- Feed your rabbit a high-fiber diet. As you can see, treating GI stasis in rabbits is intensive and extensive.
- Increase your rabbit’s water intake. In addition to fiber, water is essential to keeping food moving smoothly your rabbit’s GI tract.
- Decrease your rabbit’s stress. Stress can cause GI stasis, so you should try to identify and remove the stressors in your rabbit’s environment.
- Take your rabbit to your veterinarian regularly. Regular veterinary check-ups would help your veterinarian detect and treat underlying diseases that could eventually lead to GI stasis.
What can I give my Rabbit to prevent GI stasis?
The best way to prevent GI stasis from developing in your rabbit is to feed it a high-fiber, hay-based diet with supplemental vegetables, a small amount of pellets, and small amounts of fruit (as fruit is high in carbohydrates).
How much food does a rabbit eat when it has stasis?
A rabbit may eat relatively normal amounts of food, almost up to the time the GI tract shuts down. Because of this, the stomach may contain a large bolus of food when stasis occurs.
What can I Feed my anorexic rabbit?
In addition to this emergency food, your veterinarian will give your rabbit free-choice hay and leafy greens. Since alfalfa hay can cause bloating, your veterinarian will instead feed your rabbit some type of grass hay (e.g., timothy, oat, brome). Fresh herbs can stimulate an anorexic rabbit to eat. Examples of herbs are mint, basil, and fennel.
Do Rabbits get GI stasis?
GI stasis is not always readily apparent in rabbits, especially in the early stages of disease. Since rabbits are prey animals, they tend to hide their pain to avoid looking vulnerable to a predator. Your own rabbit may do the same.
What do I do if my rabbit has GI stasis?
What to do if You Notice Early Signs of GI ProblemsINCREASE rabbit's fiber intake: offer her a variety of fresh hays. ... DECREASE pellets for a day or two to encourage a hungry bunny to eat more hay (fiber).INCREASE produce. ... INCREASE water consumption to help hydrate impacted gut: ... INCREASE your rabbit's exercise routine.More items...
How long does it take for rabbits to recover from GI stasis?
If treated appropriately then most rabbits recover and start to respond to treatment within 3-5 days. The earlier you seek medical treatment, the better the outcome!
Will a rabbit with GI stasis eat?
Hand feeding — Many rabbits with this condition have decreased or no appetite. It is often necessary to hand or force-feed liquid hay products (Critical Care, Oxbow Pet Products) with a syringe. Hay — Rabbits that will eat on their own must be encouraged to eat grass hay.
Can rabbits recover from GI stasis on their own?
Even when you get them to eat and they produce droppings again, you should still keep a very close eye on them. Full recovery from a bout of GI Stasis can take days, sometimes weeks.
Why does my rabbit keep getting gut stasis?
Veterinarians now know that rabbits that are not eating have developed gastrointestinal (GI) stasis. GI stasis is the slowing of passage of food through the GI tract. This is due to a change in the population of bacteria normally living in the GI tract that ferment (digest) rabbits' food.
How often can I give gas drops to rabbit?
Give 1/3 of a dropper (0.3ml) for smaller bunnies, or ½ dropper (0.5ml) for larger bunnies every 4-6 hours until your bunny appears to lay down in her normal manner, or she beings to eat again. A Gas relief product is a good thing to have on hand in your rabbit care emergency kit.
Can too many pellets cause GI stasis?
In addition, your vet may recommend that you eliminate or significantly reduce your rabbit's intake of high-carbohydrate pellets that can contribute to the development of GI stasis, and that you increase the amount of high-fiber grass hay and high-moisture greens in your rabbit's daily feedings.
Can GI Stasis be cured?
The best cure for GI stasis is prevention. Be sure your rabbit companion gets plenty of dietary fiber from fresh grass hay. Feed high fiber (22% or higher crude fiber) pellets.
How much does it cost to fix GI stasis?
