Gastrointestinal Stasis

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Gastrointestinal Stasis, GI Stasis, or ileus is a serious condition that requires immediate attention. The condition occurs when the gut stops moving, is blocked, or is full of gas.

Causes of GI Stasis

• Stress
• Pain from an underlying condition (e.g. gas, dental problems, infections, or urinary tract disorders)
• Dehydration
• Lack of dietary fiber
• Intestinal blockage

GI Symptoms

• Loss of appetite (anorexia) or changes in eating habits. A good way to test this is to offer fresh herbs or a favorite treat.
• Small to no stool, loose or mucous covered stool or diarrhea.
• Sitting in a hunched position or pressing stomach against the floor.
• Loud tooth grinding which is an indication of pain. This is different than the "tooth purr" that indicates pleasure or contentment.
• Loud GI sounds or complete silence in the stomach. You can use a stethoscope or listen with your ear pressed against the stomach.

Diagnosis

Gastrointestinal stasis can be usually diagnosed as non-obstructive or obstructive ileus.

	Non-obstructive	Obstructive
Clinical Signs	Gradual onset (days to weeks). Gradual reduction in fecal size and output. Crave fiber. Initially bright; gradual onset of depression and abdominal pain. Mild to moderate dehydration.	Sudden onset (24-48 hours). Fecal output stops abruptly. Severe depression. Abdominal pain. Reluctance to move. Symptoms of shock. Severe dehydration. Death in 24-48 hours.
Radiographic findings	Compacted material in stomach and sometimes caecum, often with halo of gas. As symptoms progress, entire GI tract gas-filled. Stomach usually last to bloat. Fluid present only late in disease.	Fluid and gas present cranial to obstruction. Bubbles of gas in stomach with no halo. If cecal obstruction, fluid and bubbles of air in cecum.

_{From Emma Keeble, Anna Meredith, et al., Rabbit Medicine & Surgery, 2006.}

Treatment

You should seek immediate veterinary assistance if your rabbit has not eaten or passed stools in the past 12 hours or is exhibiting other symptoms of GI stasis. Your vet will provide proper treatment and care. If left untreated, GI stasis can be fatal in 48 hours.

Below are links with more information about various treatments for GI stasis.

• House Rabbit Society - MD, DC, & NoVA, Laurie Kuhn, Help Me Make It Through the Night
• Suite 101, Sarah Goodwin-Nguyen, Helping a Bunny With G.I. Stasis
• Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Is Lactobacillus supplementation useful for the house rabbit?
• Equidane Vetline, The role of Probiotics in the management of rabbit gut stasis.

Further Reading

• Dana M. Krempels, Ph.D., GastroIntestinal Stasis, The Silent Killer
• House Rabbit Society, Susan Brown, DVM, Sluggish Motility in the Gastrointestinal Tract
• Medirabbit, Dana Krempels, Mary Cotter and Gil Stanzione, Ileus in domestic rabbits
• Hug-a-Bunny Rabbit Rescue, Rabbit Health: GI Stasis
• Friends of Rabbits, Dr. Scott J. Stahl, Anorexia and Gastrointestinal Stasis in Rabbits
• Long Beach Animal Hospital, GI Stasis (hairballs) in Rabbits
• Rabbits Online, GI Stasis: What Everyone Should Know

Here are some relevant Q&A's:

• AllExperts, Dana Krempels, Ph.D., Rabbit predisposed to stomach blockage?

See Also

• Digestive System
• Veterinary Emergencies