Sunflower seeds OK with past history of GI stasis?

Question
Is there anything I can feed Boo(F, spayed, 8yrs) to help her put on weight quickly without putting her at risk for another bout of GI stasis(Aug08)? It seems like everything I would give her I can't... What about (no-salt/no added oil)organic sunflower seeds?.. they are very fatty, but I don't have to give her many too get some "fat" in her? She seems to like them alright. I'm not supposed to give her oats anymore, or other sugary things. I give her bits of carrot and banana, but not enough that will help her put on a bit of weight.

Is there anything that has high fat content and fiber that is suitable for rabbits?

(she is still recovering from tilt(very slowly..) and has lost so much weight...she eats on her own, but Her appetite isnt like before. As far as I can tell, she is still losing weight, or at best, not putting any on)

I tried baby rabbit pellets thinking they would be higher in fat but she doesn't seem to like them.

I wanted to check with you b/c I don't want to add to her problems.

Answer
Dear Jasmine,

In answer to your two main questions:

"Is there anything I can feed Boo(F, spayed, 8yrs) to help her put on weight quickly...?"

What's the hurry?  If she is recovering, then the best way to help her is to provide unlimited regular alfalfa pellets (no seeds, nuts, dried fruit bits or anything but pellets), and make sure that her teeth are in good shape so that she can eat as much as she wants at a time.  This is the best way to put on weight, but it *should* be gradual.

If she's still losing weight, then her health problems are not completely resolved.  Please ask the vet about a molar exam, since head tilt can sometimes be related to dental problems such as molar spurs and/or molar root abscesses.  There are so many causes of head tilt that could also be related to weight loss that several articles have been written about this.  This one, written by a very well-respected rabbit expert (Dr. Susan Brown) covers pretty much all the bases:

www.rabbit.org/health/tilt.html

and this one tells you my own experiences:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html

If there is renal damage from Encephalitozoon cuniculi, this could cause wasting and weight loss, so I would recommend blood work (chemistry and blood count) to check the status of her kidneys.  This is especially relevant if she seems to be drinking and urinating a lot.

Is she on pain medication?  This can help a lot, as can intestinal motility promoting protocols and gas relief (simethicone), if her GI tract is still sluggish from the stress.  Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html

And remember that when you've been very ill, it sometimes takes a while to completely bounce back, especially if you're not young and strong.  She's not old at eight, but she's probably not as resilient as she would have been three or four years ago.

So I'd say patience, good, healthy pellets, and other balanced dietary items:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

are the key to gradual recovery.  There's actually quite a bit of research these days that suggests being thin can prolong life (as long as you're healthy otherwise).  So as long as you can reverse the weight loss and start to get her to slowly put it back on, I think you'll be on the right track.  Once she starts to gain, you've arrived.

I hope this helps.

Dana


"Is there anything that has high fat content and fiber that is suitable for rabbits?"