GI Stasis vs. Bloat in Rabbits | Save Your Bunny's Life!

Does your bunny have GI Stasis or Bloat? Learn the subtle differences in symptoms, causes, and treatment to help save your rabbit's life!
After attending the 2020 Midwest BunFest, the session by veterinarian Dr. Barbara Oglesbee about stasis vs. bloat in rabbits stood out as extremely vital information that many rabbit owners likely do not know, so I set to work creating graphics and a video to pass along this knowledge to the bunny community.
Aside from learning about GI stasis and bloat, see my demonstration of bunny abdominal massage for stasis and my favorite emergency kit items to treat digestive ailments in rabbits. Timestamps for specific sections are listed below.
Intro - 0:00
Stasis vs. Bloat (Quick Explanation) - 1:45
Stasis Symptoms & Causes - 3:55
Stasis Treatment - 8:12
Bloat Symptoms - 14:03
Bloat Causes & Treatment - 16:39
Stasis vs. Bloat Chart - 18:04
Emergency Kit Items - 20:22
Bunny Massage Demo - 26:16
Bunny Music Video - 27:40
Outro & Bloopers - 30:13
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[@HooksHollands]

Stasis vs. Bloat information can also be found on our website: www.ohiohollandlops.com/rabbit-health.html

[@LoveABun]

Did the vet talk at all about giving BenaBac for stasis since it results from a bacterial imbalance? Incredible video. Thank you!

[@blairghirtle]

I lost my first bun to bloat. It broke my heart in a million pieces. He was so beautiful and sweet. And it still hurts to think about it.

[@juliab4716]

we lost 2 days ago. it is a heart broken

[@oliviaholland5694]

When my bun went into stasis. I took her to the vet and by the time i picked her up and took her home it was time to give her nausea medicine, medicam, and critical care. She loved it so much she chewed off the tip of the syringe to get more. It was so funny to see her big personality come back out.

[@binkybunnysway943]

Lol my bunny does that with fibreplex

[@jisaiahmiller1340]

What did they do when you took her to the vet?

[@helaynajames7028]

I lost my first bunny to a blockage, and the “rabbit savvy” vet prescribed syringe feeding to “get the blockage to move”. Horrible experience, but I am so glad there is a dedication to spreading knowledge within the bunny community! Videos like these are so great 💗

[@HooksHollands]

It was so helpful to hear a rabbit-savvy vet enlighten me on bloat. I didn't realize that it was much more critical than stasis or the exact differences between these two.

[@neptaim2795]

I’m sorry for your loss. I just lost my rabbit this morning due to a mass my “rabbit savvy” vet couldn’t detect until the 2nd X-ray and prescribed me metacam to go home with. He admitted his stasis could be a culprit but he told me to wait a few days to see how she d bounce back. Despite that I told him she wasn’t eating as much anymore and she had problems pooping until she did stop completely. VCA is a sham when it comes to exotics

[@tyv1383]

@@neptaim2795 gotta make sure your VCA get is specialized in rabbits. Looked mine up in a registry but basically most are mainly dog/cat expertise and see rabbits on the side. Mine only sees rabbits at the VCA I go to

[@RabbitAndTheLabBestFriends]

I didn’t know they have you force feed when there is a blockage that I thought kills them

[@victoriabrake2103]

Same thing happened ro my first rabbit. Jusr happened suddenrly and there was a gurggling sound. We thought stasis and never knew about bloat.

[@victoriaandrassy6051]

Thank you for this as a constantly worrying bunny mom this is extremely helpful

[@HooksHollands]

Happy to help!

[@cuhurun]

Heat really is a crucial factor in keeping them alive, for sure. Regardless of whether your rabbit is suffering from Stasis or Bloat (especially Stasis).... get them warm, and keep them warm, immediately !

[@morgangoldenbaum9092]

Ive tried multiple rabbit vets in my area for my bunnies and they won’t give me any advice or tips over the phone. They force me to make an appointment and then give me incorrect advice and I end up having to come here or bunny facebook pages to find good advice for my rabbits. This video is extremely helpful so thank you. I went through this months ago with my milly and someone on fb told me to keep syringe feeding her water to keep her hydrated. After a couple days she finally started pooping again and eating and drinking herself.

[@katehuffman2252]

Such great timing! My bunny had an awful experience with gas last night, but thankfully, he pulled through & is back to normal today!

[@Bellonging]

Rabbits really do hide all their pain. It is soooo important to watch them carefully. Thankyou for this vid it's good to put more rabbit information out in the world.

