Goodness, I thought everyone knew about the sort of things we can do to reduce the frequency of stasis, & the sort of factors that
can add together to cause it.
Each individual bun is different, we can't stop it completely, but can often reduce the frequency.
My own bun is 51/2 with a rare gut disorder in which the nerve supply is being destroyed gradually, since he was about 14-16 weeks old. He had no caecal filling or movement for 10 months last year but we got it kick started again (when Sloe leaves became effective last Autumn) & he needs prokinetics every 8 hours. All is complicated by dental malocclusion so he needs his molar spurs burring every 3-4 weeks now.
A big factor causing gut slow down at
this time of year is moulting which is a big
stress for a bunny. They need to increase their energy intake by 40% to moult.
Blockage on fur balls occurs because the gut is already slow but obviously reducing the amount of fur ingested by grooming
both buns is important.
The key is to keep the gut well stimulated naturally with a high fiber diet all the time, keep a careful eye that their
fluid intake doesn't fall off too, & of course be alert to changes in poop quantity, size & shape.
If a bunny's gut is slowing down they tend to eat fiber & nutrient (trying to keep up energy stores & keep the gut going) & basically haven't enough room left for drinking water, so they get dehydrated. If the food going through the gut gets a bit dried out, it's difficult to push through, & can form a
partial block, which is some vets think is commoner than was previously thought. (Dental buns are particularly prone to this)
It's important NOT to give stasis prone buns sugary or starchy treats, including fruit, & starchy veg. (eg the red part of carrot) because these predispose to the overgrowth of bacteria which release toxins which paralyse the gut.
The best diet is nearer to the type of diet a wild bunny would eat.
Hay/grass, culinary herbs (basil, mint, corriander, thyme, chervil, dill, fennel, parsley etc) & wild plants (safe weeds) while reducing pellet feed & the rich human veg. We do have to be careful that the bunny doesn't lose weight when doing this and make any changes very gradually with a bun with tummy problems.
Many stasis prone buns crave woody fiber which can be safely given in the form of safe tree/fruit bush leaves. Bramble leaves can even be found in the middle of cities, or bought on internet sites.
Our bunnies may appear to be fussy but given these types of food they usually select what they need.
It is also very important to correct unformed ceacals/mucky bum = dysbiosis quickly because this can rapidly lead to bacterial overgrowth. If you decide to use a probiotic, Biolapis is best cos it's the only one currently available specifically for bunnies.
Examples of what some of use are feeding our buns can be found on
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=264764&highlight=tree+leaves
It is noteable that a bunny vet Marie Kubiac has posted her experience of using tree leaves in an exotics vet hospital environment & that no 2 bunnies have the same underlying cause for their stasis.
Sadly the number of respondants is too small to draw scientifically valid conclusions. However the diet is a return to that routinely used 50 years ago by country folk, & is known to be safe.
Forgive me that I am not on the forum much these days. My own bun is unable to digest either hay or grass so I have to forage ALL his food daily as well as dry enough for winter months. Also a bun who goes in & out of stasis every 24-48 hours needs a lot of care.
Treatment of a stasis episode remains the same.
ON GOING PAIN RELIEF
HEAT PAD/WARMTH if your bun is cold.
When the vet has excluded obstruction (complete block)
FLUIDS either by mouth +/- subcutaneously (my bun finds the latter less stressful)
GUT MOTILITY DRUGS. Metaclopramide only stimulates the upper gut & is best taken on a full stomach to prevent gut cramping. Zantac stimulates the caecum & lower gut.
ETA In full blown stasis it is recommended that motility drugs be continued for 5 days after the bunny 1st. starts to eat, & then tailed off.