New bunny, hardly eating...help?

[midnytsky7]

I literally bought my new bunny yesterday. She's a 2 month old dwarf. Since I've gotten her, I couldn't help but notice she's hardly eating (unless I'm not catching her in the act) and she's hardly drinking her water. It honestly doesn't look like she's touched either. Every time I check up on her, she's huddled in a corner looking scared. I did take her out numerous of times for her to get accustomed to her surroundings and I found out she has a very high spirited personality which is great, but the not eating or drinking scares me. Am I thinking too much on this? I mean, is this common when bringing home a young bunny? Please tell me I'm over-reacting. Thanks!

 

[Pipp]

Ugh, no, not normal. Sorry.

Are you sure she knows how to drink? Do you have a water bottle or a bowl?

What was she eating before you got her and what are you feeding her now?

Has she pooped?


sas :clover:

 

[midnytsky7]

She has a bottle. I've held her and showed her the bottle, put some water in front of her mouth to associate water with the bottle and I'm not sure if she's tried to drink while I'm not looking. When I got her, she was in a cage with several other rabbits with a large bowl of regular pellet food in the middle. Now, I have the variety mix with the pellets and the other colorful fun treats mixed into it.

And she has pooped LOTS of times, lol.

 

[Pipp]

PS: If you have a photo of her and her set up, that might help. Its good that she's running around. But they do have to eat to keep their guts in good shape.

Not sure how you have her housed right now, but they instinctively really like a solid cover above their heads (to ward off hawks and other threats from above), a maybe a little 'hidey' box as a safety zone. I usually have a small cardboard box with an entrance and a small exit cut into it.


sas :clover:

 

[Pipp]

Its always best to feed them whatever they were eating before, they need to change gradually. (And most brands with the colored bits are actually pretty bad).

Did she have hay before? Hay is the best thing for her to be eating. You also may want take the colored bits out of the food and see if she eats the pelleted stuff.

If she didn't have a water bottle before, she may not know how to use it yet, and a rabbit that doesn't drink won't eat.

But if she's pooping lots and they're solid, she's still in good shape. But I would really try and figure out what she had to eat before hand brand wise. Was she from a breeder or a pet store? Good breeders always will send a packet of food home for the transitional phase.

Was there hay or grass or anything in her old place?


sas

 

[TinysMom]

midnytsky7 wrote:

She has a bottle. I've held her and showed her the bottle, put some water in front of her mouth to associate water with the bottle and I'm not sure if she's tried to drink while I'm not looking. When I got her, she was in a cage with several other rabbits with a large bowl of regular pellet food in the middle. Now, I have the variety mix with the pellets and the other colorful fun treats mixed into it.

And she has pooped LOTS of times, lol.

I would definitely call the breeder and find out what feed she used and switch to that. The stuff with the colorful fun treats is SO unhealthy for them - its like giving kids candy mixed in with supper and then wondering why they don't eat their food. All of those colorful "treats" are put in with the food to get the bunny slaves to buy it - but they really aren't healthy for your bunny. Same way as it is for sugary cereals for our kids (yet fruit loops gets me every once in a while and I just HAVE to have some even if I know they aren't good for me).

I breed rabbits and many of my rabbits get pellets AND some oatmeal (because I show them and I'm conditioning them). My rule is...if you don't eat your pellets from the night before - you don't get your oatmeal in the oatmeal bowl the next morning. Funny how they're doing better at eating their pellets now!

I would give her a bowl of water and remember - the breeder's water could have tasted different also if she didn't live in the same town/water district you live in. Possibly put a drop or two of vanilla in the water to give it a bit of flavor.

Also - I'd push hay - lots of hay.

Good luck with your new baby. Don't forget that a small rabbit at that young age may not eat as much as you'd think they would. (I raise flemish giants and I'm trying to get used to Holland Lops now because they eat less - and a polish doe we got as a pet...who needs even less food I think..).

 

[Pipp]

Please note that TinysMom is only using this as an example, I strongly advise at this point to avoid oats! They're not recommended at the best of times, rabbits don't digest starches well, and unless your rabbit came from a breeder like TinysMom who did feed oats, the GI tract may not react well. (I almost lost my own dwarf to an oats OD, btw, so I have experience with this!) Its also not good as a long term thing.