Apart from being a very serious condition, gut stasis can be expensive to treat. Just the medications alone can cost around $150–200. If hospitalisation is needed, you could easily spend several hundred dollars and if surgery is needed, this can be thousands.
How do you force feed a rabbit?
4:5012:46How To Force Feed Sick Rabbits - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt so as you can see I like to position them so my right hand is able to force-feed them. And as youMoreIt so as you can see I like to position them so my right hand is able to force-feed them. And as you can see with Lulu she's basically just eating it right out of the syringe.
How long can a rabbit not poop for?
Most rabbits will not survive longer than 48 hours with a digestive blockage. Your rabbit will be treated through massage, laxatives, and if necessary, an enema. Another common reason for constipation in rabbits is stress.
How much pineapple juice should I give my rabbit?
Regular house-pet rabbits only need around 2 grams of sugar in their diet per day. Since there are around 10 grams of sugar in every 100 grams of pineapple, your rabbits should have only have around 20 grams of pineapple, maximum, in a day.
How much does it cost to fix GI stasis?
Apart from being a very serious condition, gut stasis can be expensive to treat. Just the medications alone can cost around $150–200. If hospitalisation is needed, you could easily spend several hundred dollars and if surgery is needed, this can be thousands.
How do I get my rabbit to eat again?
Syringe feeding can stimulate your rabbits appetite. Offer fresh parsley and other fragrant, tasty herbs throughout the day. He may eventually take a nibble. Even waving tempting treat foods in front of him can entice your annoyed rabbit to take a bite and decide food isn't so bad after all.
How long does it take for a rabbit to poop after eating?
Hard waste feces (what is found on the floor of the cage) which have a high fiber content, are produced for approximately the first four hours after the rabbit eats its food and the cecotropes are produced during the next four hours (therefore not only at night).
Why is my rabbit lethargic and not eating?
The most common reason for a loss of appetite in rabbits is a gastrointestinal problem called ileus. Ileus occurs when normal peristalsis—the contractions in the intestines that push food through the gastrointestinal tract—decreases or stops.
How to treat a rabbit's GI stasis?
Relieve your rabbit’s pain. Intensive care by your veterinarian is required to treat your rabbit’s GI stasis. Your rabbit’s treatment plan will have many parts, one of which is pain relief. When his intestines fill with gas, this can stretch the walls of gut and cause intense pain.
What to feed an anorexic rabbit?
Since alfalfa hay can cause bloating, your veterinarian will instead feed your rabbit some type of grass hay (e.g., timothy, oat, brome). Fresh herbs can stimulate an anorexic rabbit to eat.
How does a rabbit's mood change?
Even if he tries to hide it at first, his mood will start to change as GI stasis takes its toll. For example, your rabbit will become depressed. He will also become lethargic.
What is GI stasis in rabbits?
GI stasis is a very serious medical condition in rabbits and requires immediate veterinary care. To continue taking good care of your rabbit, learn how to recognize GI stasis, how it's treated, and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.
Why does my rabbit have GI problems?
It has several causes (e.g., dental disease, stress, pain from an underlying illness) and stops your rabbit’s normal GI motility.
Can a vet check a rabbit's molars?
For example, your veterinarian can check your rabbit’s incisors and molars to see if their growth is affecting your rabbit’s ability to chew his food. Regular veterinary visits may be costly, but may actually be inexpensive compared to the cost of treating GI stasis. Expert Q&A.
Do rabbits hide their pain?
Since rabbits are prey animals, they tend to hide their pain to avoid looking vulnerable to a predator. Your own rabbit may do the same. Fortunately, one of the most recognizable symptoms of GI stasis is a decrease or complete stop of feces production.
What to feed a rabbit to get rid of a swollen intestine?
Stick to pellets soaked in water if you’re unsure, though pumpkin baby food is a great option if you can get it. Herbs such as mint and coriander can be great for tempting rabbits to eat. Dandelions are thought to be good at getting the digestive system going again.
