GI Stasis???

Hey Guys,
Was wondering if anybody can help me, on Saturday my rabbit didn't eat her food and didn't produce any poo's so on Sunday I took her to an emergency vet, basically he felt her tummy said she was constipated gave her a jab of Metacam to kick start her stomach and a dose of pain killers then sent me home. Told me if she hadn't made any improvements to go back the next day so I did, all he done was give her another jab said her tummy felt alot better and sent me home again. When I got home I decided to take a look at her back in which was covered in poop stuck to it so I used warm water and cotton wool and began to bathe away all the fesis, there was a tiny little one stuck completely in her bottom which i gently teased to get out, this tiny poop turned out to be huge and I thought maybe that would be the problem resolved. Anyway yesterday there was still no change, she still hadn't eaten or produced any stools so she went back again to which they gave her another jab and said to leave her for a couple of days now. Last night she seemed a little more perky she sat up for a few minutes and even had about 5 small lettuce leaves....... I decided to re-check her bottom to which I found tiny stools covered in mucus stuck to her bottom, again i gently bathed these off (which came straight off to be honest) popped her back into her cage I left her to rest, this morning when I checked her she was muching on some of her pellets but still hasn't been to the loo. She is drinking plenty of water and going for a wee but that is about it. I have been looking on the net to try and do some research as my vets seem useless and I don't think they know what there going on about, so far my vet bill has totalled £120.00 and she hasn't really improved. Do you think this sounds like GI Stasis?? I'm not sure as they say she wouldn't be drinking if it was. Also do you know of anything I can give her to help her I've read that trying diluted baby juice may help and also Simethicone. Any advice would be much appreciated as this has been going on for almost a week now. Many thanks x

Has your vet tried to find out what is causing the GI stasis? It is usually a symptom of an underlying illness, rather than an illness itself.

Has your rabbit ever needed a dental? Have teeth been checked? How old is your rabbit?

No all he done was felt her tummy, and the injections he done nothing else. Oh he did check her teeth and said all was fine there........... I'm completely done it I don't know what else I can do shes been to 2 vets and they both just jab her and send her home. She is 4 yrs old now x

OK well when Tiesto in my signature kept getting bouts of stasis my rabbit savvy vet ran a ton of different tests including xrays, bloods etc. Amazingly he found she had something very similar to what would be called a prolapsed (slipped) disc in humans:shock:

My point is they really need to be looking into what is causing this, unfortunately it doesn't come cheap. Is your rabbit insured? Equally you really need a rabbit savvy vet for this too. If you start a thread in "Rabbit Chat" asking for a rabbit savvy vet in your area then you should be able to find one. To be brutally honest with you, your vet does not sound very competent with rabbits. They should have spotted the dirty bottom and done further tests than they have.

Is she spayed?

Yes she was spayed about a year and a half ago. She has had this problem ever since she has been spayed but never as bad as this, especially we not going to the toilet for so long and never before has she produced mucus. i'm not sure she can't go to the loo I think when she is going it is sticking to her bottom and makes it very uncomfortable xx

How many pellets does she have a day? Have you tried tempting her with loads of her favorite foods? Is her urine white and milky looking? Is she weeing much? Has she produced the normal round poos?

How many pellets does she have a day? Have you tried tempting her with loads of her favorite foods? Is her urine white and milky looking? Is she weeing much? Has she produced the normal round poos?

She has x3 dessert spoons of pellets per day (thats what my vet suggested shes fed) as she refuses to eat hay.... her house cage is completely made up of hay and is cleaned every other day but she just turns her nose up at it, she may eat a strand or 2 every now and again but thats about it.

Yes I've tried to tempt her into eating and to be fair she has had little nibbles of bits but nothing to fill her up, her tummy is rumbling like mad but she just want eat anything in the form of a meal (if you know what I mean) enough to fill her up.

I think her urine is normal I can't quite tell you as in her litterbox she has sawdust and obviously that absorbs the urine but it looks the same as it usually does. She is still weeing normally and drinking normally its just the eating and the pooing at the moment.

