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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE GI Stasis VS. Bloat

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    • ElleBee
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        Hello everyone!
        Just under a month ago I noticed my little Casper acting most strange. On her tummy, up, on her side, pulling herself with her front paws, hiding in the corner, stretched out, up, down, hopping in circles, laying down, stretch out, up, down.. you get the picture. I IMMEDIATELY took her to the vet (her cage is handmade and zip-tied together, I think I had one of those mommy-adrenaline rushes because I ripped it open to get her out from the back).  This was my introduction to learning about GI Stasis. The vet looked her over (after finding nothing wrong with her teeth, etc) he suggested doing some at home treatment- prescibing Metoclopramide, Cisapride and Mexoicam. He also gave me some CC if she continued not to eat and also injected her with some fluid. I brought her home and administered the medication. A few times I saw her in her littler box, but there were no droppings to account for. Then, around 10:00PM I saw her in there, in a very…. forcful… ahem.. stance… She hopped out and did a binky and was absolutely and completely normal. In the littler box- a few droppings connected with hair. I assumed this must have been the issue as she, like I said, was completely normal after that. Running, Binkies, etc. The next morning, continued to as as per normal, running jumping, all was normal. I called the vet and they told me to administer again the motility and stimulant meds just in case. I did, and have had no issues since.
        Until 2 days ago.

        I woke up, Casper was doing her normal thing- excited to see me, wanted to explore downstairs. I opened up her bedroom and lets her go for it. I was downstairs doing my thing and hadn’t seen her for a bit- brought up her breakfast to see her again in that awful squishy up and down pose. I offered her some dandelion greens, she took it but didn’t eat it. I knew right away this was the same situation, however- petting her, she felt grossly thin (hard for me to even find her belly from the side..), her ears were really cold, and throughout the day she was shaking (the same as after she was when I got her spayed). Her breathing at times was also very short, shallow and seemed quite laboured. I had meds leftover from the last time this happened so gave them all to her as directed. I also force fed her some water, and tried with the CC, but she just let it fall out of her mouth.
        She went to her litter box a few times with this intense stance but nothing- I did hear a little gas? maybe… ?
        No droppings, though. She peed in the corner of her cage- she has not peed outside of her litter box in over 8 months- when we were first training her.  She hates to be picked up and she was just sorta limply letting me pull her and lift her.  I called the vet and they said the soonest they could see her was the next morning but to continue with the meds as directed. 
        I left for work- leaving my boyfriend in charge and requested text updates.
        He, a few hours later said that she was eating some greens- I asked him to soak them in water to get some fluid into her.
        When I came home- perfectly normal bunny and a handful of droppings in her box. Running around, climbing all over me. And her body felt back to normal. I could feels her ribs with very little effort earlier in the day.
        Now, over the last couple of days- she seems intersted in greens- again drenching them in water as she doesn’t seem to be into drinking water from her bowl. She is eating hay (She likes to be hand fed hay.. diva..) and I have only offered a few pellets here and there.

        From what I have read online about either GI Stasis, it sounds like there may be a noticeable lack of appretited leading up and can take days to recover- She is find by the end of the day, and seems to require  the need to defecate (she seems quite strained leading up to actually being able to make contact).

        I am just wondering if this all seems pretty typical of GI stasis, how does this vary from bloat?
        Any suggestions moving forward? It seems to come up within minutes and is gone by the end of the evening.
        I am quite worried about my gal.
        A few background things- She is a mini rex, just over a year old, have had her since she was 4 months, she was spayed at 6 months and recovered quickly, indoor rabbit, timothy hay, greens and pellets in her diet (1/4 cup pellets throughout the day, 1-2 cups greens and all the hay she could want.

        Thanks in advance,
        Lesley


      • JackRabbit
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          With bloat, the stomach is severly distended and the bunny is in intense pain. The stomach can even diplace other organs and can press on blood vessels causing heart problems. With gas, the stomach would be less distended and bunny would have pain but not the excruciating pain of bloat.

          Have you disgusted simethicone (baby gas drops) with your vet? When one of my bunnies gets a little gas, simethcone has worked very well. Quite a few of us keep simethicone on hand for just this reason.


