Gi-stasis: Help!

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Mariam+Theo

Mariam+Theo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2018
Messages
2,747
Reaction score
2,548
Location
Tennessee
Theo got stasis really bad last night and I thought he was going to die. I gave him Critical Care, infant gas drops, and Reglan to help him through the night. He used the bathroom, ate a little, but sat in the hunched position pretty much all night. This morning he has pooped again, eaten a little, and run around for 20 minutes. All of his poops looked normal. I have given him some more CC and gas drops, along with Reglan and pineapple juice/water to rehydrate him.

Now he is sitting in that hunched position not wanting to move and eat. I don't know what to do anymore because he hates tummy massages and the gas drops don't seem to be working. Can I give him aspirin? I have read that you can dissolve it in water and it will help with the pain? I can't take him to the vet because of the Coronavirus. He now hates me because of all of the force-feeding. Please help!
 
Last edited:
A little. I have been giving him 1 ml of gas drops once an hour for the past 3 hours and it is now seeming to help. When I posted that he was not moving and not eating at all.
I just forced him to run around and it made him feel so much better. He even binkied and didn't want to go back in his cage. We just played for an hour and he ate hay during that time and drank some water. He is now sitting in that hunched position, but he has eaten on his own so that is a great sign. Can I give him more gas drops even though he has had them for the past 3 hours? Or do I need to wait 8 hours before I give him more? He is definitely still in pain so should I give him aspirin?
 
Oh no how’s he doing has he been pooping?
I found this on the internet-

“Pediatric Simethicone 1cc (20mg/ml suspension) can be given orally as often as every hour for 3 hours and then 1cc every 3-8 hours. Infant Mylicon drops work well. This will help to break down the gas bubbles and alleviate gastric dilation, as well.”

I don’t know if this helps I wish I knew more. I hope Theo gets better soon.
 
The last time he pooped was at 11:00 and it is now 2:00 so it has been 3 hours, but all of those poops looked normal. Thanks for the info on gas drops! I have been giving the generic brand of gas drops from Walmart to him for the past 3 hours (10 AM, 11 AM, and 12 PM), and I will give him another 1ml dose at 3 PM to help with the gas pain.
I would call the vet but they don't seem very helpful over the phone. The vet tech doesn't know the answers to any of my questions and the vet doesn't seem to know what she is doing. I'm not sure they are rabbit-savvy, but they are the only exotic vet in my town.

Has anyone had experience with rabbits and aspirin? I think he needs something for the pain, but I want to be super safe with what I give him.
 
The gas pain is coming back after an hour. Can I give him the gas drops every hour? Or will he overdose?
 
Try to remember not to go overboard at the early signs of GI stress. If a bunny has some gas, the gas drops are often enough to get them feeling good again. If he is having normal poos and will eat on his own, then it isn't necessary or advised to force feed either food or liquids. Extra sugar (like found in pineapple juice) isn't the best idea either because it can cause an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut.

  • Even fresh pineapple juice is not as desirable as powdered bromelain, since it is high in sugar, which is just about the last thing you want to add to a compromised rabbit's intestine! (http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html)
....Saw your latest post while I was typing this. What makes you think the pain is back? What have you done with him in the last few hours?
 
I had been letting him play around, but then at 2, he started sitting in that hunched position. He has not had gas drops since 12 and it is now 2:50. He is eating a lot of hay but has still not pooped since 11.
 
So his last poos were normal. It's only been a few hours since he's pooped. He's eating a lot of hay. That is all fantastic! If he is eating and pooping (they can go a number of hours without pooping) then he is doing great. Try not to over-fuss with him because stress alone can bring on GI trouble.

If he is in pain, he won't eat. A hunched position is sometimes just a hunched position and doesn't automatically mean he is in pain. If you really feel he needs more gas drops it won't hurt him to give an extra dose, but do allow the meds time to work. From what you describe, he is already on the right track and headed in the right direction.
 
