my rabbit stopped eating!

[Lbolar]

I don't know if odd eating spurts are normal,but my rabbit went from eating tons of timothy hay and pellets (he's only 4 months) to hardly nibbling at it at all. I keep putting fresh hay and pellets for him and he just takes a couple bites and leaves it.

He's still pooping and urinating the same amount, so i'm quite confused, because all the food i put down is right where i left it. Is this normal from time to time? He's been doing this for about 5 days now. what should i do?

 

[bunnydude]

It is not normal. Your bunny is most likely going into the early stages of stasis (gut shutdown). If you can, you should get your bunny to a rabbit savvy vet. They will determine what is causing the stasis (stasis is often a symptom of something else) and how to resolve it. If you can't take him to the vet, try to hydrate him, offer some nutrical, canned pumpkin, or watered down pellets through a syringe.

 

[Lbolar]

could it have anything to do with him not eating fresh things. A rabbit breeder told me to never give rabbits younger than 6 months fresh fruits and vegetables but then I saw on this site that you can give it to them earlier than that. I was going to try them since nothing else is working. What do you think? (I will also definitely contact the vet)

 

[bunnydude]

Since the GI system is already upset, I would hold off on the veggies for right now. However, once that is all resolved, I don't see why you couldn't begin slowly introducing veggies. There are certainly differing schools of thought on the topic,but Devon has had veggies since he was three months. He has had no problems.

 

[Lbolar]

ok...thanks alot.

 

[naturestee]

Do you have a feeding syringe? If so,try syringing a few cc's of warm water into him. Aim at the inside of the cheek and go slowly so he can swallow it.Hydration is very important.

GI stasis is a symptom of other problems. It can be from bacterial/viral infection, but there are many other causes too. How are his teeth? Crooked, misshapen teeth can make it difficult for rabbits to eat. Small sharp spurs can also form on the molars, which you'll need a vet's help to see.

Have you recently started a new bag of pellets or hay? Check the food for mold, and smell it too.

 

[Lbolar]

I did check his teeth and they look perfect, probably because he's so young. But I did start a new bag of hay right around the time he started this, so I'm going to get another one today and see if that helps. And I did get him to drink quite a bit so that's good.