Snix has gone into stasis after his neutering

[bamabunny]

We noticed that Snix was not eating or pooing much after his surgery, so we took him back the next day and the vet confirmed stasis. She provided a powder called "Herbavore critical care", and instructed us to give him 25ml of water mixed with the power 3 times a day. She also gave him a shot that would "get his gut moving". Yesterday he gobbled it up, but this morning he won't touch it.

We put it in a syringe, and he is trying his best to avoid it. We put one of his favorite treats in the cage (dried banana chip) last night and it's still in there untouched.

We are going to take him back, but I don't know what else they can do. We are quite concerned to say the least.

 

[Flashy]

Is he on pain medication?

 

[bamabunny]

The vet gave him a shot that was supposed to relieve pain, but i'm thinking he needs more than that.

 

[bamabunny]

OK the vet wants us to bring him in for observation. We will see what happens. I hope he starts to turn for the better .

 

[Flashy]

It might be worth asking for some pain medication to bring home. Metacam is typically used and with each of mine I've used it for three days at home (orally, not injectable).

 

[tonyshuman]

Pain meds given by injection do not last more than 12-18 hours. I think pain meds are important, and be sure to ask the vet to give him sub-q fluids. They are frequently the best treatment for stasis, even better than some of the medications that "get the gut moving." I do think that pain from the neuter probably made him not want to eat or poo and that caused the stasis, so treatment should definitely involve pain meds in his case.

Also the critical care has to be VERY well rehydrated. Soak it in a lot of water for at least 15 min before giving it to him.

 

[Sweetie]

I hope that Snix gets better! Prayers are being sent to you and your bunny. By the way he is cute!

 

[Maureen Las]

I agree that pain meds and hydration (sub q's or pedialyte)are the way to go.

I don't agree in force feeding that much CC after a neuter . rabbits often get stressed out from the process.

I have also been instructed to give fairly large amounts of CC when a rabbit is in stasis but I have rarely given the amount ordered..intentionally

I feel thatIcould kill the rabbit from the stress of force feeding the amount ordered.
As Randy says hydration before food and if the rabbit is either hypothermic from pain or has a temp the feeding can be detrimental.

often times I have syringe fed pure canned pumpkin as it is much easier to get in a rabbit and I have also at time rubbed a strip of Nutrical into their leg so they have to eat it off.

if you just place the nutrical on the foot they will flick it off; if you really rub it into their leg they have to eat it to get it off.
it sounds mean but it was done for the benefit of the rabbit.

if your rabbit seems cold you can put rice in a sock and warm it in the microwave. Be sure that the heat is uniform and not too hot one side . place it where he can lie next to it / or move away from it as he wants.
hope he's OK

 

[ra7751]

"Shot that will get his gut going"....that is scary. That sounds like a gut motility drug and in my non-professional opinion.....totally without doubt inappropriate for a rabbit for any reason. Appropriate pain meds are appropriate....especially nowwith the violent contractions induced by motility drugs if they were indeed used.

I have had rabbits go more than a week without eating. Hydration, pain management and NO MORE MOTILITY DRUGS would be the way to resolve this issue. And in a true stasis situation, you do not add a heavy weight component like Critical Care as it just builds pressure (and discomfort) in the upper regions of the gut. Something has to come out before something goes in. If your rabbit was healthy enough to withstand surgery....a few days without food is not an emergency. Keep him hydrated, offer him his favorite bunny safe foods (we offer a buffet to ours), get appropriate pain meds, stay off the motility drugs and keep calm.

Randy

 

[anneq]

Hope Snix will be doing better soon:rabbithop

 

[bamabunny]

Thanks for all of the wishes and advice. Snix is back home and is doing much better. We spiked his water with a shot of organic apple juice and it is encouraging him to drink. He has started pooing again and he is more active than yesterday (albeit still not his old self, as expected). He isn't eating almost constantly like before, but he is eating. He was given more pain medication today.

 

[tonyshuman]

Oh good. I hope he continues to poop and drink!

 

[jcl_24]

Its good to read Snix is steadily improving

Jo xx

 

[bamabunny]

OK new problem:

Snix is recovering well from the surgery, and is very active and eating/drinking./pooing like normal.

I noticed he was limping around on one front leg, so I picked him up to inspect. He has an infected sore on his right front leg. Could this be from the shots??

He is going back to the vet in a few minutes.

 

[Maureen Las]

I don't know why he would have been given injections in his leg??
It's good to take him back to the vet
good Luck!

 

[pamnock]

angieluv wrote:

I don't know why he would have been given injections in his leg??
It's good to take him back to the vet
good Luck!

The cephalic vein is sometimes used for IV.

Pam

 

[bamabunny]

Well the good news is that it is not infected. The bad news is that it is an abcess. .

This neuter has been stressful for all of us, especially for Snickers. I'll be happy when this is behind us and Snickers is back to 100%.

 

[pamnock]

bamabunny wrote:

Well the good news is that it is not infected. The bad news is that it is an abcess. .

This neuter has been stressful for all of us, especially for Snickers. I'll be happy when this is behind us and Snickers is back to 100%.

An abscess is an infection. Did the vet have any insight on what it is from?

Home Snickers is back to his old self soon!



Pam

 

[bamabunny]

The liquid she drained from the abcess was clear instead of cloudy or puss, so she said that she thinks it will heal. She gave us some anti-biotics to give to him to help.

She thinks it may have been caused by stress. She did not give him a shot (after the surgery) in the area the abcess appeared on.

 

[tonyshuman]

Oh no, so many problems in such a short time. I don't know what's going on since an abscess usually is very thick and cloudy in rabbits. So it could be a fluid pocket, although I can't come up with a reason that would occur off the top of my head.