Rabbits have a very sensitive digestive system. There is so much happening in their tiny little bodies that requires so much attention and care. GI Stasis is actually the most well-known disease that can easily take the life of a rabbit. There is so much that goes into the intricacy of GI Stasis that many people are not informed about when they go to buy a rabbit. GI Stasis is a disease that slowly stops the digestive system from working properly, which leads to eventual malnutrition and possible death CITATION Abi141 \l 1033 (Cushman, 2014). It, by definition, is a disease that occurs when the digestive system has an over build-up of bacteria which leads to the build-up of gasses within the stomach of the rabbit CITATION Abi141…show more content… One of the biggest symptoms of GI Stasis is the lack of fecal matter CITATION Abi141 \l 1033 (Cushman, 2014). Rabbits can produce a lot of fecal matter throughout the day. Some animals, like dogs or cats, have to use the restroom in that way once or twice. Rabbits continuously release small, round pellet like substances in their cage. When a rabbit has GI Stasis, they release fecal matter that is even smaller than the round pellets they usually produce. Even worse than that, if the rabbit is deep into the disease, they may not even produce fecal matter at all CITATION Adr17 \l 1033 (Adrienne Kruzer, 2017). There could be a lot wrong with the rabbit if this occurs, but the main thing to be worried about is the fact that the rabbit is not digesting anything in order to release feces. An immediate visit to the Veterinarian is necessary in order to get this properly treated CITATION Abi141 \l 1033 (Cushman,…show more content… When a rabbit is suffering from GI Stasis, then the rabbit’s stomach tends to be a little more inflated than usual. Rabbits do have a lot of different foods that can create bloat, but there is a big difference between that kind of bloat and GI Stasis bloat CITATION Cat14 \l 1033 (Logsdon, 2014). When a rabbit has this particular disease, the rabbit will become either extremely bloated or very much so caved in. There is one huge way to determine what is wrong and that is by the rabbit’s mood. The rabbit can become very lethargic and exhausted looking while having a much extended belly along with some gurgling noises. Waiting to see if the bloat will go down by itself is not a good idea; waiting too long to get help for the rabbit could end in the rabbit getting severely worse CITATION Cat14 \l 1033 (Logsdon, 2014). Why does the rabbit’s stomach bloat? The stomach ends up swelling up because of the over-production of gases from the digestive system. Just like humans, when there is a build-up of gases, the stomach can swell and extend more than usual. Once there is a lot of build-up, there can be a lot of pain within the rabbit’s stomach, so getting help for he/she should be of utmost
