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  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

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    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Millie at out of hour vets

I've learnt to cope! but when they tell me the blood glucose is above about 17 I do stress a lot as he has had two blockages needing surgery and has a 'stricture' in his intestines (not as elastic as it should be) meaning he is at high risk of blockage. I'm mightily glad I got him insured!!
30 something stasis you would need a mortgage! Have you amended the diet or have any tips that think work to avoid a stasis?

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Has she had bloods etc done to rule out any other issues that may be causing the stasis, so you know its deco diet related?what pellet brand do you feed? Its best to give them a tablespoon full pellets (equivalent to small eggcup)
My bun had issues with tummy probs and I thought was due to moulting, I then ruled this out and it was down to FIBA first sticks to rich for him, now on ss and lovely poops, I give him enough forage wit adlib hay, if any of the forage treats have dried carrot in I do remove these as when I had Mabel and she had them they always set her tummy off, must be they expanded in her tummy once she ate them
He gets a good supper of herbs at night, with celery piece and Tenderheart cabbage, I found he couldn't have cabbage medley, normal cabbage, or spring greens again this set his tummy off
 
You could try experimenting with her diet slightly. Looking at the list of foods that she has, the only one I think might make a difference is the Excel pellets. So, if she enjoys eating the Vet Care sticks, I would gradually reduce the Excel pellets until she is just having the sticks. They are high in fibre and I think might help her.
 
Hi, our Ted has had quite a number of stasis episodes in the past and by quite a bit of trial and error seemed to have managed to cut these right down. First thing that made a huge difference was cutting out fenugreek crunchies (though I appreciate you said your bunny has never had one) and the second one was increasing his hydration levels by giving more herbs and putting avipro plus in his water which encouraged more drinking. I thought we'd cracked it until yesterday when he didn't touch his breakfast (a year to the day after the last episode). Only thing I can now put it down to (if it can be down to anything) is his moult - he is shedding fur quite heavily at the moment and I pulled a bit lump out of his mouth yesterday that he was chewing. He's been in the vets all day - his glucose was 24 so really high, temperature low at 36 and gas on the xrays however he picked up quickly with fluids and drugs, glucose levels and temperature returned to normal and we've actually been able to bring him home.

So, you might never be able to put it down to anything. I do think it's worth, as others have said, cutting down/out on the Excel pellets. Our old bunny Bob always had a messy bum on them and I have heard of others having issues. Really hope Millie is ok and recovers quickly x
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. I agree about the pellets...Toby and Millie will usually collapse and stretch out after eating pellets. I'm thinking maybe if I cut down the pellets to a very small amount. But how do I go about a pellet free diet? Being house buns I'm worried about vitamin d etc? Toby (her husbun) has never had a problem yet they are share the same food.

Forgive me for sounding silly, but how does going through a moult put a rabbit into statis? By fur ingestion?

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A moult doesn't put a rabbit into stasis, but it certainly can be exacerbated by a gut slowdown.

It may be that the vet needs to do some tests to find out why. It's so difficult to know what's going on ...


Loads of vibes for Millie. My rabbit is staying overnight at the emergency vets tonight :(
 
Thank you everyone for your replies. Millies glucose was 9 and she had tummy sounds but not on the side where she poops.

Thank you lisa, that's interesting about changing to SS. I don't give my buns any sugars other than papaya tablets I introduced after the last stasis.

The reason I think it's possibly diet related is because she ate her breakfast 8.00 then 1.00 I gave them a vet care stick and she didn't zoom over like she usually does . She was acting completely normal in the morning and was binkying

I also find it strange that I have had Millie for a year and a half and she's only had two stasis in the past month? It was a month ago she was in statis the 9th of January.

She's had a xray today and nothing to be seen so when she recovers I will start investigations starting with bloods xx

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I agree with MM that moulting most likely aggravates a preexisting condition. I didn't convey that very well.

Proper diet and exercise was my method, though I wasn't always successful with either. Keeping up on Mimzy's dentals was key, but with all three of them-and especially Pip, perhaps being a doe made a difference-I had to keep their coats free of excess fluff. They'd swallow way too much of it. But then I know bunnies who'll eat carpet during gut slowdown, probably a signal that they're looking for extra fiber.

Less processed food beyond required amounts of hay. And sometimes the type of hay made a difference. Oat hay worked better for Pip to keep her regular during moult but Fiver would get stuffed full and it actually sent him to hospital upon eating it. :( Reducing brassicas and other gassy treats was a big plus and particular to each bunny (Fiver would get wind from romaine lettuce but the others ate it fine.)

Also fluids are essential. No creature on earth can digest effectively without hydration levels at optimum.

I just saw your last post. Something to keep in mind is that it can take a bunny gut weeks to completely normalize from one stasis episode. If they seem to be repeated closely together she may not have totally recovered from the earlier illness. Complicated little tummies these bunnies have! :roll:

I hope the diagnostics can give a better picture of what might be going on. Lots of healing vibes on the way for beautiful Millie. :love: xxxxxxx
 
Just a quick question, I just investigated their room again and where Millie was sat there is wee patches. Millie or Toby never ever wee outside their litter tray. What does this mean in relation to the stasis. Is this normal whilst in Stasis? Panicking

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Just a quick question, I just investigated their room again and where Millie was sat there is wee patches. Millie or Toby never ever wee outside their litter tray. What does this mean in relation to the stasis. Is this normal whilst in Stasis? Panicking

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Pip has wee'd on the floor before when in stasis especially if she has gas. She looks like she a bit awkward and straining and a bit of pee comes out.