I also don't recommend putting anything in the water, although you can try a separate dish with a drop or two. But she really should have a dish of plain water as well as a bottle.

Definitely push the hay, though.



sas :bunnydance:

 

[TinysMom]

Pipp - thanks for pointing that out - I never meant to imply that this particular rabbit should get oats. I was trying to show how a rabbit will not eat what they SHOULD eat if they know they can hold out for something they like better (like a treat).

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Not eating/drinking right after switching homes is actually very normal. I commonly see this when I bring new rabbits into my breeding program.

The best thing to do is to find out which type of pellets she was on before, and start her on those. The more a rabbit is exposed to their own normalcy, the more normal they will act. Having their "own" pellets is a great first step and will encourage her to eat. If, at a later time, you choose to switch to a different pellet, do it very slowly. Mixing in a bit of the new into the old until it's entirely switched over.

As far as water, be sure you're offering it in the same way she had it before. If she's used to a bottle, a bottle should be fine. If she's used to a crock, use a crock. This will make her feel more comfortable and will encourage her to drink.

But traveling and moving is a very stressful thing, so as long as she's pooping and active, don't worry too much. It may take a day or two for her appetite to come back and for her to really start eating/drinking again and up to a week or for her to start consuming in normal amounts.

During this transition, I highly recommend offering a fresh grass hay and sprinkling oats on top of her feed (regular, uncooked oatmeal), like previously suggested. Weanling enteritis (diarrhea) is common in babies of this age when they're switching feeds and encountering the stress of a new environment. I've found that oats help to regulate their digestive system and prevent soft or runny poop. Plus, they love them and it helps entice them to eat.

Good luck with the new baby! As suggested, she may enjoy a cardboard box to rest in until she becomes more comfortable with her new surroundings.

 

[tonyshuman]

It is common for a bunny to not want to eat after a move, but it's not ok for them to not eat. It's best with a new bunny to give them time alone to adjust to their new surroundings. Definitely give her a place to hide and just close the door to the room and walk away for a few hours. She sounds scared and a scared bunny will not eat.

I also would go back to the same pellets she was on, and I'd offer a bowl in addition to the bottle. Do you have hay? Hay is essential for bunnies, a nice grass hay will be very good.

If she doesn't start eating within 24 hours of bringing her home, contact the breeder for sure. Our bunny Benjamin was pretty young and got stressed out when we brought him home. He got a case of gas in his intestines, and we had to give him some baby simethicone to get him to eat. 1mL/hr for 3 hours should get her to eat again. If you hear her belly gurgling, I'd start with it right away.

 

[Maureen Las]

A probiotic like benebac is marketed as helpful when a small animal ( rabbit) is going through a stressful encounter.I would definitely get some Benebac or Probios and administer a dose.

 

[pamnock]

Nutrical is good for new bunns that are off their feed because it has appetite stimulants (complex B vitamins) and important nutrients.

 

[cirrustwi]

I think that first, you need to establish if she is eating anything or not. Try measuring out exactly what you put in her dish and then measure it after several hours to see if any is gone. Also, if she has a water bottle, add a dish, just to see if that is what she is used to. She is most likely stressed from the change. Try not handling her so much because she needs to become used to her new home in general. She may be just really stressed out.

I went through this with my first rabbit. She was terrified from the change of surroundings and didn't eat in front of me for weeks. I had to measure the food to make sure she was eating, but within 2 or 3 days, she was eating fine. I also realized that she had no idea how to use a water bottle. She was raised with a crock, so it took her a bit to get used to the bottle. For a week or 2 she had both a bottle and a crock and then I would hear her drinking from the bottle during the night and so I removed the crock (because she was also the queen of spilling it!).

I do think you should find out what she was eating before and get her back on that. Then if you want to change, do it slowly and yes, those colorful bits are just starchy sugar. Pellets only is really the best start. If the breeder is local she may be willing to give you enough of what she had been feeding to do a transition.

Best of luck!!