Thanks for your help! I have been so worried that I barely ate dinner last night, and have forgotten to eat breakfast and lunch today. I finally am able to calm down! I just hope that he doesn't relapse because the past couple of weeks he has been continually going back and forth between being healthy and dying.
 
So sorry, you are doing the right things. Be very careful about what he gets to eat and drink, go really slow with it to. I know its been an ongoing thing and I have been praying for you... you will get through this and so will theo!
 
Just remember that too much interference isn't always the best course. Right now he's eating and pooping so that's great. Now for the future, you need to figure out why he is having these bouts. The following sums it up better than I can...

Remember: Ileus is not an illness in and of itself. It is a SYMPTOM of an underlying disorder that has caused the bunny enough stress or pain to cause the GI tract to slow down or stop. Hence, ileus may be your first clue that something else is wrong that needs proper diagnosis and treatment.​

Once your bunny is recovering from the immediate GI stasis threat, it's time to look for the ultimate cause of the problem.​

  • Does your rabbit get insufficient fiber in her diet?
  • Are you giving her too many starchy treats?
  • Does she have an underlying infection or illness that's causing enough pain/stress to shut down her intestine?
  • Does she have overgrown molars or an abscessed tooth? (NOTE: It is wise to check this possibility at the first sign of any change in your rabbit's eating habits. If your bunny has overgrown molars, this alone can cause an unwillingness to eat certain items, or even result in complete anorexia.)
  • Have there been major changes in the household that are causing psychological stress to the bunny (loss of the bunny's bonded partner, a new pet in the house, visitors, construction, etc.)?

    Any of the above could trigger an ileus event, and must be diagnosed and corrected if your bunny is not to suffer a chronic recurrence of the ileus problem.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
 
Blue eyes said:
Just remember that too much interference isn't always the best course. Right now he's eating and pooping so that's great. Now for the future, you need to figure out why he is having these bouts. The following sums it up better than I can...

Remember: Ileus is not an illness in and of itself. It is a SYMPTOM of an underlying disorder that has caused the bunny enough stress or pain to cause the GI tract to slow down or stop. Hence, ileus may be your first clue that something else is wrong that needs proper diagnosis and treatment.​

Once your bunny is recovering from the immediate GI stasis threat, it's time to look for the ultimate cause of the problem.​

  • Does your rabbit get insufficient fiber in her diet?
  • Are you giving her too many starchy treats?
  • Does she have an underlying infection or illness that's causing enough pain/stress to shut down her intestine?
  • Does she have overgrown molars or an abscessed tooth? (NOTE: It is wise to check this possibility at the first sign of any change in your rabbit's eating habits. If your bunny has overgrown molars, this alone can cause an unwillingness to eat certain items, or even result in complete anorexia.)
  • Have there been major changes in the household that are causing psychological stress to the bunny (loss of the bunny's bonded partner, a new pet in the house, visitors, construction, etc.)?

    Any of the above could trigger an ileus event, and must be diagnosed and corrected if your bunny is not to suffer a chronic recurrence of the ileus problem.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
Click to expand...
Blue eyes is completely right!
 
I just went to check on him and he has taken a step backwards. He is sitting in that hunched position not wanting to move and not eating. I gave him some gas drops because it had been 3 hours since his last dose so I'm hoping that will help. I'm going to make him run around in just a minute to see if that helps. I don't want to keep giving him gas drops though because all they do is clear him up for an hour or two only for him to get gas bubbles again. Any tips?

Thanks, @Blue eyes! I don't know why he keeps getting this! He gets 1/8 cup of pellet a day, but recently he has not been getting any. He gets unlimited water and hay, and 1 cup of veggies if I have them (I normally do have them). He never gets treats unless it is a special occasion. I don't think he has an infection because when he went to the vet they said he looked healthy. I don't know about his teeth because when we were recently at the vet they didn't check his molars and I paid for them too. I was very frustrated with them because I wonder if his teeth are causing this to happen. I attached a picture of his front teeth. He has an overbite from chewing on cage bars :oops:. There have been no changes in his living quarters.
 

