Thoughts for recurring stasis episodes

[Plushy]

Hi all,

Our boy has unfortunately had 3 episodes of GI stasis in the past 6-7 months. The most recent has necessitated an overnight vet stay but luckily he seems to be recovering from it well. The other times he’s snapped out of it with some intervention/tummy massaging luckily.

He does seem to be rather prone to GI issues sadly. The only 2 things I can think of are

(1) he sheds an absolute ton. He’s not a long haired breed but he just seems to constantly be molting this year. He also has very fine fur - the hair buster seems to take out knots and tangles but even when you stroke him some very thin strands are always coming off him that I’m not sure the comb reaches. Has anyone gotten any tips/other ideas for grooming implements, even as a compliment to the hair buster?

(2) “gassy” veg: the common culprit each time he seems to have had an episode is a gassy veg being fed - e.g kale or brocolli. I’ve only ever served these in very small quantities anyway (our bonded girl loves them and has no issues) and he’s eaten them before with no problems but it just seems like each time he’s had an episode he’s ingested one or the other. Does anyone else’s bun have sensitivities to these? If anyone has a bunny with sensitive tummy can I ask what greens you typically feed/avoid as I’d much rather stay off anything problematic.

Aside from this he’s a model patient really: he eats his hay constantly, he’s able to roam/run around (though sometimes he can be a bit on the lazy side) and he only gets a small quantity of pellets daily. I just want to do the best for him so any tips/advice gratefully received!

 

[William]

A lot of people's buns seem to do well with gassy veg, which I've found kinda surprising. I usually shy away from feeding anything gassy or very sugary except as a very small treat as both can mess with their stomach. My buns loved herbs especially.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Re the veg, I find fresh herbs are better for Rabbits prone to ‘gas’. Fresh forage too, if you can access a safe supply of it

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Re grooming, I use a round tipped prong comb rather than a brush, I gently pluck away very lose fur, this ‘Groomie’ is very good, especially for Rex coats

Amazon.co.uk

I assume your Vet has examined your Rabbit and tried to ascertain the primary cause of the stasis episodes. Gut stasis is almost always a symptom, not a primary illness in its own right. Dental problems are often a culprit. But there are other possibilities eg pain from arthritis, bladder problems, ear problems. The primary cause of gut stasis might not be within the GI tract itself.

 

[Plushy]

Thank you for the suggestions - I’ll definitely try that brush out.

Yes I will be keeping on the herbs and forage for now and monitoring. He’s not really fancying leafy greens at the moment which I think is just a bit of recovery reaction because he’s fine with his hay and eating like a champion.

The vet has ruled out dental issues and can’t seem to find anything underlying. When he is a bit more settled again I’ll get him in for a checkup to see if they can identify another cause/second opinion - that would be a good idea, thank you.