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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.

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Forum DIET & CARE GI stasis and recovery after

  • This topic has 16sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years ago by Tara.
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    • Tara
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        So my bun Tiddles has been fighting an upper respiratory infection. We had given him antibiotics for the required ten days and he seemed fine, then it came back. Then he started scaring me by not eating and not hopping up when I rattled his treat bag. Get him to the vet and he’s diagnosed with GI stasis. We’ve currently got him on medicine for it. He lost a lot of weight FAST and I was wondering what would be best to give him to fatten him back up once he’s recovered. 


      • Pongo
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          Keep giving him lost of veggies wet them before you give them to him so he’s getting some water in his diet but keep giving veggies basically anything to keep his system going along with critical care formula by oxbow


        • Tara
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            Do you have any recommendations for getting him to take it? He is TERRIBLE about medicine and ends up stressing himself out which isn’t good. I have tried burritoing him, I’ve tried enticing him with treats, I’ve tried various holding positions. The moment the syringe touches his mouth he fights with everything he’s got I’m at a loss for how to get this into him. I’d rather he be upset with me for a while and get better then the opposite. He’s eating his hay and veggies fine though. I just need to find a way to get the critical care into him. 


          • Luna
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              Try wrapping a leafy veggie around the end of the syringe, and hopefully he will see the veggie and as he is eating it you can give him a little bit in the syringe at a time. Though it might take several veggies to give him the whole dose.


            • Tara
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                Alright. I’m about to go to the grocery store and get a bunch of veggies and see which one works better. 


              • Bam
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                  You can mix the CC with sth yummy, f ex canned plain pumpkin (not pie filling) or baby fruit- or veg puree. Sometimes that can make a bun want to eat the CC from a spoon or a saucer even. It’s important he gets his CC for his weight gain. Vegs provide good hydration, but is very low in calories. You can try offering him a little bit of rolled oats as well, many buns love the taste and it’s easy on the tummy. It provides extra calories which he needs.

                  A respiratory infection in a bun can need a prolonged course of antibiotics. The colds we humans get are as a rule viral and we (as a rule) get well after a week -10 days. But buns get bacterial colds and they can often be stubborn. There are so many places in the nasal cavity and sinuses the bacteria can hide from the antibiotics.


                • Pongo
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                    Are you crushing up the pills and mixing them with water in the syringe? Sometimes that makes it easier. You can also try smearing some pea baby food on the end of the syringe and giving that to him. Also wrapping him up in a towel is something you can try look up videos on you tube. Or having someone else help you having two people do it might make it easier.


                  • DanaNM
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                      Second the canned pumpkin. My Pip didn’t eat the CC well before, but if I mix a bit of unsweetened canned pumpkin in, he comes running up to the syringe and takes it willingly! So cute!

                      Also be sure to give the worst med first, that way they can associate a yummy thing following the gross thing. 

                      I found the most success having Pip on my lap (no bunrito necessary). I hold his head with my left hand, 3 fingers under his jaw, thumb on his head, and then come in from the side with my right hand. Go slowly and stay calm. Act like you are giving him the yummiest treat in the world. I swear it helps! 

                      . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


                    • Tara
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                        He wasnt given any pills, all liquid. I tried hiding it in various treats but he sniffs it out and wont take it. Even on strawberry, his favorite thing in the world!! Theres two of us here and only rarely do we have to do it by ourself. What we are currently doing is holding him secure while the other tries to get the syringe in. In the end we get it in him but i was hoping there would be a better way. Was really hoping the treats would work. Ive got a couple of other tricks to try ill let you know if i find something for particularly stubborn bunnies. He is either very stubborn or im terrible at this.


                      • DanaNM
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                          Not sure whether you are trying to mix the meds into the CC to try to get it all in one go, but I recommend doing his medicine first (in separate syringes), then the CC.

                          If the medicine tastes weird to him, it will make the CC harder to get down him. Aim for that sweet spot behind the incisors. This video is good (I’ve seen some bad ones), and on par with what our vet showed me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGZVYVm5Bg. Basically I am controlling the bunnies head with my thumb and index finger.

                          Also, our vet said the CC should be the consistency of “pancake batter”, and mixed with warm water so it’s a luke warm temp. And seriously, try the pumpkin! Pip would spit most of his CC out until I added in a bit of pumpkin. World of difference. Also try the apple-banana flavor of CC vs. the original.

                          The treat thing might work once he starts feeling better. At first with stasis they don’t want to eat anything really. I wonder what type of liquid they gave you. Pip’s meds are super sweet and he likes the taste (I think he’s thinking of it as a treat at this point).

