Repeat stasis... trying my best

[pollyjane]

Hi all- long term lurker and first time poster here, I've seen people ask similar questions to mine so hoping to get some advice!

My bunny is called Wilbur, he's just over a year old and is a single house bun (with plans to find him a companion as soon as he's neutered).

Since April 2022 Wilbs has had 7+ bouts of gas/stasis and I'm trying to put everything possible in place to prevent it from keeping happening. During his last episode on Friday (the previous episode was only a week earlier which we think was caused by moving back home from being with my parents over xmas) I had a long chat with the vet who said that sometimes there really can be no cause. She checked everything- eyes, ears, nose, teeth, heart beat, tummy sounds- all the usual checks, and he's completely healthy other than the start of some very small spurs on his back teeth which we knew about several months ago and all vets have said they may need surgery in the future but aren't an issue now.
I used to feed solely pellets morning and evening (admittedly more than he should've been having) but have gradually changed his diet the last few months to reduce pellets and push more hay and greens. A typical diet for him now is 1 large romaine lettuce leaf, a combination of a few herbs- parsley/oregano/basil/mint/rosemary/whatever fresh herbs the shop has on offer and 5 or 6 science selective pellets. He has a water bowl and is a good drinker and has unlimited access to timothy hay. He's recently been a LOT more interested in hay than he has been in the past- I'm hoping because I've reduced pellets but who knows! He also has a couple of treats a week- usually the selective naturals orchard loops or some pea flakes.
He's molting badly at the moment (when isn't he molting lol) and after his previous stasis episodes he's had some pearly poops, so I've been brushing him at every opportunity. He's got super fine fur so I use a combination of a hair buster type comb, a silicone grooming glove and a lint roller :lol:

When he does start the dreaded tummy pressing and refusing food I do the usual give infacol and syringe water, tummy massages, hot water bottle and try to chase him round to get him moving (VERY difficult, he literally plants his butt down and refuses to move- I usually resort to a bumpy car ride), then if he's not picked up in an hour or so we head to the vets. I've only successfully treated his gas/stasis at home twice before, every other time we've needed an emergency appointment where they give him pain relief and gut stimulant. He always picks up within a couple hours and is back to normal the next day. The vet did say we could do further investigations (blood tests, xrays etc.) but she said because of his age it's unlikely to be anything sinister and they likely wouldn't find anything wrong because of how quickly he picks up after treatment. We finally have a treatment plan from the vets for dealing with it at home in the first instant- we have metacam and an oral gut stimulant and instructions for what to do. Seriously hoping I can help him at home and stop these almost monthly trips, both for his sake and my bank balance

So a couple of questions-
1. Does pineapple really help to break down fur during a bad molt? I know it's very sugary but would it do any harm to give a small piece once a week during shedding seasons?
2. I've ordered a pet remedy plug in on the advice of my vet incase it's stress that's causing the stasis- does anyone have any experience with these? Did you find they worked?
3. He doesn't currently have any dried forage because it can get expensive to buy and I didn't dry any out in summer to last over the winter- is it essential for him to have?
4. Do you have a stasis prone bun? Is there anything that you've found that helped prevent these episodes?
5. I live in a rented old stone house that has no central heating so no way to keep the temperature steady- I know that they prefer it cooler but could the non consistent temperature be an issue?
6. I've read that cooled peppermint tea is good for digestion- how do I give this to him? In his water bowl?

Sorry for the long post and all the questions- just needed a bit of an offload to people who know what I'm talking about!! My family always says I overreact when he stops eating and that I need to give him time and he's come round on his own :roll:

 

[Omi]

Hello and welcome to the forum I think the most important thing you can do for Wilbur is to get him to eat more hay. It will help with his digestion and also hopefully help with his teeth. He really should be nibbling on hay most of the day. Alternatives to the hay would be to give him hand-cut grass, but small amounts initially. Readigrass is also another alternative, but again start with small amounts.

Dried forage is not essential, but forage is in my view beneficial. Are you confident to collect fresh forage and is there some available where you live. Dandelion leaves are showing here and also Blackberry leaves are really good for bunnies' tummies. I also think that tree leaves are very good at preventing tummy problems and try to give them to my bunnies regularly. Rose (if not sprayed), Willow, Hazel and Hawthorn are very good when they are available. Come Springtime some of these will have new green leaves, which bunnies usually find very tasty. Giving branches to nibble is also good.

