The best way to prevent GI stasis from developing in your rabbit is to feed it a high-fiber, hay-based diet with supplemental vegetables, a small amount of pellets, and small amounts of fruit (as fruit is high in carbohydrates).
One of the most common causes of GI stasis in rabbits is a diet too high in carbohydrates and fat and too low in digestible fiber. Greens and grass hay contain digestible fiber, while commercially available rabbit pellets typically contain high amounts of carbohydrate, and seeds and nuts contain high levels of fat.
The most common presenting complaint in rabbits with GI stasis is a gradual decrease in appetite and subsequent decrease in fecal production. Appetite usually decreases over a period of 2 to 7 days.
Fresh, clean drinking water and good quality hay and grass should make up the majority of your rabbits' diet. A rabbit's digestive system needs hay or grass to function properly so a healthy supply is extremely important. You can supplement with leafy greens and a small amount of pellets.
GI Stasis (also called Ileus), is a dangerous gut condition in rabbits. This illness is characterized by a slow down of the rabbit's digestive tract. As the GI tract comes to a halt, the rabbit will have a decreased appetite. They'll stop eating and producing fecal pellets.
So it's important to know that once a rabbit's afflicted with GI stasis, there's no guarantee of recovery. The best course of action is to bring your rabbit to a rabbit-savvy vet at the very first sign. Do not wait and see if they will get better on their own!
Particularly good vegetables include the dark leafy greens like romaine lettuce, bok choy, mustard greens, carrot tops, cilantro, watercress, basil, kohlrabi, beet greens, broccoli greens, and cilantro.
Hay provides the fiber necessary to keep their digestive systems healthy and motile. A disruption to a rabbit's digestive cycle can cause gastrointestinal (GI) stasis, a condition in which the contents of the digestive tract become compact, and the rabbit has difficulty passing the mass through.
A rabbit's daily diet should consist mainly of large quantities of hay or dried or fresh grass that will provide the necessary fibre for the rabbit. Rabbits should have hay or dried or fresh grass during the day and night.
Rabbits with GI stasis can quickly become lethargic and may exhibit signs of pain such as teeth grinding and a hunched posture. They may also begin to produce excessive gas and sometimes soft stool or diarrhea. If this is left untreated, severe cases of GI stasis can be fatal.
Give 1/3 of a dropper (0.3ml) for smaller bunnies, or ½ dropper (0.5ml) for larger bunnies every 4-6 hours until your bunny appears to lay down in her normal manner, or she beings to eat again. A Gas relief product is a good thing to have on hand in your rabbit care emergency kit.
If treated appropriately then most rabbits recover and start to respond to treatment within 3-5 days. The earlier you seek medical treatment, the better the outcome!
Pain can cause gut stasis and gut stasis itself is a painful condition, so pain relief is very important. Relieving pain reduces stress and helps appetite. Commonly used medications are: buprenorphine (an opioid medication)
It is nearly impossible for a rabbit to eat too much hay. However, if a rabbit has other foods that are easier to eat available, they will typically forgo the hay in favor of these other foods. So when a rabbit is given too many pellets or sugary treats, they will end up overeating them instead of munching on hay.
What do rabbits eat? Rabbits should have a daily diet of mostly hay, a smaller amount of fresh vegetables, and a limited number of pellets. Hay is the most important part of a rabbit's daily intake. Unlimited, high-quality grass hay, such as Timothy, orchard or brome, should make up the bulk of a rabbit's diet.
Hay provides lots of long-strand fibre which keeps your rabbit's gut moving properly and teeth healthy. It's the closest thing to a natural diet. Rabbits would naturally graze upon it all day, so ensure yours have an unlimited supply.
Once they've committed to eating their daily hay, your rabbit will be ecstatic to eat green, leafy vegetables like lettuce and escarole. The tops of several vegetables, such as radishes or carrots also make great treats.
Do NOT feed the following: cereals, grains, nuts, seeds, corn, beans, peas, breads, biscuits, sweets, sugar, breakfast cereals, chocolate or any garden plants that are toxic to rabbits (see links below).
These foods are poisonous for your rabbit and could make her ill: Potatoes, daffodils, tulips, rhubarb, lillies, mushrooms, avocado, broad beans, sweet peas, buttercup, kidney beans, jasmine, foxglove and iceberg lettuce.
Susie said: “An enzyme contained in pineapple juice is claimed to break down the material which holds fur balls together. “However, the juice could just work because it provides rehydration and energy.
Very small doses of olive oil given orally may help with mild constipation. Remove the rabbit's dry food, feed more hay and fresh vegetables and ensure it has plenty of fresh water. Encourage the rabbit to exercise.
Rabbits with an intestinal obstruction present severe abdominal pain and as a result will become anorexic, unwilling to move and grind their teeth in pain (bruxism). They will also press their abdomen on the ground, have a bloated and distended abdomen, and cease production of faecal pellets.
It may take several days before any fecal pellets are seen, and it may take two weeks or more of motility therapy before the intestine is moving normally again.