[@catherinefurlong7696]

My rabbitstopped eating and pooping overnight. He was a little cold in the morning, no interest in eating and switching up positions a lot. I had no idea about bunny health conditions as he's always been well but massaged him a bit out of instinct. He regained interest in eating and went back to himself within a relatively short period. That was two days ago now and he is hopping around and eating as usual. I feel like we had a lucky escape having watched about bloat! Thanks for the video. Feel much more informed now.

[@coolboyjacc2779]

My bunnies both had bloat and I didn’t even know it. I saw they were in pain and massaged and got them comfortable and force fed them hay. They are all good now👍🏼

[@shilly8538]

Im going to do the same 😢

[@Brumbulys]

I love all the rabbit puns, i have to say thank you for all thr information

[@tonyarandall4156]

Thank you for this video Diane ❤️❤️

[@melodyandoreo4325]

Thank you Diane! This is a very good topic to touch on!

[@jaycee8972]

Thank you so much!! This was great. So informational and thorough

[@pipermaru2006]

Great video! Very educational. xx

[@RabbitAndTheLabBestFriends]

This video is the most amazing video I have seen yet

[@tanuki-chan23]

Thank you as always for making this kind of video. Really helpful and informative😊 Lots of love💕💕💕

[@manpreetblack1415]

This is extremely helpful thank you ♥️

[@riwayettuniyaz1639]

Thank you! I'm getting a bunny soon so thank you so so much for this helpful video!

[@hiphopw5810]

You've helped me so much with my bunny I just want to say thank you

[@Julia-it4ly]

I had to put my precious 5 yr old lop down a month ago because she was suffering from either stasis or bloat :( the vet couldn’t figure out what it was, she tried to help but eventually told us we had to put her down because she was so bloated and hadn’t pooped for days.. it was a devastating experience. I no longer have a bunny but thank you so much for making this video because I’m sure it will help other people and this is the kind of video I would’ve loved to have seen when my bunny was going through this.

[@lisaboo5806]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge to bunny moms . 💗💗💗 Your buns are so precious ☺️

[@elizabethjamesgordonbrenna515]

My bunny must of had bloat ,I could hear the rumbling I did all you do with stasis except I fed a cookie from oxbow called digestive support he did the biggest hair ball poo 💩, I made him exercise eat took pallets away for a couple of days we now feed the digestive support cookie once a week and touch wood no problems since GREAT 👍🏼 VIDEO

[@bnarmeli]

Absolutely AMAZING video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️. It definitely will save a bunny life! Thank you💗🙏🏼

[@becgould3772]

Bunfest??? Oh I wish we had that here!! Thank you for the information so much important information!!

[@BumbleBeeOnTheBeach]

I smile thinking about the bunch of Bunnies who live healthy and are treated with care thanks to you Diane, sharing your great knowledges. How an honourable and laudable commitment 🏆 (Wonderful sweater indeed 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟)

[@aciarrayan606]

I have holland lop because this channel, thank you 🥰

[@tjtotheb]

Absolutely fantastic video and channel, we need more people like you and less that are here just for youtube attention. Thank you.

[@farmgirl5383]

I love your channel so much you give me so much information and of course to the other people to it help me a lot for things I do not know I have two Hollyn lop’s their sisters one is white and one is gray I can watch your channel all day ❤️❤️❤️

[@annacolman1427]

Thanks for this helpful video! As always the bun was adorable and also as a plus she got a massage this time! lol at 28:42 Paisley was like "I'm out!" Keep up the great work! Keep sending bun videos! Thanks again!

[@tripleultima]

I like the screencap of paisley and the cute bunny. 🐱🐰

[@kathybarth4863]

Thank you!! I have a little male angora lop I inherited from my granddaughter. I have had to use KZbin to educate myself. Your video has been the most helpful of all.

[@a.d.6018]

Fantastic informative video. My bun is a senior bunny. He's picking up way more sicknesses in the last year or so. It's great to know the difference and what to watch out for. Thank you so much. Love your hoppy bun making friends with the cat.

[@WindWolfAlpha]

Needed this sooo much! Lost bunnies before from bloat. Saving it for when we can have a bunny again. Thanks for all you do!!! Mom & Matt

[@maliasanimals1441]

Thank you so much! My holland lip got GI stasis once the we have her some medicine and she got better. Thank you so much for making this video!

[@Richie016]

remarkable tips on Bunny care, ensuring medical caution keeps the rabbits playful & healthy.

