Change in bunnies eating habits...suggestions please

[bunbun_89]

I have a Female Holland Lop, 4 & ½ years old.

On Saturday, I noticed that my Rabbit was acting a bit strange. She did not seem to want to be touched. I respected that I mostly let her be. By Saturday evening, her usual personality seemed to have come back. However, the next day (Sunday), I noticed that she didn’t bother to eat her morning breakfast. Leafy lettuce and dandelion leaves. It wilted within a few hours, so I removed it and offered her some apple. She did eat the apple. I offered her more leafy stuff in the afternoon (bits of parsley/collard/lettuce, etc) and she only ate a little bit. I offered her a small piece of banana as a treat and she did eat that. This pattern has continued into today. She will only nibble at her usual favourite vegetables but will gladly eat any offered fruits. She seems to be eating a bit of her pellet food (timothy hay base). She has never eaten any type of hay…she down right refuses to and will pee on it instead no matter what type we try.

I’ve also noticed that she will go into the corner of her cage and start digging furiously…she will stretch out first then bolt up and start digging. Yet, when we place her in her run around play area she doesn’t explore as much as usual…she’s pretty content to sit.

I’ve checked her over for anything unusual…cuts, sores, bumps, etc. I’ve checked her teeth, her paws, her nails, her eyes, lips, etc, and all seems to be normal.

She still comes to the side of her cage to greet me but doesn't seem to appreciate petting as much as she normally does.

Does anyone have any ideas or should I be making arrangements to go to my vet?

Thank you kindly. :brown-bunny

 

[JBun]

Yes, make a vet appointment today! If your rabbit has stopped pooping, or the poop is smaller than usual, then she has GI stasis and may have a blockage. This can be a life threatening situation for rabbits. It's likely your bun needs a gut stimulant and pain meds, and may also need a syringe feeding mix. It is considered an emergency when a rabbit hasn't eaten for more than 12 hours, so I would get your bun into the vet immediately.

GI stasis can be caused by many things- dental problems(molars as well), insufficient fiber in a rabbits diet(from not enough hay), too many sugars in a rabbits diet, stress, underlying health problem causing pain. So you need your vet to investigate what might have caused this to happen.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html
http://rabbit.org/sluggish-motility-in-the-gastrointestinal-tract-2/
http://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/

http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/finding-vet-13366/

Once your rabbit is feeling better, I would suggest trying hay again, there are different tricks and techniques that can be tried to help get your bun to eat it.

 

[bunbun_89]

Just to clarify, my rabbit is still pooping... and it looks normal. She is also still intaking food, so not the normal amount/type.

 

[JBun]

Because she's hardly eating, even though she is still pooping, the digestive tract is slowing down and she is in danger of stasis and a blockage developing. Just the fact that this has been going on for several days, along with the change of behavior, means something is wrong. The lethargic behavior, not wanting to run around and sitting for long periods, and the obsessive digging and frequently changing positions, are all indicators that your rabbit is in pain and feeling discomfort from something.

 

[Imbrium]

Eating a fraction of what she normally would over the course of 2-3 days can lead to stasis just as easily as not eating at all for 8-12 hours - a significant decrease in appetite that doesn't remedy itself within a day or two is still a medical emergency even if she hasn't stopped eating completely.

A rabbit's digestive tract is meant to be constantly moving and requires a massive amount of food (relative to their body size) to be eaten each day to keep things running smoothly. It's nothing like the digestive system that humans and other animals have - we can go a few days on little or no food without consequence (assuming there's no underlying health issue that could be provoked by not eating), as can most animals; lagomorphs can't.

In addition to being a precursor to GI stasis (which is often fatal if not treated properly), lack of appetite doesn't just happen on its own - it's a symptom of something else being wrong. The underlying cause *needs* to be addressed.

The reason we're being so pushy is that JBun and I field countless stasis-related questions - I would say, on average, at least 3-6 a week. We know how vital it is to treat stasis aggressively and how important it is that we take the early warning signs seriously and urge others to do the same. Lack of appetite can become GI stasis which can swiftly become a dead bunny... but GI stasis can be treated/cured just as easily as it can be fatal. It's not something where you can take a "wait and see" approach, though, you have to treat it like the emergency it is.

In addition to determining the cause of her appetite change, the vet should give her a motility medication like metoclopromide to get/keep her digestive system moving and a pain medication like metacam and may give you some Critical Care food to syringe feed her.

 

[bunbun_89]

Thank you both for the replies....She has an appointment this evening at the Vet to try to determine what's wrong. She seems a lot more like herself this morning but is still not very interested in her usual food...will post an update later.

 

[JBun]

I'm really glad you got a vet appointment. Based on your buns odd behavior, I really feel like there is some sort of health problem going on. You'll want to relay all of the odd behavior that your bun has been exhibiting, as well as the changes in eating. It may be something as simple as an upset stomach, that pain meds and a gut stimulant will sort out, but you want to make sure the vet does a thorough check, checking for a blockage and impacted cecum, and especially checking your rabbits molars for sharp points. This could be one possible reason for your buns picky eating and not wanting to eat hay. Best of luck at the vets.

 

[Imbrium]

I hope her vet appointment goes well and the cause of the change in eating habits turns out to be something easily remedied!