GI Stasis - help my rabbit is sick!
What is GI Stasis / Drum Disease?
The full name is Gastrointestinal Stasis but it is also called Drum Disease in Danish. It is a disease that comes from gas in the intestines of rabbits. When it reaches this stage a veterinarian must be present as it is so bad that it can be fatal to it.
What signs of incipient GI Stasis are there?
The first sign that you immediately notice when you see the rabbit is that it lies completely flat with the belly pressed down to the ground or floor to ease the pain.
It does not want to eat anything and it lies and twists and cannot really find rest.
Its senses are completely out of play so that the ears do not tilt back and forth as they otherwise would and the nose no longer flashes when you put its favorite treat up to it's nose. You can also see its torment by looking it calmly in the eyes where you will find that they are dull and tired to look at. Often they will be more glossy than they usually are. This is another sign that your rabbit needs your help as soon as possible.
Another thing many rabbit owners also do not often notice is that the rabbit temperature drops significantly when it has these abdominal pain and the onset of GI Stasis.
Its stools will also be abnormally small and dark and may even have diarrhea if there is any stools from it at all.
It will be very inactive and may seem depressed and stressed.
The first sign that you immediately notice when you see the rabbit is that it lies completely flat with the belly pressed down to the ground or floor to ease the pain.
It does not want to eat anything and it lies and twists and cannot really find rest.
Its senses are completely out of play so that the ears do not tilt back and forth as they otherwise would and the nose no longer flashes when you put its favorite treat up to it's nose. You can also see its torment by looking it calmly in the eyes where you will find that they are dull and tired to look at. Often they will be more glossy than they usually are. This is another sign that your rabbit needs your help as soon as possible.
Another thing many rabbit owners also do not often notice is that the rabbit temperature drops significantly when it has these abdominal pain and the onset of GI Stasis.
Its stools will also be abnormally small and dark and may even have diarrhea if there is any stools from it at all.
It will be very inactive and may seem depressed and stressed.
You have no doubt when you first see all these signs. Your rabbit will not be the rabbit you know when it hurts this way so be sure to help it as soon as possible.
Why does it occur?
This is caused by the fermentation processes in the digestive system producing too much gas when it breaks down sugar and starch from the food. The rabbit's digestive system functions by digesting the food in the intestines. It cannot even get rid of the gas in a natural way so when too much gas accumulates in the intestines the rabbit will start to suffer a lot of severe pain. This can develop and cause many consequences and create imbalance in many of the rabbit's systems in the body and this can also cause the rabbit to die. The various processes and systems are very sensitive to changes so the slightest change in everyday life (often in the diet) can cause these fatal effects.
The diet
It happens quite often that rabbits get gas in the gut when fed incorrectly. The diet is of great importance to rabbits and it is therefore extremely important to follow the rabbit food pyramid and provide plenty of hay.
There is a high sugar content in grass especially in spring and fall so it can give the rabbit a form of colic when it eats too much. As soon as you bring a large handful of green fresh grass the rabbit will take it as if it is okay to eat it all because you have allowed it so it must be good enough and therefore the rabbit will do not even think about what it does in nature. In addition, the rabbit will only eat single straws in the wild so it will not receive the same amount at a time. You should also be careful about giving too many treats in the form of apple chips cereal treats and weeds from the garden as this can have the exact same effect. A fairly common reason for this is also that the teeth have grown crooked or too much without being able to grind it properly. It would do this in the wild by gnawing on branches but it is not always possible for them to do so when living with us humans. The teeth, as you know, grow throughout the life of the rabbit so if they grow skewed into the gums then the rabbit gives unbearable pain.
If your rabbit tends to often stomachache and maybe it has a more delicate stomach than other rabbits then you may also choose to cut down on the rabbit pellets, if any. Yes, rabbits can live on rabbit pellets but it is not healthy for them to such an extent and they can actually do without them when the rabbit has grownup if it gets all the vitamins from other places in eg vegetables, herbs from the garden, hay / straw and in bark from branches etc.
Other factors that come into play
Gas in the intestines of a rabbit can also be caused by stress or dehydration but it can actually get it if it has eaten its food too quickly. Typically, it takes 14-16 hours for the food to get through the system (All the food rabbits eat go through the digestive system twice) so if you want to look back at what you might have given the rabbit which was not so good for it you might think 16 hours backwards to find the cause so you can avoid the problem next time.
