Buns keep getting GI stasis

[Francesca]

Hello hoomins of Binky Bunny, I am writing to you all today because I have 3 rabbits and they keep getting GI stasis. They are each healthy holland lops who are a perfect weight. I take them to the vet every 4-6 months for check ups, and they are fed unlimited water and unlimited fresh timothy hay and oxbow timothy pellets for adult rabbits (they are each 5 lbs and receive 1/4 cup of pellets per day) as well as greens and occasional fruits. I keep them inside where the temperature is moderate and they have plenty of space to binky and run around, so they usually get the appropriate level of exercise that they need. Every time I take them to the vet, I’m told their teeth are short enough and that they are healthy overall. However, they each get stasis a couple times a year and there doesn’t seem to be an explanation for it- when I take them to the vet, I spend hundreds of dollars on x-rays that come up with no blockages. Usually after I take them to the vet for stasis, the doctor will send me home with critical care and metaclopramide to help get the gut moving again and after a few days they’re fine again. 

I just don’t understand why my seemingly healthy bunnies keep getting stasis when they’re getting the proper diet they need and they’re supposedly healthy. Right now my one bun, Queso has stasis for the 3rd time this year and I’m wary to take him to the vet when I spend hundreds of dollars on emergency clinic visits/medicines/x-rays when they all turn out healthy. Any advice or insights as to why my buns keep getting sick??? Thanks in advance everyone!!  

[JackRabbit]

I’m curious…..they have access to fresh water but are they drinking plenty (fluids are just ss important as food in keeping the gut moving)? Are there stressors in their environment (loud noises, etc)? Do the stasis episodes happen during heavy sheds? Do they go into stasis at the same time? Have you tried reducing the amount of greens, limiting the greens to “mild” greens and herbs, and/or tried eliminating sugars? Do the stasis episodes seem to start with the buns getting gassy? Have you tried adding digestive tabs (Sherwood makes a good one amd Oxbow makes one as well)?

[Francesca]

Hey there Jack Rabbit, usually one will go into stasis and then when that one gets better, the next one will get it. Or it will happen a few months apart but they never get it at the same time as each other. The digestive tabs by Oxbow don’t seem to help, but I’ll have to try Sherwood’s. However, I’ve noticed that stasis does not always occur during heavy sheds, and I don’t believe there are any stressors.. we live in a very quiet home. 

They have a large water dispenser, and maybe it’s too big for them and they don’t feel like doing the work to drink it. I just replaced it with a regular water bowl instead to make it easier for them, hopefully that helps. Thanks for the insights!!  

[JackRabbit]

Hopefully they’ll drink more with the bowl. I found (by a fluke) that one of my buns didn’t really like the taste of our water so ended up switching them to bottled spring water! Lol!
I’m kindof wondering if the veggies may be behind the stasis episodes. Stasis is a symptom and not a cause so you need to figure out what is causing it. Something as simple as gas could be it, and gas pain makes the bun not want to eat or drink and we know where that leads. I know some people don’t believe simethicone (baby gas drops — I but the Walmart brand) works with bunnies, but my buns are living proof that it does. You might try giving simethicone at the very first sign that something is “off”. Simethicone is not absorbed so even if it isn’t gas it doesn’t hurt to give it. If it is gas, you need to figure out what’s causing the gas and the likely culprit would be the veggies……cutting out potentially gassy veggies such as kale, broccoli, etc., is an option as is cutting out all but “gentle” veggies like green leaf lettuce and slowly adding back one veggie or herb at a time to see what veggies and herbs sit well with the buns.

[Bam]

I think it’s a good idea that you’ve switched them to a water bowl-most animals drink more from a bowl than from a bottle. As for the taste of the water, have a Brita water filter jar that is used with normal tap water. It’s a product for hoomins, but buns like the water too ? Hydration really is very important for the bunny tummy, a fibrous diet (as your buns are getting) requires lots of water.

I agree with JackRabbit about simethicone gas drops, it has helped my buns many times and you often see result after 20-30 minutes only. Bunnies can’t burp due to their narrow passage between the esophagus and the stomach, so if they get gas, they must fart to get rid of it. If you’re lucky, you can even get to hear your bun fart after a dose of simethicone.

I also agree on the elimination diet. Not all buns tolerate all vegs. To find out which one is the possible culprit, you take away all greens, then slowly add them back.

(Hi JackRabbit ?)

[jerseygirl]

Im another that agrees on effectiveness of simethicone. Good stuff to have around.
Since your buns are stasis prone, would your vet allow you to keep supply of metaclop, metacam and critical care on hand? Zantac is another that can be helpful, given in the early stages. Some owners have said it was zantac that was most effective for their rabbit. Hopefully you will be able to discerning what is bringing stasis on and have little need for those things!

