I think my bunn has GI stasis...

[adamjai]

Hi All, I've just noticed my Allie didn't touch her dinner and hasn't pooped all night. I hand fed her a couple of pieces of parsley and one little piece of apple, but I don't think she's had anything to drink either. She's not wanting to be touched, which is strange for her, she never refuses pets. Can she wait til morning, or do I need to call an emergency vet? Any advice would be much appreciated, I'm very worried about her.

 

[aurora369]

Start doing at home treatments ASAP, and if she's not eating soon, take her in.

Try some baby gas medicine like Oval (it's the active ingredient Simethecone that you want), it will help with any gas. The dosage will be much higher for buns than recommended on the box, but don't worry, you can't OD on it. Give about 3/4 of a syringe every hour for three hours.

Keep your bun hydrated. Syringe some water, pedialyte is better.

Keep trying to get her to eat her favourite veggies. Wave them in front of her nose, annoy her enough to take a bite.

You can also make a pellet slurry. Mix some pellets in water so it's thin enough to suck up into the syringe. Feed her as much as she'll take.

If it's been 24 hours with out poop or eating, the it's an emergancy, and get her to a rabbit savvey vet ASAP.

--Dawn

 

[Pipp]

:yeahthat

Is she appearing uncomfortable? Getting up and lying down again? Pressing her stomach on the floor? Grinding her teeth loudly? Is she very lethargic/limpish or just quiet? Were her last set of poops normal? Not tiny, or no diarrhea?

Here's a list of someUS drugs with Simethicone:

• Extra Strength Maalox Anti-Gas
• Flatulex
• Gas Relief
• Gas-X
• Gas-X Extra Strength
• Genasyme
• Maalox Anti-Gas
• Maximum Strength Gas Relief
• Maximum Strength Mylanta Gas Relief
• Maximum Strength Phazyme
• My Baby Gas Relief Drops
• Mylanta Gas
• Mylanta Gas Relief
• Mylicon Drops
• Phazyme
• Phazyme-95

In Canada-

• Extra Strength Maalox GRF Gas Relief Formula
• Baby's Own Infant Drops
• Maalox GRF Gas Relief Formula
• Ovol
• Ovol-40
• Ovol-80
• Ovol-160
• Phazyme Drops
• Phazyme-95
• Phazyme-125

The dose for a rabbit is actually quite a bit higher than the dose for an infant. If she's a big rabbit, you can go with adult meds no problem (maybe even better), but I like the baby meds for small rabbits because they're in dropper form. (With Ovol, I use 3/4 to a a full dropper full (1 CC) for my mini-Rex. And don't be afraid to try it, it won't do any harm even if there's nota gas issue, and can do a world of good.

Also, if you think it's gasand/or stasis,get her moving around. It helps breakup thegas bubbles.

Keep us up to date on how she's doing.

sas

 

[Spring]

Good adivce ^^.

Keep pestering her with food, try dipping it in water before. This will help get some fluids in her. If she eats when you hand feed her, keep doing that.Tryoffering her some warm water, just luke warm. I've found some rabbits prefer warm water when they're not drinking.

I also agree with giving her the baby gas medicine.If she does have gas, it works pretty quickly and it is wonderful.

You could also try heating a sock filled with rice in the microwave (Maybe 20-30 seconds). You could sew it, but when I was in a hurry I just tied atightknot on the top and it held fine. I've found along with gentle belly massages, warmth helps.

Keep us updated, good vibes are being sent your way!

 

[adamjai]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I just got back from taking her tothe emergency vet which is an hour away. He was admittedly not rabbit savvy (there are no rabbit savvy emergency vets within an hours drive), but has seen his share of bunny emergencies and he said that she was only mildly dehydrated and that other than not eating she seemed perfectly healthy. She hopped around the waiting room quite a bit, which was the first I'd seen her move all night. Her temp was normal and he said her tummy felt fine, and that she had a lot of fight in her--it took two people to hold her for the exam--and recommended I take her in to our vet in the morning, which I will do first thing.

We just got back and I'm waiting for her to get settled in, I may try getting her to eat some more parsley before I go to bed. I have Maalox in chewable pill form, will that work, or does it have to be liquid? Icould mash it up with something, I just want to make sure it's okay first.

 

[Spring]

I really don't knowaobut the Maalox, maybe someone else can answer that. I've only dealt with Oval.

It's good that she's still fiesty and fighting- we all love a fiesty bun! If you can, just try to get some more veggies or apple into her before bed. The more food she is willing to take, the better! Maybe let her out for a nice hop before bed too? That might help.

From the sounds of it, she seems in pretty good condition. Keep up the good work!

 

[Pipp]

Yes, I believe Maalox will work, but I do want to double check the dosage, just give me a minute. If it's flavoured Maalox, the bunny just might even eat it on her own.

(It's always so stressful when they're sick, isn't it).



sas

 

[Pipp]

Looks like 1/4 to 1/2 tablet will work. Do you have flavoured Maalox?



sas

 

[pamnock]

I use a little Nutri Cal for rabbits in stasis. A little goes a long way, so the rabbit is stressed out as little as possible by overhandling.

