Bunny won't eat

[shelle7603]

We have an 8 mo old choc. polish, who won't eat. He has always been a slow eater, would go several days without eating, but we usually assumed it was either due to his change in habitat and the hot weather. The judge at our county fair suggested worming him, but no luck. We are now trying oatmeal, fresh grass, and dandelion leaves at the recommendation of our breeder and the judge. Any other suggestions?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We've syringed food for our problem children, but yours seems way more severe than any we've dealt with.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Try several different types of hat, mixed. Like Orchard Grass etc. Sometimes it temps them.

 

[naturestee]

If he regularly has trouble eating, it's time to have a vet check him. Make sure they take a good look at his molars, as even young rabbits can have problems with molar spurs. Little rabbits like Polish and the dwarf breeds are especially prone to dental issues because of the shape of their heads.

Try soaking some pellets in water and see if he'll eat that. You may need to syringe-feed him to keep his gut going until he gets to a vet.

I give probiotics (I use Benebac, but there are other types) for tummy issues. Even if something like a dental problem is causing the issue, bad bacteria build up in a slow gut.

 

[shelle7603]

We have moved him into the kitchen, and he appears to like the cooler temps. He ate a little yesterday, and drank well. We will head out today for the probiotics and try them.
I've asked around, and there aren't any vets in the area who know much about rabbits, and the judge and our breeder checked him over pretty well at the fair and they didn't see any issues other than being underweight.
Thanks for all the advice!