GI stasis- what is medically necessary

[Cereal_Killer]

So my poor little Basil was under the weather this morning, listless, refusing to eat or drink, and the amount of poop in her litter box she shares with her gal pal Libby seemed off. I went to work, but came back home to take her to the vet when my hubby reported she was still listless, hadn’t eaten any pellets or greens or apple, had cold ears and wasn’t reacting normally to him.
Took her to the vet and got slammed with a nearly 450 bill mainly due to the costs for an x ray and x ray technician fee. My question is this- is that part really necessary? The vet could feel her stomach and intestines were a little distended, so I’m not sure if the x rays were totally necessary, and the actual treatment was not terribly expensive- subq liquids, some metacam, antibiotics, and instructions ti force feed water and pineapple juice and probiotics.
Now thankfully Baz is eating and drinking and is acting more normally, so maybe this is just hindsight, but I’m wondering if the x rays were necessary, or if I should next time as if they could be skipped and basic treatment given to see if that works before jumping to x rays?

[Tigi]

Do you know if the vet that you went to is rabbit savvy? If so, maybe they have reasons to believe that they may be a obstruction in your bun’s tummy. If there is a blockage, then force feeding could be very harmful to the bun.

When I took my bun from GI statis to the emergency vet at night, they put him on the same stuff that you mentioned in the post and referred him to a vet savvy vet. The vet savvy vet was the one said antibiotics is not required (in my case) and changed the dose of the medications. Then he said that it may be from a molar spur but unless the bun is put under anesthetic he cannot tell for sure. The vet explained that he was reluctant to do it unnecessarily and putting him under more stress.

Sorry to be going off the tangent here, but my point is if your vet is rabbit savvy, then he might have had a good reason and should have explained to you why he is doing so. If he is not, then maybe he is just unsure (i’ve called up a vet practice and was told that their vet isn’t comfortable handing rabbits).

Hope Basil will be much better – keep us updated!

[Sarita]

It could be necessary absolutely. It’s very common for a vet to take an x-ray when a rabbit is not eating.

Here is the thing you need to realize about stasis – it’s just a condition – that needs to be treated, yes. But your vet is going to want to look for any underlying illnesses or reasons that your rabbit stopped eating to see what caused the stasis. So there are many things that may be medically necessary.

I don’t think your vet is necessarily not “rabbit savvy” if he/she didn’t explain the reason for doing an x-ray – most vets have a protocol for treating illnesses or conditions.

[Cereal_Killer]

The vet I went to is the only “exotic” specialist within 2 hours drive, and he seems to be pretty good. I think the reason he took x rays is because the problem was up at the stomach, rather than the intestines, and he wanted to make sure it wasn’t a fatty tumid that had shifted and started putting pressure on her stomach.

I guess mostly I was freaking out about the cost, and I haven’t had to go to the vet for anything other than a spay so I wasn’t sure if it was a “make more money” add on. Also seemed crazy it cost more than the spay!

but today she is back on her food, and not so sad looking, so really, money well spent!

[Sarita]

It is crazy expensive, I totally agree!

I have always wondered exactly how vets and doctors come up with costs. I realize that they have a huge overhead and rent/insurance/payroll, etc….have costs and vary from location to location but I still don’t understand how even with vets costs can seem to vary greatly…

I’m glad she’s better.

[Beka27]

If this is the first time she’s dealt with this too, I can also see an xray being useful to look for any physical abnormalities that might be contributing to the slowdown, and like Tigi said, you don’t want to force-feed if there is a blockage. Would you need an xray EVERY time? You shouldn’t. Some rabbits go into stasis from time to time and it can be dealt with using the traditional methods… fluids, mobility drugs, pain meds, etc…

With that said, were you given the cost prior to the xray? You could always call up there and see if there is anything they can do to lower the amount, especially if you were “blind-sided” by the bill after the fact. They might be willing to knock a percentage off, but they won’t unless you ask.

[LittlePuffyTail]

That is a pretty hefty bill. My vet usually does X-rays to determine if there is a blockage. Motility drugs can be used to help move things along the gi tract but are never to be used if there is a blockage so the vet has to be sure. I’ve spent well over $300 during an emergency stasis visit. They can get expensive so quickly, unfortunately.

I’m glad your bun is feeling better. 

[Elrohwen]

Xrays can definitely be necessary. Mine have each been to the vet for not eating and one was not xrayed, the other was, based on what the vet felt when she examined their stomachs.

As for the price, that’s pretty typical in my area. Definitely expensive, but exactly what I would expect. I agree that you should have been told the cost before they performed the xray and if you weren’t, I would call and see if there’s any way they can help you out.

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