Prolonged gas after stasis

Good evening all. Very long time no see but I'm afraid I have a bunny issue that is driving me crackers. Bunny went in to stasis 2 weeks ago tomorrow. Cause identified as molar spurs and these have been burred + usual stasis meds. However 2 days after dental he went in to stasis again and was very bloated. Admitted to vets and given vetagesic. Since then he has been like a yoyo. He came out, did ok for a bit, gave him some dill and he got mucoid entiritis! Back in again! He's out now and has been for 3 days but still getting terrible gas, which given the time after eating I would suggest is definitely in his caecum. This is causing him obvious pain. Poos are normal. I Can keep him out of stasis with

- loxicom (having to give him more than recommended to stop tooth grinding when gas occurs) - 1.5 mil for a 2.7kg bunny split in 2
-Metaclop - 1/8 tablet x twice
- zantac - 0.75ml x twice
- Infacol - roughly 1ml every 4-7 hours
- He had a course of Flagyl with no effect on gas, although did stop the mucus.

and am going to try and start weaning him off the metacam/zantac but the trouble is when I drop the loxicom dose, he stops eating. All veg and science selective cause gas so I'm giving him little as I possibly can so he is almost hay only. He's currently got western timothy hay as well as bog standard which he is tucking in to as long as not in pain. Technically he's been having gas problems now for 2 weeks, although only out of latest bout of stasis for 4 days.

Am I just being impatient?
Has anyone else had this for this long?
is there anything that you can recommend....especially vets on here.

ecudc said:

Good evening all. Very long time no see but I'm afraid I have a bunny issue that is driving me crackers. Bunny went in to stasis 2 weeks ago tomorrow. Cause identified as molar spurs and these have been burred + usual stasis meds. However 2 days after dental he went in to stasis again and was very bloated. Admitted to vets and given vetagesic. Since then he has been like a yoyo. He came out, did ok for a bit, gave him some dill and he got mucoid entiritis! Back in again! He's out now and has been for 3 days but still getting terrible gas, which given the time after eating I would suggest is definitely in his caecum. This is causing him obvious pain. Poos are normal. I Can keep him out of stasis with

- loxicom (having to give him more than recommended to stop tooth grinding when gas occurs) - 1.5 mil for a 2.7kg bunny split in 2
-Metacam - 1/8 tablet x twice
- zantac - 0.75ml x twice
- Infacol - roughly 1ml every 4-7 hours
- He had a course of Flagyl with no effect on gas, although did stop the mucus.

and am going to try and start weaning him off the metacam/zantac but the trouble is when I drop the loxicom dose, he stops eating. All veg and science selective cause gas so I'm giving him little as I possibly can so he is almost hay only. He's currently got western timothy hay as well as bog standard which he is tucking in to as long as not in pain. Technically he's been having gas problems now for 2 weeks, although only out of latest bout of stasis for 4 days.

Am I just being impatient?
Has anyone else had this for this long?
is there anything that you can recommend....especially vets on here.

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Are you not overdosing him on Meloxicam :shock: Both Loxicom and Metacam are the same NSAID-ie Meloxicam

Sorry meant metaclop! 1/8 a tablet * 2 times daily.....too little sleep for me. The loxicom is higher than it should be but otherwise it's back to vetagesic and although the vets did allow me to take some home, as you know it is controlled and the only other option is to have him admitted till it passes which could be weeks and stressful or PTS and he is generally pretty happy when pain free.

Sounds like cecal impaction to me

Is he craving things like cardboard and paper at all ? Or chewing wood a lot more than normal ?

Jack's-Jane said:

Sounds like cecal impaction to me

Is he craving things like cardboard and paper at all ? Or chewing wood a lot more than normal ?

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He has been nibbling on paper a little but not going nuts for it. There is a cardboard tube in his pen but that is unnibbled although he does like to eat carboard if I give him a box to play with. He has been admitted at the vets for nearly 2 weeks so if there is an impaction is is not obvious to the touch and I suspect the only way to tell would be an x-ray which would mean GA.....and that's an obvious dilemma.

ecudc said:

He has been nibbling on paper a little but not going nuts for it. There is a cardboard tube in his pen but that is unnibbled although he does like to eat carboard if I give him a box to play with.

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Has the Vet done an abdominal Xray or U/S ?

May well show a very full cecum that is not emptying.

With cecal impaction the onset is slow and subtle and in many ways can mimic Dental problems-ie poo becomes small, selective feeding, dropping food from mouth, gut stasis. Could it be that the molar spurs were an incidental finding and that the primary problem is his cecum ?

Jack's-Jane said:

Has the Vet done an abdominal Xray or U/S ?

May well show a very full cecum that is not emptying.

With cecal impaction the onset is slow and subtle and in many ways can mimic Dental problems-ie poo becomes small, selective feeding, dropping food from mouth, gut stasis. Could it be that the molar spurs were an incidental finding and that the primary problem is his cecum ?

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No, no xray. It is something I would consider. Am thinking of booking him in again for an appointment on saturday but even if they did find something is there anything that can be done other than what he's currently on (I think would rule out surgery as so unsuccessful, I think it would be kinder to PTS even though I love him to pieces)

Poos are now very normal size and golden now we are past stasis but he is still obviously on the gauntlet of meds.

There are a few treatment options (non surgical) if it is cecal impaction. Rehydration of the contents of the cecum with aggressive fluid therapy then the use of an osmotic Laxative (Lactulose) and Domperidone, a drug that appears to be more effective on the motility of the cecum than Ranitidine. With 'Last chance saloon' cases the use of a prostaglandin may be attempted. But this really is a last resort and must be done with a Vet present at all times after administering the injection.

Severe cases may not respond to treatment or the Rabbit may relapse soon after an apparent improvement/recovery. This is usually due to the fact that the innervation of the cecum is damaged beyond repair and will never function again.


This may be useful to read

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Caecal_Impaction.htm

Jack's-Jane said:

Sounds like cecal impaction to me

Is he craving things like cardboard and paper at all ? Or chewing wood a lot more than normal ?

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Why do they do that? Doughnut went mad for the lining paper. Not just being a naughty I could tell she was craving. I now always think her guts aren't right if she does this but what is happening?

cpayne said:

Why do they do that? Doughnut went mad for the lining paper. Not just being a naughty I could tell she was craving. I now always think her guts aren't right if she does this but what is happening?

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They seem to crave fibre, but not in the form of hay

Thanks Jane..