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Alternatively, your veterinarian may want to use an appetite stimulant, such as B vitamins. In addition to this emergency food, your veterinarian will give your rabbit free-choice hay and leafy greens. To treat your rabbit, your veterinarian will need to not only rehydrate your rabbit as a whole, but also rehydrate his GI tract so food can move through more easily.
Bacterial dysbiosis can cause acute diarrhea, chronic intermittent diarrhea, enterotoxemia, ileus, or gas accumulation ("bloat"). As nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort lead to anorexia, fiber and water intake are further reduced, and the process becomes self-perpetuating. If prolonged, GI stasis often leads to hepatic lipidosis, dehydration, and other secondary complications. A bunny that unexpectedly stops eating is a cause for concern, particularly if it lasts for a few hours or more. GI stasis in rabbits is the most common reason a rabbit will stop eating.
GI Stasis in Rabbits: A Deadly Condition
Most importantly, you should always feed hay to your pet. Proper digestive tract health requires grasses and high-quality long-stemmed hay. Don’t overfeed grain products such as bread, breakfast cereals or sweets.. GI hypomotility is promoted by a diet consisting primarily of commercial pellets, especially those containing seeds, oats, or other high-carbohydrate treats.
The gastrointestinal tract of rabbits is very sensitive and responds acutely to any disease process within the body. Remember; GI stasis in rabbits can be a fatal condition, however, it doesn’t need to be fatal. If you spot any of the issues that we highlighted before, then take your bunny to the vet as soon as you can. Not only does it help to whittle your bunny’s teeth down over time, but the hay is vital for providing them with the fiber that they need. Nine times out of ten, if your rabbit is diagnosed with GI stasis, it is because they simply do not have enough hay in their diet.
GI Stasis
Initial assessment of upper gastrointestinal tract by esophagogastroduodenoscopy or barium radiography is done to rule out a mechanical obstruction. The most common test used in clinical practice is the gastric scintigraphic emptying of solids. A study result of retention of solids at 4 hours is considered to be diagnostic of gastroparesis. Drugs that affect the gastric emptying should be held at least 48 hours prior to the study.
Smith of New London, CT, who currently share their home with two mischievous agouti rabbits named Coco and Cosette. 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. The GI tract would then be free to move its contents through and out of the rabbit. The first time Alice had a GI “episode”, I used canned pineapple. In my research, I had found that because she is a long-haired rabbit, she could likely have a wool blockage.
Other Causes for Rabbits to Stop Eating
When these bacteria proliferate, they produce painful gas that makes the rabbit want to eat even less. These bacteria also may produce toxins that, if untreated, not only make the rabbits feel sicker, but also lead to organ failure and death. Use only broad spectrum antibiotics such as trimethoprim-sulfas, floroquinolones, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, azithromycin, and metronidazole. Discontinue antibiotics if soft stools or other gastrointestinal signs develop. Use drugs that can depress GI motility with caution in small herbivores. Avoid over-fasting patients prior to surgery, control perioperative pain and stress, and encourage patients to eat as soon as possible following surgery.
If your rabbit is more quiet than normal, is sitting still and hunched up, does not desire to move about, or has not munched for greater than 12 hours, contact your vet immediately. If your pet shows any of these signs it is an emergency and you must contact your veterinary surgeon immediately. They may also pass stools which vary from being small, to loose and malformed and in extreme cases no stools at all. Urine output can be variable depending upon the degree of dehydration your pet is dealing with, but it’s generally either normal or reduced.
If there is fecal matter stuck in the anus, use tweezers to gently pull it out. Please be careful not to force a separation, which can tear her anal skin. Use the warm compress over and over until you are able to dislodge the fecal matter easily. During this period of time, your rabbit should be surrounded by an unlimited supply of hay and vegetables in case they do get hungry.
In fact, it is one of the most common reasons guinea pigs go to veterinarians and veterinary emergency clinics. The most common etiologies for gastroparesis are Idiopathic in 64%, diabetes in 31%, and post-surgical in the remaining patients. You can allow your rabbit lots of supervised out-of-cage time to encourage physical exercise to promote normal gut motility. Prevent your rabbit from chewing on rugs, towels, or other material that may cause a true, life-threatening physical obstruction in your rabbit's GI tract.
The bunny may become lethargic, have no appetite and may hunch in a ball, loudly crunching his teeth in pain. The problem is that it is difficult to tell when your rabbit is suffering from GI stasis. Like most animals, they are not going to make it clear that they are in pain. In fact, it causes them so much pain that they stop eating or drinking.
The contents of the digestive tract will become more compact, and the rabbit will have an even more difficult time passing it through. The bacteria can also release toxins into the system which overtax the liver and can cause the organ to ultimately fail. Is it ok to Give your bunny Pedialyte in addition to meds and syringe feeding when they are not eating or drinking? I am also massaging my bunny’s tummy gently with my fingers to try to help get things moving.
If it gets incredibly bad, you may notice that they move around a whole lot less. It is almost as if all of the energy has drained out of them. You may also notice that they develop a little bit of a hunch too. This is partly why we recommend that you have rabbits in the house.
Provide nutritional support by syringe-feeding gruel such as Oxbow Critical Care Formula. Additional options include vegetable baby foods and soaked, ground pellets. For prolonged nutritional support, a nasogastric tube can be placed in a manner similar to that used for cats . Liquid enteral fluids , Oxbow Critical Care Fine Grind formula, and diluted vegetable baby food can be passed through an 8fr or even a 5-fr NG tube.
This is due to predators targeting smaller and weaker animals first. 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. A lot of people recommend giving their rabbit’s baby gas drops, as they’re rabbit safe and relieve built-up gas. I’ve never actually done this, but I think it’s worth having them in the house just in case.
