Any secrets for preventing chronic stasis issues?

[Jenk]

I'd like advice from others dealing with a bun who has chronic stasis issues. Have you found a way to maintain your bun's digestive function, so that s/he isn't experiencing stasis multiple times per year?

My 4.5-year-old Mini Rex, Emma, has had multiple gut slowdown/stasis episodes and is undergoing another one after a stasis bout just this past spring. I'm at my wits end; no test has uncovered a cause, and no one supplement has maintained her gut function. My husband and I don't know how we can keep up with the financial and time aspect of nursing her through stasis so frequently.

I've read that buns with chronic stasis may not consume enough water and, thus, should have a rationed amount of pellets. Emma only receives between 2 tsp. and 1 Tbsp. of Oxbow BB/T pellets daily, depending on how well she's doing. After this current stasis bout, I'm considering replacing her pellet ration with a little Critical Care (to give her extra nutrients, fiber and water).

I appreciate any advice you can give and/or experiences you can share.

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

does Emma have a water bottle or dish? If you're trying for her to drink more water, I've found mine drink *ALOT* more from a dish.

 

[Jenk]

Bunnylova4eva wrote:

does Emma have a water bottle or dish? If you're trying for her to drink more water, I've found mine drink *ALOT* more from a dish.

She has a crock dish, which holds 300 mL's of water. She can drink a lot of water--100-250 mL's--for many weeks straight; then she'll drop back to about 100 mL's, which leads to a problem within a short period of time.

I don't know if her system doesn't handle pellets properly--if they get moistened enough in her system. (She only gets a max. of 1 Tbsp. pellets per day.) Then again, her fecals also get funky if she has too many greens. It's a very slippery slope with her.


Jenk

 

[goneforbaroque]

My rabbit has had an issue with this twice. The vet has said that things with lots of fiber help to push things through. He said canned pumpkin puree or babyfood (squash) will help. I have also heard crushed pineapple or papaya extract, thought the sugar in that might do more harm than good. I know oxbow also sells a papaya extract tablet to help with digestive health, though I think this is more for hairballs. My boy wouldn't eat any of it at all! He's so picky about things that smell different. Best of luck! I know how nerve wracking this is to deal with!

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

goneforbaroque wrote:

My rabbit has had an issue with this twice. The vet has said that things with lots of fiber help to push things through. He said canned pumpkin puree or babyfood (squash) will help. I have also heard crushed pineapple or papaya extract, thought the sugar in that might do more harm than good. I know oxbow also sells a papaya extract tablet to help with digestive health, though I think this is more for hairballs. My boy wouldn't eat any of it at all! He's so picky about things that smell different. Best of luck! I know how nerve wracking this is to deal with!

I kinda feel like I remember hearing about canned pinapple binding them up for diarhea as well. Maybe it does both? lol

I'm really not sure, but if it does bind them up it seems like that wouldn't be the thing for a really stasis prone bunny. Just a thought. I just do lots of veggies to help my bun (Taffy, mini rex, had stasis once before..I'm almost wondering if mini rexes aren't alittle more prone to it or somethin'?)

 

[pamnock]

No magic treatments for prevention, but I've had good luck feeding a little Nutri Cal. High fiber is also supposed to help as well as vitamin E to decrease inflammation. Greens/veggies also help increase moisture in the diet.

 

[Jenk]

pamnock wrote:

No magic treatments for prevention, but I've had good luck feeding a little Nutri Cal. High fiber is also supposed to help as well as vitamin E to decrease inflammation. Greens/veggies also help increase moisture in the diet.

When Emma's fecals start turning small and/or dry, I've been giving her watery Critical Care (emphasis on the water). There was one year when that method worked, and she didn't wind up at the vet for any digestive woes.

Since 8/2010, though, she's had several stasis bouts in spite of what I do. I keep her diet consistent, except for when she's undergoing gut slowdown and/or official stasis. (I cut out pellets during that time and bolster her with Critical Care.)

Ironically, if I give Emma more than a "treat-sized" amount of greens, her fecals start to turn small and dark. It's as if her system doesn't digestive them properly. (Our other bun's fecals don't differ much in appearance, in spite of being formed from pellets, greens and unlimited hay.) I've long thought that her system struggles to digest the greens, too, and, thus, don't give her many of them. (It just seems strange to me that her fecals don't retain their normal size/consistency as a result of getting more greens.)


Jenk