Unusually slow GI stasis recovery

[FluffyBunny]

So, my new bunny Hyzenthlay went into GI stasis 2 days after I got her. We took her to the ER vet on Tuesday night, and initally they actually told us they suspected organ failure due to her obesity and extreme lethargy. Fortunately, she stabilized and was diagnosed with GI stasis. So, she’s been on Cisapride and Metacam, as well as critical care force feedings since Tuesday night.

 She is more active now, warm, and acting fairly normally. However, I’ve only seen several mushy cecals and a small handful of regular poops come from her since Tuesday, 4 days ago. She’s also barely nibbling on food on her own (all I’ve seen her independently eat is one leaf of lettuce, maybe 20 strands of hay, and under a teaspoon of pellets). 

I’m wondering if anyone’s dealt with such a slow recovery from stasis? How did you get them eating/pooping again? I’ve dealt with stasis twice over the years, but they were back to normal within 1-2 days of treatment.

[Bam]

It can take 2 weeks or even longer. Here’s a link to Dana Krempel’s excellent article on GI stasis: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
Scroll all the way down to V. The Road to Recovery: Reduce Stress. (“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”)

In this section of the article, she says (in capital letters!): RECOVERY FROM GI STASIS IS SOMETIMES MADDENINGLY GRADUAL.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Yes, I’ve had slow recovery as well but it’s been quite a few years ago since I dealt with that. Sub Q fluids can really help. Did the vet do any? Sometimes it can really perk them up.

(((((((((Get Well Soon))))))

[FluffyBunny]

Yep, she got sub Q fluids at the vet. Poor girl’s still not eating anything today, but she deposited a nice pile of misshapen poops on her cage floor tonight. She’s also binkying all over the room she’s in. Silly creature. Hopefully that means she’s on the mend.

[jerseygirl]

Glad to hear she is coming through this okay! I was worried after you posted about her in the Lounge.

[FluffyBunny]

So at what point should I be worried about this? She’s back to not eating anything besides force feedings. I’ve also not seen any poop since I last posted. Also, she has been just hiding in boxes again. We are now 8 days into GI stasis treatment.

[Bam]

I think I’d call the vet again. Do you still have meds for her? Has her molars been checked?

[FluffyBunny]

I’m uncertain, unfortunately, as I was at work when she had to go to the ER vet. I still have meds but I am almost out. I’ll call the vet again today.

Feel bad for it but all this sick bunny business is stressing me out! And the poor girl associates me with force feeding now, so she growls when I come in the room

[jerseygirl]

Sending more {{{vibes}}} I wonder what is the underlying cause?

[FluffyBunny]

So she went in for another check up today. It is day 10 of stasis recovery and still minimal eating and pooping. She had almost a 105 fever when she went in, and the vet is thinking she may have a systemic infection. The stasis appears to have cleared up, at least, but she’s not eating due to some sort of pain/infection. She’s also having blood labs done to check on her liver/kidneys. So she is now on 4x/day critical care and antibiotics.

[jerseygirl]

Goodness. Is she on pain med to bring fever down also?
Does the vet have an idea of her glucose levels?

[FluffyBunny]

Yep, she is still on a daily Metacam dose. I don’t know if her glucose was checked, but that may be one of the things being looked at in her blood test. The vet also mentioned that liver torsion was a possible cause of the issue (would be mainly obesity related in her case). Hoping that is not the case, since liver torsion seems to have a fairly poor prognosis and require surgery.

Also forgot to mention, her teeth were checked out and she has no tooth overgrowth or infection there. So whatever is causing this is not tooth related.

[FluffyBunny]

So day 13, now, of minimal eating and pooping. Her blood tests came in today and she had small red blood cells. The vet isn’t sure of the cause, but suspects either lead poisoning or a bone marrow infection. Treatment in either case is supportive, likely for several weeks until/unless she gets her appetite back (she has a high chance of developing GI stasis and declining again).

[jerseygirl]

Gosh. So a type of anaemia?

I just looked on medirabbit site and there seems to be a lot of possible causes of anaemia, including the 2 your vet mentioned.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Hematology/Differentials/anemia.htm

I feel like she came to you for a reason – whatever the outcome. I hope you don’t mind my saying that. I just feel so sad that you are dealing with this so closely after losing Ms Rabbit though.

Sending continued {{{vibes}}} for Hyzenthlay and strength {{{vibes}}} for you!

[Author]

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