HELP ... BUNNY NOT EATING!!!

[meg33]

Hi everyone!



I am new here and I need some serious help!



My rabbit, Gracie, was acting a little weird this morning when I got her out of her cage. She had eaten some of her treats, but not all of them ... this is really strange for Gracie. She had also not eaten any of her food that I could tell.



So, I went to school this morning/afternoon and came home and she still hasn't eaten anything. I can tell, because she usually "throws" her food all over the floor when she eats. It only appeared that she had urinated once, something that is also very strange for her. I "force fed" her a little water but not enough to do anything for her. After about 30 minutes I decided to do it again, but I gave her more water. She kept going after the syringe, so I kept giving her more. I took this to mean she hadn't drank water today either.



About 5 minutes ago, I tried to give her a treat (a yogurt drop) and she refused to eat it. I really don't know what to do! She has a history of tooth issues, and is missing I think 2 teeth.

Oh, and she is laying down, sleeping/relaxing, but that's not out of the ordinary for her. Her stomach feels a little hard, but everytime I've felt it in the past it's always felt hard.

Does anyone think they know what this is? I really, really need help! I am so worried for Gracie!



Thanks!

Meg

 

[Pipp]

There's a list of questions pinned to the top of the Infirmary, can you take a look and answer the relevant ones? It will really help.

For the immediate future, is she acting uncomfortable and shifting around when she lies down?

Is she chewing funny? Moulting?



sas :clover:

 

[meg33]

Sorry I didn't post this before! She seems to be doing better ... I found some poops on her newspapers when I came and checked on her. Also immediately after I gave her the water earlier, she immediately urinated. Thanks!



WV, USA


Lop Ear, Gray

5


Female


Fecal and Urinary Output

- are the bunny's poops and pees normal? found a couple poops alittle while ago peed twice today
- when did they last use their litterbox? an hour ago
- what litter and/or bedding do you use? newspapers, baby fleece blankets

Medical History

- spayed/neutered? spayed
- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before?yes
- is s/he on any medications? no

Diet

- what specifically does your bunny eat? palets, yogurt drops
- when and what did s/he eat last? yogurtdrops, palets last night
- any changes in the way s/he eats? (ie: not eating a particular food, odd chewing motions, etc) not that I've noticed


Other

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally? yes
- is the rabbit molting?shedding
- any weight loss? no
- any sign of drooling? wet face?
- runny eyes? yes, but her left eye always does bc of her tooth issue
- wet nose? coughing? sneezing? no
- is s/he breathing normally yes

Additional

- any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach? no
- has the rabbit been outdoors? no
- any other pets? if so, have they been ill? no

 

[Pipp]

If she's not getting hay, it would be a good idea to add it to her diet. Grass hay and even clean fresh grass (no wildlife droppings, insecticides, etc) really should be the main staple, it keeps their teeth and digestive tracts healthy. This may be the issue with her tooth and tummy problems.

Canned pumpkin is always good if their guts seem to slow down. And plenty of water.

The yogurt drops are treats and really should be given sparingly.

Do you know the brand of pellets and their contents? The protein and fiber counts would be good to know.

She's close to being a senior and will need a few adjustments for continuing good health into her senior years.

Glad she's feeling better! How is her appetite?

sas :clover:

 

[meg33]

Thanks for the help, Pipp!

She really isn't eating all that much. Truthfully, I haven't seen her eat at all today, but I've been at school and running errands for a good portion of the day.

Her pellets contain Timothy Hay ... she refuses to eat any type of hay, even when she is feeling perfect. The pellets are coming from Walmart and are Wild Harvest: Advanced Nutritional Balance brand.

Thanks, again!

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Try LOTS of green leefy's. Like Romain, Parsely, Carrot tops, and maybe some Kale. Rinse it to get the maximum water in possible.

I just got my Taffy through this recently.

Keep a close eye on her. Maybe try several drops of Baby Gas-Ex, (simethicone should be the active ingredient or whatever.)

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Did you say she has a wet face as in wetness around her chin? Sounds like tooth issues to me.

 

[Pipp]

Best to get her to a vet, gas attacks and the like are typically gone in 24 hours or less.

You can't let her go without eating, even 12 hours can be serious if she's obese or has liver issues. I'd syringe feed her canned pumpkin.

There may be more going on here than a gut upset. Is her pee dark and thick? Is she peeing smaller than usual amounts more often? Any sign of dribbling?


sas :clover:

 

[meg33]

Thanks so much everyone for your helpful comments!!

She did not eat at all yesterday but there isn't a rabbit savy emergency or overnight vet in our area. I put her in her cage and began to massage her tummy area and she seemed to really like it. I gave her food throughout the night (as well as treats) and it didn't appear that she had eaten anything, but there was poop on her blanket.

I got her out of her cage this morning and she immediately ran to her litter and peed and pooped ... a great sign!! She has also "thrown" her food around today, a sign that she has eaten today! Thanks for the help ... it appears that Gracie is on the mend!!!

Katie, her eye is runny, but her eye is always runny. Her vet isn't worried about the runny eye because she knows that Gracie has teeth issues. But her teeth issues seem to be under control.

Another question ... do rabbits get constipated? I think that was what was wrong with my Gracie! What can I do to prevent constipation again?

Thanks,
Megan

 

[Tuckerbunnies]

meg33 wrote:

Thanks so much everyone for your helpful comments!!

She did not eat at all yesterday but there isn't a rabbit savy emergency or overnight vet in our area. I put her in her cage and began to massage her tummy area and she seemed to really like it. I gave her food throughout the night (as well as treats) and it didn't appear that she had eaten anything, but there was poop on her blanket.

I got her out of her cage this morning and she immediately ran to her litter and peed and pooped ... a great sign!! She has also "thrown" her food around today, a sign that she has eaten today! Thanks for the help ... it appears that Gracie is on the mend!!!

Katie, her eye is runny, but her eye is always runny. Her vet isn't worried about the runny eye because she knows that Gracie has teeth issues. But her teeth issues seem to be under control.

Another question ... do rabbits get constipated? I think that was what was wrong with my Gracie! What can I do to prevent constipation again?

Thanks,
Megan

Rabbits can get constipated and it's usually due to not drinking enough water and improper diet.

Rabbits with constipation do very little or nothing when it comes to droppings they may appear to be lethargic and not want to eat or drink.Sometimes they have a bloated tummy which will be hard to the touch.

If you think that your bunny is constipated offer her extra ammounts of fiber and water (room temperature)carrot,carrot tops, parsley and unlimited Timothy hay.

A little fresh diluted pineapple juice also helps.

If your bunny has space to exercise let them have plenty of time to run about as there is nothing better than getting the gut moving.

 

[meg33]

Maysie, all of those symptoms you listed under rabbit constipation my bunny was showing yesterday. She has a huge area to play, and she seems to be doing much better today. I will try to offer her the things you mentioned and see where this takes us!

Thanks!
Meg

 

[Sweetie]

For constipation you can give her an apple as it will help with getting her to poop again. Sweetie has constipation once in a while. I just give her an apple and she is better. I also take her to the vet to make sure that she didn't have anything else wrong with her.