GI Statis

[Claire3688]

Hi all

my 3 year old bunny Peter was lethargic and not eating on Sunday evening, we took him to the vets first thing Monday morning who said he was showing symptoms of statis. We have been giving his prescribed medicine but he’s showing not much sign of improvement.
he has not been as mobile as normal this week and has kept mostly in his bed. His bonded brother is with him so I’m finding it hard to spot any poos although I have found a few where he has been lying this week, which look like really small solid lumps .. he has no interest in greens or hay and I can’t seem to get him to eat them at all. I am currently swapping between giving him Kale in mushed pellet paste and kale in lukewarm water, that he is licking but not eating no matter how much I tempt him.
he has lost weight but there’s no teeth grinding. He is sitting hunched quite often but then I see him grooming himself so he is a bit up and down. I’m worried that it’s not GI Statis but don’t have a clue what else it could be and feel silly doubting the vet. He has no dental issues so it’s not that,
Can anyone tell me if I need to be doing more/something different? I’m so worried I don’t know how to help him, it’s the worst feeling.

 

[Blue eyes]

Could you list out the meds being given? Is there painkiller also?

 

[JBun]

Did the vet not give you a syringe feeding mix and show you how to syringe feed your rabbit, with instructions to be doing it every few hours? If your rabbit isn't eating much or barely anything on his own, rabbits not eating on their own have to be given food by regular daily syringe feeds, usually at least 2-5ml per lb of body weight, every 2-4 hours. If you haven't been doing this, this is very likely why your rabbit is continuing to do poorly, because he's not getting food and fluids into him and is basically starving and malnourished/dehydrated.

If this is what's going on, I would get him back to the vet immediately. He will likely need to either be put on IV fluids or be given sub q fluids to help give him a boost and rehydrate him as he is likely malnourished and dehydrated if you haven't been doing syringe feeds. The vet should also check for fatty liver disease, which can happen when a rabbit hasn't been getting adequate nutrition.

If you actually have been doing regular syringe feeds every few hours, I would still get him back to the vet today. Because he should be showing some improvement by now and the fact he isn't means there could be some other underlying health issue causing the continued lack of interest in food. An upset stomach isn't the only thing that can cause a rabbit to stop eating, which then results in stasis occurring. GI stasis can be caused by a multitude of health issues. Basically anything that causes a rabbit to be in pain can cause them to stop eating, then resulting in GI stasis developing. So the vet will likely need to do xrays and blood work to try and determine why your rabbit isn't improving.

https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.pdf
If this vet didn't give you a feeding mix and tell you to syringe feed your rabbit, I would try and find a more experienced rabbit vet to go to instead. Syringe feeding is basic treatment protocol for rabbits experiencing GI stasis, once a complete blockage and bloat have been ruled out, and any semi experienced rabbit vet would know this.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/