GI stasis

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Etiology (cause)[edit | edit source]

  • Anything that stops Gut mobility
  • Switching Food or Pellets to fast.
  • Excess Fruits and Vegetable's. Fresh veg should be limited to no more then 1 or 2 tablespoons total a day, and it is best to use these fresh plants in small quantities for there medicinal properties, or as a supplement then as a main nutrient source because they can unbalance the complete nutrition already in your pellets, as well as too much of a good thing can kill your rabbit by unbalancing their delicate hindgut functionality throwing them into a bacterial overload which leads to bloat and GI stasis.
  • Stress
  • Surgery: Anesthesia can stop the gut, and Post-Surgical GI stasis is common.
  • Not Enough Fiber
  • Wool Block
  • Intestinal Torsion/Colic
  • Moldy feed
  • Illness
  • Coccidia

Clinical Signs[edit | edit source]

Pain, Bloat, Tenderness in abdomen, going off feed, little or no poops.


Treatment, Prevention, and Control[edit | edit source]

Treatment[edit | edit source]

  • 1cc Shot of B-12 SC
  • Give 3cc Sugar water orally, Glucose + water is best. Repeat in 30 minutes. (Use either straight white sugar mix with water or corn(karo) syrup diluted just enough to push through a syringe)
  • Give 1cc water and Probiotics, or a Probiotic paste, like Jumpstart or probios. repeat hourly.
 if bloated:
 *Baby Gas Drops(Mylicon) every 15 minutes
 *Massage the belly gently to help break up gas bubbles
  • force feed critical care, or Pellet mash 1-3cc at a time every hour.
  • dehydration is common and it may be advised to seek veterinary care for SC fluids. Typically LR 100cc SC.


protocol is , 100cc bolus Lactated ringer Subcutaneous with 1cc B12 or High B complex. Added to bolus.

Fluid help stabilize and fight the dehydration, the B12 helps get the gut moving.

Follow by oral 3cc corn syrup. I KNOW it sounds counterintuitive BUT the high concentration of sugar will again help jump start the gut and counter Shock.

That is followed by Baby gas drops, to counter any extra gas caused by the sugar bolus,

Probiotics: A pea sized glob of jump start or Propios paste.

FIBER : Either push pellet mash, crit-care , puree pumpkin, or plain Benefiber, this is to keep the gut moving(3cc) .

Follow with 3cc plain water or water with Probiotics, again to stabilize the gut bacteria.

Each treatment is done approx 15 min apart and repeat in an hour.


If a bacterial overload is suspected or underlying cause is another infection like bordetella or coccidia also treat accordingly.

For coccidia if it is this advanced to the point of stasis only Toltrazuril(baycox) will work for coccidia.

Baytril, LA200, or Obrax for infections URI,.

PEN-G if its a flesh wound or abscess .

Safeguard for EC,

Ivermectin for advanced ear mites.

References[edit | edit source]