She hasn't had any normal poops since Saturday, last night she had some tiny little poo's stuck around her bottom which were covered in like a mucus, and when I went home to check her today at lunch time she had the tiny little poops (almost like grapes stuck together) again stuck around her bottom which I have cleaned off and made clear. Today she hasn't got any mucus around it, just little poops but again sticking to her as they are very wet. I really appreciate your help with this, I thought that I may of got more of a reply with help about it off others.

I know, not sure why no one else has posted:? You could try putting it in rabbit chat.

Anyway, I think that their is not a lot of advice that can be offered to you by anyone here, as really your girl needs xrays, bloods etc. Has your vet listened to her chest?

I strongly urge you to find a better vet. She has been ill for a long time now.

Also a new thread on how to encourage hay eating, as a rabbits diet should be mainly hay.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Also change the title to something dramatic. One thread I had a while ago was getting no replies so I kept changing the thread title until it was very dramatic indeed:lol: Cue lots of replies:thumb:

Hi Vickie, I'm really sorry your bunny is poorly. I agree with the advice given by Hancy. Hopefully someone will get back to you about a bunny-savvy vet in your area.

Can I ask what type of lettuce you feed your bunny? Lettuce can sometimes give loose stools so it might be an idea to stop giving that for now - are there other veggies she will eat? Best to stay away from anything sugary like carrots and fruit for now, although a little bit to tempt her to eat is ok. Strong smelling herbs like parsley, mint, basil, coriander, may tempt her, if she likes those. Dandelions can also be useful in stasis too, as well as bramble leaves if you've got them - I know you can get them dried from Pets at Home.

You could also try a different brand of hay to see if a change will interest her more - as they vary in quality sometimes. Many of the hay companies will do small sample bags.

Which brand of pellets is she on? It may be you could gradually change her over to a brand with a higher fibre content (over about a month - and possibly not while she is poorly). Just something to think about, as I know Excel can sometimes cause excess cecals etc...I did a lot of expermenting and still am, with adding things like Protexin Pro-Fibre pellets to Kenco's normal pellets and things like that.

Not that I am saying anything of these things are the cause as I agree with Hancy that stasis is usually a symptom of another underlying problem, like pain or dental issues, but they may help in the longer term.

Really hope you can find some answers to help her now though. Will send vibes for her. xx

Thanks for getting back to me :wave:

She has been to 2 vets now and they have both just done the same, pushed on her tummy say shes bloated give her a jab and send her home, she seems to of perked up now but still is having very sticky little poops.

I'm not sure what the lettuce is, I got it out of my mum's veggie patch, she hasnt eaten much of it just a few leaves, i don't usually give her lettuce at all i was just experimenting with things to try and get her to eat something and the lettuce was all I could do.

I have tried many types of hay but nothing seems to take her fancy, I get it from pets and home as I don't really know where else I can try. Since the day I brought her home she has never really been into hay at all, to be honest shes not really into anything, she usually does like carrot, parsley and a little ryvita but thats about it she won't touch anything else.

She has the dwarf/junior excel pellets as this is what she was fed on as a baby and I didn't want to upset her tummy by changin it, a lot of good that did haha

I really think it could be a dental problem. Sometimes the vet can't see without a GA. That is just my thoughts though.

But as I said, you need to find a rabbit savvy vet, especially as she has never seemed right. I have lost rabbits before I found a good vet. Talking to him about it now is gutting, because he told me what my last vet should have done but didn't as rabbit medicine is so different from most other animals. There is every chance that he could have saved two of my rabbits that died

Vickie510 said:

Thanks for getting back to me :wave:

She has been to 2 vets now and they have both just done the same, pushed on her tummy say shes bloated give her a jab and send her home, she seems to of perked up now but still is having very sticky little poops.