I wouldn't feed Pineapple. I'm not convinced it will help with moulting and I make a point of not feeding any fruit to bunnies because of the sugar content. Better to try to manage it with brushing.

I would also cut out his treats. Look upon it this way. If he's making room for treats, he won't fill up that room with hay.

Never used a pet remedy plug, although other members have I think, sometimes with good results. Stress can be a factor in stasis. Never used peppermint tea, although again other members have. Not sure it would help that much with digestion.

Whilst I agree that, the fact that Wilbur recovers very quickly from his episodes suggests that there is nothing sinister going on, I would be wary of self-treating when he shows symptoms. If the symptoms are being caused by a blockage, giving an oral gut stimulant could be dangerous. How I always manage early stages of a bunny not eating is to constantly push one of their favourite foods in their face. They will initially get annoyed and push it away, but usually once they start to grab at it, they get a taste for it and start to nibble it.

I've probably missed something :lol:

 

[SarahP]

You have my sympathies! I had two bunnies that almost constantly went in and out of stasis. The things that I found most helpful were:

1. They were treated for e cuniculi - it wasn't a miracle cure, but Panacur courses definitely made a difference.
2. Cutting out veg altogether
3. Eventually cutting out pellets altogether - just hay and dried forage
4. Peppermint tea (they hated it, so I syringed it, twice a day, just a small amount)
5. At the first stage of any issue, syringe fluids only - sometimes the guts would gurgle into life from that, but obviously only if caught super early.

(Can you all guess why I don't have bunnies anymore? :lol: )

 

[SarahP]

Another thought: with my bunnies, if the reaction was to something they'd eaten that didn't agree with them (eg pellets, veg etc), I used to know pretty fast that something was up - maybe half to one hour after eating they'd be looking uncomfortable etc.

I suppose what I mean by this is, watch out for what time of day you tend to see issues, and whether there are any clues you can take from that.

 

[Shimmer]

Basically in agreement with the others.
More hay. Forage when it's available - dry some yourself this year for winter use. Willow, bramble, fruit bush leaves & stems, etc.
I wouldn't bother with the Pet Remedy diffuser or the pineapple.
Peppermint tea - no harm in trying. Use a different water bowl, so he has the option.
Don't see why the house temperature would be a particular issue - it's warmer than outside and probably a lot more stable temperature than heated homes.
A course of Panacur could be tried when he's stable.

I would keep up with the grooming, more hay & less of everything else, water in bowls.
Neuter & get spurs sorted at the same time (but only when he's stable). I wouldn't ignore the spurs - they are unlikely to resolve without dental treatment and the full extent of them isn't usually visible on a conscious rabbit.
A partner bunny would give him other things to do, less stress after bonding (and after neutering), mutual grooming (so both need you to groom them so fur isn't ingested).

You don't say how long you continued treatment for - in my experience it needs to be kept going until things have been totally back to normal for a couple of days, or you risk a relapse. So pain relief, gut stimulants, syringe feed if vet confirms no blockage - until eating & pooing normally. My previous (older) stasis-prone bunny used to take about a week to recover from each episode. He was also a dental bunny who needed spurs burring several times a year.

 

[pollyjane]

Omi- Thank you for your reply! Some really helpful info!

I'm an absolute sucker for giving treats so trying to stop this. He follows me to the kitchen every time I get up (completely my own fault!!) so have started giving him a handful of fresh hay rather than a treat when he does this. He gets equally excited and sits for ages munching at it. He never used to be a big hay eater but the past month or so he's been much more interested in it so I'm thankful for that! I usually give him hazel and apple leaves from my parents garden but both are looking pretty bare right now! Unfortunately I don't have grass at my house but might look into readigrass, even just as something to give him when he goes off his hay.

I'm reluctant to use the gut stimulant at home to be honest (aside from when he's already been seen by a vet). He's SO stubborn when he doesn't want to eat, but I do push hay in his face so he bites it away and chews some!

Thank you again for the advise!

