GI Stasis

Hi Everyone

My bunny Pippa is just getting over GI Stasis. I have been feeding her Rescue Remedy and pain relief and she is now over the worst of it.

The only thing is, I can't get her to eat her normal pellets or even hay. Am feeding her grass, any dandelions that I can find or anything she will eat - as the vet said to feed her whatever she eats but to wean her onto her pellets & hay. She is drinking ok.

I keep giving her hay & her pellets but she turns her nose up at them - but don't want to stop feeding her as I don't want her to stop eating.

Any ideas for getting her to eat her normal food?

Many Thanks.

Moore75 said:

Hi Everyone

My bunny Pippa is just getting over GI Stasis. I have been feeding her Rescue Remedy and pain relief and she is now over the worst of it.

The only thing is, I can't get her to eat her normal pellets or even hay. Am feeding her grass, any dandelions that I can find or anything she will eat - as the vet said to feed her whatever she eats but to wean her onto her pellets & hay. She is drinking ok.

I keep giving her hay & her pellets but she turns her nose up at them - but don't want to stop feeding her as I don't want her to stop eating.

Any ideas for getting her to eat her normal food?

Many Thanks.

Click to expand...

When you say she is 'just getting over stasis' .. do you mean she is still on pain relief and gut motility meds?

Did the vet check her teeth at all, or get to the bottom of why she went into stasis?

Welcome to RU by the way :wave:

Moore75 said:

Hi Everyone

My bunny Pippa is just getting over GI Stasis. I have been feeding her Rescue Remedy and pain relief and she is now over the worst of it.

The only thing is, I can't get her to eat her normal pellets or even hay. Am feeding her grass, any dandelions that I can find or anything she will eat - as the vet said to feed her whatever she eats but to wean her onto her pellets & hay. She is drinking ok.

I keep giving her hay & her pellets but she turns her nose up at them - but don't want to stop feeding her as I don't want her to stop eating.

Any ideas for getting her to eat her normal food?

Many Thanks.

Click to expand...

Hello, it's not unusual for a Rabbit to be slow at getting back to normal eating after an episode of gut stasis. However, gut stasis is often a secondary symptom of another primary problem. So did the Vet try to establish what the actual cause of the gut stasis was ? For example if it were to be related to a problem with the teeth then unless that is addressed the eating/gut problems are unlikely to fully resolve. The fact that Pippa is eating soft food may indicate that her teeth are causing discomfort.

I assume your Vet also prescribed prokinetics, AKA 'gut motility stimulating medication' ? The usual combination being Metoclopramide (Emeprid/Vomend) and Ranitidine (Zantac).

What is your Rabbit's fecal output like now ? What comes out is just as relevant as what is being eaten.

This link may be useful to take a look at

http://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/managing-gi-stasis-in-rabbits/

I hope that Pippa will soon be fully recovered

Hi MightyMax

Thanks for your reply.

I have taken Pippa off the Gut motility meds and pain relief as the vets said to reduce them if she is eating - which she is, but just can't get her to eat hay. Got to to get her hay intake up.

The vet did check her teeth and all ok but doesn't don't know why she went into stasis.

A few more days and hopefully she will be eating hay.

Hi Jack's-Jane

Many thanks for the link, it was very useful. Pippa's fecal output is getting back to normal and volume is almost there too, she has had some of her normal pellets now but still not eating hay.

Keep giving her some hay in the hope that she will eat it.

Thanks for you help.