I'm worried about GI Stasis, *think* we're ok now.

I don't know if I'm being paraniod or not as I've been reading about GI Stasis lots recently and bunnies dying....

I've noticed this morning that there are some very small poos in Dusty and Meggies hutch, in their litter tray are normal sized poos but on the floor (they are never 100% with the litter tray) are the small poos.
I'm not sure who they belong to

Both seem fine, were waiting at the hutch door for me as normal but Meggie wouldn't take any pellets from me but Dusty did, they had a good run round the garden and both were doing binkies.

When they went back in their hutch both headed for the food bowl and were both eating, not as much hay as normal has gone from the hay rack but they can both be picky about eating hay.

My questions are:

1. Do you think I'm being silly about nothing?
2. How can I find out which bun the poos are coming from?
3. What would be your course of action if these buns were yours?

I've been reading everything I can and I don't know what to do for the best and I'm starting to panic.
They are both outside buns, I was thinking that if they get worse I could bring them inside for a short while but not until it gets warm again as I just don't have the space, also Meggie doesn't like being inside and will just try and hide in a corner.

Please help with advise.

Yes, small poops can be the first sign of GI problems.

I would think that it's more likely to be Meggie if she isn't eating pellets (unless she's filled up on other food?).

Make sure they're eating plenty of hay...the fibre helps to get their guts working properly.

If either bun seems unhappy or lethargic, then a visit to the vet is definitely needed.

GI problems are often caused by overgrown teeth, which your vet can check for.

If it is teeth problems, luckily there is a vet in Nottingham who will sort them really cheaply

Amy

Make sure they take on plenty of fiber and lots of fluids to lubricate the GI tract. Keep a very close eye on them.

If either stops eating, pooing or appears in pain take them straight to the vets.

Thanks for your replies, it was confusing me that there were the small poos but neither of them seemed to be in pain.
Yes I think its Meggie too, I just have a feeling its her.
If I think they're in pain or stops pooing then they will be straight to the vets.

How would you check both are pooing without separating them?
I think separating would stress them out more as she follows him around and both love each other.

And should I give infacol??

I feel really stupid and useless, seems I know nothing about helping my bunnies.

babybunnies3 said:

Thanks for your replies, it was confusing me that there were the small poos but neither of them seemed to be in pain.

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Hi there babybunnies, awwww these wabbs are such a worry to us but well worth it:lol::lol:

If your in any doubt I would definately pop them to your Vet to check them both. Wabbits are extremely good at hiding pain and will very often appear very normal but still be in discomfort.

GI Statis can happen for a number of reasons and sometimes its not as simple as it being something like diet, bunnies are known to reduce hay consumption for example if their teeth are causing pain, if this happens for example they may still produce poo's but they may be smaller than usual and not so many.

I don't think and other good folks on here will probably confirm that Infacol can do no harm to give but I would definately get them Vet checked as your Vet will check Teeth and have a good feel of their tummies to check for any bloating/gas etc.

Hope this helps.

I don't think you're worrying unnecessarily, to be honest. Assuming that Meggie normally takes pellets from you. If you have some Infacol, yes I would give some. A tummy rub might help too.

The active ingrediant in Infacol, simethicone, is inert and not absorbed into the body making it a very safe medication.

The only worry I have is the addition of sweeteners which can have a negative effect on the gut flora and can make administration in the later stages of stasis or where a GI tract infection is suspected, a little more worrying.

At this stage I do not feel a little Infacol (1-2ml) and some tummy rubs would do any harm

Can not add much more advice than others have given here, only to keep a close eye and you know your bunnies best and if you even "think" that something is not quite right you are best getting your bunny checked out.

If you want to check for poops, what I did was make sure I followed the rabbit round (they were free range in the garden) and each time she went to poop I would immediately go and check. My neighbours must have thought I was mad. If it is a hutch she is in, could you leave her in their on her own for an hour or so.

If in any doubt at all, I would take her to the vet to get a check up. I do hope it is a false alarm though.

just encourage them to drink more - water's the main thing the need to keep their guts moving, as well as hay.

I give mine warm water this time of year, in a dish not a bottle - they drink loads first thing in the morning and really love it. Just pour a splash of boiling from the kettle into their cold water - don't use the hot tap.

also if you put their hay on the floor or in a big underbed box, rather than in a rack, and give them a fresh bundle twice a day, they will eat more as they like to dig through it.

you can also give bromelain tablets from holland and barrett - 40mg chewable, one every other day - these will help them absorb water into their gut contents.

In the early stages excercise can help so perhaps when she went for a run it improved? :? It is difficult to tell which poo comes from which bunny though so being aware of other clues as you have been in important. x

Hiya i hope your bunnies get better soon. My female bunny is in a vet hospital at the minute with GI stasis as a result of dental problems the first things we noticed is she became more lethargic and was picking and choosing the greens she ate also we noticed her ears hang differently when she's in pain almost as if she's slightly tense so theyre not as relaxed we took her to the vet but miffy also had a respiratory infection so they treated that, 3 days later miffy wasnt eating and wasnt pooping so straight back to the vets she went who confirmed she still had gut movement and just increased the antibiotics the following day miffy still wasnt eating and no pooping so we took her back to the emergency vets who admitted her for 2 days and she was discharged pooping and eating 2 days later she'd stopped eating again and had gone very very lethargic and floppy so straight back to the emergency vets she went they kept her in and did some blood tests which showed her liver wasnt functioning as it should and referred her to a specialist rabbit centre. ON all 4 occasions her teeth were checked and we were told they were find as she'd had her teeth burred 6weeks previously. When she arrived at the specialist vets stright away they suspected either E.Cunniculi or dental problems and arranged for her to have xrays and blood tests the next day however an hour later Miffy had blood pouring from her mouth and so they had to sedate her to find the cause and stem the bleed, turned out one of miffy's very back molars which could not be seen on oral examination had cut into her jaw and severed an atery causing the bleed so all her teeth were burred again and xrays taken of her skull chest and stomach. Skull xray confirmed miffy has chronic dental disease and blood results showed she's anaemic and stomach xray confirmed the GI stasis all as a result of tooth problems so it's really improtant you get your buns checked out.

We've now got to figure a way of making miffy eat more hay as this is the reason she's having problems.

I havent said any of this to scare you just to emphasise the need to get bun checked out if u suspsect any problem, my vets think i'm a neurotic owner but i'd rather them think that than me miss something at the end of the day we know our bunnies and we know when something's not right.

Really do hope it's nothing and that bunny picks up soon big hugs hun xx

ooops it posted twice

I got my dad to chase them round the garden yesterday before I got home from work (and he's not a bunny person at all).
When I got home both were sat in their litter tray munching away at hay.
They were eating everything I gave them including a bromelain tablet and although there were 2 small poos the rest were normal sized!!!!
I didn't give them any infacol in the end as thought this would stress them out more just warm water in a dish and tummy rubs which they liked!
So......*hopefully* we are past it, will be keeping very close eye on them and their poos (Neighbours must have thought I was mad, shouts "Yay big poos!!!")

elve said:

you can also give bromelain tablets from holland and barrett - 40mg chewable, one every other day - these will help them absorb water into their gut contents.

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I already had some of these for when they moult, am I ok to give them all year round?

That is good news. Glad they are OK.