I am in contact with Nans owner (see last post).
This bun has gotten a blood transfusion, lidocaine, and pain meds. great stuff!
Evidently he even ate a little grass! Which is wonderful! If hes feeling comfortable enough to eat, its a good sign and a proper sign of pain management. I pray things go well for them. truly. this bun is also only 3 and my heart aches knowing that i knew this exact level of desperation and fear not even a day ago. I thought a bit more information on what these things mean is in order:
GI stasis is a phenomenon where the rabbit GI tract stops moving, but rather than it being a disease on its own, its usually the EFFECT of something.
sometimes stress alone can cause the body to slow down, and the gut essentially enters a feedback loop of slowing down-> causing stress-> more slowdown-> more stress etc. sometimes its ingestion of a foreign body. like fur, or potentially carpet fibers or something else they should not have eaten.
this can cause a lot of downstream damage.
partial blockages in rabbits are fairly common, a lot of it ranging from fur to foreign bodies, to stress causing food to not move along, thus piling up or even dehydration can cause this as well. but absolute and full obstructions where nothing is able to move, is a very rare scenario and actually was what happened with Milo, who had it surgically removed because it was melted up carpet from what he ate.
a blockage can also cause significant inflammation to the gut. this, just like an irritated nose sinus with a cold or flu, can cause mucus production. but it takes a lot of water to move a gut along, so what do you think might happen to a ton of mucus being made without water? it basically becomes like sticky glue. so dehydration makes the issues worse and worse.
this is why the biggest therapeutic strategy when it comes to emergency treatment for rabbits is fluid therapy and pain management. if the rabbit is in a lot of pain, it will increase its stress, which decreases its survival. so pain management will allow the bun to be functional and reduce its stress. fluid will also soften up whatever is in the gut, be it mucus, stool, or a mass, and allow it to move along.
slowing down of the GI tract will also mean that things are not going where they should, and the body starts to shut down, hence causing the temperature drop. a rabbits temperature should be between 101-103 °F (38.33-39.44°C). anything lower is hypothermic. spindles temp was 97 when we got him to the hospital. so heat therapy is absolutely critical to help muscles move along and also keep the body temp up so things can function right. When transporting a sick rabbit, keep a rice sock or warm water bottle (wrapped in cloth) next to them. Or if your car has it, turn the seat warmer on.
its also really important to know that the fluids given are not just saline, but something called Lacted Ringers Solution or LRS. this is an isotonic solution of not just sodium chloride, but potassium chloride, sodium lactate, and calcium chloride. all of these things are absolutely essential for keeping the vascular system afloat while providing electrolytes and keeping the animal properly hydrated.
To note also:
X rays can show gas, free fluid, and organ size. It will not be able to show torsion or blockages
Ultrasound: ultrasounds can show actual movement of material through the gut and vascular flow and can help be a diagnostic for blockage or torsion
A blood panel looks at many things but a few key things that are looked at are:
1. Blood sugar: a true obstruction will cause a blood sugar spike. Uncomplicated stasis or partial blockage will show elevated levels but very high glucose indicates a true obstruction or systemic crisis basically
2. Hemoglobin: indicates if the rabbit is anemic. A low percentage indicates there is blood loss and can be a cue for internal bleeding
3. Liver enzymes: elevated liver enzymes indicates damage and is most likely associated with liver lobe torsion
