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Stasis - how often can medication be given?

casu consulto

Mama Doe
My Barney is a poorly bunny. :cry:

On Sunday he was refusing to eat and wanting to sprawl out -- it's happened before and he has seemed quite prone to these episodes ever since we adopted him several years ago. We thought we had caught it early, and after bringing him inside and letting him run about, he started eating again and peeing and poos appeared once more...

Then yesterday morning he again refused his breakfast. I had to go to work, so left him with my mum -- who took him to the vets when he showed no signs of interest in any food at all. He was given a gut stimulant and metacam. After arriving home from the vets he ate some apple, carrot, a handful of grass -- all with some enthusiasm. Then he lost all interest entirely and I honestly thought he was giving up. He went extremely floppy and wouldn't even hold his own head up. I've spent all night with him, scared to leave him alone in case he just 'gives up'.

This morning he seems to be a bit more 'alive'. He's not willing to be handled in quite so docile a manner, and he did NOT want to sit on my bed with me. He reacts to noise, but he seems to keep trying to sleep (I think he was too aggitated to sleep yesterday, his breathing was very quick). He's being offered water from a bowl at all times and we've been syringing it to him. He's going back to the vets today as soon as they open. I wouldn't take him to our emergency vets - they're not brilliant.

I'm going to ask for more metacam. Is there any point in asking for more gut stimulant when it didn't produce any poops last time? :( I'm not going into work today, so they'll just have to make snide comments behind my back about this... I'm past caring. I just want to stay with him.
 
Has there been any fecal output at all since yesterday ?

If not I'd suggest you get him admitted for intensive care. The Vet will need to try to establish the primary cause of the GI stasis- is their an impaction/obstruction ?

Intensive care is likely to include gut motility meds and analgesia via injection

Fluid therapy- IV or subcutaneous aswell as oral

Depending on if there is an imapction, possibly in the cecum, then an osmotic Laxative may be given (Lactulose)

Abdominal U/S or Xray may be needed to check for an obstruction, a full obstruction is a surgical emergency.

If there is no obstruction then aswell as ongoing meds and fluids syringe feeds would be needed.

Antibiotic cover, usually Baytril, may be given in a protracted case of GI stasis.

Dental issues should also be investigated as a primary cause for any GI tract problems.
Sending lots of get well vibes for Braney xx
 
Has there been any fecal output at all since yesterday ?

If not I'd suggest you get him admitted for intensive care. The Vet will need to try to establish the primary cause of the GI stasis- is their an impaction/obstruction ?

Intensive care is likely to include gut motility meds and analgesia via injection

Fluid therapy- IV or subcutaneous aswell as oral

Depending on if there is an imapction, possibly in the cecum, then an osmotic Laxative may be given (Lactulose)

Abdominal U/S or Xray may be needed to check for an obstruction, a full obstruction is a surgical emergency.

If there is no obstruction then aswell as ongoing meds and fluids syringe feeds would be needed.

Antibiotic cover, usually Baytril, may be given in a protracted case of GI stasis.

Dental issues should also be investigated as a primary cause for any GI tract problems.
Sending lots of get well vibes for Braney xx

I think i may love you Jane :thumb:

Great post!
 
Quick reply -- about to dash off to a rabbit specialist across the city!

His teeth were checked yesterday. Due to his extremely lethargic condition, he had the best tooth check in ages. His teeth were perfect.

He's having an extreme moult BUT I know that this is not likely to be the cause, but probably is just making it worse as a result of the stasis.

My local vets just took a look at him, said getting the guts moving again is near impossible, said all they might do is put a drip in his ear but 'to be honest, the diagnosis is very poor indeed'. I'm not at all willing to accept that. I've got him through this before. I intend to give him the best chance to manage it again. :( Gotta go! I'll update later.

If he dies I think my heart will break. He's my little rock. He pulled me out of depression.
 
Good luck. Will be thinking of you.

Hope the rabbit specialist can help. Can't believe your normal vet basically said to give up :shock:
 
I've had to leave him at the vets -- I think it's the best place for him right now, though it's made me so sad to leave him behind.

My local vets are sort of iffy. I think they get a lot of vets for training purposes -- over the past few years you're lucky if you get to see the same vet twice. And it's very hit and miss as to whether they'll know anything about rabbits as a result. They're okay as far as administering vaccines, etc. I'm still surprised at how offhandd she was with him though. It really was a case of she'd try a drip and if that didn't work then, pft.

The vet I have left him with seemed much more rabbit savvy -- and though not exactly optimistic, at least he knew what he was talking about and he was very honest. He felt Barney's tummy and said he has a blockage that is probably made up of a good deal of moulted fur at the moment, and said that in larger animals surgery can be successful but he was reluctant to go down that route with a rabbit. He took his temp. and Barney was too cold, dehydrated and in pain. He's being kept in and put in a cage where they can lift his temperature and he's being given fluids and pain relief. He's also having a blood test done to check his glucose levels? Apparently, if they're high then it's bad? He said they'd take these frequently to try and estimate how serious the condition had become.

I've always dreaded being in this situation with him. I don't want to be in a position where I have to decide whether to attempt surgery on him, or have him put down. I don't think I could put him through that sort of surgery, even though I want to give him every chance possible. :(
 
I'm sorry to hear the news. At least he's in the best place possible right now.

Bucket loads of vibes for him and hugs for you.
 
:( How awful, sending lots of vibes for him.
Not wanting to add false hope but a lot of bunnies have come through surgery to remove a blockage.
 
Thinking of you and your bun - Lola had stasis and was very poorly , I know how worrying it is. Hope you get some encouraging news soon.
 
Just phoned the vets -- they said that they'd managed to raise his body temp. back to normal very quickly and that he appears comfortable? I'm hoping with the rehydration and pain relief he is at least not feeling so yucky or uncomfortable now. I couldn't have done that for him at home. They're waiting for the results of his blood tests, and the vet will phone later. :( He has to stay in over night though... and now I'm worrying about tomorrow with work.

He's probably been as bad as this only once before. I just keep hoping that if they can reverse this dehydration then the blockage (supposing it is only fur and food) will be able to soften and move.
 
Hydration is the key when trying to move a blockage, so fingers crossed you will hear that he is doing better later.
 
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