Getting over GI stasis - how long?

[elaine84]

Hi Elaine

I have just seen your wonderful website and appreciate your talent in painting animals :wave:

I see you are raising money for your current vet bills, and I wish you all the very best with that, and also with your lovely rabbit xx

Ah thank you Yes the vet bills have totally broke me this month!
Quick update: Billy is still sitting quietly in his box but has done some poos Just syringe fed him again (having to do little and often as he won't hold more than 1ml at a time in his mouth!)

 

[MightyMax]

Ah thank you Yes the vet bills have totally broke me this month!
Quick update: Billy is still sitting quietly in his box but has done some poos Just syringe fed him again (having to do little and often as he won't hold more than 1ml at a time in his mouth!)

You're doing well with Billy

Glad to hear he's eating and pooing, albeit just a bit right now xx

 

[elaine84]

Thought I'd do another update I rang the vet and spoke to a nurse as Billy was looking very sorry for himself and it started to worry me. He hadn't drank since this morning and really didn't want any food. I picked him up to give him his renitadine and felt his tummy and he had gas So I gave him some gripe water and massaged his tummy till I couldn't feel the bubbles anymore. Then gave him 5ml of water (as recommended by vet) and now he's eating! I think he must've been in pain from that but I'm so happy now he's eating!

 

[MightyMax]

Thought I'd do another update I rang the vet and spoke to a nurse as Billy was looking very sorry for himself and it started to worry me. He hadn't drank since this morning and really didn't want any food. I picked him up to give him his renitadine and felt his tummy and he had gas So I gave him some gripe water and massaged his tummy till I couldn't feel the bubbles anymore. Then gave him 5ml of water (as recommended by vet) and now he's eating! I think he must've been in pain from that but I'm so happy now he's eating!

I think tummy rubs and gripe water is a great idea. Using infant colic meds (I use Infacol) and tummy rubs often works for my rabbits.

You can give it every hour, along with tummy rubs, to get rid of gas.

A good article here:

http://anyflip.com/dvpt/hzvv/basic

... and here too ... http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

Good luck with Billy!

 

[elaine84]

Could Billy's mouth still be hurting after his dental?
The vet said he didn't have any ulcerations but there were some indentations where teeth had been pressing on the gum. The dental was on Monday afternoon and it's now Wednesday night. So it's probably been about 56 hours. Am I rushing the recovery time? He's still only eating a little bit - he'll eat a leaf then let the other half drop out of his mouth. I think he's eating more in the morning, and he has his Metacam in the morning.
Also he seems a bit reluctant to drink, like he thinks about it then chins the bowl instead. But maybe I'm watching him too much. He goes through phases of looking perky then down in the dumps. His poos are quite big but squishy. He is still on Renitidine, and I'm thinking about syringe feeding him some recovery food as I don't think he's eaten much today. I just want my Billy back to normal

 

[MightyMax]

Could Billy's mouth still be hurting after his dental?
The vet said he didn't have any ulcerations but there were some indentations where teeth had been pressing on the gum. The dental was on Monday afternoon and it's now Wednesday night. So it's probably been about 56 hours. Am I rushing the recovery time? He's still only eating a little bit - he'll eat a leaf then let the other half drop out of his mouth. I think he's eating more in the morning, and he has his Metacam in the morning.
Also he seems a bit reluctant to drink, like he thinks about it then chins the bowl instead. But maybe I'm watching him too much. He goes through phases of looking perky then down in the dumps. His poos are quite big but squishy. He is still on Renitidine, and I'm thinking about syringe feeding him some recovery food as I don't think he's eaten much today. I just want my Billy back to normal

You know, I would think he ought to be improving by now ..

I wonder whether there's a bit of mouth pain that could require some antibiotics? You could ring the vet in the morning (unless he's guzzling by then) and ask about them. The vet won't necessarily be able to see the gums at the back, but rabbit's mouths are extremely sensitive and it's easy for a piece of dental equipment to cause a nick in the tissue.

