Gastrointestinal stasis is a life-threatening welfare emergency in rabbits caused predominantly by inappropriate diet and inadequate fibre intake.
GI stasis occurs when gut motility slows or stops, allowing gas accumulation and painful distension. Pain from gut stasis causes rabbits to stop eating, which worsens motility further in a vicious cycle. Death from bacterial toxin release can occur within hours of complete gut shutdown. The condition is almost entirely preventable with appropriate diet: unlimited grass hay, fresh leafy greens, and small amounts of pellets. Muesli diets and high-sugar treats that rabbits preferentially select cause selective nutritional deficiency.