How to tell if a rabbit has GI stasis?
A quick tummy rub in these instances can prevent GI stasis before it turns into something more serious. Other signs to look out for are: Small, dark poops, or fewer/no poops. No interest in food/water. Sitting quieting. Rabbits that feel uncomfortable often hunch over and won’t lie down.
Why do rabbits look sad when they moult?
They’re trying a new food. They’re moulting – rabbits can’t cough up hairballs as cats can, and the excess hair can cause stasis. It’s the reason one of my rabbits always looked a bit sad when moulting.
Why is my rabbit not eating?
A diet that high in starch and low in fibre can cause bad bacteria to multiply in the gut. GI stasis can cause blockages in the digestive system, and the rabbit’s lack of interest in eating/drinking exacerbates the issue and doesn’t allow the food to pass through the digestive system.
Why do rabbits get stressed?
Stress can come from anything like a trip to the vets, loss of a mate, a frightening event, such as the introduction of another animal to the household, or a change in environment like moving house. Some rabbits will take change in their stride – like humans, some are more averse to change than others.
What to do if your rabbit won't eat?
Coriander/cilantro is always popular. If your rabbit won’t eat, syringe critical care (you can get it on Amazon – I recommend keeping some in at all times, just in case).
Why is hay important for rabbits?
This is one of the reasons why it’s so crucial that hay makes up 85% of your rabbit’s diet – it allows the digestive system to function effectively.
Why do rabbits get GI stasis?
How do rabbits get GI stasis? There a few reasons that a rabbit might stop eliminating, but most of them are linked to an imbalance in the rabbit’s intestinal flora. An imbalance can happen from antibiotics, dehydration, a diet too low in fiber, or stress.
How long does it take for a rabbit to eat?
When you notice that your rabbit’s not pooping or eating,, begin keeping a close eye on her. If she doesn’t eliminate or eat within 6-12 hours , there is likely a problem. Remove feed pellets from the hutch. Leave timothy grass available in hay feeder.
Can you use rabbit gel daily?
Some rabbit owners have complained that when using these gels as a daily supplement, that their rabbit’s pellets worsen in condition. So while the gel is safe for daily use, and can work in a pinch to help your rabbit through a tough GI issue, I do not recommend using this daily.
Does probiotic gel help Alice's GI system?
I have also used probiotic gel to help aid Alice’s GI system in moving “stuck” contents through, and this has worked fine. The idea is that this gel adds probiotics to your rabbit’s gut to rebalance intestinal flora.
Does pineapple help with GI stasis?
I made a “mush” from canned pineapple and syringe fed it to her. It worked well, which was a huge relief. Pineapple is often suggested for GI stasis/ wool blockages because it was believed at one point that the bromelain in pineapple would break up the wool blockage.
How to treat GI stasis in rabbits?
The best cure for GI stasis is prevention. Be sure your rabbit companion gets plenty of dietary fiber from fresh grass hay. Feed high fiber (22% or higher crude fiber) pellets. Be sure your rabbit is drinking sufficient water to keep ingested food hydrated and moving smoothly. It helps to offer at least 4 cups of fresh, wet leafy greens per 5 lbs. of rabbit daily. And don’t forget that regular exercise not only keeps the skeletal muscles strong: it also keeps the smooth muscles of the intestines well-toned and active.
What to feed a rabbit that won't eat?
Kale is a good choice. If the rabbit refuses to eat, try fragrant, fresh herbs such as mint, basil, dill, cilantro, tarragon, sage, fennel, parsley and others.
What is the best medicine for rabbits?
