Severe reoccurring GI Stasis

[marzipan]

My rabbit Marzian is five years old, and till now, he has never gotten sick before. We left him at the vet for a few weeks while we were on vacation (this was around thanksgiving), and a week after he returned home, he stopped eating and pooping. We took him to the vet’s office, and they checked his teeth and did an x-ray. They said they didn’t know what caused it, but he had GI Stasis from an excess gas buildup. They gave him a Sub-Q treatment and provided motility drugs, antibiotics, painkillers, and simethicone.

The issue is that he keeps relapsing. He will generally get better and eat hay/poop for two days, then relapse and not eat/ struggle to poop the next day. Some days he even gets diarrhea, which is so concerning. Throughout these two weeks, he has already gotten episodes of GI Stasis 5-6 times, each lasting around a day. We took him to the vet this morning, and they did another x-ray and confirmed he has a buildup of gas again. They said they had no idea what was causing it but suspected that it could be due to an imbalance of probiotics in the gut from the antibiotics they prescribed. Has anybody else experienced this with their rabbit? If so, I would really appreciate some advice.

[Bam]

Rabbits can get a GI imbalance from antibiotics, but with rabbit safe antibiotics, that risk is low. Antibiotics is not part of standard treatment for GI stasis. Some vets prescribe metronidazole (flagyl) if the bun has mucusy poop. Do you remember what antibiotics he was prescribed?

Did the vets suggest a probiotic supplement?

Stasis recovery can be long and require a lot of care and patience.

[marzipan]

Thank you so much for reaching out. During the first visit, the vet found that his right molars were slightly overgrown, so they were trimmed. I believe this is what the antibiotics were for. The specific brand prescribed is Baytril suspension, with .8 mL every 12 hours for two weeks. When we brought him back to the vet today, they gave him another Sub-Q. They prescribed him Cisapride, Metoclopramide, painkillers, and Probios, a probiotic/ digestive support tablet. They also provided a holistic herbal garnish to support his gut health.

I’m concerned that the antibiotics they gave him could have worsened the GI Stasis. Is there anything else I can do to promote his gut health? I’m worried that he might not recover from this, especially considering the amount of medication he is on now that could alter his gut bacteria.

[DanaNM]

Baytril is generally pretty easy on the gut. Although it’s not a standard treatment for molar trims or stasis, I don’t think it will hurt him. Since this started after the vet visit, I wonder if it would be worth doing a parasite screening? He could have picked something up while there? Coccidea can cause diarrhea and gas.

Prolonged stress can also cause stasis, so it could be as simple as stress or lack of exercise (as moving around will help get things moving). Getting stasis 5-6 times within two weeks is probably not isolated incidents, it’s just the same case of stasis that is not resolving. Stasis can take a long period of gentle supportive care, so I would focus on that for now. Syringe feeding, fluids, pain management, and motility meds are all very important. Encourage him to move around, and try to minimize stress. You can ask your vet if you can bring in a sample of poop to screen for parasites if they think that could be possible, but I would try to reduce trips to the vet if possible.

. . . 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.  

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