[@berelehop7978]

Excellent information, I wished I had this information a year ago so I can get my bunny alive

[@angiewallace1596]

Thank You for your information. I have a 4ish month old English Angora who was having the symptoms and he pulled out of it in about 7 days and is doing good now. Normal poops everywhere! Yea!!! You have a new fan :-)

[@madelineocampo8932]

Thank you this video helped me ❤️

[@sylviapham5760]

I second infant gas drops! It works really well, esp. in the early stages of stasis. I've used it for both my bunnies with good results. Along with the gas drops, exercise and bunny massages have also worked for my bunnies.

[@TheChubbyDoe]

I had a rabbit with a blockage, very obviously sick, and was lucky enough to have an Dr. Fitzgerald from Animal Planet's Emergency Vets be the doctor on call to take care of him. He did a scan and saw the blockage, kept the bunny warm and comfortable, and told me "There's not more we can do, hopefully he will pull through. You should go in there and pet him in the incubator, because rabbits do a lot better when they are being fretted over!" A bit later he started nibbling on pellets again but still had not pooped at all, and Dr. F told me to take him home and fret over him some more, and that should do the trick. Sure enough, as soon as we got home that bunny pooped more than I have ever seen, and was running around the apartment! It was like nothing ever happened. Rabbits are so sassy sometimes. But that was great advice from one of my TV rolemodels as a kid! Rabbits like to be fretted over and will do better when given lots of attention!

[@HooksHollands]

I'm glad your bunny is doing well! The advice to do nothing but keep a bunny warm during a blockage is mind-boggling to me. I'd love to hear the doctor's explanation of how this is effective. :)

[@TheChubbyDoe]

@@HooksHollands Yeah it was pretty amazing how quickly he turned around- that blockage luckily moved after fluids and warming up, and he was good as new! Their idea was surgical intervention at the time wasn't worth the risk. And luckily that was the case- after a few hours of support that bunny nibbled some pellets, then started shooting out poops like crazy! Literally, they were shooting out like ping pong balls out of a pinball machine. If he had continued to decline, they would have suggested surgery as a last resort. Perhaps because we got there within an hour of onset of symptoms it gave them more time?

[@yetus3628]

AYYY U HIT 99k SUBSCRIBERS! you’re almost at 100k!!

[@HooksHollands]

YAY! :)

[@starvlogs880]

Your cat is so cute! ❤️

[@shayrho3289]

Thank you so much for this video. Our sweet little lionhead recently passed away. We thought it was stasis, but it was bloat. Your video is the first that I've seen that talks about this. I so appreciate you educating us

[@riyasrivastava4979]

Nice!

[@sonjalfoster]

I love Yoshi's blue half circle ring around his tail.

[@amyyedid4378]

Thank you for this very informative video! Heartbreakingly my bunny passed last week from what I suspect was bloat but what the (non-rabbit savvy) vet diagnosed as GI stasis. They gave him subcutaneous fluids, pain meds, and motility drugs and sent him home to be fed critical care. Sadly my bunny’s condition only deteriorated even more and when we took him to the emergency room where they said his temperature dropped and he was dehydrated I realized it was in fact bloat and he was misdiagnosed. It’s so important to learn about these things so we can advocate for our babies’ health when we’re not sure the vet has the correct diagnosis. Had I seen this video just a day earlier my baby could’ve still been alive now

[@HooksHollands]

I'm so sorry about your bunny. :(

[@Lolbroekbe]

I love ur vid so much 💓 💗 💖 💛 💕 ❤ 💓 💗 💖

[@jasons7044]

Best video on Stasis/Bloat. I Keep on hand Metacam, Simethicone, Reglan (gut motility), and Sherwood S.A.R. (small animal rescue). About a month ago my female had puffy belly, cold ears, lethargic...had to rush her to vet for overnight stay. Did not want to take chances. One tip I will be taking from this video is when I see those BB sized pellets, cut down greens and unnecessary treats

[@HooksHollands]

I hear conflicting information regarding gut motility drugs. My vet cautioned against them saying it's too harsh trying to push material through intestines that are dry and brittle from stasis, but Dr. Oglesbee said that with stasis, the intestines are full of fluid. I wish I could get a definitive answer on this, but at least most bunny vets are willing to prescribe Metacam. Glad your bun is better. :)

[@binkybunnysway943]

This is completely brilliant. It's so difficult with my bun as his seizures stop his gut working. He's had bloat and gi but gi more. Less often now as an hour after a seizure he is fed by syringe so to prevent the go stasis. The bloat Binky had he eventually had no gut sounds at all! I don't know how he survived. This video is impressive and brilliant you are a bunster guru. Binky is on one turn of fibreplex daily one because he's not keen on hay and two for the good bacteria . He likes fibreplex though and takes it easy. The other reason he is long haired and it binds up fur shedding

[@TMT628]

Love your videos!! Can you do a new best rabbit pens?

