Rabbit Illnesses - Gastrointestinal Stasis Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

When the gastrointestinal tract of the rabbits exhibits sluggish motility the condition is called Gastrointestinal Stasis. The movement in the gut slows down or stops resulting in severe pain and even death. It is an emergency when the rabbits stop eating, and should be provided intensive supportive therapy at the earliest.

Causes
The causes for Gastrointestinal Stasis may be a hair/fur ball in the intestine or infection, gas, or even dental problem. The rabbit diet should essentially consist of around 25% of fiber and sufficient fluid intake. Lack of fiber or fluid can be a major factor to aggravate Gastrointestinal Stasis. Grassy grains, oat hay and timothy hay are few natural fiber rich rabbit foods. When the diet lacks fiber the movement in the gut slows down and simultaneously leaves the undigested food and hair balls in the intestinal tract.

The blockage in the guts is severely painful for the rabbits and often life threatening. Moreover the stagnant matter in the intestine promotes breeding of harmful bacteria that swamps on the good ones thereby creating an imbalance. A common type of harmful bacteria is clostridium which produces harmful and painful gas when they are in extreme numbers. They gradually produce excess of toxins that may even damage the liver. If the condition is left untreated they may get seriously ill and may die in a day or two. That explains the importance of identifying the early symptoms of gastrointestinal stasis which is mainly absence of feces, lack of appetite and lethargy.

Symptoms
Healthy rabbits produce copious and frequent feces. Basically the feces produced by rabbits are of two types. First type is called cecotropes that are soft, mucus covered and often greenish. Rabbits normally eat them and they are rich in nutrients. Though this sounds gross, it is an indication that the rabbits are healthy. If they fail to produce cecotropes or refuse to eat them it may be an indication of intestinal discomfort. If the condition does not improve in 12 hours, the pet must be taken to a vet immediately. The second type is round, dark pelleted feces. A healthy rabbit produce these normally quite frequently. Failure to produce them for more than 12 hours should be an indication that an emergency vet visit is required.

Treatment
The vet may perform some common physical tests like palpating the abdomen, to check intestinal activity and also checks the temperature. A healthy rabbit’s body temperature should be between 101-103F/38.3-39.4C. An alteration of this range indicates infection. Once diagnosed with Gastrointestinal Stasis the treatment depends on the level of severity. Fluids and enzyme treatments may be administered to break up trapped matter in the intestine. The most commonly used intestinal motility agents are Reglan and Propulsid. It is better to avoid administering medicine at home, since forceful feeding to rabbits may accelerate its stress and eventually aggravates the condition. In extreme cases surgery may be the only option.

When the condition is in the beginning stage, physical methods to relieve the block may also be observed. One such method is abdominal massaging to get the stagnant matter moving in the intestine and to reactivate the digestion. However this should be performed only by a professional unless if it is an emergency situation where the vet is not accessible. In that case, carefully massage around the abdomen using your fingers with gentle and slow movements. Stop if the rabbit exhibits pain or distress. To provide relief from pain due to gas, Simethicone may be administered. However, it doesn’t cure the actual cause. Sometimes administering enema shows improvement, but unless a vet is inaccessible, it is not advisable not to try at home.

Every rabbit owner should be aware of the symptoms and risks involved in gastrointestinal stasis that is common among pet rabbits and the emergency treatment it warrants. It is better and quite possible to prevent the condition by providing the rabbits with proper diet that has sufficient fluid and fiber and also a stress free environment.

         

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