Gastrointestinal stasis infections or GI stasis are bacterial, viral, or parasitic inflammations that affect the stomach and intestines of humans and mammals. When they occur in rabbits, the repercussions are often deadly if not urgently and properly handled. This ailment may be elusive for a brief period before clearer and more elaborate symptoms begin to manifest.
As a pet rabbit owner, your main concern should be to forestall the rise of this infection. But where it is inevitable, there are swift measures you can take to limit the damaging effects of GI stasis in rabbits.
In this article, we will be discussing the following topics:
- How do I know if my rabbit has a GI stasis?
- How do you treat GI Stasis in rabbits?
- Can rabbits survive GI stasis?
- How long does GI Stasis last in rabbits?
Read on to understand all you need to about GI stasis in rabbits and how you can treat the deadly infection.
How Do I Know If My Rabbit Has a GI Stasis?
It is not easy to tell immediately if your rabbit has a GI stasis infection as the symptoms do not all show at once. Some GI stasis symptoms may appear like any other minor ailment in a rabbit, and can easily be ignored. There are however major telltale signs to watch out for as a pet rabbit owner to know if your bunny has been infected.
First, you must understand that rabbits are naturally very shy and introverted animals. They only play and exercise once they feel safe and comfortable in a particular environment. Also, rabbits tend to hide injury or health away from public view. This is because rabbits are easy prey for predators in the wild and any sign of injury puts them at the lowest end of vulnerability.
Having this in mind will make things a lot easy especially when your rabbit starts acting funny or develop serious signs typical of GI stasis.
So what causes GI stasis in rabbits to begin with?
There are many causes of GI stasis in rabbits which include:
- Heavy starchy foods that are low on fiber
- Lack of proper exercise
- Underlying health issues such as UTIs or molar spurs.
- Chronic stress may result from a traumatic experience such as the death of a mate.
You can tell if your pet bunny has GI stasis if it shows any or all of the following symptoms:
- Reduced or complete loss of appetite
- Difficulty passing feces
- Low, odd-shaped, or the absence of fecal pellets
- A hunched back (lethargy)
- Bloated stomachs
- Chronic weight loss
How Do You Treat GI Stasis in Rabbits?
As stated earlier, symptoms of GI stasis are not immediately visible within the first few days. Rabbits too may make identifying an ailment a bit difficult because they tend to hide pain and injury from plain view. Nonetheless, if you observe any one of the known symptoms of GI stasis to include a bloated stomach, malformed fecal pellets, or loss of appetite, it is time to act fast.
GI stasis when left untreated can be very deadly for your pet bunny. So it is important that you take your rabbit immediately to a highly-trained vet to begin the necessary treatment process.
One of the first things your vet may do is carry out some x-rays to locate the area where there is a blockage. He will also be looking for the presence of gas in the rabbit’s stomach. Once he is done with his findings, he may then prescribe a treatment procedure which may involve administering any of the following medications:
- Pain relievers to reduce pain from the buildup of gas
- Cisapride, which is a strong motility drug that helps to ease the digestion process
- Antibiotics to prevent further growth of harmful parasites in the digestive tracts
- Injection of IV fluids inside the intestines. This helps to break down mass buildup in the intestines.
- Resorting to feeding via syringe to keep your pet bunny properly nourished with the essential nutrient.
While your pet bunny is still under these medications, it is important that you continue to maintain a constant flow of hay and fresh greens. Doing so will help build the rabbit’s appetite to eat. Some great hay choices to pick from are timothy hay or fragrant hay such as cilantro. The strong smell of cilantro helps to stimulate the rabbit’s taste buds.
With the right medication and adhering to a strict, healthy diet, your rabbit is expected to make full recovery within a short period. Some rabbits may however take a longer time than others, but the same rule is applicable in all cases.
Above all else, prevention is always best. So it is always important to seek proper medical help once you notice early signs of GI stasis in your pet bunny.
Can Rabbits Survive It?
GI stasis infection can be treated with a few medical procedures. Nonetheless, this ailment can also pose deadly for rabbits if not properly handled on time. There are a number of complications that could arise from GI stasis in rabbits.
A common example is called acute gastric rupture: a situation where the gastrointestinal tract is obstructed by a hair pellet. This obstruction usually happens around the duodenum and can cause a severe rupture in the gastrointestinal tract.
As a rabbit owner, you must always be cautious of your rabbit’s health status and report to a qualified vet once you suspect any signs of GI stasis.
You can try a few home tricks if you are not completely certain your rabbit has the GI stasis infection. Trying holding out a treat and watch your rabbit’s response. If it makes a run towards you to take the treat, then your rabbit may not have the infection.
Where the rabbit isn’t interested in the treat or any other food or activity in particular, then it is time to act fast. A swift response will be lifesaving in the long run.
So in summary, rabbits can of course make a full recovery after an elaborate treatment procedure. The condition only gets fatal either through neglect, poor management, or not adhering to the proper medication.
To ensure your pet bunny survives this deadly infection, you must adhere to the following:
- Make a swift response. Report immediately to the nearest qualified vet.
- Ensure a proper scan is carried out to know the extent of the damage.
- Follow the strict medication procedure.
- Keep your rabbits well-nourished and hydrated while on medication.
Prevention as always is always better than cure. There are few routines you can carry out routinely to prevent your rabbit from getting this infection.
- Use digestive support foods such as Protexin Pro-fibre pellets or Oxbow to improve your rabbits’ digestion process.
- Ensure they have a healthy amount of exercise every day.
- Make sure to do a thorough dental check regularly to prevent infection growth.
- Watch out for the things they put in their mouth. Rabbits are in the habit of chewing on inanimate objects like wood, carpet, or even fur from their bodies.
- Gentle belly massages are also great for them. It helps digestion too.
- Avoid changing their diets abruptly.
- Keep them well-fed and hydrated every day.
How Long Does GI Stasis Last?
GI stasis can affect rabbits from as young as two months to full adulthood. There are a number of causes of this infection in young and adult rabbits. This can range from contaminated food or water, poor hygiene, or a dirty flea-infested environment.
Symptoms of GI stasis come in various forms and can manifest in different periods. But the most common of all symptoms of GI stasis is the general loss of appetite in your rabbit. What follows after this is a reduction in the passing of feces. Now, this loss of appetite usually occurs within a space of between two to seven days.
When this happens, your rabbit will first stop eating fresh hay or rabbit pellets. Gradually, they lose appetite for all types of food that constitute their diet. If left without the right treatment, your rabbits can go as far as refusing to drink water.
Fecal production may become very poor, malformed, or do not come at all. Your pet bunnies would start showing signs of severe pain from their posture or the way they walk. Reduced activity will also be recorded and they generally start being very withdrawn and displaying weird behavior.
Some behaviors typical of rabbit with severe GI stasis infection include:
- Gnashing of teeth
- Clawing and scratching
- Sitting in an odd, hooped position
- A general depressive look followed by clear signs of exhaustion.
At this stage, you can tell the infection has reached a very critical phase that requires an urgent response.
All of these symptoms may manifest within a matter of days to a few weeks. There is no specific time frame for which a GI stasis can last in a rabbit as rabbits have different personalities. Treatment usually takes days to weeks before the rabbit makes a full recovery.