If the cause of intestinal gas is stress or you just have the slightest suspicion then it is very important to solve the problem and remove what is stressing it. You can sense your rabbit is stressed because it will be a little confused and may eat the food quickly.
Another thing you may have to think about is whether you are giving your rabbit salad or vegetables from a cold refrigerator then you should preferably avoid this as it is an unnatural temperature of food coming down the rabbit's stomach. You can only leave it at room temperature for approx. 5-10 minutes to get a more normal temperature of the salad or vegetables.
Poisonous plants
There is also a fairly normal plant that looks like a yellow dandelion flower for confusion and it is a parsnip flower. It often stands in ditches and roadsides and other densely vegetated places. There are also many other plants in the lawn which could look like small dandelion leaves if you do not look at it a second time you may want to bring it in a handful of greenery.
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Parsnip flower |
How is it treated and what are the consequences?
Rabbit massage
If you dare you can give the rabbit a little massage. To do this pick up the rabbit and put it on your lap then massage into small round circles on each side of its belly. Once you have done this a little you can slowly move both hands up and down so you can move the rabbit's stomach up and down slowly. You can also do this with side-to-side movements. Next if your rabbit likes it turn it with your head towards you and turn its buttocks up into the air (not too high) and then balance it a little there
This will relieve the pressure and gas bubbles in the intestines so that it can better relax. If this was not at all understandable then there is a video here that shows it better. It is important to make the circles clockwise so that you do not risk stopping the digestive system instead of getting it up and running again.
Veterinarian
If you see that your rabbit is suffering call your veterinarian immediately. This is always the first thing to do if you feel it is out of your control. It is also very nice to have other eyes to look at the animal so you are sure of what you are doing and how bad it really is.
Citical Care (digestion)
If it does not want to eat any food and you have tried to offer it all of its favorite treats then you can give it some Critical Care to keep the bowels running so they do not stall. Because they must not because if they have first stopped then it is very difficult to get up and running again and this can result in the rabbit's death. Critical Care can be purchased from most veterinarians and online. It will be an instruction manual on the back of the pack so you just have to follow it and then hopefully your rabbit will be on it's paws again after 6-7 hours. If it is not then you should seek a veterinarian right away.
Give plenty of water
If your rabbit does not want to drink normal water it may help to boil some water and allow it to cool so the rabbit may want it. It is good with plenty of water to keep it hydrated.
Decreased temperature
When the temperature drops it is very important that you make sure it is warm and comfortable. You may want to lay straw around it, put a blanket where it sits or find a heating pad that is not too warm for it. The temperature should always be around 39 degrees Celsius and it will most likely be around 38 degrees Celsius when sick and having gas in the intestines.
Nausea
These pains, when there is gas in the intestinal system, cause nausea so the rabbit does not feel like eating or drinking. We even know that we don't want to eat anything when we have nausea and then we just let it be but it's not that simple with rabbits. They must always digest food otherwise they will die of hunger. So it is important that you "force feed" it if it does not want to ingest it itself.
Hunger
If the rabbit is in a lot of pain it will not normally eat food itself but it may drink some water so you can try it to get some liquid in the rabbit. It loses a lot of water when it has gas in the intestines as it gets out with the stool if it has diarrhea.
How to prevent it?
Avoid giving more grass than the rabbit eats hay and straw.
Avoid fruits, berries and too many vegetables.
No goodies with sugar, honey, starch, milk, etc.
Sort grass and green before giving it to the rabbit to avoid plants that stall the digestive system.
Give many fibers if necessary. In the form of Profiber (they cannot get too many fibers)
Avoid giving more grass than the rabbit eats hay and straw.
Avoid fruits, berries and too many vegetables.
No goodies with sugar, honey, starch, milk, etc.
Sort grass and green before giving it to the rabbit to avoid plants that stall the digestive system.
Give many fibers if necessary. In the form of Profiber (they cannot get too many fibers)
First aid kit
You should always have a first aid kit ready if your pet suddenly falls ill. It is smartest to have it in a dry and cool place next to where the animal is staying.
These things are smart to have in case of an emergency:
Oxbow Critical Care
Syringes (in different sizes)
Thermometer + Vaseline
Nail Scissors
Disinfectant fluid + Cotton wool
Heating pad
Tweezers
Stethoscope
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