# GI Stasis with soft tummy?



## bellapsyd (Sep 24, 2008)

ok I'm worried sick. I just got home from work and noticed that Chester didn't eat any of his breakfast or hay! I can't tell if he pooped or not, since his potty was last changed 2 days ago. I thought he was just bored of the same greens, so I gave him pellets (which they think is a treat), no interest. He DID take his daily papaya drop eagerly, but no food! His tummy isn't hard at all, it's very soft and doughy (normal) feeling...think he is just having an off day? Should I let him be?

He's just sitting in his house not interested in coming out (abnormal) or moving. I mixed some apple criticare with pumpkin- no interest.

I've done some tummy massaging...


----------



## naturestee (Sep 24, 2008)

Well, normally their stomachs don't feel doughy. That's usually the term I use to describe empty stasis bellies.:?

First things first- hydrate! Oral liquids, pedialyte if possible or room temp/lukewarm water will do. Then simethicone. Sometimes there are uncomfortable gas bubbles in there even if they feel doughy. Then continue with the tummy massages.

That's all I'd try for the moment. Sometimes that's all they need to snap out of it. Oh, and try to get him moving. It helps to get the gut muscles moving too.

Hope he's actually ok!


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 24, 2008)

i intend to hydrate soon...leaving him on his own I've seen him eat a thing of cilantro and a little hay and a few pellets....should I see what else he manages on his own before I go and grab him?


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 24, 2008)

If he hasn't eaten more on his own or drank on his own or pooped since your last post I would go ahead and start to give him some fluids.


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 24, 2008)

if you don't have oral liqiud baby gas medicine ( simethicone) probably should get some from the drugstore as this stuff as proved invaluable time and time again with a buns who are'off" and have gas


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 24, 2008)

he's eaten some more cilantro, some more pellets, and a little hay. Not too too much, but definitely something. I was just about to pick him up to syringe him and he began eating- it's like he knew!


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 24, 2008)

he probably did know 
now get him to poop....


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 24, 2008)

oddly enough, he only seems to want to eat if I hand feed him. I can leave it right in front of him and he won't touch it. He also keeps putting his head down for pets. I've been exceptionally busy the last 2 months and have been leaving early and coming home late....do you think he is protesting?


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 25, 2008)

he may be depressed..:?



is he eating, drinking and pooping yet...?

you may want to think about bonding this bun to another after he gets well, however that process is time consuming


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks for the continued input! he does have a friend (4 of them!)! I brought him to the vet's and he told me that all of his food is stuck in a hard ball in his tummy. While he shows no outward signs of dehydration, internally he is. I chose to leave him there overnight to receive subcutaneous fluids. I will be calling and reporting back every few hours! Hopefully it gets his stomach and gut moving again or else the next step is surgery!!!! The vet said this happened very quickly and can be either the result of something he ate (no change in appetite directly- unless he got into something) or stress (no environmental change in the last day...). 

Bunny prayers please!


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 25, 2008)

Oh I'm sorry..sounds like a true case of GI stasis
Hopefully they can get him going again at the hospital

ray:

some vets will administer gut motility drugs....


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 25, 2008)

UPDATE:

he's very feisty according to staff. He's also eating and taking syringe foods and liquids. He made one poop....hopefully he makes more!


----------



## naturestee (Sep 25, 2008)

:litterfew:

Yay for poop! I hope he continues to improve!


----------



## dquesnel (Sep 26, 2008)

They are hydrating him so that is excellent. When they send him home with you, you should take some Critical Care in case you need to syringe feed him. Also, lots of wet greens is best when he comes back. Some people hold back greens to get the rabbit to eat more hay, but wet greens are better as they hydrate stomach contents and are also high in fiber. 

Sometimes the hard mass of food/hair is also caused by increased hair intake while shedding and also lack of hay intake. What has his hay and water intake been like? Sometimes it is hard to tell, but he may have been slowly eating less hay and drinking less. I have a bun that gets food/hair mass very easily and he will often take a few days of reduced hay and water before he actually won't touch pellets or greens. When he sheds heavily I give him Cisapride (a motility drug) as a preventative. Another thing to think about is if the rabbit's appetite has been deceasing slowly, it could be a dental issue. This is often really subtle.

Did they take an xray to see the food mass or did she feel it in his tummy? Sometimes by feeling it is hard to tell where the mass is- intestine, tummy or cecum. 

Sometimes it takes them a long while to recover from stasis. Weeks to months, even. So don't panic too much if it takes a while for his appetite to normalize again! Best of luck and keep us posted.


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 26, 2008)

How's he doing?


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 26, 2008)

Just brought him home!!! He's so feisty! The staff loved him! He's pooped and eating/drinking/urinating just fine. I have a week of meds to give him, but other than him being angry/distrustful of me right now...he's doing great!


----------



## mouse_chalk (Sep 26, 2008)

Phew! I was just reading this earlier and hoping he would be alright... I'm so glad he's ok!  Give him noserubs from me!


----------



## JadeIcing (Sep 26, 2008)

*YAY! I am so glad he is doing better.*

*bellapsyd wrote: *


> Just brought him home!!! He's so feisty! The staff loved him! He's pooped and eating/drinking/urinating just fine. I have a week of meds to give him, but other than him being angry/distrustful of me right now...he's doing great!


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 26, 2008)

just watching and trying to make sure he's eating now!


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 28, 2008)

How's he doing?


----------



## bellapsyd (Sep 28, 2008)

great! I only had to syringe him critical care the first day he was home. He's eating ravenously right now!  He's not too fond of me currently...I have to syringe him medicine 2x a day for seven days.


----------



## Maureen Las (Sep 28, 2008)

my buns hate syringe feeding but the meds are not as bad...


----------