I'm not sure what the lettuce is, I got it out of my mum's veggie patch, she hasnt eaten much of it just a few leaves, i don't usually give her lettuce at all i was just experimenting with things to try and get her to eat something and the lettuce was all I could do.

I have tried many types of hay but nothing seems to take her fancy, I get it from pets and home as I don't really know where else I can try. Since the day I brought her home she has never really been into hay at all, to be honest shes not really into anything, she usually does like carrot, parsley and a little ryvita but thats about it she won't touch anything else.

She has the dwarf/junior excel pellets as this is what she was fed on as a baby and I didn't want to upset her tummy by changin it, a lot of good that did haha

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Have the vets given her any fluids? Is she dehydrated?

It is possible that these pellets are too rich for her now she is an adult - did you say she was 4 years old? Sorry I am in a rush as I have to go out so am just trying to think off the top of my head. Just trying to think of things that may help.

There is some useful information here for you about pellets: http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/rabbitfood.asp

She may need more fibre in her diet, so a higher fibre pellet may be better. Particularly as she is not eating much hay. Change very gradually over 4 weeks to give her tummy and tastes time to adjust. Not sure that doing it now is a great idea - hope someone can clarify - but also thinking that it could be a vicious cycle perhaps.

I have found my bunnies really like the stuff from Willow Warren (you can google it or I will post a link later). I hear INGS/Hay for Pets do a really good Hay as well. Or you could look at the Hay Experts website.

Anyway hope thats ok for now. Will check back later.

hancy 14 said:

I really think it could be a dental problem. Sometimes the vet can't see without a GA. That is just my thoughts though.

But as I said, you need to find a rabbit savvy vet, especially as she has never seemed right. I have lost rabbits before I found a good vet. Talking to him about it now is gutting, because he told me what my last vet should have done but didn't as rabbit medicine is so different from most other animals. There is every chance that he could have saved two of my rabbits that died

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I agree.

If it was a dental problem though could it make her produce poo's with mucus on and ones that stick to her bum? I don't know I thought I was quite clued up on rabbits but obviously not

I will definatley look into getting some other hay, problem being though I keep spending all this money and nothing seems to take her fancy!! She's always been a plain Jane, and most certainley will look into changing her feed if and when she starts eating again. Im pretty sure she has eaten some of her pellets today but can't be 100% sure as she has knocked some over.

Also with ref to the poo on her bottom, am I doing the right thing in cleaning it off her everytime it sticks?? I know that it sounds like I should be doing just wanted to make sure im not doing more harm than good

Vickie510 said:

If it was a dental problem though could it make her produce poo's with mucus on and ones that stick to her bum? I don't know I thought I was quite clued up on rabbits but obviously not

I will definatley look into getting some other hay, problem being though I keep spending all this money and nothing seems to take her fancy!! She's always been a plain Jane, and most certainley will look into changing her feed if and when she starts eating again. Im pretty sure she has eaten some of her pellets today but can't be 100% sure as she has knocked some over.

Also with ref to the poo on her bottom, am I doing the right thing in cleaning it off her everytime it sticks?? I know that it sounds like I should be doing just wanted to make sure im not doing more harm than good

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Hi again Vickie, sorry I had to go out earlier so couldnt post more. How is your girl doing now? (Whats her name by the way? Sorry if I have missed it somewhere)

Yes teeth problems can cause loose stools. Yes please clean her up as she will be high risk of flystrike (which can be fatal) with a dirty bum

However, I have just re-read this whole thread and the thing I am really very concerned about with your bunny is that you said the vets have said she is bloated.

Bloat is a different type of tummy issue to stasis (I think) and can be very serious. Can you add bloat in to the title of this thread to draw more people's attention to it please?

I am afraid I also agree with Hancy that if a bunny has bloat she should not just be sent home and told not to go back for a few days, not without you being really clear about what's going on and what the plan for treatment is going to be, what things you need to keep an eye out for etc.

I am really worried about your bunny. I'm not saying that to panic you but as she has not eaten or poo'd and she has these rumbling sounds, it does sound like there may be more to it, especially as its been 5 days now as you say.

