When Rabbits Get Sick: Buns’ Bout With GI Stasis

WHEN RABBITS GET SICK: BUNS’ BOUT WITH GI STASIS By Amy & Zach
Phillips-Gary

Sometimes living with a house rabbit requires you to be a
detective. Silent as bunnies tend to be, you may not know they
are sick unless you are paying close attention to clues. S/he
cannot whimper, meow or chirp to alert you that medical
attention is needed. Recently we had to play bunny detectives
with our Dutch breed house rabbit Buns who became seriously ill
with a condition known as GI Stasis. This is also called ileus.
It indicates sluggish movement in the gastrointestinal tract and
can lead to liver damage, even death. It is often misdiagnosed
as hairballs or wool block.

We hope that the following information and account of our
experience with this serious house rabbit illness will help you
collect your house rabbit’s clues and track down culprits that
endanger her/his health. For other house rabbit hints, facts,
and stories, please visit http://www.rabbitinfocenter.com And
remember, it is essential that bunny detectives work with their
rabbit-knowledgeable veterinarians.

The Case of Buns’ Bout with GI Stasis

Sunday 3pm: Weekly rabbit pen cleaning. Performed usual tasks:
cleaned up multiple waste droppings, sprayed floor of pen with
vinegar. Opened new bag of timothy hay, re-filled hay basket.

Monday 1:11 pm: Note that Buns has not eaten usual amount of hay
and find fewer waste droppings than usual in pen. Decide to
record these clues and call our veterinarian who is experienced
with rabbit care.

Tuesday 10:00 am: Observe very few waste droppings in pen. Hay
is still uneaten. We are officially worried.

Tuesday 3:15 pm: Visit with rabbit specialist vet. Diagnosis is
GI Stasis (aka ileus). Rabbit is given a shot to help stimulate
digestive system and clear out gas. Improvement should be
noticed by morning.

Wednesday 8:00 am: No improvement noticed. Noticing loud
crunching of teeth. Really really worried now. We call make
another vet appointment.

Wednesday 4:30 pm: Second visit with vet. Force feeding with
Oxbow Hay Company’s Critical Care formula is prescribed as well
as another shot. Medicine in hand, we head home.

Thursday 7:45 am: House rabbit Buns is starting to show
improvement. He actually likes the Critical Care formula fed to
him in a syringe and other medicine. Rabbit is even eating some
pellets again as well as timothy hay cube treats.

Friday and Saturday: Repeat force feeding and pills as
prescribed by vet. Steady improvement of rabbit noted.

Sunday 6:20 pm: Buns observed eating small amounts of timothy
hay. More waste droppings in pen are also observed. We continue
another day of “force feeding” though he loves the Critical Care
formula. This house rabbit appears to be back on track. Case
closed.

We still don’t completely understand what caused Bun’s case of
GI Stasis. With the help of our vet, we have some theories
including the possibility of a “bad” batch of hay (Buns is known
to be a picky eater). It could also have been the vinegar that
was used to clean his pen. However, what we do know is that once
a rabbit stops ingesting those vital grass hays, it doesn’t take
long for GI Stasis to take hold and, if left untreated, can
quickly kill a bunny.

More Information About GI Stasis:

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF GI STASIS Stress Infections Dental Problems
Urinary Tract Disorder: Gas Dehydration Unbalanced Diet

SYMPTOMS OF GI STASIS Waste Dropping Abnormalities Loud tummy
growling Lethargic No appetite. Crunching of teeth

*To learn more about a rabbit’s digestive system and dietary
needs please visit

http://www.rabbitinfocenter.com/dietandnutrition.htm