Sick Rabbit Stasis Please Help ASAP

[mandymu]

My rabbit has what I am 99% sure must be Stasis. She was eating and behaving as normal this morning, then tonight I came home and my mum said she didn't eat her food. I changed the litter tray this morning and there have been no poops in it. So been at least 9 hours. She also doesn't want to move, she is just sitting in a ball. I am so panicked because I know what will happen because my old rabbit died from doing exactly this just 5 months or so ago. My mum thinks the emergency vet is too expensive. I have tried to give her some water through a syringe but she doesn't like it much. What else should I try to give her through the syringe? I just need her to last til the morning when I can get her to the vet. Please help.

Also she fell from a short height this morning when she tried to jump on a chair and also she was spayed a few weeks back - could this have anything to do with it? It seems like stasis to me though.

I know there is so many threads and info on this but I wanted some specific help without having to search all over because I am panicked. I don't know what I'd do if she died too. I think it's my fault because the hay ran out a few days ago and I had forgotten to get some more but I didn't realise this would happen. She's had fresh grass and other food too.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

It sounds like she is in pain. Being hunched in a ball is a sign of pain. I would say fluid support,infant gas drops and belly massage until you can vet her but get her to a vet asap.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

And greens if you can get her to take them-like carrot, lettuce etc.

 

[mandymu]

Ok good news - she is no longer hunching in a ball, I couldn't get her to take mushed pellets but I syringe fed her some water and she was so excited to get the water she took 3 syringes of it, then she laid down and I massaged her belly and left her. When I came back she had got up and was hopping around like normal and cleaning herself. Hadn't touched the lettuce or parsley so I gave her a carrot and she eventually ate it and has eaten half of it now! So I've left her in cage while I go to sleep with plenty of veggies and water and hoping she's better now.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

You should not be giving her fresh veggies. You need to push the hay. Does she have access to timothy hay? Have you gone to the vet yet.

 

[molly]

Fresh veggies are good, they will help get hydration into her gut, which she will need if she got dehydrated and she has a ball of dehydrated food and hair causing an obstruction. You shouldn't give carrots or fruit though, the sugar content encourages the wrong type of bacteria to grow in her gut and that could kill her. It's a good idea to have Critical Care or another syringe feed formula at home in case a rabbit ever stops eating, it's much better than mushy pellets.

EDIT: DEFINITELY encourage her to eat hay.

 

[bigjake]

If you can't take her to the vet, (I understand it is very expensive) you should be prepared to cull your rabbit if need be. No animal should have to suffer. I agree no fruits or carrots its equivalent to candy, hay water and small amounts of dark greens. Good luck

 

[Nancy McClelland]

When we've had the same problem, we used a syringe for water and critical care and gave a small amount of cilantro. Also used some alfalfa hay as they will tend to eat that when they'd pass on other types. Hot water bottle and tummy rubs as well as simethecone (gas drops for infants) usually help too.

 

[tonyshuman]

When a bunny isn't eating at all, it can be hard not to give them their favorites like fruit. Veggies are good for stasis, just stay away from sugary ones.

How did she fall? Onto her side, onto her back, onto her belly? Did she get back up and shake it off immediately or was she a bit stunned? Does she move around normally? Does she show any tenderness when you touch her belly? Depending on how long ago she was spayed, a traumatic fall could have caused some healing tissue to come loose and cause pain.

It sounds to me more like a pain leading to stasis situation rather than a primary stasis situation--ie she's not eating or pooping because of pain, not because her GI is slowed down. It won't get better unless she starts eating and pooping again, though, and then her GI will slow down.

Has she improved in the meantime? I agree that emergency vets are expensive but sometimes they are needed or the bunny will suffer.