Gut Stasis- What Is It And Why Do You Need To Know About It?

GI is a serious medical emergency for your guinea pig or rabbit. If you think your pet is suffering with GI, please get them to your vets as quickly as possible. Delaying care for GI can lead to death and without doubt, in my mind, GI is among one of the most important complications that ALL small pet owners need to fully understand and be prepared for.

So let’s crack on- what is GI? Also known as gastrointestinal stasis, GI is a condition that occurs when the movement of food through the digestive tract slows or stops completely. It can affect rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small animals including chinchilla’s, however occurs the most frequently in bunnies and guinea pigs. It is often referred to as the silent killer by vets as many small pet owners lack knowledge of GI and often don’t get them medical help in time to safe them. Some won’t even recognize the symptoms- I’m on a mission to change this (please spread the word). GI is not to be confused with a gut blockage, these are both different medical emergencies however a gut blockage, partial or full will often lead to GI occurring and likewise, GI often leads to gut blockage if left untreated so they both go hand in hand. GI sadly is one of the top five leading causes of death in our small fury pet population. However if you know the warning signs, symptoms and what to do quickly then GI can be treated and the pet can be saved.

So what are the warning signs and symptoms of GI in your pet?

•  Decreased or no appetite, especially for favourite treats

• Droppings: Reduced or no faecal output, or smaller, drier, darker droppings

• Posture: Hunched over or tense appearance as if in pain

• Abdominal pain: Pressing belly to the ground, grinding teeth, or grunting

• Lethargy: Unusually quiet or reluctant to move

• Bloating: Distension of the abdomen

• Temperature: Low body temperature, cold ears, or cold limbs

• Behaviour: Withdrawal from social interactions, hiding away from owners

• Urine: Variable production, depending on dehydration

• Mobility: Periods of immobility, or mobility problems due to obesity or arthritis

Gut stasis is an emergency that requires immediate veterinary care. If left untreated, it can lead to a painful death within 12–24 hours. However for some very seasoned small pet owners who have gained experience over time of what to do when their pet has GI, it may be possible to manage at home and through critical care, get your pets gut moving again. But I do not recommend this in less you know EXACTLY what you are doing and have experience with dealing with it before. If GI is new for your pet or there flare ups are severe, then always contact your vet as soon as you notice a change in behaviour including eating and pooing.

Top tips: two key factors to look at when considering if your small pet is healthy or possibly suffering with GI- firstly, their poo (okay not a fab topic but it is very very important to get familiar with your pet’s poo). You will know what their normal healthy poo looks like, if you notice they have turned smaller, darker, less frequent or different in consistency, then monitor closely- these may be signs of a GI flare up occurring. And as I always say, if your instinct says something isn’t right, it’s always better to go to your vet and get them checked sooner rather than holding off too long and having to end up taking in a really sick pet. Secondly, if you put your ear next to your bunnies or pig’s body and listen, in a healthy pet, you should hear a nice gurgling, now and again. But if they are showing other symptoms of GI and you can’t hear any sound at all for some time, or you hear very loud angry sounding rumbling, this could be another sign of GI. No sound is the most worrying as this means their gut is not moving.

I can’t stress enough how important healthy pooing is for your small pet. If your pet doesn’t have healthy poo’s then you need to do some leg work and get in touch with your vet to try to get to the bottom of why that is. It may be an underlying health condition or it may be something in their diet or not in their diet which is the cause. Either way there are steps you can take to improve their gut health, thus lowering the risk of them getting GI in the first place. Often there are many factors at play that can increase risk of GI, some are easy to change, others may not be possible to change. For example, some evidence shows that poor breeding can cause weaker guts and so lead the animal to get GI more frequently.

So what are the main causes of GI in rabbits and guinea pigs?

• Starchy foods and sugars: Sugary fruits, treats, and junk food can slow down a pet’s GI tract, try to limit as a treat or just totally avoid. Social media is notorious for its role in promoting BAD habits for small pet owners unfortunately; it is incredibly frustrating for someone like me. Just because you see videos of rabbits snacking on banana and grapes and piles of strawberries, does not mean it’s okay to feed that to them. No matter how cute it is! Remember if in doubt, stop and think and check.  

• Foods that cause gas: Kale, cabbage, and broccoli can make rabbits feel full even when they are full of gas. For some reason I come across way too many pet clients feeding their pets too much of this sort of food. Fresh food should be given in the correct amounts but it should not exceed good quality hay and forage which is key for their diets.  

• Low fibre intake: Eating too many carbohydrates and not enough fibre can cause GI upset. Fibre is key for guinea pigs and rabbits to having long healthy lives without GI.  A diet that's too high in pellets or treats and too low in roughage, like hay, can cause GI stasis in guinea pigs and rabbits. A diet that's high in grains or sweet foods is a no no.

• Treats that contain wheat and artificial colourings and flavourings: should be totally avoided for guinea pigs and rabbits. I know they look pretty and inviting in the pet shops but seriously avoid. They are terrible for their little guts.

• Poor breeding can also be a cause of pets getting GI as well as weak genes and pets that have suffered dietary neglect in the past may have weakened immune systems due to being fed incorrect diets, over fed rubbish or not fed at all.

• Stressful situations: Stress can cause GI stasis, especially in pets with long term health problems, pregnant pets, elderly pigs or buns or pets with a compromised immunity. Stress from loud noise like young kids screaming or dogs barking can also cause your small pet to become sick- they must have a quite area free from other pets and humans.

• Lack of exercise: Lack of exercise can cause GI. It’s key to make sure your small pets have the right space they need and enrichment to make it easy for them to run around and play.

