Can a rabbit go into GI stasis but be eating (not emergency just curious)

[katiekat6612]

Hi,
So I was freaking out that my new (2 mo old) rabbit may be going into GI stasis because she was sitting funny but she was eating completely normal she was eating pelletsout of the bowl and hay from her litter box but now she’s acting fine (she was eating drinking moving etc after we gave her infant gas medicine ) so I’m just wondering can a rabbit go into GI stasis and still be eating

[Bam]

I’m tempted to say no. The treat-test (or in your case since your bun is so young, the pellet-test) is generally a good way to tell if your bunny is feeling good or not. It’s always an observandum if your bunny won’t take a treat or a favorite piece of food.

Stasis is however a variable condition. Bunnies can eat during the onset of a (slowly developping) bout of stasis, but they’ll eat less and less, and reluctantly. . Stasis can start very slowly with just dimished appetite and diminished pooping, both size and amount, the bun all the while becoming increasingly reluctant to move around. This can go on for a week, perhaps longer. When it becomes bad, the bun won’t eat and won’t even take a treat.

Stasis can also happen very quickly: your bun was fine a couple of hours ago, but now refuses to take a treat, sits all hunched up or is trying to hide away from sight (often someplace where it doesn’t normally hides). All scenarios in between slow, gradual onset and really quick onset are of course possible.

Gas often makes a bunny sit funny or restlessly shift between sitting and lying down. If it has real gas pain it won’t take a treat.

With a young bunny, appetite and poop (size, amount, consistency) are probably the best indicators of health, because behavior change rapidly in young growing individuals – plus you can’t know your particular bunny really well until you’ve spent quite some time together.

It’s always good to try and be observant though, bunnies need that. If, or when, they do fall ill, their deepest instincts make them try to hide their illness. So a human with a sharp eye makes the best bunny owner.

[katiekat6612]

thanks so much
i just get really nervous because my last rabbit died of GI stasis (we were out of town and had a pet sitter and she died with them

[Bam]

It’s very understandable that you worry, that was an awful thing that happened to you. I do the treat-test with my bun if I get worried (I always hand-feed him his pellets so he thinks they are treats).

[LittlePuffyTail]

Agree with Bam. I had to do the treat test with my Bindi last night. He was having some weird poops.

[Author]

Messages