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Author: Amy & Zach Phillips-Gary
Sometimes living with a house rabbit requires you to be a
detective. Silent as bunnies tend to be, you may not know
they are sick unless you are paying close attention to clues.
S/he cannot whimper, meow or chirp to alert you that medical
attention is needed. Recently we had to play bunny detectives
with our Dutch breed house rabbit Buns who became seriously
ill with a condition known as GI Stasis. This is also called
ileus.
It indicates sluggish movement in the gastrointestinal tract
and can lead to liver damage, even death. It is often misdiagnosed
as hairballs or wool block.
We hope that the following information and account of our
experience with this serious house rabbit illness will help
you collect your house rabbit's clues and track down culprits
that endanger her/his health. For other house rabbit hints,
facts, and stories, please visit http://www.rabbitinfocenter.com
And
remember, it is essential that bunny detectives work with
their rabbit-knowledgeable veterinarians.
The Case of Buns' Bout with GI Stasis
Sunday 3pm: Weekly rabbit pen cleaning. Performed usual tasks:
cleaned up multiple waste droppings, sprayed floor of pen
with vinegar. Opened new bag of timothy hay, re-filled hay
basket.
Monday 1:11 pm: Note that Buns has not eaten usual amount
of hay and find fewer waste droppings than usual in pen. Decide
to record these clues and call our veterinarian who is experienced
with rabbit care.
Tuesday 10:00 am: Observe very few waste droppings in pen.
Hay is still uneaten. We are officially worried.
Tuesday 3:15 pm: Visit with rabbit specialist vet. Diagnosis
is GI Stasis (aka ileus). Rabbit is given a shot to help stimulate
digestive system and clear out gas. Improvement should be
noticed by morning.
Wednesday 8:00 am: No improvement noticed. Noticing loud
crunching of teeth. Really really worried now. We call make
another vet appointment.
Wednesday 4:30 pm: Second visit with vet. Force feeding with
Oxbow Hay Company's Critical Care formula is prescribed as
well as another shot. Medicine in hand, we head home.
Thursday 7:45 am: House rabbit Buns is starting to show improvement.
He actually likes the Critical Care formula fed to him in
a syringe and other medicine. Rabbit is even eating some pellets
again as well as timothy hay cube treats.
Friday and Saturday: Repeat force feeding and pills as prescribed
by vet. Steady improvement of rabbit noted.
Sunday 6:20 pm: Buns observed eating small amounts of timothy
hay. More waste droppings in pen are also observed. We continue
another day of "force feeding" though he loves the
Critical Care formula. This house rabbit appears to be back
on track. Case closed.
We still don't completely understand what caused Bun's case
of GI Stasis. With the help of our vet, we have some theories
including the possibility of a "bad" batch of hay
(Buns is known to be a picky eater). It could also have been
the vinegar that was used to clean his pen. However, what
we do know is that once a rabbit stops ingesting those vital
grass hays, it doesn't take long for GI Stasis to take hold
and, if left untreated, can quickly kill a bunny.
More Information About GI Stasis:
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF GI STASIS
Stress Infections Dental Problems Urinary Tract Disorder:
Gas Dehydration Unbalanced Diet
SYMPTOMS OF GI STASIS
Waste Dropping Abnormalities Loud tummy growling Lethargic
No appetite. Crunching of teeth
*To learn more about a rabbit's digestive system and dietary
needs please visit
http://www.rabbitinfocenter.com/dietandnutrition.htm
About the author:
Amy & Zach are a mother-son team who supply house rabbit
facts, hints & humor for their website http://www.rabbitinfocenter.com |
