GI Stasis Causes

[AmandaCat]

Six days ago I noticed my one-year-old mini lop wasn’t eating or pooping and was sitting hunched over, which is unusual because he loves to sprawl out. After about ten hours of this I syringe fed him Critical Care and took him to the emergency exotic vet, who said it was likely an early case of GI stasis as I had thought. They gave him fluids and put him on pain meds and gut motility drugs. Within two days he was eating things he liked, and now his poops are normal and he’s been eating hay, and he’s very energetic.

My concern is that I don’t know what caused this episode. He was shedding for months but hasn’t been the last few weeks. I offer him a water bottle and two water bowls, but I don’t know how much he uses them. And nothing in the environment has changed as far as I can tell. In general he is the least stressed bunny; nothing scares him, and he’s always sprawled out or flopped.

Can GI stasis happen without a cause? Is there anything I can give him to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

 

[MameJenny]

Yep, it’s very common for it to start with no apparent cause. Sometimes it can be traced back to a change in diet or environmental stress, but it’s not unusual for there to be no cause.

GI stasis can be caused by a bacterial imbalance or slowdown in the gut due to too much sugar, so limiting sweet/starchy foods is a good idea. This includes carrots, fruits, oats, store-bought treats, cereals, etc. Encourage hay consumption too - hay keeps the gut moving and helps prevent obesity, which can cause gut and liver disease. Also, if you introduce a new veggie or switch brands of pellets, do it over the course of 2-3 days so the bunny can adjust.

I also recommend purchasing liquid baby simethicone (“Gas-X” or infant Mylicon). This is an over the counter gas remedy. GI stasis often starts as gas, and they’ll generally start eating once the gas pain is gone. To dose it, just give 0.3 to 0.6 mL by mouth every hour until the rabbit is eating normally. I’ve dealt with dozens of incidents of gas in the 11 years I’ve kept rabbits. Since I always dose simethicone when a rabbit starts acting “off” or not eating, only 2 of those cases progressed to GI stasis.