[@kathy-annecarr9115]

Thanks Diane, that was really helpful. I think my very first bunny died as a result of bloat. I didn't know as much then about rabbit care as I do now. I continue to learn as much as I can so that I never have to go through that again. Your information is always great to supplement what I have learned along the way.

[@taniyarunda7317]

First, love ur video's 💜😊

[@blahblahblaheh]

💜💜

[@mekenzimora376]

Thanks also can the next video be about morning rountin and night roution please for 2020

[@jenndunlop6253]

Thank you for the break down! This helps a lot. I no think my mr cinnamon has bloating rather then g.i .

[@HooksHollands]

Best wishes on Cinnamon's recovery.

[@flopsybunnies5841]

Did you get a new bunny, who is that bunny pictured at the end? Great video, thank you so much for sharing!

[@HooksHollands]

Mum's the word for now. No comment. ;)

[@robinflinchbaugh3389]

Haha. I had the same question. Scanning comments to find out. Looks like another secret bunny!! Video coming soon I’m sure.

[@ccshade7294]

Could you also do a video on snuffles?

[@binkybunnysway943]

I'm so sorry about your bunny. It's so hard to know what's wrong sometimes. We didn't know Binky was having seizures until he was a year old cos a lot of the symptoms cold ears stiffness ect mimicked bloat but Binky has an extreemly noisy tummy all the time so that's even more difficult

[@wonderrnova]

Diane, love your content as always. I wanted to ask you who Bloat could be prevented in bunnies?

[@HooksHollands]

If you're asking which of my bunnies I suspect had bloat, it was Hazel, who passed suddenly in August.

[@wonderrnova]

@@HooksHollands I meant how* could be prevented. Thank you so much!

[@HooksHollands]

Honestly, I don't have a good answer other than being as vigilant as possible about removing loose fur.

[@wonderrnova]

@@HooksHollands thank you so much. I have learned so much from you! You are the best😍 big love❤

[@cindybarton8562]

/••\ 💕Thank you!!~* This is the best & easiest to understand explanation of these issues that I have encountered!!~*

[@slow2K2GT]

Our girls love to bloat and usually go through this twice per year, they just all of a sudden stop eating and turn into a loaf. I would like to add a note of caution on administering gas drops before knowing what your bunny is experiencing. Most gas drops are thick and can coat a blockage, making it very difficult to pass or penetrate with fluids. We've had poop pass which were coated and very sticky, and likely quite painful for the bunny. For us, it's usually a 12hr turn around from when we notice a change of behavior to when the first signs of normalcy have returned and our girls seem like themselves, followed by 24hrs of rest and recovery. The after care is hugely important and we only feed our girls hay and critical care during this time. Im very happy that you've laid this all out in clear terms for us. We love your channel.

[@fushiakiss]

What did you do to help the bloat feed them water ?

[@vikak827]

How did you get rid of the bloat?

[@Tina-kd3wc]

Rather than doing a ton of work making screenshots pasting them into Word etc is there any chance you may have the presentation above downloadable or the slides anyway the key ones obv is what I'm after such as the symptoms and then treatments etc this was extremely informational but I'm afraid I've got a bun with one of these issues at the moment and I'm deseratytely trying to find out how to deal with it because we don't have a vet yet and not one in our area by recommendation (Olympia WA) if you have a good reference that would be awesome cuz most for our area list Seattle vets and that is not at all in our area it's about 10 counties say not feasible. Any help would be appreciated thank you so much for spreading this educational vid as it does help so much with us worrying bunny moms like we do :)

[@HooksHollands]

I do have stasis and bloat information on my website: www.ohiohollandlops.com/rabbit-health.html

[@maangelicabello9852]

I miss timmy 😔

[@tst7538]

Me to

[@tawandamckinney1646]

I miss Hairry! RIP 1/4/21 😢

[@hertrueself7177]

I miss Johnny 😢 R.I.P 5/7/21

[@vonniebunny8049]

My rabbit recently had bloat. Noticed he stopped eating, took him to the vet and the vet xrayed him. He told me it was very dangerous and to just keep him warm but that he could die within the next few days. Surgery wasn't an option because that vet office doesn't do it. They gave him some subcutaneous fluids and I took him home to give him cuddles and keep him warm and the SECOND he got home he started running around and pooping and eating.... dunno what happened there.