 

[elaine84]

OK thanks will do. Hope he's better tomorrow, maybe one more long sleep will help! Need to look into pet insurance too (bit late I know!) - hoping I can still get it now he actually has an issue.

 

[Omi]

How is Billy this morning?

 

[Jack's-Jane]

OK thanks will do. Hope he's better tomorrow, maybe one more long sleep will help! Need to look into pet insurance too (bit late I know!) - hoping I can still get it now he actually has an issue.

You will be able to Insure him, but pre-existing conditions are likely to be excluded, unfortunately.

If Billy is not better by this morning I would give the Vet a call. It may be that he needs his analgesia dose reviewed. You say he eats better after his Metacam, so perhaps the dose could be divided into 2 x 12 hourly doses instead of one dose every 24 hours. Rabbits metabolise meloxicam (the active ingredient in Metacam) much faster than other species so Rabbits may require higher doses at more frequent intervals to obtain good analgesic cover

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16521861

 

[elaine84]

I'm currently at the vets waiting to go in. Billy seems really uncomfortable even after his meds. He ate a bit of kale over night but isn't really drinking and his poos got smaller and nothing today so he's probably dehydrated and don't want stasis happening again. If it's not his teeth causing the issue anymore I don't know what it is :'(

 

[elaine84]

I don't know if this is related and i have mentioned to vet but they think it's maybe just stress tension, but when you touch his shoulders they vibrate. It's strange.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I don't know if this is related and i have mentioned to vet but they think it's maybe just stress tension, but when you touch his shoulders they vibrate. It's strange.

It's a long shot, but ask the Vet to have a good check in Billy's ears. I have known a similar thing occur in a Rabbit with an ear infection. As I said, it is a long short and probably irrelevant in Billy's case

Sending him more vibes x

 

[elaine84]

It's a long shot, but ask the Vet to have a good check in Billy's ears. I have known a similar thing occur in a Rabbit with an ear infection. As I said, it is a long short and probably irrelevant in Billy's case

Sending him more vibes x

Thanks Jane - sorry I didn't see this message till I just got back, so I wasn't able to ask. She had a look at his teeth and gums and said it all looks good but there can still be a bit of bruising after a few days, and thinks because of the heat and being a bit uncomfortable it's spiralled a bit into not eating and drinking as much, which has dehydrated him a bit, making his tummy more uncomfortable. He was given fluids and Emeprid, (already on Renitidine), and I've got some Vetergesic to give him to make him feel more comfortable. He had a tiny bit of gas too but not much. I haven't given him the vetergesic yet but as soon as we got back he started eating (kale again!) it's all he'll seem to eat at the moment, but glad he's eating and hopefully will start to pass poos soon too. I've also got to syringe feed.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Thanks Jane - sorry I didn't see this message till I just got back, so I wasn't able to ask. She had a look at his teeth and gums and said it all looks good but there can still be a bit of bruising after a few days, and thinks because of the heat and being a bit uncomfortable it's spiralled a bit into not eating and drinking as much, which has dehydrated him a bit, making his tummy more uncomfortable. He was given fluids and Emeprid, (already on Renitidine), and I've got some Vetergesic to give him to make him feel more comfortable. He had a tiny bit of gas too but not much. I haven't given him the vetergesic yet but as soon as we got back he started eating (kale again!) it's all he'll seem to eat at the moment, but glad he's eating and hopefully will start to pass poos soon too. I've also got to syringe feed.

Did the Vet warn you that Vetergesic can make some Rabbits very drowsy ? Especially if given aswell as Metoclopromide. The latter exacerbating the sedative effects of the Vetergesic. Just thought I'd mention it incase the Vet did not do so.

I think the fluids may be very beneficial to him

 

[elaine84]

Did the Vet warn you that Vetergesic can make some Rabbits very drowsy ? Especially if given aswell as Metoclopromide. The latter exacerbating the sedative effects of the Vetergesic. Just thought I'd mention it incase the Vet did not do so.