Pain meds. are also helpful in treating stasis.

Pam

 

[naturestee]

How's she doing this morning?

FYI, Maalox is not a gas med, it's for "burning sensations" caused by indigestion. The active ingredient is calcium carbonate.
http://www.maalox.ca/qd_rs.htm

I don't know if this is safe for rabbits. I'd rather not use it. I do know that some vets prescribe Pepsid AC or something similar for some rabbits, mainly if their other prescription meds upset their stomachs. But that's not the same ingredients.

I'd stick with Simethicone for gas problems. Even if her belly felt fine to the vet, it won't hurt. Heat (the rice sock Spring suggested), movement, and massage can help a lot. Pain killers are another wonderful thing. It's too bad the emergency vet didn't prescribe any. You should ask your regular vet in the morning.

 

[adamjai]

Morning everyone. She's eaten a little more parsley and drank just a little water, and this morning I saw that she had made a few big mushy poops. My vet opens at nine and I'm hoping they can see her right away....

 

[naturestee]

That sounds pretty good! She might be out of stasis now. If you wanted, you could call your vet and discuss with him whether or not she needs to be brought in. If she continues to nibble food and poop, then she's already well on her way to recovering.

 

[adamjai]

The vet can't see her until 4:30. I'm not worried about whether she'll make it, but she looks so uncomfortable! I think I might treat for gas just in case that's what she has, is there anything else I can do to help her in the meantime?

 

[naturestee]

Encourage her to eat and drink more. Do you have canned pumpkin? Many rabbits consider that an excellant treat (mine love it) and it's a good way to get more fluids and a bit of fiber in them. If you have a water bottle, your rabbit might appreciate a bowl of water. Or give her a second container with a bit of vanilla or flavored Pedialyte added.

Warmth will make her feel more comfortable. Use a rice-filled sock or a microwaved towel.

 

[adamjai]

I gave her some baby Mylicon and it seems to be helping, she was just laying down with her back feet out behind her, which she hasn't done since the night before last. She's eating some more parsley right now, it seems to be the only thing she'll touch. The rice sock didn't work, I think she's scared of it. :? I was VERY happy to see fairly normal looking poops, small but firm. :colors:I think if she still doesn't seem right in another hour I'll treat for gas again, and if she keeps eating and looking better I was thinking of cancelling the vet appt, is that a good idea? I'm trying to keep her stress levels down, she hates being held and she's been held three times already and will be at least once more because her bottom is a little messy, and she spent two hours in the car late last night and 1/2 hour at the vet, so she's had her share. I don't want to have to put her through more if it isn't absolutely necessary. Any thoughts?

 

[aurora369]

If she's eating, drinking, and pooping, I think it's safe to cancel the vet appointment.

Keeping stress levels low is important as well.

Keep treating her for gas, as that seems to be working. And give her lots of whatever she's willing to eat. You can try misting hay with apple juice, to see if she'll eat some of that.

As long as stuff is going in and coming out, then she should be okay. And drinking water is good too.

--Dawn

 

[adamjai]

I think I will cancel the appt. She's left a few more poops and seems to be resting comfortably now, she isn't sitting hunched over like she was. While she's eating a bit here and there it's not nearly as much as normal, if she keeps eating like this how long should I wait before calling a vet?

 

[aurora369]

Keep trying to get her to eat more, and if she's not eating up to a similar level as before by tomorrow, I would make another appointment.

You can try syringing her some mushed up pellets or canned pumpkin (the plain, no flavour/sugar added king). I did that when Wildfire was spayed, and not eating yet. The food in her tummy helped jumpstart her digestive track, making her hungry enought to eat on her own. I continued to syringe for a few days untill I was happy with her eating levels.

As long as food is going in, and poop is going out at a steady and increasing rate, bun should be okay. If appetite fails to increase, or she stops eating again, then back to the vets.

--Dawn

 

[adamjai]

Thank you all so much for your replies, I can't tell you how much it has helped me deal with this. I've never been through a bunn crisis before, it's much more stressful than I ever would have thought.

She's not eating the pumpkin, I'll wait until later today and syringe it in if I have to, but I'll give her the rest of the afternoon to try it on her own, maybe she'll eat some more parsley as well. I'm going to give her some red leaf lettuce and just a little apple, those are her favorites. I have another appointment set up for her tomorrow at noon, so when I wake up tomorrow if there doesn't seem to be much more improvement I'll take her in.

I'm still being cautious but she does seem to pooping fairly normally and is definitely resting better, so I'm hoping she's on her way to being well. Thank you all so much again for your advice, we both appreciate it more than I can say!:bunnydance:

 

[adamjai]

She's eaten almost all of the veggies I gave her this afternoon, and just let me pet her without running away for the first time sinceyesterday. I even got a few purrs out of her! The vet can see her at noon tomorrow if need be, so if she still doesn't seem right in the morning I'll take her in tomorrow, but it's looking good! :colors:

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! You're all lifesavers, really.