can I make him feel better? Thanks to all.

[Bam]

Is your bun eating any hay? Does he poop? He probably doesnt drink because hes getting wet greens -especially if he’s not eating much dry food, i e hay. Is he normally a good hay-eater?

Did your bun get fluids and a painkiller?

How old is he?

[cs]

Thank you for your reply. He is eating a lot less hay now. Prior to this he was an excellent hay eater. He does poop but it’s much smaller. The vet gave him fluids but not in IV form. No painkiller was given, he is still a baby.

[Bam]

Ok, he’s still a baby! Then it’s unlikely to be his teeth.

If he eats less hay that explains the smaller poops. It’s xcellent that he does poop though.

With a very young bun I’d contact the vet again and describe the problem. If a very young bun gets a stomach issue it can become acute fast.

Meanwhile you can give baby gas drops (simethicone), about 0.5 ml once per hour for three hours. It’s not  absorbed by the body, it just passes through. It’s widely used by rabbit owners even though there’s no hard scientific data that says it’s effective in buns. It still often helps if a bun has gas. Also try to make him move around a bit, although don’t chase him (You sometimes see chasing suggested, but that’s stressful and he doesn’t need any additional stress).

Fluids are routinely given subcutaneously. Only in bad cases you give iv fluids, for example when there’s a GI blockage.

 

[cs]

Thank you again. I actually tried simethicone and it did nothing from what I observed. His stomach looks bloated and fat and I see him laying in weird positions. It feels like whatever he eats passed straight through so there is no blockage.

[Bam]

I’d contact the vet. They could perhaps give him a tiny bit of painkiller just to help him relax. I just attended a webinar by an experienced rabbit vet, where she explained that a single dose of an opioid painkiller sometimes makes a huge difference in tummy-cases.

I don’t suspect a blockage either, since he is pooping. It’s great that he is peeing. Is he active at all?

[cs]

He is active but it’s just not the same as before. I am concerned about him not drinking anything at all and the lower amount of hay he is consuming 🙁

[Bam]

Yes, but the lower amount of hay he’s eating explains why he doesn’t need to drink as much. Plus he gets wet greens.

Normally when a bun starts to refuse hay, you’d suspect a dental problem. A very young bun rarely has any real dental disease, but it is possible that he could’ve hurt his teeth or tongue or got sth stuck between two teeth. Did the vet look into his mouth with an otoscope? The inner teeth can’t be seen without an otoscope.

[cs]

No, there is no dental problem. He is eating everything else but hay in regular amounts. I don’t think the vet even checked though. I just don’t know how long it will take to have him back to normal – eating the same amount of hay as before and finally drinking water.

[DanaNM]

Can you give a better picture of the timeline of events and his diet and medications? I’m just not sure of the timings of things.

Recovery from stasis can be pretty slow, so it can be important to continue supportive care until the bun is back to normal. If he isn’t eating hay normally, you should be syringe feeding critical care to make sure he’s getting the nutrition he needs to fully recover.

. . . 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.  

[cs]

I noticed five days ago he stopped drinking water and ate less hay. The next day I took him to the vet which honestly did not change the situation at all. I am still giving him the medication they gave me though.  What I ended up doing yesterday on my own is giving him a whole cucumber once a day for hydration. Today I see that he is eating a bit more hay and moving more as well. He is still not drinking anything. Periodically his ears get warm still. I do not want to keep him on this diet but I don’t know what to do to get him to drink.

[DanaNM]

Ah, so this is still very recent! Recovery from stasis can take time.

That’s great he’s eating a little hay. You can syringe feed him some water or hay tea if he seems dehydated (https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/hay-tea-for-anybunny-who-doesnt-drink-enough-especially-for-ill-or-recovering-rabbits/)

I think continuing to give him whatever greens and veggies he will eat is fine at this stage as long as they aren’t too starchy or sweet. The goal is to just keep him eating.

. . . 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.  

[cs]

He doesn’t like to be syringe fed water 🙁 he does swallow it but he doesn’t even come near the water so I hate forcing it on him. That is why I give him a whole cucumber. Should I keep doing that? When will he want to drink water? I feel like the longer he goes without drinking, the less he will want to. Can a bunny die from dehydration over a few hours?

[Bam]

A bun wont die from dehydration over a few hours. If he seems ok with the cucumber I’d keep giving that, or half a cucumber if it’s a big cucumber and a small bun – you don’t want him to fill up on cucumber alone because that means he gets too little fiber. In the summers when all the buns I’ve had have been eating lots of fresh grass and leafy greens/herbs, they’ve barely touched their water.

You can make “hay tea” and see if that will entice him to drink more. You pour hot water over hay, let steep for about ten minutes, sieve off the hay and wait until the “tea” is cooled. Then you serve it in a second water bowl (He should still have his normal water bowl with plain water in it.

As Dana says, recovery from stasis is often slow. It can really put a bun owner’s patience to the test.

It’s not very difficult to take a bun’s temperature. You need a quick thermometer (10-15 sec) and some lubrication. It’s good if someone can help you hold him. Here’s a video on how to do it:

https://www.howcast.com/videos/514693-how-to-take-a-rabbits-temperature-pet-rabbits

 

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