# GI Stasis



## kellyrich (Jan 8, 2009)

What Is GI Stasis?

When the speed with which material moves through the GIT is altered it can affect how quickly the stomach and cecum empty. This will generally decrease the appetite for both food and water, causing the body to extract the water from the stomach, which exaggerates the problem by causing the contents of the entire GI tract (food, hair from grooming, etc.) to become further dehydrated and impacted. The bunny is then unable to pass the mass of food/hair in the stomach, feels full, uncomfortable and often gassy (due to the build-up of bad bacteria in the cecum), which only adds to his I dont want to eat mentality. Rabbits who are not eating can quickly become anorexic and can die from something called hepatic lipidosis or commonly Fatty Liver Disease, which is caused by the toxins produced by the bad bacteria in the cecum. A rabbit in GI Stasis is often said to have a hairball  and while this may be a part of the problem, the hair/food mass in the gut is a RESULT of the stasis, not the cause. 

Causes Of GI Stasis

hair ingested during grooming 
a high fat, low fiber diet (such as a pellet-only diet) 
too many carbohydrates in the diet (breads, crackers, etc.) 
stress (moving, illness, changes in family life, loss of rabbit companion, etc.) 
long term use of antibiotics 
partial paralyzation or mobility problems 
lack of proper exercise 

Treating GI Stasis

The first and most important thing to do is learn to recognize the early signs of GI problems and treat your rabbit accordingly or get him or her to your Rabbit Vet before things get worse. 

Signs Of GI Stasis

feces strung thickly together with hair (from grooming) 
decreasing or sudden lack of appetite for both water and food 
periodic soft, pudding-like stools followed by erratically shaped fecal pellets 
on-again/off-again diarrhea 
on-again/off-again diarrhea in combination with irregular shaped poops 

What To Do If You Notice Early Signs Of GI Problems

If you notice that your rabbits feces are strung with hair, smaller than usual or not uniform in shape and size there are several things you can do before getting extra-concerned and calling your vet: 

INCREASE rabbits fiber intake: offer her a variety of fresh hays. Change or add hay frequently throughout the day to encourage bunny to investigate and munch. 
DECREASE pellets for a day or two to encourage a hungry bunny to eat more hay (fiber). 
INCREASE produce. Rinse it and offer bunny wetter veggies to encourage water consumption.. 
INCREASE water consumption to help hydrate impacted gut: 
offer your rabbit water in a crock as well as water bottle; crocks offer rabbits a more natural way of consuming water, which may encourage them to drink more; 
add a small amount of sugar free fruit juice, such as apple, grape or (our choice) Gerbers baby Apple Carrot juice to the water for a day or two (change water frequently to avoid spoilage) and make sure to ask your vet about the use of fruit juice for each rabbit/case; 
some rabbits will even drink a V-8/water mixture! 
INCREASE your rabbits exercise routine. If this is a caged rabbit, get her out to run around your house (supervised) for several hours a day. Often just getting the body going will motivate the gut to function better. 
Give your bunny malt flavored cat hairball remedy, 1 inch 2 to 3 times a day for 2 days. 
If your rabbits feces do not improve within 2 days, or if they get worse(smaller) or stop altogether  or if her appetite diminishes  contact your rabbit vet IMMEDIATELY.


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## mimi g (Mar 10, 2009)

Good work! x


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

Good stuff, these should be stickies really save people asking for them again.


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## kellyrich (Jan 8, 2009)

How do i make them stickies? Who do i ask? x


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

kellyrich said:


> How do i make them stickies? Who do i ask? x


pm the moderator


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## red_dwarf15 (Nov 17, 2008)

dam can someone give kelly a blob for me please as ive already given her one for her other post and it wont let me give you one again


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