[@RealInsaneGalvatron]

There's a lot of bad information out there. I have been under the mistaken impression that stasis is cause by them not eating for too long. So I've been giving them plenty of pellets and greens since they are resistant to eating hay. When I was cleaning their pen the other day, I did notice some smaller poops. I'm not sure which bunny it was since they both use the same spot. They had been eating the pellets from Rural King that said "feed as much as they want", but it got wet and we had to throw it out. I decided to get a more timothy based pellet which led to Oxbow from the nearest pet store. It says to measure, but we've just been keeping it available and letting them eat what they want. Now that I know the truth and I'm seeing smaller poops ( They both still have their appetite as they devour the greens when I bring them to them ), I'm going to limit the pellets. Will that be good enough at this possible early stage? They will eat the new hay, just not very much of it. If I limit the pellets, they might eat more hay. Or do I need to look into one of these other treatments since the poops are already shrinking? Or is it normal for some poops to be smaller?

[@ayeshaspassion7704]

Thank you for sharing I also hve bunny bfre he ates a lot,,, but lter on we notice from the time he got fever he lost his appetite not eating too much like we hve to find food which he likes to eat.. And pop is bcming smaller... I'm worried about him bcoz it's our frst time to have bunny and seems like it's a big challenge for me and my busbnd

[@jilenejensen1539]

I lost my second bunny to what think was bloat now that I watch this video. I mean if she started showing symptoms at bedtime and passed away at like 6:30 in the morning. Of course I didn’t know that there was bloat in rabbits at that time and we didn’t even have any resources like pain medication or anything else to treat it.

[@eddiej7224]

My bunny just died rather suddenly last week. I'm starting to think it might have been bloat, because it was so fast. I assumed it was stasis, which he'd had before, and gave him some medicine I still had for that. I thought I'd see if he improved by later in the day, and take him to the vet if not. But then he just died. All within about 12 hours or less. I feel so guilty. If there's a next time, I won't make the same mistakes again. 😢

[@YngFijiWtr]

hello.. my bunny stopped eating last night and I was worried. there weren't deformed poops. so I massaged her and her belly was liquid it seemed. I left food out, turned off the AC and prayed. I woke up and noticed she ate lettuce, a hay chew stick and some pellets. I then changed her litter box to monitor pooping. 1 little poop came out and she did 2 small pee sessions. I was surprised because the only thing she was excited to eat was 2 baby carrots which I rarely offer. I massage her a couple more times and forced her to walk in circles around the cage pin. I used a pizza box to make her exercise. she finally pooped out a bunch more. she's not excited for hay yet. but I saw her drink a little. I will monitor all week because I was terribly worried

[@KeiraWilson]

I have a problem my bunny has kind of mixed symptoms but he also acts fine at the same time I’m so confused and just want him to get better

[@debbielynnsmellowminutesme7909]

Thanks so much. I got a bunny so good to know . So why even give them ant pellets or treats or anything just hay then. Can they have those pills by Sherwood on a daily basis also .

[@binkybunnysway943]

Is symithicone the same as the british infacol? I use CBD hemp oil and metacam. I find metacam like kids Calpol!

[@HooksHollands]

I'm not sure, you might check the ingredients in your local infant gas drops.

[@spikesnake1977]

Do Holland Lops have the same capicity of a Rabbit to multiplicate? If the normal Rabbit can have up to 14 children in one go how many can a Holland Lop?

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

Wow I didn't realise stasis and bloat were different. My bun had a bad case of bloat a couple of weeks ago due to a blockage of fur, and the vet didn't actually point out that bloat is different from GI stasis.

[@lIlIlIlIllIl]

My rabbit has had stasis twice now and just never syringe feeds. Stressful stuff

[@sjordan7085]

Considering how much you obviously love your rabbits and the good care you take of them, I am surprised you choose to continue to feed them pellets. To do so, means it is just a matter of time before they have issues with stasis. It would be better to increase the amounts of fresh salads in their diets than to e to put them at risk. One of my rabbits was underweight, due to his failure to eat hay, because he was likely fed a diet of pellets by a previous owner. I confess, that for a while I was giving him pellets, just to put weight on him. My Exotic Vet, (as in a vet who treats exotic animals) suggested, taking him off pellets 'cold turkey' even if he is skinny, because that is the way wild rabbits are, and they are able to glean all the nutrients they need from a diet of weeds, because their digestive systems are so efficient. So, now all six of my rescued rabbits, including two lops eat unlimited amounts of weedless Timothy hay, along with a fresh salad daily, and unlimited fresh filtered water from a Berkey. They all look healthy without the risk or added expense of buying pellets. And, my Social Security pension does not allow for unnecessary vet visits, although I did take my underweight 4.8 Satin neutered male rabbit for an examination, just to be safe. It is below freezing here in Washington State, but they are cozy in large pens in my double garage. All are spayed or neutered and each has a 'room-mate' so they are not lonely.