        • Kokaneeandkahlua
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            I think bloat is gas that is painful enough to stop digestion (causing gi stasis) and/or can be caused by a blockage. GI stasis is really just a slow down of the intestine.
            Really it all amounts to the same thing-something is has gone wrong with digestion (because they are fragile, and have a delicate balance of gut bacteria) and any issues cause pain which in turn causes them to stop eating, which makes it worse. Whether the gas caused the stasis or vice versa or it presents without stasis doesn’t really matter.
            Treatment is the same unless there is a blockage (rare) -fluids, food, pain meds, motility meds and get them moving.

            I would get her teeth checked-we had bouts of issues with Rupert but now he’s on a regular dental routine he’s wonderful. Other than that can you narrow down any foods that are new or that were only on those days you had the bloating?


          • Bam
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              I too would recommend simethicone for gas trouble. (Baby gas drops). They are considered safe by MediRabbit. They may not help, but they won’t harm, it’s not sth that gets absorbed by the body, it stays in the intestinal canal and act as a lubricant + are supposed to break up gas-bubbles. I find it helpful.

              If the problems continue, you should consider her teeth. They can’t be seen properly without anesthetizing the bunny, there may be subtle spurs/unevennesses that some bunnies may be very sensitive to. This was the case with my Yohio last fall.


            • ElleBee
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                Thanks everyone for the feedback.
                When I took her in initially, he looked into her mouth and ruled out anything with her teeth, but she wasn’t put under, so perhaps there is an underlying issue.
                Also I wanted to add that after inspecting her little box yesterday I found a “string” of droppings held together. From what I understand this is from hair being in the system. She has been molting now for about 3 months- she molted entirely and then the weather did a qucik chnage here and she molted all over again. We are about half way through this cycle.
                Does extra hair cause backup? Or does hair just get backed up when things are moving slowly?


              • Pomandcourt
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                90 posts Send Private Message

                  Some poops strung together is normal; that’s how they pass all the hair they ingest while grooming.
                  You should be concerned if it’s happening a lot and there are other symptoms (which in this case there are) What type of bunny is Casper? I know long hairs can occasionally get wool block, but if she had that he wouldn’t be passing anything. If you’re concerned, you can give her a little bit of papaya enzyme (tablets you get at the health food store about one a week for a 5-6lb bunny) or a little bit of pineapple juice (very little. Juice is packed with sugar) which will help break down the hair.

                  What greens is she being fed? That could be causing some of her gas. Just because it’s on the list of “safe” veggies doesn’t mean your bun isn’t reacting to it. Some are extra sensitive. Try switching out what you’ve been giving her with another veg you know she does well with.


                • ElleBee
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                    Hi!
                    Thanks for the response. Casper is a mini rex. She does not have long hair- however she has been molting now for about 3-4 months. She molted, and when that cycle was done, she started to molt again.
                    Right now it is thin along her ribs- I can feel them pretty well when she is loafing. I am hoping this is because of the lack of fur there and not because she experiencing weight loss.
                    Since her second episode I have been really mindful of the greens I am giving her to see if she has another bout. Right now she is eating Romaine, Parsley, Cilantro and Danelion Greens. Yesterday she was laying down and her tummy seemed quite stiff (not distended at all) but stiff to the touch. I kept my hand on it and felt what I could only describe as a popping kind of feel (like when you have pop rocks in your mouth). I read in an article this is porobably linked to gas vs. the normal gurgling sounds with regular digestion. I have been listening to her belly though over the last day and it is back to sounding normal. In addition to that she has been eating, drinking and pooping normally. (munch munch munch as she is eating timothy hay as I type this…) I have also been spreading her food out over the course of the day (greens and some pellets). I was giving her greens in the am and pellets in the pm, now she gets greens am, pellets afternoon, greens evening, pellets at (my) bed time.


                  • Pomandcourt
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                      Try giving her tummy massages since she’s comfortable with you touching hee sides. put your hands on either side of her and gently massage. It should help get the gas moving. You could also give her some baby gas medicine.

                      It’s good that she’s eating and drinking normally.

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                  Forum DIET & CARE GI Stasis VS. Bloat