by Jennifer Henderson

Created on: October 08, 2009

As rabbits are prey type animals, they suffer in silence so as not to appear vulnerable. Unfortunately for the rabbit owner, this means that serious health issues may go unnoticed until it is too late. GastroIntestinal (GI) Stasis in rabbits can be fatal if not caught and treated on time.

GI stasis is an illness of the digestive tract. This can happen if a rabbit ingests too much fur, and the hairball gets stuck in the gastrointestinal tract and cannot be passed by the rabbit. It may be caused by a diet high in fat and low in fiber. It can also be caused by too little exercise, or high stress, among other things.

I do not claim to be a veterinarian. I am the proud owner of 3 rabbits, and have had experience just this past spring with this issue. Although it is recommended by all that a person with a rabbit suffering from GI stasis visit a vet (myself included) it simply was not possible for us at the time.

Last March, two of my rabbits had a full day of playing outside. It was the first thaw after the winter snow, and they were happy to be back in the yard again. We have a well fenced in yard, in which my rabbits have not escaped in the 4 years they have been out there. As it was their first day outside, I was checking on them frequently, about every 45-60 minutes. For the full day, they were well and happy. About 7:15pm, I checked on them, and found Einstein (a 4 year old Lion's Mane rabbit) thrashing on his side.

I tried to stand him up, but he fell over. He appeared at the time to be paralyzed. We live in a small community where the vets close their doors at 5pm, and do not open again until 8am the following morning. There was no emergency vet service to take him to.

I brought him inside and pet him as he panted in his breathing, and continued to lie as if paralyzed on the ground. Every once in a while, he would start thrashing around again, only to fall over and have difficulty breathing again. I was certain that I would loose him at any moment, and it was heart-breaking to see him like that.

I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure what had caused him such distress, or what I was to do about it. I wrapped him in a towel, and lie beside him rubbing his stomach. At about 12pm, I put him in an indoor cage to watch him, as I was getting tired, and having trouble staying awake. My husband insisted I put the top on the cage on, though I didn't feel it was necessary. There seemed to be no hope for him.

As I watch him suffering there, I did what I always do and

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