[@HooksHollands]

There certainly is a variance of opinions between veterinarians regarding rabbit diet. After talking with Dr. David Sherwood, a biologist who has studied rabbit digestion for decades and shares his research openly, as well as multiple veterinarians and breeders, I agree with their opinion that many domestic rabbits have quite sensitive digestive systems and often have difficulty with fresh greens and veggies. Lots of hay and water with a minimal quantity of a high quality pellet for added nutrition is what has been recommended and I have found works for the majority of my rabbits. To each his own, though; I'm glad you have found a diet that works with your bunnies and keeps them healthy. :)

[@sjordan7085]

@@HooksHollandsWhilst I only provide minimal amounts of salad for my rabbits on a daily basis and am careful in the selection, it seems more natural to me to stay away from pellets, and so far they are healthy without them. I do not doubt that there are certainly different opinions even amongst the experts. Sorry to have replied twice, I forgot about the first one. I really enjoy your videos, and appreciate the information, thank you!

[@AnnaMaria-zm8cv]

One of my rabbits died of bloat, in my arms while I called the vet... it can go really really quickly, I had two rabbits and then it is less easy to see who poops and who doesnt. They have different sizes of poop but its not like I check that every day. :(

[@amandaf7249]

I don't know what going on with Tommy stasis for years??? Lately every night he gets in pain 5pm to 7. Vet gave him antibiotic and pain meds. His blood test showed high WBC. Do either of these cause WBC to be high

[@AlenaMichaelson]

Hello, I got a question. I'd appreciate it a lot if you could answer! My bunny stays still, putting her ears down after playing a while around the room, where she used to lay down in different positions such as superman, but not anymore. My theory is, is it possible she got statis, or gas, or stressed? Or what do you think she has? She eats and drinks fine and regularly.

[@HooksHollands]

Honestly, it could be anything from benign behavioral changes to environmental stress and perhaps a physical issue. If you're concerned, it might be best to get your veterinarian's opinion and perhaps run some tests.

[@joannalin7000]

A couple days ago my rabbitstopped pooping (like for a couple of hrs) but started pooping again. It happened again but maybe a little shorter period of time, so we took her to an emergency vet that does rabbits and they think it might be gi stasis but they weren’t sure because they usually do X-rays and blood work in the morning and when we got there (39 minute drive) it was around 5:30 pm. So after they were done, they said it could be gi stasis and prescribed some pain killers (gabapentin suspens., meloxicam oral) and critical care and we went home. It’s been 2 days and she is still pooping but not as much as normally, peeing and a little more active and I’m kind of scared that it could be bloat but I’m not sure. Also, the critical care helps her gut move and poop also helps her eat more hay. She SomeTimes also lacks an appetite for hay and veggies. Im force feeding her some water, though yesterday I saw her drink water by herself once, so she may be dehydrated. When she poops most poops are normal sized but a little bit of them are smaller and a little bit that has fur connecting two poops, there was no fur that connects the poop today just not as much poop/ not fully recovered. I’m scared if it’s bloat or GI stasis. Also when I put my head against her stomach you can hear gurgling and her stomach wasn’t hard. (sorry for the long comment)

[@HooksHollands]

Please discuss your concerns with your veterinarian; they saw the x-rays and can provide educated recommendations. :) Personally, I continue pain meds (Metacam/Meloxicam) until they are eating/drinking/pooping normally as well as give syringes of recovery food (Sherwood or Critical Care) with extra water for hydration.

[@foodislife479]

Hi~ can rabbits eat the dry coconut husk???

[@wolfmistresswilderr6579]

I lost my good boy Padfoot to GI stasis a year ago 😢

[@MelindaGish]

Will a rabbit still chew on something like their toys/wood if they are in stasis? I doubt it but I'm just checking?

[@laramancinelli3329]

Hi! I am feeding my bunny this pellet and I think this is a good one but I would love your opinion! Thanks Versele-Laga Crispy Pellets Rabbits Versele-Laga Crispy Pellets Rabbits Ingredients Go to analytical constituents Ingredients: Vegetable by-products, vegetable protein extracts, seeds, minerals, FOS, Yucca extract. Additives: Vitamin A (10,000 IU/kg), vitamin D3 (1200 IU/kg), vitamin E (80 mg/kg), vitamin C (250 mg/kg), iron (100 mg/kg), iodine (2 mg/kg), copper (10 mg/kg), manganese (75 mg/kg), zinc (70 mg/kg), selenium (0.2 mg/kg), antioxidants. Analytical constituents protein 15.0 % fat 2.5 % fibre 20.5 % ash 7.5 % calcium 1.0 % phosphorus 0.5 %

[@HooksHollands]

I am not familiar with that brand nor know enough about some of those vague ingredients to provide an accurate assessment. Does "vegetable by-products" mean contains soy? I'm just wondering if they're being crafty with their wording to hide the fact that it's soy based. I could be completely wrong though (hopefully). I like that it doesn't contain grain or sweeteners.