Out of hours vets like the one you saw at the weekend, are not always bunny-savvy, so it may be that the vet you saw then was just trying to do their best with limited knowledge of rabbits. Equally your own vet may not be rabbit-savvy, so it may be worth trying to find someone in your area who is known to be bunny-savvy - I would start a thread asking recommendations on here.

Also please don't think that all of this means you don't know much about rabbits, as you clearly care very much for her, are asking all the right questions and come to a good place for general advice. But the vets are the only ones who can give you the real medical advice as they can examine her, do the tests etc. We are just guessing in the dark a little bit.

The stuff about diet can be looked at later, but I really think the priority is to look at the bloat issue - and I'm afraid I've had no experience myself.

Sending more vibes for her.

As above. Please get your girl to a rabbit savvy vet. If you want to just say what town you live near, I can start a thread in rabbit chat for you

:wave:

I appreciate that Warwick and Rugby aren't exactly on your doorstep but when I lived in the West Midlands I went to the animal house and saw Paula. She's excellent. I suspect your bun has some GI stasis which could be quite nasty.
You need to see a vet you can trust and I trust Paula.

Link is http://www.vetanimalhouse.co.uk/

Please give them a ring first thing tomorrow. Paula is excellent and Becky one of the vetenary nurses is also excellent

Let us know how she goes xx

PS Try her with some wet dandelions if you can find some

Hi Guys,
Thank you all for your concern and I definately will try and find a rabbit-savvy(?) for her to look after my rabbit from now on, my vet is useless and I'm utterly dissapointed that it cost me £120.00 and made no difference. On the plus side I have been looking after her myself and yesterday when I got home from work she had pooped (tiny little ones) but she had definately pooped can't beleive how excited I got at the sight of poo!! teehee. And then last night I put her some ryvita in her cage (which she usually loves) and she ate it, not all of it but she had eaten enough with her other bits in with her to stop her tummy rumbling at last, and she looked so much better in herself, she sat up and moved around a fair bit and had got her old temperment back where she doesn't like to be handled and grunts at me!! This morning she seems bright eyed, alert and comfortable, she has done a few more poops over night but there was a small runny one in it, her bum was clean so I will check again at lunch! I live in Malvern (worcestershire) so if anyone knows of a rabbit savvy around this area I would really appreciate it if you could let me know as my vet wants me to take her back today but I'm not to keen on this as I'm sure they are just fobbing me off and don't really know what they are doing, I would much rather make her an appointment to see someone who can properly examine her and find the root cause of this. My bunnies name is Jazz, shes a Netherland Dwarf and a very fiesty one at that. Thanks to everybody for all your concern, I'm so glad I found this forum,xx

Hi Vickie, hope Jazz is doing ok this afternoon. I'm glad to hear that she has eaten a little and done a few poops. From my limited knowledge I wouldnt say she is out of the woods yet and so I would definitely take her back to your vet if it was me.

Although we've suggested trying to find possibly a more bunny-savvy vet, we are really only going on what's been said on the thread and driven by our concern that your bun gets the best treatment possible - but this doesnt mean that your current vet is useless. It sounds like whatever they have done has definitely helped so I wouldnt write them off completely - what we were getting at was finding out if there was someone more specialist with rabbits in your area....if you see what I mean.

I do think you should take her back today, as I say, its very early days yet. Let us know how you get on.

Hope its ok but I will post a link in rabbit chat seeing if anyone is able to advise you of an alternative vet in Malvern, that way you can decide whats best.

Re: hay, you can get a sample here for free from Willow Warren - you have to pay postage though: http://www.willowwarren.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=trh2&cat=1

Thats where I get my hay from, and its very good quality.

You could also try the Hay Experts, here is a sample selection pack: https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Hay...+Herbs.36/Taster+Selection+Sample+Pack.6.html

INGS/Hay for Pets are also reported to be very good too.