Attachments

  • 2020-02-03 (2).jpg
    2020-02-03 (2).jpg
    29.4 KB
Last edited:
Could you be overreacting? Just 2 hours ago you said he was eating 'lots of hay.' If that is the case, he may simply not feel like eating at the moment.

My current rabbit will start having GI trouble if he gets a few too many craisins. He is just more sensitive to that than my other rabbits have been. I know the routine with him if it does occur: In the evening, when I feed his pellets, he refuses to eat them. I know then and there that he's not feeling well. I give him a dose of gas drops and go to bed. Eight hours later, when I get up, I usually will see that during the night he's eaten his pellets and all is well.

As for Theo, it could be that he is getting stressed from something. Even if nothing has changed from his normal routine, there may be something in that normal environment that is causing stress. Low levels of stress over a long term can be as detrimental as high stress that is short-lived. Since he is outdoors, could something be harassing him when you aren't around? Could there be some noise frightening him that you may not hear or notice?

More from the article quoted earlier...
If your rabbit does not seem fully normal, even after the GI tract is moving well again, it's time to ask your vet to do some blood work, a deep oral exam (to check for molar problems), radiographs (don't forget the head!), a complete check of the urinary tract, and any diagnostics your rabbit-experienced veterinarian deems necessary to get to the root of the problem.​

I'd like for Jenny ( @JBun ) to see this thread as she has more experience with this.
 
Last edited:
I'm not overreacting because he is going back and forth. I don't know why! It is also not just that he won't eat, it is that he won't run up to me, or move at all. 30 minutes after a dose of gas drops he will be running around acting completely normal, and then 1 hour later he is sitting hunched up, not wanting to eat anything or move. I don't know what is up with him. We have ducks and they are semi-loud, but he is used to them because we have had them for 2 years. Nothing is in the shed with him so nothing can get to him. It has been rainy for the past weeks so maybe the humidity in the shed is causing him to feel crummy.
 
Last edited:
You said his poos are normal size and form, were they small irregular form at all? Do you have some pics of his berries so we can see and compare?

Maybe he's sitting all hunched up because just getting depressed maybe he's not happy there alone I know you are coming to play with him but most of time he's on his own?

I know some rabbits need more interaction one of my rabbits he's 2 year old but I have him only 4 months or so, he needs interaction so badly, sometimes he turns his back to me and sits in the corner there I feel so bad for him, when I got him he had GI stasis and we spent lots of time together but it was really bad, it was like one week of tiny poos and all very irregular like 8-10 poos per 24 hours, only after about one week his poos started looking like normal round berries.

I didn't have gas drops when it all started it was Friday night and I didn't know what to do. I just made some fennel seed tea and used instead of gas drops, it worked. But you need to give drops every couple hours, or what I did I filled his bottle with it I diluted with boiled water.

By the way, what water he drinks normally? Maybe give him boiled water if his tummy is so sensitive?

Don't panic it never helps. Eat your dinner, eat your breakfast, remember you need to be strong and healthy so you can take care of him, if you get sick who will?

Here's how his poos looked comparing to my other rabbit's healthy poos (you can see 3 beautiful perfect round poos in second pic on the right), were Theo's poos something similar?

p1080209-jpg.44420


p1080212-jpg.44421

zuppa said:
Hi.
View attachment 44420 View attachment 44421
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Thank you, @zuppa! His poops were completely normal (round and full) and I will send a picture when I can get one because I have already covered those up with hay so that I can see if he goes again. I don't think he is depressed because he gets plenty of attention and playtime. I want to get him a girlfriend, but my parents are so against it right now and most rescues don't adopt out to outdoor homes. I have been thinking about bringing him inside but my parents don't like indoor animals so I don't know if they would ever be okay with him coming inside. I read that fennel seeds reduce appetite, is that true? He has gotten a lot of gas drops today so I'm going to see how he is at 9 and decide if he needs some more. I have given him tummy massages and they do nothing except for making him mad at me. I give him normal water from our kitchen faucet, what would boiled water do to help him?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top