 

[SarahP]

You might find a little pinch of some dried forage works as a treat. It definitely did with my bunnies when they were off virtually everything!

 

[Omi]

You might find a little pinch of some dried forage works as a treat. It definitely did with my bunnies when they were off virtually everything!

I agree, Also some strong smelling herb leaves, crushing the leaves first to release the smell.

 

[pollyjane]

SarahP - Nightmares aren't they :roll: :lol:

I hadn't thought of Panacur- I'm surprised the vet hasn't mentioned it either but might discuss with them! I'm thinking I might revert back to dried forage rather than fresh greens, I'm not sure if they're helping or hindering the issue, it's so frustrating! He likes mint so I might see if he's interested in peppermint tea. I drink gallons of the stuff so always have it in the cupboard!

I knew he'd be expensive but didn't think it would be this often :lol: Thank you so much for the advice!

 

[pollyjane]

Shimmer- thank you for the reply!

I don't think I realised how often he'd actually need grooming- he's got such fine fur that barely anything came out with the first few brushes I tried. Since his last vets trip I've been brushing 2+ times a day and still getting a fair amount out each time.
I'm definitely going to ask the vet about Panacur. He bounces back quickly every time thankfully, this time he went to the vet at 7:30pm, was home by 8 and was eating and pooing by 11pm, then his poos returned to normal size and quantity the next morning, but I do carry on with pain relief and syringe feeding for the next few days as recommended by the vet.
The spurs are being monitored by the vet, they first saw them at his one year health check in Sept last year and he'll be due a check up in March and they may advise surgery then- good idea to get neutering done at the same time and then I can look into a partner! There is a service near me that will take your bun and try to find them a good match

 

[Shimmer]

I would always feed fresh stuff in preference to the same stuff dried, if there was the option. Dried forage is useful in winter when there's not much growing except brambles. Brambles can be found all year if you look for them. Dandelion leaves or celery leaves usually go down well when they are reluctant to eat. Both have quite a strong smell.

A rabbit that isn't eating is an emergency - so you are right not to listen to your family. A rabbit's guts work differently to those of eg a cat or dog. The longer they are not eating for, the harder it is to get the guts working again. Most pets would be ok with not eating for a couple of days - but a rabbit could suffer irreversible harm in that time.

 

[Shimmer]

Grooming - I use a metal dog comb to get down to skin level. There's no point in using a brush that only does the top layer. If they are moulting, I try to do it outside when there's a bit of wind, then run your hands backwards through the fur a lot so the wind takes the loose bits away. Otherwise, groom and then use damp hands to remove loose hairs.

I actually find longhaired animals easier as the loose fur stays in the comb. There may be piles of it and it requires more dedication, but it is 'easier' to remove properly. With standard short fur, it just doesn't grip on to anything to enable you to physically remove it as effectively.

 

[bunniemum]

I don't use ready grass as I think it is too rich, but I supplement their supply more in the winter months with Burgess Excel barn dried Timothy feeding hay. Mine get super excited for this.

 

[Omi]

Let us know how he gets on

 

[bunny momma]

If the temperature changes a lot it may be reason for never ending moult, though some bunnies require more grooming than others.
I sometimes run the fur loosely between my thumb and fingers to remove any fur that is ready to come out. I do not pull hard and make sure my bunny is not flinching, yet quite a bit of dead fur often loosens.
If your bunny has long fur, he may benefit from a trim to make grooming easier.
I agree with watching to see if some foods or treats triggers these episodes. I would discontinue treats and pea flakes which may impact the bacteria balance in his gut and cause gas. Of course not eating will result in a slow gut and more gas too.
Even though his tooth spurs seen small, it is difficult to see if they are irritating mouth tissues on a conscious exam.
Sending vibes you and your vet can determine the cause because stasis is a serious issue that needs prompt treatment.

 

[pollyjane]

Thank you all for the replies- lots of really helpful advice

So far so good- I've been grooming everyday and he seems so really enjoy it and will sit and happily rummage and nibble in his hay while I'm doing it. I've cut right down on treats, I don't think he's too happy about it but he'll thank me in the long run! Got a fresh box of hay on order because he seems to have plowed through this last box!