Summarize:

GI stasis in rabbits can be life threatening, so do not delay in getting your rabbit to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will physically examine your rabbit and run several diagnostic tests to confirm GI stasis. During the physical exam, your veterinarian will palpate your rabbit’s abdomen and put his or her stethoscope on the abdomen to listen for gut sounds.  Your veterinarian will also look at your rabbit’s mouth, since dental disease can lead to GI stasis.  In addition to the physical exam, your veterinarian will take several samples (feces, urine, blood) for analysis. He or she will also take an x-ray of your rabbit’s abdomen to get a better look at his GI tract.  Your veterinarian will need to make sure your rabbit has GI stasis, rather than an intestinal blockage, since these two conditions are treated differently. The difference between the two will be apparent on the abdominal x-ray.  If your rabbit has an obstruction, that will need to be treated as well. Do  not  attempt to diagnose GI stasis on your own. Not only is it difficult to recognize early on, but other diseases resemble GI stasis. It is best to have your veterinarian diagnose your rabbit’s GI stasis. Intensive care by your veterinarian is required to treat your rabbit’s GI stasis. Your rabbit’s treatment plan will have many parts, one of which is pain relief. When his intestines fill with gas, this can stretch the walls of gut and cause intense pain. In addition, pain can cause GI stasis. Therefore, pain relief is an important aspect of treating GI stasis. Several pain medications are available for your rabbit. Your veterinarian will decide which medication will work best for your rabbit. When your rabbit drinks less water with GI stasis, his body will draw water out of his GI tract and move it to other parts of his body in an attempt to stay hydrated. To treat your rabbit, your veterinarian will need to not only rehydrate your rabbit as a whole, but also rehydrate his GI tract so food can move through more easily. Rehydration will also provide your rabbit with much-needed nutrients. The fluids will help stimulate your rabbit’s gut motility. Anorexia can cause serious health problems in rabbits (fatty liver disease, gastric ulcers), even after just 12 hours of not eating. Since your rabbit has not been eating due to his GI stasis, it is critical for him to start eating again. Your veterinarian will probably feed him an emergency food called Critical Care.  If your rabbit may not be strong enough to eat on his own, your veterinarian will hand feed him using a syringe or feed him through a nasogastric tube.  In addition to this emergency food, your veterinarian will give your rabbit free-choice hay and leafy greens. Since alfalfa hay can cause bloating, your veterinarian will instead feed your rabbit some type of grass hay (e.g., timothy, oat, brome).  Fresh herbs can stimulate an anorexic rabbit to eat. Examples of herbs are mint, basil, and fennel. Alternatively, your veterinarian may want to use an appetite stimulant, such as B vitamins.  Your rabbit will need to be fed frequently (every 3 to 6 hours) to prevent complications from anorexia, restore nutrients, and stimulate gut motility. In addition to rehydrating and feeding your rabbit, your veterinarian will give your rabbit medications (‘prokinetics’) to get his gut moving again. Prokinetics should be given  only  if your rabbit does not have an intestinal obstruction. Your veterinarian will have determined if your rabbit has an obstruction (e.g., hairball) with earlier diagnostic testing. Prokinetics may not work immediately. It may take a few weeks for gut motility to return to normal with prokinetics. During the course GI stasis, harmful bacteria (Clostridium) can form in the gut and release bad toxins. Your veterinarian may want to use a medication called Questran that can absorb these bad toxins and pass them through the feces. By absorbing the toxins, Questran can aid the recovery process while other medications are working to restore gut motility. Antibiotics should be used with caution when treating GI stasis in rabbits. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of treatment resistant bacteria, which could make it even more difficult to treat GI stasis. There are treatments that should be absolutely avoided when treating your rabbit’s GI stasis. For example, yogurt and probiotics are not recommended, since the milk starches and sugar in these substances can actually feed the bad bacteria growing in your rabbit’s GI tract. Feeding your rabbit cecotropes (his own droppings) is not a good idea for the same reason.  You may have heard that pineapples are a good hairball remedy for rabbits. Since hairballs can form as a result of GI stasis, it may make sense to try to break down the hairball. However, the enzymes in pineapples cannot break down keratin, the main component of hair.  Your veterinarian should  not   give your rabbit pineapple.
Take your rabbit to your veterinarian. Relieve your rabbit’s pain. Rehydrate your rabbit. Feed your rabbit. Restore your rabbit’s normal gut motility. Eliminate harmful toxins from your rabbit’s GI tract. Do NOT administer certain treatments.