[@chieriloupalomata9581]

my doe is very well lately but i am shocked that she is not able to stand afterwards but she is eating and pooping..what happened maam??thank you.

[@mysticmiiks]

My bunny got diarrhea so I brought him to the vet. They sad he was dehydrated and there was a blockage. They told me to syringe feed him.Then he stopped pooping all together and got skinny a couple days after. I fed him critical care and water. He’s now pooping a bit, but its not normal poop. He keeps laying down and seems disoriented. The vet said they can’t do anything else.. Idk what to do

[@HooksHollands]

I would recommend getting your bunny to a different (and possibly more rabbit savvy) vet for further evaluation to see if there might be something more going on. My personal opinion is that probiotics and lots of hay could help to get his gut balanced again, but it likely will be a slow process over a week or two and depends on exactly what the root of the problem is.

[@anaisabelmachamer1945]

Which timothy hay brand and which timothy pellets brand do you use?thank you in advance

[@HooksHollands]

I use local hay or Small Pet Select (link is in description) and Sherwood pellets.

[@anaisabelmachamer1945]

@@HooksHollands thank you!!

[@RabbitAndTheLabBestFriends]

It’s frustrating when they say call the vet called the vet because if it’s after five and it’s an actual emergency after hours it’s almost impossible to get help with that or you have to drive really far away to a animal hospital that you hope has somebody that knows anything about bunnies it’s just frustrating

[@HooksHollands]

Been there many times, I understand. :(

[@natalia.Matthew6.33]

Soooooooo my vet said to me in person gi stasis butt on paper it says bloat with information on how dogs get it not rabbits…. And they told me to feed him critcal care, meloxidyl, metoclopramide syrup, and homeopathic tincture. They didnt put that on the after care sheet… and google isnt helping whats that for? And why every hour? How often can i give him the meloxicam (meloxidyl)? Says as needed for pain Should i stop the critical care?

[@bunniesandbeyond581]

I often hear bubbly noises/rumblings in my bunnies' stomachs is that bad? You mentioned in the video that noises in a bunny's stomach can be an indicator...

[@HooksHollands]

If your bunny is suddenly not eating/pooping/hopping around and also has rumbling/gurgling, these can be signs of bloat/blockage.

[@Jakepf]

My bun is pooping, but its squishy and kinda latge. She also is lethargic bit still lounging about. But the real alarming thing is i think it might be gas.

[@be4realz]

Anyone know how i can get 4.5lb bag of sherwood? Amazon seems only have a 10lb and Sherwood website will try and get orders out before they close on the 17. They wont reopen until after the new year. Pretty sure my bunny has stasis and want to start switching her pellets

[@HooksHollands]

If you suspect stasis, I would recommend a hay/water diet, contacting your vet, and possibly trying some of the methods mentioned in this video. After your bun is eating/drinking/pooping/acting normally, then consider switching to Sherwood if you desire. I don't think Amazon sells the 4lb bags of Sherwood, and you'd likely have to go through the Sherwood website when it reopens.

[@be4realz]

@@HooksHollands thank you! I do suspect so this morning i took away pellets, no greens and provided freah hay and water. I dont she's happy with me BUT she is eating more hay this morning and im watching her water intake. She definitely has urinary sludge which has a strong odor, i just learned about. ordered the popeye treats off amazon and then i dis order the 4lb bag of pellets from sherwood. I also ordered a sample for my sons guinea pig 🐖😍. Learning as i go. I feel bad for not doing all this sooner. I honestly though this was all normal. 😒

[@bengideveci6538]

We lost our bunny to bloat. Vet performed an enama. We force fed him. Gave him simethicone. Nothing mattered. His stomach had very loud gurgling sounds. We lost him on his 2nd night of not eating. Why did he get this bloat that we dont understand. But i know that bloat has very bad prognosis. We are beyond sad. Try to accept his loss.

[@qunyu5045]

my sweet bunny just died of bloat. I am so sad. He is Holland Log, is this breeder of Bunny suffer GI problems than other breeder?