What type of greens do you typically feed? Are they the bagged salad greens occasionally?  I recall reading about some salad greens that upset bunny tums as they had been sprayed with something to help them last longer. This was happening in the summer time or when greens were being sourced from further afield when local suppliers were low or particular greens where out of season. 

Pellets might be something you need to eliminate also. Or try some different types. 

Good thinking re the water bowl and water supply, JR!

More Qu’s:

With moulting, do they tend to do that at same time? They live together. 

Are your 3 rabbits related at all?

What age are they?

With Queso, has he had his molars checked while sedated? 

[jerseygirl]

If you’re lucky, you can even get to hear your bun fart after a dose of simethicone.

Lol. I suppose it is lucky to hear that rather then pack them up for a trip to the vet.

[sarahthegemini]

Lol Bam I’d have loved to have heard Buttercup fart after her stasis episodes, it’d be like a big sigh of relief

CrazyBunLady – does the stasis episodes correlate with moulting by any chance?

[LittlePuffyTail]

they are each 5 lbs and receive 1/4 cup of pellets per day)

1/4 cup pellets each or for them to share?

[JackRabbit]

I’ve never heard any of my bunnies fart. I feel deprived! Lol!

[jerseygirl]

Posted By JackRabbit on 7/15/2018 10:03 PM
I’ve never heard any of my bunnies fart. I feel deprived! Lol!

Haha! I don’t think I have either. But I don’t feel deprived. I’m guessing they do not smell like a nice meadow breeze.

[Theodorusrex]

My rabbit gets stasis several times a year, cause as of yet unknown but I would like to reiterate what a few have already said

– Moulting – many of Theo’s worse GI stasis bouts have coincided with a heavy moult. During a moult I have to brush Theo several times per day, clean and hoover his area everyday and change his water 6 + times per day because it always gets filled with fur. Although if stasis doesn’t always coincide with heavy moults then there are obviously other causes.

– Have you tried adding probiotic to his diet? I swear by Protexin profibre for rabbits, they come in pellet form and Theo goes absolutely mad for them

– I also champion simethicone – has prevented many a vet trip in our house

– If they are getting 1/4 cup pellets each perhaps cutting this down gradually would encourage more hay eating and therefore improve gut health. Theo has tried lots of different pelleted foods and science selective fibafirst sticks were the best for his gut health. He is pellet free now and stasis bouts have definitely declined.

[Francesca]

Hi everyone!

I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts and feedback. Queso is feeling much better now and I’m so glad but I want to make sure it stays that way. I think I need to cut down on pellets since they are each getting 1/4 cup per day (as per my vet’s recommendation) but I am going to cut it down to 1/2 cup per day instead and see if that helps. Hopefully switching to a water bowl instead of the large water dispenser will help, I’ve noticed they’re all drinking more frequently now too. I’m going to brush them more during heavy shedding seasons as well.

Where do you all get the simethicone gas drops? I definitely want to try those as well since I’ve never used them!

[Francesca]

With moulting, do they tend to do that at same time? They live together. 

Are your 3 rabbits related at all?

What age are they?

With Queso, has he had his molars checked while sedated? 

None of the rabbits are related, I adopted each of them at different times. However, they do shed at the same time. Nugget is 3, Queso is 2 and Stitch is 1. Queso has never been sedated but I have had each of their molars checked at their bi-annual check ups. 

[Bam]

Glad to hear Queso is doing much better! Simethicone baby gasdrops can be bought at for example Walmart or in pharmacies.

I once heard my bun Yohio fart while I was holding him in my lap during a gassy episode. It was a low shoo-shoo-shoo-sound, followed by a smell that indeed wasn’t meadow fresh ?

[Nattybun]

Hi
I’ve had the same problem for years with my nearly 5 year old house rabbit Hamish. He was eating lots of hay, water from a bowl some forage small amount of pellets and veg. But kept get getting it. I tried all sorts, I changed his pellets gradually but he kept getting it. I stopped his pellets all together (gradually) and he’s been like a different rabbit. I can’t believe the difference it’s made.
I just give him a little bit of extra veg and make him some dry forage.
I know all buns are different but there has been a dramatic change in him.
Hope you get to the bottom of it, I know how stressful it is.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I also suggest trying to gradually reduce pellets. It helped a lot for 2 of my previous boys who were very stasis prone.

[Francesca]

Question for all you hoomins recommending simethicone baby gasdrops- how much do you give to your buns and is there any harmful effects of it? Ie can it hurt if it doesn’t help? Just wondering :/

[JackRabbit]

Simethicone isn’t absorbed so it can’t hurt. JMO, but it also can help “grease the way”. I give anywhere from .3 ml to .5 ml depending on the bunny. I give it at the first sign that the bunny seems “off”.

