5mo bun behaving oddly. Help please

[koalasoom]

My partner and I were away for a week and so left our 5mo boy with my sister. She kept him in his x-pen with all his familiar toys and bits and let him free roam in her room while she was at home. He was eating and behaving as normal with her as she kept me up to date via videos and pictures.
We brought him back yesterday and since then the following has changed:

1. He isn't as enthused when eating. Is no longer running up to me for his pellets but has had a few but not as
2. Isn't drinking water
3. Isn't really touching his hay either
4. He is running around every now and again but does seem a bit sluggish although I'm not sure whether that's just because of the heat even though I've got the fan on for him.
5. He hasn't pooped since last night
6. He's been hiding under the bed and is just crawling out every now and again. He did some zoomies earlier on but he's otherwise just hiding under the bed. I've put some water and hay by him under the bed but he doesn't seem interested in either.


Any advice would really be appreciated!

Thank you

 

[RunnyBabbit]

I'm new to rabbits so I'm not sure but maybe he has intestinal blockage? Does he get brushed often? Sometimes when grooming themselves they ingest fur. I just worry about going into GI statics from that. Has he ever acted like this before?

 

[koalasoom]

I'm new to rabbits so I'm not sure but maybe he has intestinal blockage? Does he get brushed often? Sometimes when grooming themselves they ingest fur. I just worry about going into GI statics from that. Has he ever acted like this before?

Hi, thank you for replying!

I do brush him often. He’s never behaved in this way before, no. He’s come out from under the bed now and is just crawling around chewing on things. I’m now sat with him in his pen trying to get him to eat his hay. But he’d rather chew on his toys right now.

 

[Mehidk]

IMO, a week can be a long time for a rabbit to be away from the "norm" (aka your home). Could be stressed out from the moving back and forth and it could feel like a new environment? He might be getting readjusted to being back home again. I would say give it another day to relax. However, if he continues to not poop or eat, then I would start questioning about GI stasis.

 

[JBun]

I would sit with him for a while if he's normally comfortable with your presence, to help reassure him and so he can feel secure with his surroundings again. Many rabbits don't adapt to change well. If he formed any sort of bond with your sister or any one else(or even pet) at the other place, this could be what's upsetting him. In which case, if your sister(or other person he bonded with) could come for a visit that could help perk him up.

If he's gone more than 12-24 hours without eating or hardly eating, it's time to get him to the vet for stasis meds and fluids.

 

[koalasoom]

I've been with him all day. He's had a bit of hay and a few sips of water and has pooped minimally. Still isn't eating as much hay as he usually does. Also he's completely refusing his pellets now.

Other than that he's running around and has even done some binkies.

 

[JBun]

Ok, well binkies means he's relatively happy, so maybe there's something else going on with him. Was he fed something different at your sisters? Is this a new bag of pellets? Do you feed veggies or greens at all? Any signs of drooling, chewing oddly, or dropping food from his mouth?

 

[koalasoom]

Ok, well binkies means he's relatively happy, so maybe there's something else going on with him. Was he fed something different at your sisters? Is this a new bag of pellets? Do you feed veggies or greens at all? Any signs of drooling, chewing oddly, or dropping food from his mouth?

He wasn’t fed anything different, no. I don’t feed him veggies or greens yet, no. i was hoping to introduce these soon. No drooling or dropping of food, he’s just not as interested in food as he usually is. He’s still refusing his pellets. I can hear bowel movements on listening with a stethoscope so hopefully it’s not stasis. I’ll see until tomorrow and if he’s still off his hay then I’ll take him to the vet.

Thank you for your help. I’ll keep the thread updated

 

[JBun]

If he's still not eating well tomorrow and you get him to the vet, it would be good to make sure the vet checks his teeth. When a rabbit is having normal happy behavior but won't eat their usual food normally, it will usually be either a problem with the food(gone bad, mold) or a dental issue making them reluctant to eat.

 

[Howard cordingley]

There are 2 possible issues here. Stress. Rabbits can get stressed out when they are not in their familiar surroundings and their bonded human is not there to turn to. The stress can cause a rabbit to go off their food. Try soaking his pellets in water as a change only soak for a few seconds! Did he eat different food or treats? Also it’s important he drinks so spray some greens with water to keep him hydrated. Lots of fuss and cuddles. If no change take him to a vet in case it’s his teeth or another problem.

 

[koalasoom]

Thank you all for your help. I took him to the vet yesterday and she has said that his reduced eating is likely due to the heat. We have 3 fans on for him but he still goes and sits under the sofa or bed. His eating has picked up a bit although still not quite where it was before. He shows no enthusiasm for hay now

Hopefully it is just the heat.

 

[RunnyBabbit]

Some people set out a cool tile in an area the rabbit likes to lay, and some frozen water bottles too.
Really how he gets back to normal ❤

 

[RunnyBabbit]

Some people set out a cool tile in an area the rabbit likes to lay, and some frozen water bottles too.
Really how he gets back to normal ❤

*Hope

 

[koalasoom]

Sorry to keep posting re this! My bun is still not having much hay. Usually he jumps into the litter tray as soon as I’ve set it all up for him, and his favourite toys are those which are filled with hay. He’s still playing around, zooming and binkying, but he does nottt seem to have the same interest in hay.

Has anyone else experienced this with their bun?

 

[Howard cordingley]

My rabbit refused hay when we rescued him 18 months ago and all he eats now is softened pellets and a couple of grapes each day. But he is around 10 and had hardly any teeth left. Rabbits can survive without hay. But the pellets are the best quality so he’s getting the protein etc.

 

[Diane R]

Sorry to keep posting re this! My bun is still not having much hay. Usually he jumps into the litter tray as soon as I’ve set it all up for him, and his favourite toys are those which are filled with hay. He’s still playing around, zooming and binkying, but he does nottt seem to have the same interest in hay.

Has anyone else experienced this with their bun?

Is he eating pellets now? How much? How many different types of hay have you tried? Good places to order from in the UK are timothyhay.co.uk and Hay and Straw Hay and Straw