GI Stasis??? please advise

[Clane75]

Since being spayed on May 30th, Hazel my 6 month old Flemmy has not been eating much hay if any at all. Her daily intake consists of 6 cups of fresh veggies (usually cilantro, carrots + carrot greens, kale and dandelion greens) 3 cups in the morning and 3 in the late afternoon, usually around 2 cups of 18% protein alfalfa pellets and all the alfalfa hay she can eat, which I would hazard a guess at maybe 1 to 2 cups. She has never been a huge eater of hay from the point that I got her at 7 weeks but has dropped to nearly nothing now.

As of the last three days her droppings have dropped to 10-25% of normal... So I have restricted her pellet intake and started her on a cup of pumpkin puree added in some timothy hay with marigolds to try and entice her into getting more fiber. Yesterday she had maybe 50% full droppings as compared to a week ago.

She has not stopped eating her veggies, is still very energetic, but her abdomen feels firm although it doesn't seem to cause her any discomfort for me to gently massage...

I am moving within the next week and don't have much time, but when is it time to stop playing doctor and to take her in? She is as active and jumpy as ever but just less droppings....
Thanks

 

[Zeroshero]

Sooner the better, a mild case of stasis quickly becomes a life threatening emergency. I have caught it quickly every time and within hours ends up being a level 2 or 3.

I found this table helpful, it is on page 14.
http://aemv.org/Documents/2006_AEMV_proceedings.pdf

Best wishes with your bunny

 

[JBun]

Normally what I would do with my rabbits for a gut slowdown and small fecal poop, depends on how severe I feel it is. If there are only a few small fecals, then I will reduce the pellet amount a little, but that is with rabbits that are already also eating a decent amount of hay. If I was seeing mostly tiny and/or misshapen fecals. I would pull pellets completely for a day or two, until the fecal poops were looking better. I don't feed sugary treats, but that would also need to be something that is eliminated: no sugars, carbs, starches like carrots. Once the fecal poop was looking good, I would gradually work pellets back into the diet, but the final amount would be less than I was feeding before. When reducing or stopping pellets, you also have to ensure that the rabbit is eating plenty of hay to make up for it. I feed grass hay, and prefer it to help with the motility in the gut. The important thing for stasis and gut slowdown, is fiber from hay, and moisture(like from leafy veggies). It's also good to offer a water dish if the rabbit drinks from a bottle, as rabbits usually drink better from a dish.

Barring another medical problem being the cause, it sounds like the lack of hay eating is because of too many pellets. Even in growing rabbits I will reduce pellet amounts somewhat, so that my bunnies are still eating a good amount of hay, but still getting adequate protein for growth. You should really see a difference in a day or two of reducing or stopping pellets. If you don't, or your rabbits condition changes and/or worsens, then get to the vet.

Another possibility for the lack of hay eating, is dental problems. If a rabbit starts to have sharp points on it's molars, it can affect how and what they eat. So if decreasing or removing pellets doesn't get your rabbit eating more hay, and get the fecals back to normal, then it would be good to take her into the vet, and get her teeth checked.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=484
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

 

[DUSTBUNNY-CLYDE]

I'm experiencing the same thing! super stressful!! sorry your bunny isn't normal too!! Hopefully these bunnies get back on track!!! hope and prayers being sent your way!!!:sickbunny:

 

[tonyshuman]

I think you've done about all you can on your own with the exception of probiotics. The stress of moving may throw her into full-blown stasis, so I would get your vet's opinion now, maybe get some critical care from them in case you need it. In the longer term, reducing pellet intake is probably a good idea at her age, so if that can be done to get her to eat more hay, then that's good. Maybe she just has to get used to the idea of eating hay. Really good quality hay and some different types can be more interesting.

 

[Clane75]

Thanks for the replies...
I took Hazel to the vet this morning because after her morning veggies she jumped in her litter and while trying to poop I could hear her teeth grinding so I figured she might been having some pain. Teeth checked out, temperature ok, hydration ok, bladder a good size, and no blockages felt, but a fair amount of larger stools. The vet gave her a shot to try and increase intestinal peristalsis and recommended critical care for the next couple of days. So I guess I will still keep her off the pellets for now and add more pineapple for good measure...

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I'd also get her some alfalfa hay--it's worked well for me in the past and generated interest in hay eating at times when a couple of our problem children experienced slowdown.