I think the fluids may be very beneficial to him

Yes thank you, she said to give him half the dose so he's not so sleepy. He's just chilling at the moment so will give him in a bit so he's had time to calm down

 

[MightyMax]

Thanks Jane - sorry I didn't see this message till I just got back, so I wasn't able to ask. She had a look at his teeth and gums and said it all looks good but there can still be a bit of bruising after a few days, and thinks because of the heat and being a bit uncomfortable it's spiralled a bit into not eating and drinking as much, which has dehydrated him a bit, making his tummy more uncomfortable. He was given fluids and Emeprid, (already on Renitidine), and I've got some Vetergesic to give him to make him feel more comfortable. He had a tiny bit of gas too but not much. I haven't given him the vetergesic yet but as soon as we got back he started eating (kale again!) it's all he'll seem to eat at the moment, but glad he's eating and hopefully will start to pass poos soon too. I've also got to syringe feed.

Hi Elaine

I hope he continues eating - kale and then other things, hopefully. I'm glad you've got vetergesic, and as your vet mentioned, it can make them sleepy. I don't use it for this reason, especially as it's so hot, but if your vet felt it appropriate I go with that :thumb:

I'm also really glad they gave him the fluids

 

[elaine84]

Hi Elaine

I hope he continues eating - kale and then other things, hopefully. I'm glad you've got vetergesic, and as your vet mentioned, it can make them sleepy. I don't use it for this reason, especially as it's so hot, but if your vet felt it appropriate I go with that :thumb:

I'm also really glad they gave him the fluids

Thanks Mighty Max. He wasn't too sleepy with the vetergesic, he was a bit but I think it may have worn off a bit now. He keeps pressing his belly to the floor and did it just as I heard a gurgle so there's still some gas there. He's just gone mad for a bit of mint, good to see him excited
Meant to rain tonight and cool down a bit - can't wait!

 

[MightyMax]

Thanks Mighty Max. He wasn't too sleepy with the vetergesic, he was a bit but I think it may have worn off a bit now. He keeps pressing his belly to the floor and did it just as I heard a gurgle so there's still some gas there. He's just gone mad for a bit of mint, good to see him excited
Meant to rain tonight and cool down a bit - can't wait!

Good I hope it does cool off. Bunnies can find it quite a challenge in this weather. So do I and I don't wear a fur coat :shock:

Vibes for him xx

 

[elaine84]

Hi everyone I just thought I'd finish off this thread (and in case anyone has the same trouble in future and wants to know the outcome!)
Billy's op was on Monday, all week small poos and uncomfortable. Very late Friday night he started eating with more excitement and even ate a couple of pellets! By Saturday morning he was eating lots and his poos started to become better formed. I continued with the medicines and syringe feeding so he was getting fibre (as still not eating hay but then he never was good at that!)
This morning (Sunday) I woke up to a fully formed cecotrophe and lots of healthy looking poops! And Billy's eyes were alert and he went off exploring around my bedroom! I'm so happy to see him like this, after 3 weeks!
I don't think he has pinworms I think those bits were mucus in his poo. They're gone now but I'll still treat him with Panacur as routine.
I want to thank you all so much for all of your comments, you've been great. Health and happiness to you and your buns!

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Hi everyone I just thought I'd finish off this thread (and in case anyone has the same trouble in future and wants to know the outcome!)
Billy's op was on Monday, all week small poos and uncomfortable. Very late Friday night he started eating with more excitement and even ate a couple of pellets! By Saturday morning he was eating lots and his poos started to become better formed. I continued with the medicines and syringe feeding so he was getting fibre (as still not eating hay but then he never was good at that!)
This morning (Sunday) I woke up to a fully formed cecotrophe and lots of healthy looking poops! And Billy's eyes were alert and he went off exploring around my bedroom! I'm so happy to see him like this, after 3 weeks!
I don't think he has pinworms I think those bits were mucus in his poo. They're gone now but I'll still treat him with Panacur as routine.
I want to thank you all so much for all of your comments, you've been great. Health and happiness to you and your buns!

Great news, well done you for helping Billy get better ! He's a lucky lad to have such a great care giver