• Pain: Pain from dental disease, liver or kidney malfunction, or cancer can cause GI stasis. However pain caused by any condition can be a trigger for GI. For older bunnies and guinea pigs, arthritis is a big big problem and if it’s not being managed correctly, it can lead to GI flare ups due to lack of mobility which can cause their gut to become sluggish or freeze up.

• Travel: Stress from travel, temperature, or a fright can cause GI stasis.

•  Changes in routine: Changes in environment or routine can cause stress. This is why it’s important if you are taking your small pets to board while away on holiday that you make sure it’s a safe, happy and quite environment to reduce the risk of them developing stress induced GI. 

• Underlying health conditions: Underlying conditions can cause GI stasis and is a leading factor in GI cases. It’s vital to get to know any health condition your pet has and find ways of managing it so that you reduce risk of them getting GI as a result. For guinea pigs: Faecal impaction: More common in older guinea pigs, especially boars, Hepatic lipidosis, Bacterial enteritis and Streptococcus pneumonia are among many illnesses that can lead to GI.  

• Ingesting fur: (especially during shedding): in long haired rabbit and guinea pig breeds is a leading cause of GI, lower the risk of this occurring by grooming them regularly to remove any excess fur.

• Loss of pet partner: in some pets that are strongly bonded, losing their partner can cause such severe pining that they may stop eating, often leading to GI.

Okay so I Know that is a very very long list (which doesn’t cover every cause) and it’s a bit over whelming but if you break it down, there are steps you can take for every one of those pointers to help reduce GI risk. I’ve helped many clients through diet advise to improve their pets diet which has reduced and in some cases, stopped their GI flare ups all together. But it’s also the truth that sometimes no matter how well you care for your pet, they may still get GI without an obvious cause. Small pets by nature are fragile creatures so some level of acceptance is needed when bringing them into your life (easier said than done) that they may get poorly at some stage.

Okay so ways in which you can reduce the risk of them getting GI is mostly common sense stuff but these are some of the major ways you can reduce the risk:

• Add supplemental vegetables in the correct portions: a good variety of different veg and fruit

• Limit fruit and treats, which are high in carbohydrates and sugar

• Avoid introducing new foods or large amounts of food, even hay, tiny amounts at a time only

• Don't feed treats that dilute the fibre content of your pets diet

• Check that your pet eats every day and produces plenty of dry droppings

• Provide a high-fibre diet, with hay making up the majority of their food 

• Limit concentrated mixes, which can be high in sugar and low in fibre 

• Provide a small amount of concentrated food, like extruded nuggets 

• Make sure your pet has access to clean water at all times

• Provide water in a familiar way, bowls are more natural then bottles but use what they prefer.

• Encourage your pet to get enough exercise to stimulate their digestive system

• Avoid obesity

• Keep their space clean

• Try to minimize stress and avoid stressful situations where possible

• Promptly remove uneaten food

• Groom your pet regularly, especially when they are molting

• Don't let your guinea pig or rabbit eat carpet, wallpaper, or other household items

• Try to get the bottom of frequent GI flare ups

• With your vets help, try to manage or treat health conditions that could be a GI trigger. Including pain relief for chronic health conditions.

So what is the treatment for GI?

If you’re pet is very sick and needs the care of a vet: the vet will attempt to reverse GI and get the pets gut moving again through: re-hydration treatment, pain medication, and sometimes antibiotics. The specific treatment depends on the type of GI issue, severity and the animal- where as a severe gut blockage often requires surgery and is a whole different kettle of fish.

They key factors to getting rid of GI is:  Fluids- Vets may provide fluids orally, subcutaneously, or intravenously to restore blood electrolyte balance and re-hydrate the animal.

Syringe feeding- If an animal is not eating, a vet may provide nutritional support with a syringe

Pain medication, Anti-nausea medications: Vets may provide anti-nausea medications to help with an upset stomach 

• Analgesics: Vets may provide analgesics to help with pain caused by GI issues 

• Anti-inflammatory medications: Vets may provide anti-inflammatory medications to help with stomach pain 

What can you do at home yourself to help your pet?

• Increase fibre: Feed them more hay, which is high in fibre. You can also try offering a small amount of pellets. 

• Increase water:  You can also add a small amount of sugar-free fruit juice to their water. If they don’t like to drink, you can syringe feed them some water. Pineapple and cranberry juice have great enzymes in to help the gut.

• Offering a tiny amount of papaya (papaya has a enzyme in it which is great for the gut but only tiny amounts and check with your vets first

• Give simethicone: If your rabbit has gas build up, you can give them 1 ml of simethicone every hour for three hours. It is also known as baby gas drops. (Only use this if your vet has given the green light) never use any medication without first consulting your vet as it may not be appropriate and make the problem worse.  

• Reduce stress: use calming spray to help relax your pet (spray the correct dose according to the bottle instructions.

•   Supplements: if your pet suffers with frequent flare ups, you can consult your vet to see if you can give them probiotics, or vitamin C supplements to help reduce the risk of GI flare ups.  

• Massage: You can try massaging your pet’s tummy. Massaging or vibrating your rabbit's tummy is one of the best ways to help break up gas bubbles and encourage the gut to 'get moving'.

• Critical Care is well worth having some at home: it’s primarily composed of timothy hay and supplemented with oat groats, soy beans and wheat germ for added energy that is needed by nutritionally stressed animals that are ill, recovering from surgery, or need support.  

So that is Gut Stasis in a nut shell- my last words of advice on it, spend some time reading up on it so you feel more familiar and can recognize the symptoms easily and quickly. And ways you can help prevent flare ups and keep your small fur ball healthy and happy.

Nibbles & Custard Pet Services holds copy right over all blogs and articles on this page. If you see this article on any other pet care page or anything similar please inform us as we take plagiarism and individuals masquerading as false experts without appropriate training and experience even more seriously.