Rabbit Keeps Getting GI Stasis/Bloat

[Oliver_Rabbit]

Hello! I have a 6.5 lbs, 5.5 year old male, Holland Lop Mix. About a month and a half ago he had his first ever bout of GI-stasis. I immediately recognized the signs and took him to the vet where I was given medications for him. I have since reduced his pellet intake (Oxbow Adult Rabbit Essentials) from about a 1/2-3/4 of a cup to 1/4 of a cup daily, in addition to unlimited Western Timothy Hay. He is very picky and does not eat any fruits/vegetables. That being said, since his last vet visit, I have had to give him the medications twice!!! I am not sure what suddenly brought this on and why it keeps occurring. I’m wondering if the batch of pellets could potentially be bad, despite expiring in 2023, as this is the only variable that has changed since then?? He is molting but I brush him every day and continuously vacuum up his quarters. I ordered Sherwood’s Pet Health Digestive Support today in hopes that will help. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what can be going wrong?? I did call my vet today, who specializes in exotics, but all he suggested was an all hay diet. I’m really worried about him. Thanks for any help!!!

[Bam]

Its very good that you brush him every day when he is molting.

At 5.5 years, the first thing that comes to mind is a dental problem. Molar spurs are a common problem in rabbits. They dont have to be very pronounced in order to cause pain in a sensitive rabbit.

I doubt there is a problem with the pellets. If a rabbit has a dental issue, it will often go off one type of food and either favour another type of food (pellets, fresh greens, hay) or go off all all types of food.

A bun might need 2-3 weeks of recovery after a bout of stasis. Its not uncommon to have to repeat the medication. Stasis as a rule wreak havoc with the GI microbiota.

What meds were you given?

 

 

[Oliver_Rabbit]

I don’t believe it is a dental issue as he will eat a whole rack of hay daily with no issue, and same goes for his now 1/4 cup of pellets.

As far as the medicine, he was given metoclopramide and cisapride. He got 0.3 mL of these twice daily for 5 days after the initial vet visit, and then I was instructed I could stop so long as he resumed eating, which he did.

Around 1pm today for example, I had noticed he was uncomfortable and did not see any fresh droppings in his cage since I last checked on him at 11am. Normally this wouldn’t raise a red flag, but he didn’t even want to be pet. I gave him the medicine and by 6:30pm he was back to his usual self, eating up his hay and running around the house.

I’m not sure if I should continue with the medicine fully for the 5 days again? Perhaps you are right in that the bacteria never fully left his system.

[DanaNM]

Sorry in advance for a stream of consciousness list of questions!

How long have you had him? Just wonder if this is a new change in a bun you’ve had a long time, or a newer bunny? Is it very hot where you are? The heat can really mess with bunnies.

Were you also given pain meds? It’s very important to have pain meds along with motility meds. Stasis is very painful on it’s own, and the motility meds can cause cramping on top of that. Sometimes pain meds alone can be enough to prevent full on stasis as well, because there is a feedback between pain and slowing of the gut.

Were you also instructed to syringe feed along with his medications?

1/4 cup pellets is on the high end. you might try reducing to 1 tablespoon and see if that helps things.

As far as the timing… most rabbits are sleepy mid-day and active in the evening. My buns often sleep all through the middle of the day and I may not notice any poops or eating during that time. So not pooping between 11 am and 1 pm doesn’t seem odd to me at all, and then running around at 6:30 p fits with normal rabbit behavior.

Whenever I’ve noticed a bun acting off, my first step is to give a tummy rub. If they seem really off I might syringe feed a little and give fluids. Often this is enough to perk them up. I wouldn’t personally jump to motility meds as a first course of action unless instructed to do so by the vet, since they are kind of intense 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.  

[Oliver_Rabbit]

I’ve had him since he was 3 months old, and he’s a little over 5.5 years now. I’m in Jersey, so it does get hot but he’s strictly an indoor rabbit and we always keep the apartment the same temperature.

I was not given pain meds. I was instructed to syringe feed critical care only until he resumed eating, which after giving him the medicine yesterday, he was back to eating within 5-6 hours so that has not been a problem. (I am going based off of what the vet told me when this initially happened a month ago. I did not bring him to the vet yesterday.)

