Companion Rabbit: GI Stasis Emergency Recognition

Gastrointestinal stasis is a life-threatening emergency in rabbits that kills within hours if untreated, and owner recognition of early warning signs is the critical welfare intervention.

Key Facts

GI stasis occurs when gut motility slows or stops, causing gas accumulation and rapid deterioration
Rabbits must eat continuously - even 12 hours without eating signals a medical emergency
Stress, pain elsewhere in the body, or dietary inadequacy can trigger GI stasis
Affected rabbits adopt a hunched posture, grind teeth, and stop producing droppings
Treatment requires urgent veterinary intervention including gut motility drugs, pain relief, and syringe feeding
Prevention centres on high-fibre hay-based diet (80%+ of intake) and minimising stress

Welfare Considerations

GI stasis causes intense abdominal pain from gas distension and is rapidly fatal without treatment. The suffering of a rabbit in stasis is acute and the deterioration fast - an animal showing early signs at 10pm may be critically ill by morning. Owner education about emergency signs is directly lifesaving. The condition is preventable in many cases through appropriate hay-based diet and stress minimisation, but when it does occur, immediate emergency veterinary access is the only welfare-protecting response. Rabbit owners must never take a 'wait and see' approach to suspected GI stasis.

What You Can Do

Learn to recognise GI stasis warning signs: no droppings, hunched posture, teeth grinding
Treat any rabbit that stops eating for more than 6 hours as a veterinary emergency
Feed unlimited good-quality hay as 80%+ of the diet to prevent GI stasis
Identify an emergency rabbit-experienced vet before you need one urgently
Minimise stress in rabbit housing as a primary prevention measure