Rabbits and Stasis

BlackRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 September 2011
Messages
3,872
Visit site
I took Pippin for his vaccinations last night - we went to a different practice as the previous one wasn't very disabled friendly.

I asked the vet how much metaclopromide he should have in the event of stasis, I was quite surprised when he said if they get stasis just to bring them inside and keep warm, and it should pass. He added it was usually caused by eating unfamiliar food - but I know it can just happen too as I'm always very careful to introduce foods/changes slowly, plus mine are have always been house rabbits so in a warm environment anyway.

My previous vet gave me the megaclop which I've always found fantastic, and makes a difference within an hour. I've got plenty of it in - but Paddington was a rather large bunny so I I'd wanted to check the correct dose in the event of anything happening.

It made me wonder if perhaps he wasn't very rabbit savvy?
 

Griffin

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 September 2012
Messages
1,641
Visit site
I am currently rabbit-less (not for long hopefully) but I was the personal assistant to rescue bunnies for many years and my understanding is that GI stasis can be caused by lots of different reasons (like colic in horses). It can be caused by unfamiliar food but stress, weather changes, practically anything can cause it.

While bringing a rabbit inside (if they're outside) can help, you still need to get the guts moving again or they will die. I used to start with syringe feeding and encouragement to move around but if this did not appear to work after about half an hour or I didn't know how long the rabbit had stopped eating for, I would take to the vets as an emergency.

Interestingly, I had a single, elderly rabbit who I was unable to rebond when her partner died who became a house rabbit for her last two years. In her younger years, she had been very prone to stasis but never suffered once she started living indoors (she died from cancer).
 

Widgeon

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 January 2017
Messages
3,821
Location
N Yorks
Visit site
I would probably be thinking the same as you. Stasis can develop for lots of reasons and if you don't catch it fast it's dangerous - I've seen it plenty of times now and never from unfamiliar food! I can't see why a vet wouldn't be at least considering the need for drugs if stasis occured? I've had rabbits for about 15 years now and have always gone for drug + syringe feeding as a combined approach, and this has always been what our vets (various practices over the years) have advocated. However I have found that rabbits are considered a bit of a speciality so it seems possible that your vet maybe just isn't very rabbit savvy - might be worth finding out which local practices have an interest in rabbits, we have one practice in particular that specialises in exotics and I take any puzzling cases there if our normal vets can't figure it out quickly. Rabbits do go downhill horribly fast so sometimes it's worth having an expert to call on sooner rather than later.
 
Top