If Millie is in pain she might not want to hop into the tray?

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Pip has wee'd on the floor before when in stasis especially if she has gas. She looks like she a bit awkward and straining and a bit of pee comes out.

If Millie is in pain she might not want to hop into the tray?

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I was hoping it's just that!

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Does anyone have any advice they can give for buns prone to statis? Long term?

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My rabbit developed GI stasis for the first time last year (Feb), he's had a number of episodes since and I noticed that Fenugreek crunchies seem to play a part, so these don't feature in his diet anymore. He doesn't have pellets either, just a simple diet of hay, lots of hay, herbs and a piece (not a whole one) of a Fibafirst stick.

The frequency of episodes has reduced since making these changes, but he still has episodes and bizarrely they seem to follow stormy weather. He had an episode on New Year's Day (evening before was Storm Dylan) and then a few weeks later again the day immediately after a violent storm. Although he's an indoor bun it was possible to hear the wind - Dylan was so bad that I'd woken that night - from his pen.

He has been diagnosed with a slow hind gut / early signs of megacolon and having chatted to the vet about the stormy weather he agreed that it could be a factor - stress can trigger an episode.

Since then there have been two more storms and on vet advice I've administered gut stimulant drugs on both occasions and he didn't go into stasis.

Of course all of this could merely be a coincidence, but you may find it helpful to keep a diary and note what's going on generally (foods given) including the environment - weather, unusual noises or changes to room layout etc. it was only doing this that I realised that there could be a connection with the storms. You may be able to find a pattern for your bun.

I hope you're rabbit makes a good recovery xx
 
My rabbit developed GI stasis for the first time last year (Feb), he's had a number of episodes since and I noticed that Fenugreek crunchies seem to play a part, so these don't feature in his diet anymore. He doesn't have pellets either, just a simple diet of hay, lots of hay, herbs and a piece (not a whole one) of a Fibafirst stick.

The frequency of episodes has reduced since making these changes, but he still has episodes and bizarrely they seem to follow stormy weather. He had an episode on New Year's Day (evening before was Storm Dylan) and then a few weeks later again the day immediately after a violent storm. Although he's an indoor bun it was possible to hear the wind - Dylan was so bad that I'd woken that night - from his pen.

He has been diagnosed with a slow hind gut / early signs of megacolon and having chatted to the vet about the stormy weather he agreed that it could be a factor - stress can trigger an episode.

Since then there have been two more storms and on vet advice I've administered gut stimulant drugs on both occasions and he didn't go into stasis.

Of course all of this could merely be a coincidence, but you may find it helpful to keep a diary and note what's going on generally (foods given) including the environment - weather, unusual noises or changes to room layout etc. it was only doing this that I realised that there could be a connection with the storms. You may be able to find a pattern for your bun.

I hope you're rabbit makes a good recovery xx
Thank you Sarahbun, I can't remember the 9th of January but the weather has been really bad here this weekend. I can't bin point any changes but I think taking Millie off the pellets might the way forward. How did you remove pellets? I know gradually but over how long would you say?

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I agree with MM that moulting most likely aggravates a preexisting condition. I didn't convey that very well.

Proper diet and exercise was my method, though I wasn't always successful with either. Keeping up on Mimzy's dentals was key, but with all three of them-and especially Pip, perhaps being a doe made a difference-I had to keep their coats free of excess fluff. They'd swallow way too much of it. But then I know bunnies who'll eat carpet during gut slowdown, probably a signal that they're looking for extra fiber.

Less processed food beyond required amounts of hay. And sometimes the type of hay made a difference. Oat hay worked better for Pip to keep her regular during moult but Fiver would get stuffed full and it actually sent him to hospital upon eating it. :( Reducing brassicas and other gassy treats was a big plus and particular to each bunny (Fiver would get wind from romaine lettuce but the others ate it fine.)

Also fluids are essential. No creature on earth can digest effectively without hydration levels at optimum.

I just saw your last post. Something to keep in mind is that it can take a bunny gut weeks to completely normalize from one stasis episode. If they seem to be repeated closely together she may not have totally recovered from the earlier illness. Complicated little tummies these bunnies have! :roll:

I hope the diagnostics can give a better picture of what might be going on. Lots of healing vibes on the way for beautiful Millie. :love: xxxxxxx
What would you class as a gassy treat? I have lots of dried forage that I give. Millie likes Nero kale and curly kale but I only give her half a hand full a day. I thought dried forage would be better for more fibre. Or is their forage that could cause gas?

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Oh no! I'm so sorry I didn't see her thread earlier. I've just come on and wanted to send vibes but I've seen your most recent update.

I am so so so sorry for your loss. :cry:
Binky free Millie xx

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