An intestinal motility agent, such as cisapride (Propulsid) or metoclopramide (Reglan) will help get a static intestine moving again. Both of the aforementioned drugs are safe and effective for rabbits. Cisapride, a more recently developed drug, has fewer potential nervous system side effects with long term use than Reglan. We have used it long term (for several weeks at a time) without apparent adverse side effects. However, as with any drug, your veterinarian should be aware of any potential drug interactions between cisapride/metaclopramide and any other medications your rabbit may be taking. For example, narcotic painkillers should never be given with Reglan due to the potential for dangerous interaction between the two.
How to help a bunny with a lazy gut?
One of the single most effective ways to stimulate a lazy gut into action is with gentle massage. Place the bunny on a secure countertop on a towel (or in your lap, if the bunny feels secure there), making sure he can’t jump down and hurt himself. With your hands and fingertips, gently massage the abdomen. Knead as deeply as the bunny will allow, but back off immediately if he expresses pain. We have found that gently lifting the rabbit’s hindquarters a few inches (with the bunny’s head safely tucked into the massager’s elbow, and the spine firmly supported) helps gas to pass more easily, and seems to be comforting to the bunny. Once s/he gets over the initial surprise of being held this way, a rabbit will often allow his/her legs to droop in comfort and relief as the massage helps gas pockets move towards the exit.
How to save a rabbit from hypothermia?
Pack the rabbit with warm water bottles wrapped in towels and get him to your rabbit-savvy veterinarian immediately. Medications often will not be effective when given to a rabbit suffering from hypothermia, so the first step in saving your bunny’s life is to get his body temperature back into normal range.
What is the runny stool of a rabbit?
The runny stool sometimes misidentified as “diarrhea” in rabbits is more often composed of unformed, almost-liquid cecotropes. Rabbits produce two types of pellets: fecal pellets (left in the litterbox) and cecotropes (soft, pungent, normally shaped like a cluster of grapes and reingested by the rabbit to obtain essential nutrients).
How long does it take for a rabbit to die from a fecal syringe?
If your rabbit stops eating or producing feces for 12 hours or more , you should consider the condition an EMERGENCY.
A guide to rabbit GI stasis for the average owner
You come to hang out with your rabbit, and you find it hunched in the corner, not wanting to move around, and refusing to eat. You know your rabbit is sick, so you do a quick Google of its symptoms and think it might have GI stasis. But what is GI stasis in rabbits and what should you do?
Basics of GI Stasis in Rabbits
First things first, if your rabbit isn’t eating then you need to call the vet and get your bunny seen as soon as possible. GI stasis can very quickly become life-threatening.
Symptoms of GI Stasis in Rabbits
The most telling symptom that your rabbit has GI stasis is that it won’t want to eat anything. It also will likely not want to move around much. Your bunny may also stop pooping or have extremely runny poop.
What Causes GI Stasis
It can sometimes be difficult to figure out what caused your rabbit’s GI stasis.
Treatment for Rabbit GI Stasis
As I mentioned before, the first thing you want to do if your rabbit isn’t eating is call the vet and get them in as soon as possible. There are treatments your vet will do that you can’t do at home. They will likely get your pet on IV fluids and may do x-rays or other tests to try and determine the cause of the stasis.
Final Thoughts on GI Stasis
GI stasis in rabbits can be very scary, but it can help to know the symptoms and what to expect for treatment. If you suspect your rabbit has GI stasis, call the vet to get them an appointment and then do what you can to keep them comfortable!
Symptoms
- Monitor your rabbit’s feces production. GI stasis is not always readily apparent in rabbits, especially in the early stages of disease. Since rabbits are prey animals, they tend to hide their pain to avoid looking vulnerable to a predator. Your own rabbit may do the same.[4] X Research source Fortunately, one of the most recognizable symptoms of GI stasis is a decrease or co…
- Observe your rabbit’s appetite. Another telltale sign of GI stasis is a partial or complete lack o…
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- An enema delivers liquid to the source. It can help hydrate hardened, dehydrated fecal matter in the lower GI, even when subcutaneously administered fluids dont seem to help. The very presence of the warm liquid also seems to stimulate the muscles of the lower GI tract.