GI Stasis
April 5, 2017It’s hard to believe that it’s already springtime! In fact, there’s only a few days left until the Easter bunny will be bringing baskets full of goodies, and hiding brightly colored eggs for kids to find. But eggs aren’t the only thing rabbits are good at hiding – they’re also quite adept at hiding a serious illness called GI stasis.
GI stasis is an ailment where food isn’t moving properly through the gastrointestinal tract, thus causing the contents of the gut to become hardened and compact, which creates a blockage for the rabbit. Harmful bacteria then begin to override the GI tracts natural ability to defend itself, and a buildup of painful gas is produced. It can take as little as 12 to 24 hours for this new abundance of toxins to become deadly.
Several symptoms of a rabbit with GI stasis include:
- Hunched back
- Chattering teeth
- Lethargy
- Anorexia
- Not defecating
- Unusually loud gut noises
If you notice any of these telltale signs of GI stasis in your pet, immediate medical intervention is paramount, and that’s because rabbits are prey animals in the wild. Their normal instincts (even in domesticated ones) are to hide any flaws or illnesses from potential predators, so they very well could be far sicker than you think.
To help ensure that your pet doesn’t succumb to this silent killer, it’s important to find a veterinarian who specializes, or has a lot of experience working with rabbits. There is one that we work closely with, Bird and Pet Clinic of Roseville.
Enjoy the Holiday weekend.