GI Stasis (Gastrointestinal Stasis)
By Steph M.
In my experience, one of the great advantages of adopting through Friends of Rabbits was getting a great primer on taking care of a bunny at an adoption day event.
I grew up knowing dogs and cats, but to my surprise, rabbits have a lot of unique care considerations. I already read a great book, “A House Rabbit Primer” by Lucille C. Moore; however, FOR drove home the importance of paying attention to my rabbit’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract and watching for signs of GI stasis, a potentially fatal condition in which the digestive system slows down or stops completely.
The most common causes of GI stasis include improper nutrition, stress, or pain from an underlying condition (e.g., overgrown teeth or excessive gas emitted by bad bacteria in the gut). Improper use of antibiotics can also lead to GI stasis, due to an overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria when the friendly gut microbes are eliminated (called microbial dysbiosis).
So that’s the scary news: there are lots of potential triggers for GI stasis. But the sunny side is there are a lot of things a responsible bunny owner can do before stasis strikes.
Before Stasis Strikes
1. Feed Your Bunny a Healthy Diet that Includes Lots of Fresh Hay & Water
Constant access to hay provides ample roughage and fiber for their GI tracts and helps keep their teeth from overgrowing. (Their teeth never stop growing).
2. Be a Daily Poop Detective
Make sure droppings look normal in volume and consistency twice daily to help check for irregularities. If you notice decreased production, unusual changes in size (e.g., much smaller poops than usual), or very stringy, furry poops, be on guard.
3. Know Your Bun’s Behaviors
Bunnies can’t talk to us (though wouldn’t it be fun if they could?), so it’s up to us as responsible pet owners to know their body language. If you observe that your bun is sitting strangely or acting funny (maybe it’s a hunched posture or a lack of the usual greeting at breakfast), this may be a sign that something is amiss.
4. Plan for Emergencies
Do a little homework to know who you would call in an emergency if your rabbit gets sick with GI stasis or some other health issue.
If you detect any poop/eating/energy level irregularities for 12 hours, consult a rabbit-savvy veterinarian to see if emergency care is needed.
Remember, your bunny might not make it another 12 hours once it has been in stasis for half a day, so be prepared to take action quickly if needed!
Addressing Stasis
Emergency Triage
When you take your bun to the vet, they will most likely begin with a physical examination to try to determine the cause of the stasis.
If the stasis is not related to a blockage or teeth issues, they may initiate “emergency GI stasis protocol,” including:
- administration of subcutaneous fluids,
- medication to encourage GI motility,
- pain medication, and
- recovery food (like CriticalCare).
Your vet may watch your bun for a period of time until they see signs of improvement.
Don’t forget to bring your rabbit’s bonded pal if at all possible.
Note: A vet working with an experienced bunny owner who has gone through stasis before may prescribe an emergency stash of medications for administration at home at the first sign of stasis.
This, of course, is based on mutual trust between an owner and vet, and not all vets will determine this is appropriate. Talk to your vet if your rabbit has a special condition where this may be warranted.
If you need to medicate your bun, your bun may not love the meds, but knows you’re giving them because you love your bun!
Bottom Line
The goal of treating GI stasis is to get your bun back to eating and pooping normally — and to restore normal energy levels. A successful triage will result in improvement fairly quickly (restored GI motility), sometimes within hours.
But be patient with getting back total normalcy: as long as you continue to see improvement and no regression, your bun should be back to binkies and nose bumps soon!
The information provided here is NOT meant to be a substitute for advice from a medical professional, but I do hope that it can provide some general pointers on things that every bunny owner should keep in mind as part of their goal to ensure a long and happy life for their bun!
References
Edited by Frank D.