Home treatment/remedies for GI Statis

So Twink was in the vets 2 weeks ago lethargic not eating and it was decided she had joint pain as shes 7.5yrs old and was kicked about before we got her. They treated her with pain relief and also gut stimulants which worked.

This week we had the same, not eating and extremely dehydrated, the vet treated for statis and my bank account wept.

Sooo my question is how to prevent it. They currently have excel pellets at breakfast, they are half normal and half elderly rabbit mixed together. They have quality hay 24/7 and have various veg/fruit for tea, a wide variety over the week. They have a water bowl and a bottle, changed daily and also when they are outside theres a water feature that they favour drinking from:evil:

I am keeping everything crossed that we dont have this again because the finances wont allow more treatment, shes cost £200 in 2 weeks. I know it sounds cruel to make this decision and its not an easy one believe me, Im already on a payment plan at the vets and hubby isnt impressed that we are struggling day to day then I spend this on one of the rabbits.

So any advice on prevention would be greatly appreciated. I did ponder making the water nicer with fruit juice as I read it online but dont know if thats a good idea??

The sugars in fruit and fruit juice aren't good. The cheapest thing to try is forage which has been very effective for some.
You can get Oxbow sugar free papaya and pineapple tablets (by bunnies really liked them) from the Hay Experts but they are £10 for 60.
Forage is probably the most important thing to try but also remove sugars and less digestible veg from her diet and make sure they can't eat cardboard and paper. Culinary herbs, dried herbs and wild plants will be better.

I don't have the energy to type the info again so just link to posts from a few days ago. http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...sitive-tummy&p=5925157&viewfull=1#post5925157
thumps_ should have some good specific advice about plants if she sees this thread.

I remember once having a phase with mine where she would only eat dried herbs and lots of them for several days, and then became interested in hay again - it's quite possible this was a mild stasis she managed to reverse herself with the herbs.

There is also massage and infacol when stasis actually occurs but I don't really know anything about these.

Perhaps ask the vet if you can keep the relevant drugs at home so you don't have to pay travel and consultation costs every time.

I have a stasis prone bunny so know the stress it causes.
I know instantly now if shes got tummy ache... even before she gets uncomfy.. I have metacam, metalop and zantac in and usually give it at the first sign, sometimes infacol too... I can usually turn her around in an hour or so... Having the meds in has saved me a fortune in vets fees...

Is she on ongoing pain relief for the joint pain? One of my bunnies has daily metacam to help with his pain, also as a result of mistreatment before he came to me. Not had a stasis episode for about a year now, after having them fairly regular before that - and that was always out of hours vets too!

Mad Bunster said:

Is she on ongoing pain relief for the joint pain? One of my bunnies has daily metacam to help with his pain, also as a result of mistreatment before he came to me. Not had a stasis episode for about a year now, after having them fairly regular before that - and that was always out of hours vets too!

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yes shes on 0.4ml a day of metacam for the joint pain, the vet is hoping we can drop it down but Im dubious.

I think I will carry on with the 'garden weeds' that she can eat and maybe cut the pellets back a bit, sort of clean living for bunnies:lol:

So if I use the baby infacol how much do I give??