GI stasis and gut motility disorders are among the most common life-threatening conditions in pet rabbits, and are almost entirely preventable through appropriate diet.
GI stasis in rabbits represents an acute welfare emergency that develops from chronic dietary inadequacy. A rabbit fed primarily pellets and muesli without sufficient hay has chronically inadequate gut motility, dental disease from insufficient tooth wear, and cecal dysbiosis — all of which predispose to the acute crisis of GI stasis. The welfare cost is enormous suffering over hours as gut motility ceases and gas accumulates. The preventive solution is simple and inexpensive: unlimited high-quality hay. The persistent widespread failure to provide this despite veterinary guidance makes GI disease a welfare failure attributable to inadequate owner education at point of sale.