The reason why I kept it as 1/4 cup per day is that he has NEVER had a problem with GI Stasis until last month, and nothing has changed with his diet.

For the timing I know this is normal, but I have a good sense of when he is not feeling well as he will keep getting up every few minutes to reposition. I waited to give him the medicine until 1 pm yesterday because his ears then became cold and his was breathing very heavily. While he maintained this state for a few hours, he was back to his normal self by 6 or so as I mentioned earlier.

I do not like to give him medication, but from my last experience of waiting he did not get better on his own. I am wondering if I should do the full 5 days as the bottles say? I’m just hoping this is the last time as this was the second time it happened since his visit to the vet last month.

[DanaNM]

Ok that all makes sense and is helpful info!

If he is feeling better I don’t think you need to do the full 5 days of medicine. It’s very possible that since you gave it right away it didn’t take as much time to work.

. . . 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]

I also agree with Bam that having a good look at his teeth would be a good next step, since this has recurred without an obvious trigger. At around 6 years old bunnies bone density tends to shift a little, so they can have some misalignments in their teeth, even if they don’t have a history of dental problems. In those cases often they just need a filing to get back on track.

You could also try going hay-only for a while and see if that helps, as the vet suggested.

. . . 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.  

[Oliver_Rabbit]

Thank you so much for all of your input and suggestions!! It’s reassuring to know that there are people who’ve had buns with similar experiences who can offer their time and help.

[Bam]

You dont have to give motility meds for a full 5 day course like you should with antibiotics, but it’d really be best if you could ask your vet over the phone. I had a bun who was prescribed metoclopramide as needed, but his tummy problems were not the same as your bun’s.

As Dana says, gut motility meds should be given together with pain meds (meloxicam most commonly), and some vets give famotidine (Pepcid) as well, because meloxicam can be a bit hard on the tummy.

Reducing pellets is a good idea. An all hay diet can be tried later if the pellet reduction doesn’t do the trick. You can also try adding a probiotic suitable for rabbits (f ex benebac).

 

[Oliver_Rabbit]

The vet did look at his teeth last month and said they appeared fine. Could you tell if there is something wrong with his teeth just by a visual examination or would that require something to the equivalent of an animal endoscopy (I’m not sure what the proper terminology would be)? Because he eats/chews as he always did.

Okay, by later tonight I will have given him 4 doses (2 days of the medicine already). I think I will stop. I did call the vet and he said to use my own discretion.

[Bam]

It isn’t possible to see rabbit molars without an otoscope, due to the anatomy of the bun’s face. During a simple physical exam, a vet will only look at the incisors and how well they are aligned. Some vets test for molar spurs by gently sliding the lower jaw from side to side to feel and listen for teeth uneveness.

Vets can get it wrong even with an otoscope, and I’ve even had that happen with a rabbit that had absolutely awful teeth. That vet wasn’t an exotics specialist. He assured me that my bun’s teeth were fine. The next day I took the bun to a rabbit vet, and she immediately saw there was a big problem, which was then confirmed with x rays.

Rabbits can be very sensitive even to small molar spurs. I’ve had that too happen, with another rabbit. He wouldnt eat properly for more than 2 weeks and he was very grumpy and antisocial. The vets eventually decided to do a molar burr. This took care of the problem and after a few days he started eating like normal again.

[LBJ10]

Yes, unless it is insanely obvious, a vet would not be able to see a dental problem simply by glancing in the mouth. Molar spurs are often small and, as Bam said, it is very difficult to see in there without using an otoscope. I would definitely have dental problems ruled out just to make sure that isn’t what is causing the problem. Some bunnies have a high pain tolerance and will continue to eat… just not chew their food right. This can lead to digestive problems.

[Oliver_Rabbit]

Okay, for now I will leave him be, but if it happens again I am definitely going to take him to the vet to rule out the possibility of dental problems. Thank you to everyone for all of your input! I will keep you posted if there is any change, but for now my bun is back to his good ol’ self. Fingers crossed he stays that way🤞.

[Bam]

Fingers very crossed!! 🤞🤞🤞

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