November of 2007, I became a Bridge Bunny. I wasn’t really ready to go -- I had lots of guard duty left to do. But I had a history of tummy problems; bein’ a dwarf bunny had some built-in hazards, like a not-very-efficient digestive tract.
Most bunnies with stomach upsets -- not eating (not even our favorite stuff), not pooping, not drinking -- have a condition called GI stasis. That’s when the gut (stomach & intestines) slow down and begin to shut down. Our temperature drops from the normal 101-102, we don’t want to move around because we HURT, and we can’t help ourselves. Many of us die from GI stasis --FOR NO GOOD REASON. Our peeps simply don’t know to act or wait too long!
Sometimes, it’s from bad diet. We need lots and lots of hay, only a few pellets, and a nice helping of greens everyday. We need clean water, all the time. It’s also possible for us to swallow too much hair when we groom, esp. during shedding season (heads up, that would be NOW). We swallow hair, don’t eat enough hay, don’t drink when we should, and next thing ya know -- GI slowdown or stasis.
Hoomins!! Listen up!! It’s your job, your responsibility to us to watch and act.
-- I-M-M-E-D-I-A-T-E-L-Y --.
When we don’t look right, don’t come outta our condo, don’t want that slice of banana (yeah, that DOES happen), you hoomins need to RUSH into action. A bunny can die or have to be PTS in as little as TWELVE HOURS if you don’t act. Would you rather pay a vet bill for an x-ray, fluids, and pain meds? Or pay for our tiny, pitiful little cremation? NEVER wait to take us to the vet for help -- we don’t have the time. When our mom sees peeps post dat bunny hasn’t pooped fer a couple uv days, she just goes NUTS. DO NOT WAIT!
Pleeze, pleeze!! Check your bunnies several times a day. If they are shedding, groom that dangerous hair off of them. Make sure they have poops in the litter box, and that those poops aren’t strung together like a little nasty necklace by all that hair. Keep their water clean and fresh. Feed wet veggies daily and LOTSA, LOTSA hay ta keep things moving.
These are simple things to keep your bunny with you for a LONG time.
Harley, Former Sentry Bunny fer Plan B