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**Update** Very frequent stasis- ?stress related -what else can I do???

C

carolinej

Young Bun
Hey everyone, I'm at my wit's end and really need some advice.
I have an almost 2 year old rescue rabbit called Sylvie who is currently at the vets with her 5th episode of stasis this year. I feel like I don't know what else I can do to prevent this happening - she is neutered and vaccinated, she is bonded to a male rabbit, she has free access to Timothy hay (from haybox), she has pellets and herbs/greens/dandelions etc. They are outside in 10ft accommodation built by my husband which includes an indoor and outdoor covered area and they also have access to a run with lots of tunnels, bridges etc.
I feel like there is nothing else I can do but yet she keeps getting stasis. There never seems an obvious reason why it happens until last night - fireworks. So now I'm thinking that it's stress that's causing it. What do I do about a stressed rabbit? How can I help her?? I'm pretty desperate 😢
 
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Poor Sylvie :( I hope that she improves at the vets. Has she been admitted?

I can understand how difficult this is and especially to know what to do. I would also say that whilst it's possible that the stress of fireworks has caused this episode, I would keep an open mind, unless you can think back and be confident that stress caused the previous episodes. It might be stress, but it might not.

Could you provide some detail of what your rabbits would have in a typical day, with quantities. When you say she has access to hay, how much does she actually eat? How many pellets does she have? It's sometimes the case that some rabbits find it difficult to easily digest some foods and when that's the case, it's often a good idea to try changing to a diet which is close to a wild rabbit's.

Their accommodation sounds wonderful by the way :)
 
Has the Vet run any diagnostics such as a full blood profile, Xrays, full Dental examination under GA ? Gut stasis is often a secondary symptom of another health problem. Yes, stress can also be a cause and it seems likely Firework noise was the cause of stress this time.

What are the dynamics of her relationship with the other Rabbit. Is she being bullied ?
Predators such as Cats or Foxes coming into the garden can also cause stress.

Is Sylvie overweight ? Obesity can cause problems with gut motility
Does she ever pass odd shaped fecal poo, very large and oval in shape ?
Does she ever have episodes of passing big splats of sloppy poo ?

If the Vet has only treated the stasis and not carried out any diagnostics thus far I would be questioning why. Is the Vet Rabbit Savvy ?
 
Do they go inside the accommodation overnight? I am wondering if a Fox maybe comes into your garden and scares her. She doesn't eat cardboard by any chance? They sound like they have a good diet, do they eat plenty of Hay and just a small amount of Pellets?
 
Thanks everyone who has replied.
To answer a few of your questions -

I do think she is a good hay eater.
They have pellets in the morning in a bowl.
I think she is the dominant one of the pair of them.
There are definitely foxes in the neighborhood but we have CCTV and my husband says he doesn't see foxes in the garden. They are locked in hutch/run combo overnight.
She's not overweight and her poo is not abnormal.
She had x-rays done the first time she was admitted this year(January).
She's currently still at vets so I could request a full blood profile.
 
What breed of rabbit is Sylvie? Do the episodes come on suddenly or slowly? How many pellets do you feed and if Sylvie is dominant, could she be eating more than her fair share?

I think I would take the opportunity of having the full blood profile. It would be good to try to exclude causes.
 
Some random thoughts:

Do you groom both rabbits regularly? Could be ingesting more fur eg during moulting. Rabbits tend to groom each other, so could be fur from either.
Xrays - was it a general body one or did it have specific dental one? Could be ongoing dental issues.
Do you weigh her regularly (ie weekly)? An uncharecteristic loss over a couple of weeks would mean she's eating less and could be the start of an episode of stasis.
If you are sure she's eating lots of grass / hay, I would cut the pellets right down. Increasing her fibre (ie hay) intake will help with gut issues.
Sometimes, certain veg can cause issues with a sensitive rabbit. eg cabbage, kale & similar veg, and carrots & apple - so I would cut that right down / out. Forage such as dandelions, herbs and bramble leaves are usually fine.
 
Sending you and Sylvie vibes. How is her fluid intake? Bowl? Bottle?
Prior to stasis does she get small, hard or irregular poo? Does she get gas or bloat when she gets stasis? Does her tummy have a lot of gurgling? Does she use here nice area to exercise? When she is not in stasis does she have signs of discomfort?
As others stated, there are several causes of stasis.
 
Sylvie is home this evening after 3 days at vet hospital. She's not 100% better but apparently she has been passing droppings.
She was treated with subcut fluids, metacam, metachlopromide and fibreplex plus syringe feeds.
I have a couple of questions -
The dose of metacam she's been sent home with is double what's she's been given in the past- 0.8ml. She weighs 1.95kg. Does this seem correct?
Also, I found it very difficult to administer the fibreplex - any tips?
Also any hints and tips for a speedy recovery? Thanks everyone
 
Assuming it’s the DOG Metacam (1.5mg/ml) the maximum dose is 0.78ml ( approx 0.8ml)

If she is eating try putting the Fibreplex on her food

If she isn’t eating for herself then I assume the Vet has provide you with some syringe feed, Fibreplex can be mixed into that

Insuring that she remains well hydrated is important as is keeping up with medication ( analgesia and Metoclopramide) until her input and output is 100% back to normal )
 
Metacam doses can be quite high for a short period. It also depends on whether it's the cat or dog version, as they are different concentrations.
The main thing is to keep getting food into her at regular intervals. Fibre in = poo out. Is she eating for herself at all?
Moving around more will also encourage her to eat better and keep her guts active, and more familiar surroundings can work wonders.
 
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