[Bam]

Like JackRabbit says, simethicone is not absorbed. It gets pooped out. It comes in different s strengths from 20 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml. I have a 40 mg/ml strength brand and at first symptoms, I give my bun 1-0.5 ml once per hour for 3 hours. It would be very difficult to inadvertently overdose simethicone gas drops.

This is a good article on GI stasis, with helpful tips and info:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html Dana Krempels is a very well renowned rabbit expert.

[Sirius&Luna]

Another thought – not sure if anyone has already mentioned it, but I think sometimes EC can cause stasis problems. It could be worth testing/treating for that.

[Nattybun]

sorry I meant to say on my last post that in addition to removing his pellets I did panacur him for 60 days. After he got over his statis.
The vets in my area not at all good. I just kept getting fobbed off with metacam and antacids for him. I got some great advice from people on here. (I lost my log in for my account, so I had to make another one.)
I also changed his veg, he was having kale some days and spring greens the other days along with other veg. So I
took them out. I think they were too high in calcium. I found that carrot tops and too much banana set it off too.
I can’t honestly say, it’s like having him back to being a baby bun now. He’s been really active over the past 6 months since changing everything.
I really feel for you, the nights I’ve spent up all night willing him to eat something to get his gut moving, then the relief when he starts to nibble something. I hope you get sorted soon.

[Francesca]

Thank you all so much for the advice and the feedback, I’ve honestly learned more from this forum than I have from multiple vet visits over the years so I can’t thank you all enough! Although I do have one more question- are the simethicone drops force fed? If not, how do you feed them to your buns when you’re getting the feeling something is “off” with them? Thanks again

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m glad you’ve learned lots here. I’ve been a member for over 10 years and still learning. Bunnies are very complex little creatures, for sure!

Yes, I’ve always had to force feed the simethicone. The brand I use, Ovol, is sort of a mint taste so they don’t hate it too much, but it’s not too hard to do. They come with a long eye dropper-type applicator and you just put it in the side of the mouth and very slowly squeeze the dropper. Do a bit, then let bunny swallow. Some will get on their mouth, that’s inevitable. And a good sign to watch, when bunny starts washing it off, it’s usually a sign they are starting to feel better.

[kim]

Hi there,

Ive signed up to this forum just so i could post this.

My rabbit had problems with GI stasis every few weeks/months for almost 2 years and I tried EVERYTHING mentioned above over those 2 years (lots of exercise to get things moving, regular good diet with just the one type of hay (yes, even different types of hay can affect rabbits differently apparently – research is important with hay – TIMOTHY hay is the best by far. We had her on burgees nuggets which are ideal – dont ever buy the other colourful types as our VET said tehy are like giving your rbabit mcdonalds everyday! – that surpised us!) We tried increasing water access (we had it all over the house and our rabbit was drinking plenty) we brushed her daily to make sure it wasnt a moulting issue and that helped a good bit but it didn’t solve our issues with GI stasis, We even tried different litter types and found that the all natural wood chips were best but anything that is not dusty/non clumping is good. Clumping litter is terrible for rabbits! We controlled her diet really well (we went back to basics and slowly introduced veggies/fruit to see if something would jump out at us and we just couldn’t figure it out!

Just nothing worked – it was so frustrating! It got to the stage where we just had Metacam and critcial care in our press all the time because we just knew our rabbit would be needing it – it was awful. (Also, just as a side note when rabbit has GI stasis we found massaging rabbits tummy to get things moving really helpful as well. Rabbit can find it uncomfortable but it really does help get things moving and when giving critcial care giving the odd syringe of just plain water is very good to get things moving as well along with the usual critical care and pain relief of course).

So our rabbit was pretty sick regularly, BUT THEN, and this was HUGE for our rabbit we figured out what it was and it was something that was never mentioned to us at all by Vets or on any forums we’d been on but apparently how fast the rabbit eats can actually be a huge difference and we had no idea! Our rabbit was always a great eater in between GI stasis issues and turns out once we separated out her meals throughout the day to much smaller meal amounts (veggies and nuggets) and just gave them to her more frequently so she was still getting the right amount of food, it actually fixed her issue within days! Now this is along with a healthy diet with lots of timothy hay, lots of exercise and regular grooming every 2-3 days and lots of water access. But she actually got completely better!

We were baffled but this acually fixed the GI stasis so if you’ve tried everything else like we did then maybe give this a go!!

[DanaNM]

Hi @kim

Thanks for the info and glad you found something that worked for your bunny! We ask members not to reply to old threads to avoid confusion, so I’ve gone ahead and locked this thread (and deleted your duplicate post). If you would like further discussion feel free to start your own thread.

. . . 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.  

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