Is it normal to have decreased excitement for food after GI stasis?

[BearBear2020]

My 3 yro bun developed stasis last week. He had stasis on Monday but got better later that evening. Then on Thursday he got stasis again but this time it was super bad. We were so sure that we were going to lose him. His xray showed a blockage and his temp was 98.4F. When we brought him back from the ER, he was barely responsive. Miraculously he did slowly improve from then. His poops has gone back to normal. The issue is that he doesn't seem to finish his food that fast anymore or seem as excited for his food. He does get kind of excited for his pellets but there has been a few times where he turn down pellets when we tried to feed him one which is highly unusual for him. He does always end up finishing his food but just slower. He does love his treats still. So we've had to pick him up every 8 or 12 hours to force feed him medicine. He absolutely hates getting picked up and also hates us forcing a syringe into his mouth. He has gotten pretty scared of us and is extra skiddish around us. On top of that we moved into a new room. So I'm not sure if his slow eating and decreased excitement for food is normal for a bun recovering from stasis or whether its because he has been extra stressed recently because of us handling him so much and the new room.

Thanks

 

[OreoTheMiniLop]

He is probably turning down food because of both. I would say only handle him when you must-- like feeding him his medicine.

 

[Hermelin]

I think the stress of a new place and GI stasis will affect their appetite. When my own bunny got GI stasis he had to stay at the vet for 48 hours until he did a turn around and started to get better. At home he sat in a corner of the cage and wanted to be alone. For a week he only ate hay and a few days after the GI stasis he was back to normal being a gluttony bunny that always binky every day.

I hope your bunny will feel better soon

 

[BearBear2020]

So instead of picking him up for his medicine, I started mixing it with smashed banana and he has been eating it off a spoon. He definitely seems happier today. I gave him his vegetables and pellets this morning. He ate both of them but hasn't finished them. He would run back and forth and come back to the bowl for a few pellets and run around again. Hes also been eating hay even though there are pellets left which is weird. I'm hoping with more time he will get back to normal with his eating habits although him eating more hay is a really good thing. Just wanted to make sure that his change of eating isn't due to him still having gut issues. I'm guessing I shouldn't be too concerned as long as hes still eating the same amount, even if it does take him longer to finish them.

 

[JBun]

He's probably not eating well because his digestion is still bothering him. A bad case of stasis can sometimes take several weeks for them to recover fully from.

If he eats hay really well, I would suggest minimizing pellets and any other high sugar/carb foods for now, and push hay consumption, providing free fed hay that is refreshed several times a day. Pellets and other sugary/high carb foods slow down a rabbits gut movement and can sometimes complicate their recovery from stasis. Good quality grass hay with indigestible fiber helps increase gut movement which is what is especially needed for a rabbit experiencing digestive illness. Indigestible fiber from hay and plenty of fluids, are almost always the best things to help correct most digestive problems in rabbits, provided they are consuming them well.

Also, if your rabbit drinks from a drip bottle, I would suggest offering a water dish. Rabbits tend to drink better from a dish and good water consumption in important for recovery.