New baby rescue bunny not eating cecals

[gentle giants]

I have noticed it seems like my new little rescue bunny isn't eating his cecals. They were smooshed all over his floor this morning, and one was even stuck to his belly, I think he had walked in it or something. I gave him just a handful of his pellets yesterday, and the same today, plus the timothy hay. This is the same food he came with, I haven't changed anything except for adding a little bit of my hay to it. I didn't give him any treats or anything, because he is so young and I don't think he really has had any treats before.

Also, it looks like his nose is dryer this morning than it was when I picked him up yesterday, but he had a couple of sneezing fits last night when I had him out for play time. Could this just be from the stress of moving, or should I be worried? It's been a while since I had any babies, and this one is so much smaller and seems more fragile, I guess, than the Flemmie kits I am used to.

 

[naturestee]

Didn't his pellets have something like 18% protein? He might be making more cecals than he can/wants to eat. It might also be because he's stressed. As long as they don't smell unusual compared to your other rabbits, he should be ok for now.

As for the sneezing, I still suspect ammonia, lack of ventilation,and/or stress. This is exactly why rabbits aren't supposed to be kept in solid sided cages like fish tanks. As long as he looks active and is eating, etc. I'd let him be for a few days before worrying about a URI.

He does look really tiny, although I'm not used to baby holland lops. That's what he looks like to me.

 

[JenniferCameron]

When I first got Charlie she was half the size of her brothers and sisters, and wasn't eating all of her cecals either. I fed her less pellets for a few days and more alfalfa (I have always fed my rabbits mostly alfalfa until they are older, but I hear hay is the new normal) and it stopped. She may not be eating them all because she's eaten a few too many pellets and has had her fill of cecals. I have heard of this happening. If you're worried or her behaviour changes then you might want to clear your mind and have a vet look after her.

I hope your baby bun is fine and healthy!

 

[gentle giants]

I have kinda wondered if he isn't younger than what the petstore told this girl, or if she was wrong about how long she had had him. I mean, he fits in my two hands, and my hands aren't real big. His feed does have 18% protein, my eyes kinda bugged out when I saw that. Hopefully this will clear up on it's own, he doesn't need the additional stress of a vet trip right now, and neither do I! LOL I will have to get a pick of him in my hands for size perspective, and mabye someone who knows lops better than I do can give me a guess at his age.

 

[naturestee]

Pamnock breeds hollands, she'd probably be able to estimate his age pretty well.

Edit: I agree that it's probably best to not stress him out with a vet right now. As long as nothing looks life threatening, and so far it doesn't, I think it'll do him more good to stay home and adjust to all the new stuff. I would start mixing in some of your pellets soon though, or give him grass hay and reduce the amount of pellets he gets.

 

[JenniferCameron]

Charlie is holland lop too and fit in my hand she was supposed to be 7 weeks old, and was in a cage with bunnies that were way bigger and supposedly the same age, she has a birth certificate from the breeder, but I though the same you had about the age being wrong. I can understand not wanting to stress her out more than necessary.

 

[gentle giants]

I will mix in some of my pellets when I feed him next, and see what he thinks of that. I am using grass hay on my bunnies, and he didn't seem to enthused about ti when I gave him some of it last night. Could just be he wasn't really hungry at the time though, he had been eating his hay all afternoon. I will have to send Pam a pm, and ask her if she would look at the the pics for me, I am curious about what kind of lop he is. He has such long ears, they are just gorgeous!