Very Skinny (bones visible) Rabbit

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daisyandoliver

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2012
Messages
680
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Location
Cayuga County, New York, USA
R.I.P

So good news this isn't my rabbit.

He is a New Zealand rabbit. Not sure of age at all. Male and not neutered. He came from Canada about a year ago from a shower/breeder. He is my boyfriends rabbit because my boyfriend shows and he needed a good looking male to breed. Well as of recently he is getting very skinny fast. I noticed it today when i helped feed. He looks unhealthy in general. I pet him and could completely feel his shoulder bones, spine, ribs, everything. He eats all of his food and drinks all of his water. His one back leg looks limp and when I touch it it feels like its sideways. He doesn't notice when I touch it though. Well my boyfriend at the moment doesn't make enough money to take him to the vet and his parents wont help. So I'm going to take him to the vet to try and see whats wrong. But then I'll need to find him a home. So my question is does anyone have an idea what could be wrong? And does anyone know what I could do to find him a home afterward if he is saveable.
 
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I'm fairly new to rabbits, but have lots of experience with other animals. It sounds like it could possible be a heavy load of worms.

Either way, get the poor boy to a vet.
 
Do you mean he eats & drinks a lot more than usual?

Take him to vet asap & charge it. I don't think this can wait.
 
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I'd say worms too.

I got my first rescue bunny about 8 years ago (well I found him outside my office, cold, wet, and skinny as anything). He had fleas and ear mites on top of that.

My friend who is a small animal vet and runs an unofficial rabbit rescue told me to use kitten flea treatment (I used frontline) for the fleas, and put ivermectin horse wormer on his ears for the mites (just a small amount). Then in 2 weeks repeat the ivermectin treatment. She said he will lick his ears and ingest some of the wormer which should also help with the worm problem.

My boy started picking up weight within a few weeks and turned into a quite healthy and huge rabbit.

Anyway, def get him to your rabbit vet, but if it is indeed worms, it's fairly easily fixed.
 
Just a warning. DO NOT ever use Frontline on a rabbit. The active ingredient is fipronil and it can cause seizures and death in rabbits.

Parasites can cause the weight loss, but also organs malfunctioning can also be a cause, and that would be something a vet would need figure out with xrays and/or testing.
 
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The vet I go to doesn't do 'charge' and I don't know if there are any vets around that do. If anyone knows of any vets around Syracuse area or Cayuga County in New York it would be appreciated I'll look around.

And no he eats the same and drinks the same. They get fed a cup of food daily and hay.

We also dewormed him in the summer because he was loosing weight and he put the weight right back on. But my boyfriend isn't the one who has been feeding them his sister has because he was in sports, so he didn't know he was getting skinny again because his sister never said anything.
 
Sounds like he's loaded with worms. Don't take me as a "debbie downer" or a Mean girl. But I think if people can't afford the correct care for animals they shouldn't have any. In my experience Rabbits have been the most expensive pet i've owned next to my horses.
I guess I don't get why people get animals and then think the min. to care for them is good enough =( Good luck hope all turns out well
 
They usually do have the money. Right now it is hard. His dad is working two jobs and my boyfriend has two jobs. They are working on it. They got him an he got sick shortly after, my boyfriend now wishes he didn't waste the money to buy him in the first place which is why he is willing to get rid of it. And at the end of this school year when we go off to college they are getting rid of all of the New Zealands because my boyfriend isn't taking them with him. Plus they are show rabbits they are not really their 'pets' they live in a heated barn outside. I helped deworm every one of them this summer so at least I am here to help if they need it yanno?

And right now I have $100 to my name and I need some of it for graduation stuff that needs to be paid now. So I am trying to find a vet now that does charging.
 
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Why doesn't he just try to deworm him again? Or since he's so willing to "get rid" of him, just surrender to him to a rescue or shelter OR just have him put to sleep? That way he doesn't have to suffer being passed around from 'show' home to 'show' home. And put in a breeding program because he obviously isn't well.

Have they checked the feed to make sure the feed doesn't have mold or anything in it? Have they checked the rest of the herd to make sure they haven't lost any weight either? Has his sister really been feeding him? Those would be the questions I would be asking. And I totally get that he's super busy with working and going to school and playing sports, but since these rabbits are his responsibility, he should have tried to get out there at least once a day to check the whole herd to make sure they were okay.

Why don't you guys work on finding them all homes now? Before its crunch time and you have to "get rid" of them before you go off to college.
Sorry this seems a little harsh, but its kind of hard to read this sort of thing. Like, put yourself on the outside and pretend you're not the one writing it and read it. It doesn't sound good at all. :(
 
Are you familiar with Care Credit? It's a credit card for healthcare only (vet included) with very generous limits, even if your credit is not great. It's also interest free if you pay on time. I have a great deal of comfort knowing that my pets will be taken care of no matter what my financial situation is at the time.
 
A lot of vets won't "charge" I'm super sad for this bunny. Wish I was in NY again I would of taken him. I agree with everything Whitelop has said, because I thought the same thing. It almost seems as if you all think these poor bunnies are disposeable =( Again Good luck hope they all get great homes ASAP.
 
I'm 17 can I get care credit? And no where around here will take it if its sick. They won't take the healthy ones either. (We have tried. They all have to have either papers or all need Vet check up before they go and I can't afford like 10 rabbit check ups.) None of the others are skinny I checked yesterday. And i don't know who wants them. I was just going to have him try craigslist. I live in a small town no one wants a full grown new zealand. His sister feeds them because the other rabbits are Mini Rexes and are hers.

But nevermind I'll figure something out with this rabbit, I'm pretty sure the vet in town will take it and find it a home she does it with cats.

P.S. He would get them all new homes now if he could. But no one wants them. So were trying.

I could possibly give them to my BOCES class in school or at least a few of them. We have a business starting with them.
 
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I'm also sorry for making it sound as if I don't care. I'm trying. My family has a lot of animals to take care of or my dad could help me out with taking the rabbit to the vet but we need that money for ours. I try hard to help animals. I have 2 rabbits that are retired breeding bunnies of my own. I have been asking around if people want a rabbit to try and find homes but it is not working yet.
 
I know you care, Paige. It's your boyfriend & family who don't care enough. I'd check with that vet who takes cats. She may be able to suggest options.

It seems anyone can get credit these days, but it takes time, which I don;t think you have for this situation.
 
My boyfriend cares or he wouldn't let me help. He helped me pay for Oliver's appt when he was coughing and sneezing. If he had the money right now he would pay. He is trying to find them homes he always asks people if they want a rabbit, he's gotten a few homes that way. He just recently got cut from working about 4-5 days a week to 1 every other week and he just got a new job recently to cover that. His family doesn't help him with anything they are the ones who told him when he was 10 he was going to show because his dad did it. Then they bought him rabbits. He didn't WANT to have this many. The rabbit that's sick his dad told him to buy it because it had a nice coat and would be good for breeding and paid for most of it. I don't want blame being put on my boyfriend either sorry. His parents Won't even take their dog to the vet and his butt is raw and hes skinny too. I've wanted to take the dog too. His parents can't take care of their kids let alone animals.

I'm going to call my vet in town and ask an estimated price.
 
You could check with the vet first and describe symptoms, without paying for a visit. If she agrees with what we all suspect then I would worm him again, now. If it's that hard to find homes for them then I suspect noone will take a rabbit in his present condition.
 

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