[@natalietrivalle522]

Good morning, I am very worried that my bunny Comet has bloat, she was perfectly fine yesterday and early last night, the last I saw her was when we were relaxing on the sofa and called them for their favourite evening treat, when we go to bed we usually give them their pellets they then jump on the bed and go to sleep with us, but last night I found her in a corner she never goes to. I tried to give her infant drops but she goes and hide in places under the bed that I can’t reach. So I decided to let her settle has I didn’t want to stress her more. At 3.00 this morning I found her in the same corner I covered her to kept her warm and tried to move a body side to side, my other bunny Rainbow has been pushing her around a bit so she is moving which I suppose is a good thing? I am waiting for the vet to open but sadly lost my job in March so do not have any money for scans, surgery .. is there any thing else I can do at home to help her. The last time I saw her poos was around 9.00 last night. She has now been moving from 5 till now and had one stand of hay. Thank you for your help.

[@HooksHollands]

If she is eating and drinking anything at all and pooping at all, those are promising signs. I always start with Metacam (pain reliever, anti-inflammatory) if I have it, syringe feeding water (with Sherwood Appetite Restore if possible), infant gas drops, repeating every few hours. I offer a small amount of the bunny's favorite leafy greens to help gauge progress (eaten greens usually means a bunny on the mend). If it is truly bloat (blockage) and not stasis (slow down/stoppage of GI movement), then an xray would likely be needed for diagnosis and proper treatment. I know it's not cheap...been there many times with my bunnies. Best of luck. ♥

[@natalietrivalle522]

@@HooksHollands thank you so much after a long couple of days of worry she is back to herself , poos everywhere and this morning she did her little breakfast dance, thank you for the advice and help. ❤️

[@kulahog6495]

My rabbit is still eating, but slower than usual, and he is barely eating his hay. He also poops in smaller amounts that’s usual, is that stasis? Should I contact vet my?

[@HooksHollands]

Stasis is the slow down or stoppage of gut movement, so it sounds like it could be the beginning of stasis. I certainly advise getting your veterinarian's opinion, yes. When this happens in my bunnies, I start by feeding hay only (with a handful or two of dark leafy greens like dandelion, parsley, basil, leaf lettuce) for a day or two along with syringes of Sherwood's Appetite Restore (powder mixes into water, or just water if no Appetite Restore is available), infant gas drops, and prescription Metacam for any pain and inflammation that might be preventing a hearty appetite. Along with tummy massages and exercise, the fluids and pain meds usually help a lot over the next couple days, but some cases unfortunately progress. Stasis can be caused by several factors, so it's always best to have a professional (vet) help guide and assess the situation.

[@debbielynnsmellowminutesme7909]

Help ! So I adopted a holland from the humane society already 3 years old and neutered no information on him but he is completely not social . And I know it takes time but i couldn’t even treat this rabbit if I had to he doesn’t want to be touched either and runs away. So who ever had him first really didn’t do much or something. Maybe it’s because I have little dogs but they don’t even come near him . I have separate locations . My other bunnies I’ve have hand raised as babies were not like this . One holland I had sat in my lap and was fine with being petted picked up and a ton others . What do I do with this bunny ? Give back to the humane society? There are rescues here but they can’t take him and I’m sure I be shunned and walk of shame . I guess I should have stuck with fostering my dogs . I have had many puppy mill dogs not as bad as this . I guess I need take more time but seems it’s too late he already 3 . Is even possible to socialize them . I totally know that rabbits can be way more social and pick up and sat in lap they all say they don’t like it but my lops when I was younger were fine . Ughh . Just frustrating.

[@blakeoverbay4065]

What about urination during bloat and stasis? Does that change?

[@HooksHollands]

In either case, the bunny will stop eating/drinking, so urination will rapidly deteriorate.

[@LoveABun]

@@HooksHollands Did the vet talk about giving a probiotic to a rabbit in stasis or is this just something you think would help? FYI, there is a comment under this video from someone who is advising people to give their rabbit in stasis or blockage both apple cider vinegar-and believe it or not, VODKA! Such horrible, dangerous advice! Oxbow’s vet, Dr. Micah Kohles recommends against ACV because he says it could easily create a bacterial imbalance in a rabbit’s very delicate gut, thus making stasis worse. And the dangers of giving grain alcohol to a rabbit goes without saying! I’m hoping you will scroll to find this comment and remove it so that a rabbit doesn’t die as a result of someone taking the person’s harmful advice. Incredible video. Thank you!

[@yairalance9040]

can you make a video about.... How to help a dog NOT eat your bunny?