Severe GI Stasis- Long post- sorry

Hi All! My little bunny Sparky has had a rough time recently. He is a netherland dwarf mix at about 5 pounds. He eats sherwood forest pellets and timothy hay with the occasional baby carrot. He has a brother named Sunny and they are very bonded. However, Sunday evening I noticed him acting very lethargic and not eating or drinking. I started right away at syringe feeding him water, simethicone, critical care, and I also gave him Benebac. He started to get better only to take a turn for the worse the following afternoon. My Regular rabbit vet was not in the office that day, so I began to call vets like a mad woman. Every one I called told me the rabbit vet was not in it was 4 pm so I wasn't expecting to find one. I was referred to a vet in the city but I knew sparky didn't have long and Rush hour traffic was horrid at that time so I knew that was a no-go. I asked the VCA the next town over if they could just see him and possibly do Sub- q because I knew that was what he really needed if he was going to even survive. I get him their and they told me he was in shock and his temperature was extremely low so they put him on a heating pad to warm him up, the vet basically told me he was going to die if I didn't leave him over night and asked me to euthanize him. The cost would have been over 1,500 and that is just not what I could afford at that point and I also didn't feel comfortable leaving him their because their was no rabbit specific vet. He then had an IV Bolus and Sub q along with metacam for pain. The vet told me he would likely die in the next 6- 12 hours so I knew I had a rough night ahead. I got him home and wrapped him in blankets and put him on my heating pad and kept trying to syringe feed him water and critical care... I knew I had to give him a chance, and he made it through the night. He is now still not recovered 100% but he is doing much better, he is eating lots of hay, drinking some, and eating his pellets here and their. I am very sorry for the long post, I just wanted to give a backround of sparkys experience.. My questions are

I plan on giving him more sub q, i've done it twice so far.. once every 12 hours, What I am wondering is, will it hurt him to get more even if he's drinking water? Hes still somewhat weak but hes fighting like hell.

Head shaking- Sparky has never been one to shake his head, ever since I brought him home from the emergency vet he keeps shaking his head, and I noticed these little bumps in his ears that almost look like hives, Has anyone's rabbits ever had that?

- Metacam, He loves the metacam so much and it is also very sticky so I am thinking they mixed it with something sweet, could that be the cause of his head shaking? He has not had any sweet treats ever so maybe hes not used to it?

Urine- He is urinating a TON and also pooping some... however his urine smells really strong, perhaps it is because hes had so much fluids?

If his head shaking persists I am going to bring him to my regular vet, however I just don't want to stress him by moving him again because he is still recovering and I pray he doesn't take a turn for the worse again because I know that can happen... I've been praying a lot for the little guy and I just want him to be okay!!! Sorry for the long post!!

Hugs!
- Sparky & Victoria

My 13 pound giant mix Brooke just went through GI Stasis this weekend. I gave her Metoclopramide every 12 hours, Metacam for the tummy pain, tons of greens which I think is key: Kale, Parsley, Cilantro, Sage, Mint, etc. What ever will keep them eating is good. Before I could get Brooke to the vet I gave her the Metoclopramide because I had extra from her having this a few months ago, simethicone baby gas drops 1ml/1cc, a 81mg baby asprin dissolved in 1 ml water until I could get her to the vet. I can't get her to take Critical Care, but it sounds to me like you did all the right things.

I would add greens like Parsley, Cilantro, etc. to the mix to get him eating. Strong urine smell could be from the medicine, ditto for the pooh. I don't know about the head shaking but Brooke does it also sometimes. I don't think drinking too much water is bad, but I would call your regular vet for input and have them page him or call.

It took Brooke three days to get back to normal. I hate it when this happens and this is the 3-4th time this year it's happened to her.

Please get in touch with your regular vet, call him and talk to him about the head shaking, etc and see what he says. Maybe some of this stuff you can talk over the
phone and if Sparky needs meds you can go pick them up without having to bother sparky.

Good luck and keep us posted,
Vanessa

I agree that you should still go to your regular rabbit vet, at the very least for the head shaking. GI stasis is considered a symptom, not an illness itself, so the head shaking could be from mites or an ear infection and it was because of that that his gut slowed down. If you don't fix the cause, he will continue to have the stasis issue.

It would be best to ask your vet about giving additional sub q fluids.

The head shaking and bumps in the ears is concerning and something you should have your vet investigate. It's possible that it could be mites or if the bumps are hives, your rabbit could possibly be having an allergic reaction to a medication. If you are concerned about stressing him too much by going to the vet again, if would be good to at least call the vet and ask about it.

I agree with Azerane, that it is important to try and figure out the cause of the stasis or it may not clear up or could reoccur. It's possible it is due to the head shaking you are now seeing, from digestive issues, or it could be due to another illness.

Thank you for all the replays it has been very helpful! I plan on calling my regular vet tomorrow... however I am very concerned for Sparky. He is acting very nervous like hyperactive and it is not normal at all. Could he be having a allergic. Reaction to the metacam? I am very concerned. He is still eating and drinking on his own but everytime I touch him he flinches and he's acting like something is startling him horribly.

I'm so worried and its the middle of the night here ....

It is possible for an allergic reaction to occur with just about anything. So yes, it is possible for your rabbit to be allergic to the metacam. An allergic reaction could explain the hives as well as the abnormal hyperactivity and extreme sensitivity. It might be a good idea to not give another dose until you can see the vet tomorrow(keeping a close eye on eating due to not getting pain relief), though it would be much better if you could at least consult with a vet tonight about what would be best to do. They may be able to advise you if it would be ok to administer a small amount of children's benedryl. Maybe you could check if the vet that you saw the other day has an emergency number?

lovelops said:

It took Brooke three days to get back to normal. I hate it when this happens and this is the 3-4th time this year it's happened to her.

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If she's had that many cases of GI stasis this year, it might be worth reviewing her diet, even if it's simply a case of reducing pellets.

What is going on with Sparky now? Is he ok? Did you call your vet???


Vanessa

Azerane said:

If she's had that many cases of GI stasis this year, it might be worth reviewing her diet, even if it's simply a case of reducing pellets.

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Thanks for the advise, but she hardly eats pellets. She's not on a diet of pellets and hay. She has a small bowl of pellets unlimited amounts of hay and salad every day, greens, kale, parsley etc...

I've talked to her vet and he thinks she just get's what he calls upset stomach and also from how big she is he thinks that contributes to it which I was also told in Poland when I visited the Rabbit Rescue and spoke with their doctor after he was giving a speech on GI Stasis.

I'm going to talk to the vet again, maybe I can take pellets out totally, I've been feeding her Sherwood Forest since the last attack of GI Stasis.
Maybe she can get by on Hay and fresh veggies..

Thanks again!
Vanessa