Bandit is not eating

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Fergi

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Hi all, on Wednsday I adopted a new bunny. Banditis hopefully going to be Fergi's new friend. I have a problem though.He does not seem to be eating any of his pellets currently. He iseating a small amount of hay but that seems to be about all. I knowthat all of this is very new and strange to him. For one whole year hewas an outside bunny with only a little bit of human contact every day.Now he is inside the house, in a cage next to my bunny. We have twokids that are kinda noisey and two dogs also. Do you think that it isjust going to take him awhile to adjust? I am feeding him his pelletsthat he had at the woman's mixed in with some of my oxbow 15/23 that Ifeed my Fergi. I have followed the schedule that the woman gave me onwhen to feed him etc. At night he gets about an 1/8 cup of crackedcorn. He did eat this the first two nights but last night I mixed it upwith his pellets and today it is still in his bowl. There are somepoops in his litterbox but not very many. He is drinking water becausehis water bottle is not as full in the morning. I am a little worriedthough because I know how important pellets and hay are for him. Cananyone give me any tips on how to entice him to eat? Or should I justtake a "wait and see" attitude? Any help would be appreciated. I knowhe ate at his old home so I don't think it is sickness or anything thatis causing him not to eat. Maybe too much stress in the newenvironment? There cages are in the kitchen in a little nook so theyare not in the major traffic area. Also I gate the kitchen so my kidscan't go in there. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
Personally, I don't like the "wait and see" option ;)

I would discontinue the cracked corn -- too many carbs. (most rabbit pellets already have small amounts of cracked corn).

A little parsley or a tiny piece of dandelion leaf can help tostimulate appetite. Some bunnies will also munch on a littleshredded wheat cereal (no sugar please!) Most rabbits willmunch on a little hay even when stressed out. You can alsotry a small amount of shredded carrot or a piece of apple. Iwould not be concerned about him not eating pellets for a short time aslong as he is eating *something*.

I always have a tube of Nutri Cal on hand for instances likethese. It's a high calorie diet supplement for dogs/cats offtheir feed and also works well on rabbits. It also containsappetite stimulants. (available through valleyvet.com)

Are Bandit's droppings normal? If they are tiny and hard, Iwould be concerned about dehydration. Sometimes water leaksout of the bottle and it's hard to accurately guage how much the rabbitis actually drinking.

Please keep us updated and let us know that he's ok :)

Pam N.
 
Thanks so much Pamnock. I am getting worried, I amso used to Fergi chowing down on her pellets, I hate when animals won'teat. His droppings look pretty normal to me when compared to Fergi's. Iam pretty sure he is drinking the water that has disappered because hiscage floor would be wet if it were dripping. He has a solid cage floorso I would be able to see it. Do you think it is just due to stress andadjusting to a new environment? How long should I allow this tocontinue? I guess I mean when should I start to trythesupplement you suggested or when should I get a vetinvolved?
 

Hi!

I would dump out all of his food when you feed him again tonight (orwhen ever you feed him) and then refill the pellets andgivehim some hay. If by tomorrow no food or pellets are goneI would call the vet. They will be able to help you morethanany of us could.

Lissa
 
If the droppings are normal (correct size andslightly moist), it is not necessary to call the vet. If theydecrease, and are very tiny, then he's getting dehydrated and it's timeto head to the vet for some Ringers solution.

Try a little parsley (even some dried parsley is tempting), and a little shredded wheat cereal to get him eating.

I think it's just the change of environment -- hopefully he'll settlein soon. Keep a close eye on those droppings -- sometimesrabbits with his color pattern are more prone to impaction of the gutdue to the genetic effects of how the crest cells migrate when thefetus is forming. These particular genes also affect theformation of the gut. Unfortunately, Dwarf Hotots (which weraise) are normally homozygous for this gene and are very prone to GIproblems.

They also don't seem to tolerate the high carb diets well (such ascorn) and do better with plenty of fiber (hay) and somerolledoats.



Pam N.

 
BunnyLover wrote:
Hi!

I would dump out all of his food when you feed him again tonight (orwhen ever you feed him) and then refill the pellets andgivehim some hay. If by tomorrow no food or pellets are goneI would call the vet. They will be able to help you morethanany of us could.

Lissa


I agree with Lissa --be sure you are offering fresh feed daily.

Pam N.
 
Once again, thanks for the input. I do give themfresh pellets everyday and dump the old ones out. The reason I wasstill giving him the corn is because every night at his original homehe got it and I wanted to wean him off it slowly. I will keep a closeeye on those "poops" though and will try some parsly (I have fresh) andmaybe some cheerio's or what about wheaties? Are they ok too? Also, isthat what kind of bunny he is? A Hotots? I didn't ask his old mom whatkind he was but when I posted pictures I was going to ask. Also, do youknow what kind of lop Fergi is? Is she a English lop? She just turnedone year and I am wondering how much bigger she will get. A woman atour zoo said that lops grow until they are two. Is that true? Thanksagain so much. I am so happy that I discovered this forum. What awealth of information and knowledge!:D

Fergi and Bandit's mom
 
How much do the rabbits weigh? Fergieappears to be a very nice quality Chestnut Agouti Mini Lop (English aremuch larger and have a total ear span of 21+). Mini Lopsweigh approx. 6 lbs.

How much does Bandit weigh? He could indeed be a Dwarf Hototas they often throw "mismarks". For show, they can only haveblack around the eyes. It's also possible he's a mixed breed,as the black/white pattern is not uncommon.

Pam N.
 
Pamnock,

I think Fergi probably weighs about 5 or 6 lbs. Not sure though I havenever weighed her. She was happy to hear that you thought she was a"nice quality". Boosted her ego and self-confidence:DAs forBandit, I would say he weighs about 5 or 6lbs also. I bet that he is amix though, considering his background of being a "park point bunny" Itis always so much fun to learn about what kind of bunnies you have.Thanks again..

Fergi and Bandit's mom
 
Wow! Bandit is much larger than heappeared in the photo! He's a mixed breed of some sort, andquite handsome :)



Pam
 
Thanks, i think he is pretty cute too:)

Good news, tonight I have witnessed Bandit eat some pellets and he alsohad a cheerio or two and has taken a few nibbles out of his applebranch! Hopefully this is a sign that things will be better with himnow! I was so relieved to see him eating some pellets I nearly dancedwith joy:D

Fergi and Bandit's mom
 
Glad to hear Bandit is starting to eat,as a mom to ball pythons who stop eating for months sometimes ayear. I know the frustration of apet who decidesnot to eat!! LOL, thankfully it is normal for them to dothis, if my buns stopped eating I think I'd be panicking unless theywere due to give birth!
 
Yep I was getting worried. But I am happy toreport that he has eaten some food and seems to be getting betteradjusted to the new environment. I am sure it was a stressfuladjustment considering he was an outside bun with minimal human contactto being in a house full of kids, dogs, and Fergi!

Last night when he was out he was racing around my house. I think thatis the first time since he was a baby that he could really stretch outhis legs. There were even a few half binkys involved in his race offreedom!:D

Thanks again everyone for all yourvaluable input and knowledge!

Fergi and Bandit's mom

Adrienne (it's getting a bit long to sign "Fergi and Bandit's mom)
 

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