GI Stasis Treatment?

[JBun]

My rabbit developed gas statis yesterday and I took him to the vet immediately. I am wondering if it is the pellets. I have been giving him Pfau pellets and he eats them up. The vet said his poop was full of bacteria. I read on one of the forums that Pfau had a problem with their pellets a few years ago and a lot of rabbits died. I have removed all Pfau pellets. Anyone else have problems with Pfau?

Wee Willie - it's possible there is something wrong with those particular pellets, but it can also be that he is just developing a problem to pellets in general. Rabbits can get stasis from too many carbs and sugars in the diet. If you don't feed him any treats, then it could be the carbs and sugars in the pellets. You may have to take him off pellets for a while til your bun is all better. Just remember if you change pellets, to gradually introduce the new ones over a couple weeks to give his digestion time to get used to the new food. I wouldn't do this til your bun is feeling completely better though. Just feed lots of hay for now, and veggies if he's used to them, but avoid all carbs, sugars, starches(like carrots), and grains.

 

[kelilindsey]

He's definitely feeling better- very active and hungry. I no longer have to hold him to keep him still for the Critical Care, and his pooping is out of control (lol). Yet, he still ignores the hay. He's not very excited about greens, either, but he eats them anyway (slowly). I'm going to try to see the other vet again and hopefully see if there's something more to his sudden pickiness.

I'm worried about his sneezing. He sneezes not quite often but enough to be noticeable. I wonder if he has something stuck in his nose. I definitely want an x-ray if he's not back to normal within the next five days.

 

[JBun]

I've heard of some rabbits having sneezing problems and the vet found a big piece of hay stuck up the nose. Definitely a possibility. Could also be an allergy. Has it gotten worse since you switched to a new kind of litter?

If he does have something painful in his mouth area that is causing him to not want to chew, then he's probably really glad to have the critical care since he can basically swallow it without having to chew much. I still think that vet may be wrong about what's going on with your bun. I just can't see your rabbit being so hungry and wanting to eat, but still won't eat hay when he always did before, and reluctantly eats veggies. It may not have to do with his teeth, but I still think there is something more behind him not wanting to chew things. Especially if after another week, if he still isn't back to eating like normal, there definitely has to be something more going on. I'm glad you're going to try to get into the other vet. You may want to ask this new vet for some metacam to just have on hand in case your bun starts feeling sick again. And his pooping sounds like it's back to normal, so I doubt digestive issues are the problem anymore. It's pretty funny actually, that having a rabbit pooping normally is such a relief. I know it was for me when my bun had been sick.

 

[Imbrium]

about the critical care... I would get the apple-banana flavor - it seems fairly common for them to loathe the anise flavor (mine hate it, too)

pedialyte can also be offered (or syringed) to help with potential dehydration issues - it's a bit healthier than juice

 

[kelilindsey]

I haven't switched his litter at all. I've always used the Carefresh Natural. I do hope it's a simple issue like a stuck piece of hay. :/ I definitely want to see the other bun doctor since the one I'm used to isn't really giving me any answers as to the initial cause of this whole mess. There must be something. He loves hay. I don't like that the vet never even suggested having him x-rayed until I asked about it.

I tried offering him some of the pure timothy hay pellets today, and he doesn't want them. He's still wanting his usual pellets, though he's gotten more reluctant. I'm getting increasingly agitated with the feed stores, though. It seems they don't know what I'm asking for. I tell them I want fresh hays for my rabbit, and they keep directing me to their supply of packaged hays. I'll probably end up having to buy a bale. lol

Luckily, my vet gave me the apple and banana flavor of Critical Care. If they didn't, I was going to ask for it anyway because I'd heard that some bunnies do not like the anise flavor. Boots is now eating it freely. I still have to syringe him some water, but he has no signs of dehydration. I'm just trying to prevent it from happening just in case. I wonder if he'd drink Pedialyte willingly. Has anyone else had a bun who would do this?

 

[tmaddox9]

Working with a rescue I get to care for the sick bunnies. Our vet has never told us to cut out pellets or greens when we have a rabbit with stasis, which is often. We do cut out sugary treats but offer greens frequently and continue to feed pellets. Your bun needs a motility med and a pain med like banamine...especially a pain med. I would feed him greens and pellets....make sure it's high quality Timothy based pellets and no gas causing veggies like broccoli....that will stress him less than force feeding and stress equals increased likelihood of stasis. Keep the greens really wet. Continue to keep hay available also. Sometimes I flavor the water with weak peppermint tea or pineapple juice. I don't give it to them full strength, too much sugar. If your bun has frequent bouts of stasis and its not a dental issue, consider checking liver enzymes. We recently had a bun with frequent repeated bouts of stasis. Each time we would treat with simethicone, mineral oil, stomach massage and a warmer for his belly. Turns out it was liver pain not stomach pain that would keep him from eating and bring on the stasis. Having said all this, if he won't eat greens, pellets or hay then you need to syringe feed him critical care and he may need sub Q fluids. Our vet usually prescribes reglan and benebec also. Benebec restores the proper gut flora. If he has formed a blockage, hydration is of the utmost importance so get fluids in him. Try mixing some canned pumpkin with the critical care...make sure it is 100% pumpkin and not pie filling. This will make the bunny more likely to want to eat from the syringe. Most don't like just plain critical care or ground pellets. The idea is to keep the gut moving...rabbits that don't eat for even a few days can develop liver lipidosis or fatty liver disease. Milk thistle is a good support for the liver during stasis. I use the non alcoholic milk thistle extract, just a couple of drops.

