What causes my rabbit's recurrent GI stasis, bloating, and gas pains?

Thanks for reaching out about Skyler. Unfortunately this possibly indicates a gastrointestinal obstruction, foreign body or dental disease. Gastrointestinal stasis is always secondary to something else. Radiographs and blood work from last year can be used as a comparison are not necessarily indicative of now, as things can change quickly. Any exposure to carpeting or fabric? With the pain you described, a veterinarian is recommended today. As prey animals, rabbits decompensate quickly. Good luck.

Based on what you are describing him I would be concerned about gastric stasis in your rabbit. This can be a common condition that occurs when a bunny stops eating. The stomach will fill with a lot of gas and the rabbit will be very painful and uncomfortable. If you are able to continue giving the critical care supplement I would recommend doing that. If Pepper stops eating that, continues to seem lethargic, or stops pooping, then you will need to take him into the vet to be examined because other medications will be needed to help restore GI motility. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Hanash and including photos. Gas in the stomach is usually a result of a problem and this does not treat the problem. Gastrointestinal obstructions, infections, metabolic disorders (liver, kidney) are just a few of the problems that can result in this condition. Offer water via a syringe, gentle stomach massages might help. Is there a chance to see a different veterinarian? Good luck.

Hello. It sounds like your rabbit may have signs of gastrointestinal stasis, which means the GI tract has slowed down, usually as a result of a rabbit that stops eating. Rabbits will stop eating for a number of reasons - their teeth may be overgrown, their tooth roots may be infected, they could also have any other systemic disease (respiratory, urinary, infection, etc). As you can see, the causes are many and its impossible to say what is the underlying cause for sure without an exam and testing (usually radiographs, blood work, etc). Regardless of the cause, GI stasis is potentially fatal if left untreated. Therefore, I would urge you to get veterinary care ASAP. In the meantime, syringe feed Hobie with a liquid hay diet, ideally Oxbow herbivore critical care if you can get some, or soak the hay pellets in warm water to make a slurry. The best thing to keep the GI tract healthy is fiber and hydration, so hay is the foundation of health. I see in the first picture a pellet mix with maybe some oats, corn, and/or seeds mixed with the pellets. This is not an appropriate diet for rabbits as they are selective feeders and usually pick out the concentrates. These pellet mixes significantly increase the incidence of dental disease and obesity. I recommend a 100% timothy hay pellet, ideally Oxbow brand. Feed 1/4 cup timothy hay pellets, free choice grass hay, and 2 cups fresh greens a day with fresh water available in a bowl and sipper.

There appears to be a lot of stool in the colon. I don't see any severe pathology though. I would recommend a few things: 1. STOP the Amoxcillin. I hate going against what another veterinarian has presbribed but Amoxicillin is not a good antibiotic for rabbits. It can be dangerous because of the likelihood of it negatively effect the GI Tract. I don't see any indication that an antibiotic is needed in your rabbit based on what you have stated in the history. 2. Continue the Cisapride and Eloxyn (if you still have some). The cisapride will help get the GI tract moving. He needs to stay on this drug until the motility of the GI tract is back to normal. 3. Keep feeding the Critical Care on top of the regular diet. Here is an article on GI stasis in rabbits that may help you. http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-health/gi-stasis-in-rabbits-a-deadly-condition/ They often take weeks to return to normal after being diagnosed with stasis. I hope this helps. Best wishes and I hope Juno gets back to normal soon!

The fact that he is eating is encouraging, but this appears to be a problem of gastric stasis. This can happen due to hair blockages, but can also be caused by many other conditions such as dehydration, lack of adequate fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or stress. The feeding of pineapple and other fruits has been attempted in the past to break down hair in the stomach, but unfortunately this and other treatments have not proven to be very effective. Considering that this has a potential to turn into an emergency, I recommend taking JJangdol to the vet tomorrow. They will be able to help identify the cause of this and provide the most effective treatment. For now, it's best to make sure that he is not having any stressors, is able to move around as much as possible, and gets plenty of water. Having a water bowl rather than a sipper bottle has been shown to increase water intake. You should also feed fresh grass, high-quality hay soaked in water, or Oxbow pellets with some water added as the majority of his diet. If at any time JJangdol stops eating and/or starts to act very depressed, then this is an emergency and he should go to the vet as soon as possible. I hope that helps and he gets better soon.

These signs are quite concerning in rabbits and could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!