Bun ate cardboard with a lot of ink...now eating and pooping less

[KingHugo]

I recently moved homes, and in the move my rabbit's little wooden 'house' was broken. I've ordered a new one, but unbeknownst to me, my husband put a wine box in her cage yesterday evening. It is corrugated cardboard, totally covered with green ink.

I came to see her this morning and it looks like she has eaten much of the box...there are shreddings but not nearly enough to explain the gaping holes in the box. I also noticed she did not eat her pellets, which are usually gone by now. I was able to feed her two barley treats, but whenever I try and feed her hay she takes it, snapped it in half and then spits it out. She is drinking water.

She is pooping, but the poops are weirdly formed and there aren't very many. She is not acting as if she is in pain.

Could she have gotten a blockage from all the cardboard? She may have eaten part of a shipping label as well : ( If so, can this be fixed with plenty of hay and water? I am going to the pet store to see if some brand new hay will tempt her to eat...

 

[Janine16rouge]

My bunny likes to eat its litter box wood shavings what do I do? Should I not put anything in there or is it ok for him.

 

[KingHugo]

You probably want to start your own thread for this, but what kind of wood shavings are you using? If they are pine or cedar shavings, these are dangerous for rabbits and shouldn't be used. They hurt the rabbit's liver. A good kind of litter to buy is recycled paper litter, like CareFresh.

 

[JBun]

Sorry I'm to this late.

Eating too much cardboard can lead to a blockage occurring as the cardboard doesn't break down and can form a gooey mass in the digestive tract. If she will eat hay, a hay only diet(and water), for a few days can usually correct a minor gut slowdown. Hay with lots of mature stalks is especially good for this if your bun will eat it. You just have to ensure that she is actually eating the hay well. But if she is still having problems eating normally and/or she is not eating or eating less, it would be good to get her in to see your vet right away as she may need gut motility meds to help clear the cardboard out of her system.

Good hydration is very important too. If your bun drinks from a bottle, it would be good to give her a water dish as well, as rabbits tend to drink better from a dish.