 

[Imbrium]

I'm getting increasingly agitated with the feed stores, though. It seems they don't know what I'm asking for. I tell them I want fresh hays for my rabbit, and they keep directing me to their supply of packaged hays. I'll probably end up having to buy a bale. lol

packaged hays and entire bales are the only two options I've ever seen at feed stores. a bale's a really cheap way to go and will keep for a long time (that's how a LOT of people on this site buy their hay). you can store it in plastic storage tubs, big (unscented) garbage bags or bale bags (I got mine from this site - http://www.tackwholesale.com/bale-bags-c-11.html ... the cheapest shipping option is crazy-fast (mine shipped within a couple hours of placing the order and arrived in 2-3 days). I went with two half-bale bags so that they'd be easier for me to haul into the house and so that I could stack them to take up less space (the feed store cut the bale and split it into the two bags for me free of charge)).

just ask what they sell by the bale - don't ask for hay for your rabbit 'cause they're going to take you to the tiny little bags, lol. I usually get asked what I'm buying a single bale for and they always seem surprised when I say it's for a pair of bunnies - I guess most people don't realize just how much hay they eat.

if you don't have room for an entire bale, you could always ask them to cut it in half and only give you half (you'd still pay for the entire bale but at $10 or so for an 80 lb bale, you still come out way ahead compared to pre-packaged stuff even if you only take half).

 

[JBun]

Oh sorry, I guess the switched litter must have been another thread.

Boots doesn't have any signs of stasis anymore right? He's not hunched up in pain, and his poops are frequent and looking pretty normal now? So it's just that he doesn't want to eat anything anymore that requires chewing, but he'll eat his critical care food just fine? Yeah, it just has to be something with his mouth head area, that hurts him to chew too much. Especially if he isn't wanting his regular pellets either now. Well, at least you've got the critical care and he likes it.

You may want to hold off on the pedialyte and just use it if you think he is dehydrated and needs the electrolytes. It'll just add extra sugars into his diet that you might not want for now.

If the poor guy doesn't have hay stuck up his nose, it could be some other thing in his environment that could be causing the problem. I've heard of certain litters or certain types of hay causing allergies and sneezing with some rabbits.

I was thinking that if there is a sensitive tooth causing all this, I know when I have a tooth bothering me, that cold water seems to make it hurt. Maybe that is why he is reluctant to drink on his own. You could try some lukewarm water in his dish and see if he'll drink that on his own.

 

[kelilindsey]

All right. I tried to get an appointment with the other vet, but he's out until Thursday (what a flake!). So I called Dr. Barrett, and he asked me to come in immediately. Boots has gained an ounce of weight (yay), and he confirmed there's no longer an impaction in his stomach. He said he felt a bit gassy, but not much.

He took a look in his nose, and he said he thinks it's probably allergies but gave me an antibiotic and some ProBac just in case of an infection. He told me to give him .8ml/cc once a day of the antibiotic and a pea-size squirt of BeneBac. He said antibiotics could upset his stomach, though, and I'm trying to get him to eat more. :I Any advice??

He told me to mist his hay to get the dust to stick to it instead of kicking it up.

Edit: By the way, the antibiotic is Baytril (Enrofloxacin).

 

[JBun]

If it's allergies, the antibiotic won't do anything? I only will do antibiotics if absolutely necessary because it can cause problems with the digestive system, then you would be dealing with the poop and eating problems all over again. I personally would have just waited til thur. to see the other vet since your bun is eating and pooping ok, or I would try to just find a different vet all together. It just doesn't sound to me like this vet really knows what he's doing with rabbits. Did he even do an xray of your rabbits head this time, to look for potential tooth problems? I'm less concerned with a little bit of sneezing, and more concerned with a rabbit that doesn't want to eat anything anymore, besides the soft mushed up food that your feeding him. If an abcess or infected tooth were to be the reason your rabbit doesn't want to eat, then an xray would be the best way, and maybe only way, to detect this. If this other vet seems like a better rabbit vet, I would hold off on the antibiotics and make an appointment for thur. and see this other vet. As long as your bun is eating and pooping ok (and gaining weight), there's no reason you can't wait a few days. Or look for another vet entirely. It's been about 10 days, since your rabbit stopped eating and having problems, right? Long enough. If it was only a stasis problem, he would be fine by now, and eating on his own again.

