weight loss and GI stasis

[fluffy_lop]

Hi, I need some help with my bunny.
Yesterday I noticed that his poops were smaller and that there weren't very many of them, so I cut back on pellets to encourage him to eat more hay.
Yesterday afternoon, when I changed his litter tray, there were hardly any in the tray, and this morning none.
I took him straight to the vet this morning, where he is being treated for GI stasis.
The vet also noted that he feels very thin. He's so fluffy, it's hard to see how well he's doing.

So there are two things I need to know:
1) What should I feed him to keep the fibre levels up. He currently gets fresh hay twice a day and grass and a few greens (too many greens gives him a runny tummy, so I am not very generous with them because I worry about fly strike).
2) What should I feed him to get his weight up?

I live in Australia, so I cannot get Oxbow brand hay, nor can I get Timothy hay (whatever that is). I can get lucerne, wheaten or oat from the produce shop in large horse-sized bales, and tiny packs of grass hay from the supermarket. The supermarket hay is variable in quality, so I gave up on it. I can get Oxbow adult rabbit pellets, which are made of Timothy hay. He eats pellets readily, although he is not a greedy bun, and will just take it or leave it with food.
I am thinking, a diet of the Oxbow pellets + fresh grass/veggies and normal pellets + hay which he may or may not eat, but if he's on the pellets, it won't matter so much if he's not keen on the hay.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions that follow.

 

[JBun]

Is he eating his hay and pellets normally now? What type of hay are you feeding and what maturity of cut is it(soft and leafy, mix of leaf and stem, mostly coarse mature stems)? How much grass is he eating in a day and is it an early leafy growth or a more mature coarser growth? Also has your rabbit been eating a pile of hay the size of his body per day?

Have you been feeding oxbow pellets, or if not then what type of pellets have you been feeding, what's the protein and fiber percentage, what amount per day have you been feeding, and what's your rabbits approximate weight? Do you feed any high carb/sugary treats or starchy veg like carrots?

Did the vet do a thorough dental exam? Dental problems are a common cause for unexpected weight loss and eventually GI stasis in rabbits, when the rabbit had previously been eating well, was on a good diet, and had previously been a healthy weight on this diet.

 

[fluffy_lop]

Is he eating his hay and pellets normally now? What type of hay are you feeding and what maturity of cut is it(soft and leafy, mix of leaf and stem, mostly coarse mature stems)? How much grass is he eating in a day and is it an early leafy growth or a more mature coarser growth? Also has your rabbit been eating a pile of hay the size of his body per day?

Have you been feeding oxbow pellets, or if not then what type of pellets have you been feeding, what's the protein and fiber percentage, what amount per day have you been feeding, and what's your rabbits approximate weight? Do you feed any high carb/sugary treats or starchy veg like carrots?

Did the vet do a thorough dental exam? Dental problems are a common cause for unexpected weight loss and eventually GI stasis in rabbits, when the rabbit had previously been eating well, was on a good diet, and had previously been a healthy weight on this diet.

Sadly Pluto is still not eating. The vet is keeping him in hospital overnight and has given him a 50/50 chance. He looked very miserable.

I have not fed him Oxbow pellets yet, as I only just found out about them from the forum a little while ago, and didn't know you could get them here, because it's an American product.

The hay he's currently on is wheaten, it's got lots of green leaves, but also some stalks and is quite coarse, but it's definitely hay and not straw. Sometimes he eats a lot, and sometimes not, but lately he's not been so keen on the hay. He preferred the bale of oaten hay we had before, but I couldn't get that last time I was at the feed shop.

He's been eating Peter's pellets. See attachment. I give him about 3 tablespoons per day. Occasionally he gets a piece of apple or carrot, but maybe only about twice a month, certainly no more than once a week, and only small pieces, not whole carrots. He does not get corn, because I have read that that is bad for them.

The vet checked his teeth, and all looks well, but she can't do a thorough dental exam without sedating him. I will talk to her about this tomorrow. He is just shy of one year old.

She said that she's examined him several times and he does not seem to be in pain. We are starting pain relief tonight anyway, just in case.

Thanks so much for your help JBun. I knew you would respond as soon as you could. I will be happy to pass on your expert opinion to my vet, who does her best, but is not a specialist rabbit vet.




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[John Wick]

A stool assessment would be worthwhile and potentially blood work -- if the weight loss is significant and cannot be explained by lack of food intake, there may be something physiologically going on impacting your rabbit's ability to maintain weight despite adequate caloric intake.

 

[fluffy_lop]

A stool assessment would be worthwhile and potentially blood work -- if the weight loss is significant and cannot be explained by lack of food intake, there may be something physiologically going on impacting your rabbit's ability to maintain weight despite adequate caloric intake.

Thanks, vet has suggested this. I will go in first thing today, as long as I can get through. We'r having a bit of a flood atm

 

[fluffy_lop]

Good news. Pluto has survived the night and is eating and drinking and using the toilet again. He's still on medication, but looks like he's out of the woods.

 

[fluffy_lop]

The vet said he's a bit light, but the weight loss was not such a concern. We just need to feed him up a bit. She is going to try to source Oxbow products for me.

Flood is also receding, so we're not going to be cut off from the rest of the world (and Pet Barn:-( )