Rabbit Not Eating (RIP)

[Skybunny11]

Twinkie is my 7 month old French Angora/Mini Rex rabbit. He usually eats like a starving dog (he isn't starving he just loves his food). Yesterday I was gone all day, but I gave him a couple carrots in the morning, he still had half a carrot in there from the night before, now most of you might be thinking 'Whatever maybe he just wasn't hungry'. No, Twinkie loves carrots and plums like unnaturally a lot. His diet is mainly fruits and veggies because he is allergic to the pellet. He goes into horrible sneezing attacks when he eats more then a bowl full (about one cup) every three days. Today I woke up and he looks horrible. He is very skinny, not eating at all, the life is gone in his eyes. I gave him one of every veggie we have in our house, no luck, I gave him pellet, no eating. I set him down in our yard and he barely ran around. He jumps up on the chair and went to sleep. We are deworming him now but I am so worried. If the wormer doesn't help then I think Im going to take him to a vet. If I had the money he would already be at the vet but I want to wait until I know I cant do anything for him. Do you guys have any idea's to what could be causing this? Maybe woolblock (he is part angora)?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

You need to get him to a rabbit savvy vet ASAP!!

 

[Maureen Las]

Is he pooping? What does it look like? :?

Right now you need to get fluids into him ... get an infant electrolyte drink like Pedialyte and a small 1 -3 cc syringe and give him fluids per syringe as much as he will take..frequently

Until you can get that give him just plain water per syringe.

you can also try giving him a bowl ofwaterflavored with a small amount of apple juice.

Although he like veggies and fruit his diet is inadequate for a rabbit.

he needs a good quality grassy hay, like timothy or orchard grass to keep his gut moving normally. if he is ingesting fur the hay helps move it through.

it sounds like he is in stasis and you can do certain thing to help sustain him during this period.

things you need to get :

Pedialyte to keep him hydrated. if he is not getting fluids his organs will eventually shut down including his GI tract.

Infant liquid gas drops with the only active ingredient being simethicone. Give 1 cc of simethicone for gas and you can repeat this 2 more times 1 hr apart. If he is not eating the gas can build up and cause a lot of discomfort. A few familar brands are Liquid gas X for infants and Mylicon infant gas drops. Nothing with magnesium or aluminim hydroxide in it .. only simethicone

Fresh pineapple juice Squeeze a pineapple for this.. no canned or frozen. give him a few ccs several times per day.


A probiotic like benebac..sold at petsmart and petco in small tubes for small mammals or a powdered form . Give one dose..if you get powder just mix it with the simethicone and syringe it.

You can also use Probios which is sold at farm stores for horses.

Are his ears cold ? If he appears cold try to keep him in a warmerenvironment . No point in syringing food to an animal who is hypothermic as it can not be broken down and assimilated.

he needs fluids first and foremost.

 

[Skybunny11]

He is pooping and its a bit runny, I don't think fluids are to big of a concern at the moment, he has been drinking, just not eating. I managed to get him to eat some spinach. Also he does get alphalpha along with my other rabbits. I can't get any of those supplies until morning, he lives inside so I don't think that he is hypothermic. I am going straight to the farm store then the petstore in the morning so I will get some of those supplies there.

 

[Maureen Las]

You need to get him hay but not alfalfa ( too much protein )
you need to get a less rich hay like timothy. orchard grass,

This is extremely important !!!!
if his poops are runny then you should discontinue the veggies !!!!

his GI tract sounds like it is very upset.
Actually it is sounding more and more like he needs to see a vet.


Grassy hay is the most important thing that you can get for him


Out of the list of the things you need to get for him forget the pineapple juice but do get the probiotic. ( Benebac or Probios )
It sounds as if the he has got an imbalance of the 'good" microorganisms in the GI tract and not a stasis situation after all

His diet should presently be nothing but a good grassy type hay and water...


he could benefit from a product called the biosponge which was originally made for horses but can be used to bind up toxins in the GI tract of other mammals; if you know any one with horses please ask them if they may have the biosponge product and could give you a little.
he also could benefit from a prescription drug called Metronidazole/Flagyl which has anti -inflammatory properties.
I know that youare well intentioned in feeding him veggies and fruits but this diet is probably causing the problems that you are having now.
if he is drinking there is no need to force water although this rabbit could benefit from sub q fluids.

 

[tonyshuman]

Agreed with above. #1 choice would be a vet, since he hasn't been eating for a while and is acting differently (two signs that it's not just plain gas or a GI slowdown), #2 would be to try all the things angieluv mentioned.

 

[Skybunny11]

He passed away, I would have posted sooner but, ehh. I was planning on taking him to the vet but that morning he passed away, right in my arms

 

[tonyshuman]

I'm so sorry.

 

[Maureen Las]

Oh I am so sorry that you lost him

RIP little guy !

You were loved !

 

[Skybunny11]

Thanks guys

 

[the fluffies]

I'm so sorry for ur loss