                          You can do it! You will get better!

                          . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


                        • Tara
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                            Okay! The video seems a bit helpful! I think I might have been making the mix too thick. So I’ll try making it thinner next time. Also I didn’t combine them. I have been giving him his pain medication first, then antibiotics, then the gas relief followed by the CC. Tonight I tried putting strawberry and banana (only a little) in the CC. He still didn’t care for it. But we got it in him and now he’s moping. 

                            We are going to be going to Walmart soon to get the materials to build a NIC cage for our buns (they are quickly outgrowing theirs and I want them to have good lives) so I’ll definitely see about getting a small can of pumpkin puree! 

                            Thanks for the advice and support! It’s nice knowing that as a new rabbit owner there’s a support system to go to on here. Tiddles isn’t going to be happy for a while. First we got to get him healthy again, nice and fat, then it’s time to get him neutered. 


                          • DanaNM
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                              Yeah, you definitely have to take the tough love approach! Adding a bit of extra water in the CC also helps hydrate them, which is really important with stasis.

                              The pumpkin is nice because it has lots of fiber and water, and not very much sugar, so it’s good for bunny tummies, esp after stasis. It doesn’t taste or smell like much to me, but apparently it’s amazing to Pippen. It’s good to have some on hand in your bunny first aid kit for that reason.

                              I’m assuming he’s pooping OK, since he’s not on motility meds?

                              . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


                            • Tara
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                                I actually didnt know to check that before this. Tiddles and his brother are the first rabbits ive had to take care of myself.

                                But ive been watching now and hes not pooping a lot but he is pooping.

                                Followed the guidelines from the video and it helped a little. Medicating him didnt take as long this time.


                              • Tara
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                                  Just letting you know that Tiddles seems to be doing much better. He’s active again, begging for treats again, devouring his veggies and hay, and even eating his pellets. He seems to be pooping okay. Seems his only complaint at the moment is that he still has to take his meds regardless of if he wants to or not.


                                • DanaNM
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                                    That’s great news! 

                                    You’ve prob heard this elsewhere, but I wouldn’t give any treats, or anything with sugar or a lot of starch while his tummy is getting back in balance. Keep up the good work! 

                                    My Pip is actually doing well today too (we’ve been up and down since he went into stasis 3.5 weeks ago)… so yay for happy bunny tummies!

                                    . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


                                  • Tara
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                                      That’s awesome! I’m glad your bun is feeling better. Happy bun tum!
                                      We are mostly giving certain herbs as treats. Cilantro and basil are treated like treats for them.Also, a little bit of strawberry and banana. Tiddles LOVEs strawberry. He comes running if he smells the stuff. Which is what makes it so frustrating when it didn’t help with his meds. xD He’s back to sticking his nose through his cage bars if he so much as hears a bag rattle.


                                    • Tara
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                                        So, one last update and I’ll let this topic fade.

                                        Tiddles is doing MUCH better. He pooped plenty during play time, ate all his veggies, ate some of his pellets, and was very active. He pretty much kept moving all through floor time. We typically let them out of the cage and only close it when they go in and have stayed in for 30 min signaling they’re done. Which usually takes about 3-4 hours. Though when he was feeling bad he only stayed out for maybe 30 min to an hour before going and hiding in his cage. So today was an improvement. I feel like the GI stasis was brought on not only by a fight with an Upper Respiratory infection, but also I don’t think he got enough exercise.He isn’t in the best cage for now as I’m waiting for the panels so I can build either a 3(h)x2(L)x3(w) or a 4(h)x2(L)x3(w) cage for him and his brother. It was perfect when they were tiny babies and we got it with the intent of having it as a temporary cage until more money came in.

                                        Anyways I’m rambling. The vet has instructed me to go ahead and ween him off the critical care. I asked them if he needed the motility drugs as it was a different (emergency) vet who prescribed all his meds to begin with. Though my vet told me he would be fine.

                                        So for now the plan is to keep him eating, playing, and just keep him healthy. I want to keep an eye on him for a good while especially since from what I read a lot of people said they were fighting it for WEEKS where as Tiddles was looking better within a couple of days. I think I might have caught on really early? Which I am happy about. Gotta keep him on antibiotics for his URI but other than that he should end up being fine. Then once everything has been cleared up and he’s been healthy for about 2-3 weeks I’ll be getting him and his brother neutered.

                                        This forum has been super helpful the whole time. So thanks a lot!

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                                    Forum DIET & CARE GI stasis and recovery after