GI STASIS-HELP

[Bunny Mom Nancy]

Hi my name is Nancy and I am a two bunny mommy. My little boy Peaches has had a hard two years with getting teeth extracted and healing a cheek abscess from one of his teeth. It took me almost two months of syringing betadine into the wound to heal it but I did. We had some visitors in our home for two weeks and Tuesday I noticed Peachy wasn't eating again I took him to the vet immediately. He did blood work and it didn't look like his liver was functioning well so he gave him antibiotics (he also had a temp of 105.1). He did an x-ray and saw a lot of poop and a lot of gas. He gave him some sub q fluids and sent me home. I started feeding him Oxbow critical as soon as possible. I went back to the vet on Wednesday and they gave him more fluid and did an ultrasound. The ultrasound didn't show anything to alarming but enteritis did come up (serious condition causing swelling to abdomen wall). Yesterday I took him again they repeated blood work although it looks like his liver enzymes came down his kidney function lowered a bit and he is anemic. The doctor said with the amount of problems he has had in only his 2 short years of life I should consider euthanasia. I said I would take him home for the weekend.
He did not poopie at all from 10 PM Thursday night until last night. I started in on Reglan, the motility drug and he is passing almost normal poops. However, he is so lethargic and is kind of sitting to the side, not straight up. He also started eating mushy pellets on his own, I am still supplementing with oxbow. He has not touched his hay or vegetables since Sunday. He just seems a bit confused and won't hop around, won't use his litter box. Please tell me how your bunny acted while in GI Stasis. I dont want to give up but don't want him to be suffering.

I have all his blood work if someone can help me please.

 

[Lynsey harry]

I would keep syringing and give him pain relief . My bunny was poorly I syringed him every few hours through the night and pain relief once aday he’s like a new bunny now . He’s eating so much I would say more than before but I was ready to give up and something inside told me not to I’m so glad I didn’t .also kept him warm with heat pads and syringed water so he was not dehydrated
Good luck

 

[Bunny Mom Nancy]

How long was your bunny ill? Did he hop or just lay around?

 

[Lynsey harry]

He’s been poorly for 6/8 weeks and only about a week ago he’s improved . He would come out his cage hop to a spot in the garden and just sit there in his own wee and poo . He looked so sad at time s and looked like ****

 

[Bunny Mom Nancy]

He’s been poorly for 6/8 weeks and only about a week ago he’s improved . He would come out his cage hop to a spot in the garden and just sit there in his own wee and poo . He looked so sad at time s and looked like ****

WOW, I had no idea it could take 6-8 weeks. I am worried there is also an underlying problem but from what I read bloodwork could be poor because of the stasis :-( I am so upset I can't stop crying.

 

[Lynsey harry]

It all depends on the condition . Mine lost 1/2 kg in 2 weeks cuz he was hardly eating that s when I thought right I need to syringe . I cried to my partner one night last week saying I’m gonna lose him but I was gonna do what ever it took not to . I picked him fresh dandelion and grass every morning and night and I was using Ribena to drop in his mouth so he could get a tatse or something nice then he would eat a little so maybe try that

 

[Imbrium]

My only experience with enteritis was with a sugar glider who was straining to poop and making a lot of noise like he was in pain... metacam (pain meds) and baytril (antibiotic) cleared it up pretty quickly (though the way the vet explained it to me was that there was inflammation inside his colon). I do have more GI stasis experience than I'd like, however. Reglan is equivalent to the metoclopramide that's given in the US - I'm glad he's getting that. Is he getting any pain medication, though? Enteritis is very painful and without pain medicine, lethargy and anorexia are no surprise.

There's not really an answer to how long GI stasis normally lasts, since it isn't a diagnosis - it's a symptom. Until the underlying cause is remedied, it's going to continue. Did the vet give you anything to treat the enteritis (which, unfortunately, is also more of a symptom than a diagnosis)? Also, if gas is present, have you given simethicone (baby gas drops)?

Here are a couple articles on enteritis in rabbits:
https://www.purinamills.com/rabbit-food/education/detail/managing-rabbits-to-prevent-enteritis
https://companion-animals.extension.org/enteritis-in-rabbits/

I really hope you can get to the bottom of your rabbit's health issues! You might also try PMing our health and wellness moderator, @JBun as she's extremely knowledgeable about stuff like this.