You'll want to be careful about getting hay wet. If left that way if can mildew and make your bun sick. You could try just shaking it before giving it to your bun, to try and get some of the dust out of it, or switch to a less dusty hay. But he's not even eating his hay right now, is he? Plus if he really is allergic to the hay, then damping down the dust isn't going to matter all that much.

 

[kelilindsey]

He's supposed to be really recommended and experienced with rabbits, but he's not very pushy with x-rays and blood tests. That does make me a bit uncomfortable because I heard Boots chattering his teeth in the car. An overgrown root or abscess can go undetected by the eye alone, and it can cause sneezing and refusal to eat, right?

I really do want an x-ray, but I'm in between jobs now and I doubt my parents will want to pay. I think I'm going to borrow the money from my boyfriend and get it done on Thursday at the other vet. Boots has never had a bad reaction to his timothy hay before, and is always a pig when it comes to feeding time. I think I will hold off on the antibiotics because the sound of them makes me nervous. I'll update later.

 

[JBun]

Yeah, it could be the cause of the runny nose. And it would be like with people - the only way a dentist can see tooth problems with people, is with xrays. Molar spurs isn't the only tooth problem a rabbit can have, and the other problems need an xray to be detected. I will mention though, that if there is some sort of infection in the mouth that is causing your bun to not want to eat, then an antibiotic will probably be prescribed for it, along with whatever else they try to do to fix it.

I want to make sure I have this right. Boots will eat the critical care food. Is he eating it on his own or do you have to syringe feed it to him? Is he eating any pellets, hay, or veggies? Is he drinking on his own?

 

[kelilindsey]

He seems to sneeze every time he lays down or tries to get comfortable. :I hmmm

He won't eat the Critical Care unless I offer it to him by syringe. I don't think he likes getting his face dirty. I haven't seen him drink any water on his own unless I offer some with a bit of juice in it. He's still refusing hay, but he's munching his pellets on and off. He's eaten quite a bit of the timothy hay meal pellets I got from the feed store the other day. I can sometimes get him to eat a dandelion leaf, but he eats it very slowly and it keeps falling from his mouth.

 

[JBun]

Your bun is a bit of a mystery :? I'm trying to figure out what all these different behaviors indicate. Maybe it isn't his teeth. Clearly something is making him feel uncomfortable, or he would be eating on his own, but maybe it's not his teeth but something else. I guess his belly could still be bothering him even though he's pooping ok. Does he sit like he's feeling uncomfortable, like he might be having gas pain, does it look like he's straining to pee, any other abnormal behavior besides not wanting to eat or drink normally?

That's really good about the timothy pellets. Maybe you could start cutting back on the critical care if it seems like he's eating more of those.

 

[kelilindsey]

He's really confusing me, as well. I've scheduled an appointment on Thursday to see the other vet for an x-ray. He's sneezing quite often, and his nose is wet. The moisture is clear and thin, though.

He keeps laying flat out, but I'm not sure if it's from gas discomfort or him trying to get a better breath of air. I want to start with the Baytril and Benebac, but only if I know it's an infection because I don't want him to have more tummy issues. I need more simethicone. I'm still using the metachlopramide to keep his gut moving while he's not eating hay on his own. Do you think it will be safe to use with the Baytril? If I were to give him some tonight, is it okay to give him the Baytril and the Benebac at the same time? I'm not sure if giving him both simultaneously will kill the healthy bacteria in the Benebac.

 

[JBun]

if you decide to start the baytril then make sure to keep giving it until your supposed to stop it or til you see the vet, unless it's making him sick or causing problems. You don't want to give the probiotics at the same time. You should give 1-2 hours after giving the baytril.

I was reading about one of the signs of pain being the rabbit dropping food out of their mouth, so it sounds like your bun is probably still experiencing pain from something. Did the vet ever give you metacam for the pain? If not, you may want to make sure this new vet gives you some.

I really hope this new vet is able to figure out what is still distressing your bun. You may want to make a list of all the questions you have, for this new vet, just so you don't forget anything.

 

[kelilindsey]

No, he never offered any pain medication. I'll write down all of my concerns for the vet and update after the appointment. Thank you!

Edit: I also got some more baby gas drops and are giving them to him now to see if he perks up a bit.

 

[Imbrium]

ray:

 

[kelilindsey]

Shoot. I've nearly run out of Critical Care (I'll run out in the morning), and the vet I'm seeing tomorrow doesn't carry it. I asked, and the receptionist said they only carry Science Diet (I believe that's for cats and dogs). I wonder if this vet is knowledgeable about rabbits as he claims if he does not carry Critical Care.

 

[JBun]

Is your bun not eating enough of the timothy pellets, that you could stop the critical care? Couldn't you ask your other vet office if you could stop by to pick some up, if you're still needing it? Is this new vet on any of the 'good rabbit vet' lists, on this forum or HRS?