Worried - bun lost weight

[Minilopbun]

hi everyone. I used to post a lot on here! I’m a little concerned about my rabbit Baci. He is a 4 year old male mini lop. He’s super sweet and easy going. Today, for the first time ever, he’s been so cuddley and finally let us pick him up and he even took a nap in my arms with his head on my chest. It was sweet, but I can’t help but be a little concerned. He feels so thin. When you look at him, he doesn’t LOOK that thin, I looked online and he definitely doesn’t look what’s described to be TOO thin. But he feels thin. I feel his spine and it’s not smooth. It’s boney. He’s eating and pooping fine. I’m not sure what to do. Could it be because I’ve been limiting his pellet intake? I thought the older they get, the less pellets they need but he’s lost weight. I’ve given him pellets 2 times today. Is there any other reason besides an illness that he could have gotten so thin?

 

[Minilopbun]

Anyone have any advice/insight?

 

[JBun]

Age doesn't usually have anything to do with the recommended pellet amount, unless it's very young rabbits or a geriatric bun that is losing weight and needs the extra energy from increased pellets. But your bun isn't that old, and if a rabbit is eating plenty of hay then pellet amounts shouldn't matter that much unless it's a bun with a high metabolism, then they may need a higher calorie diet. If your hay is different than it's been in the past, that might influence weight loss. Hay that is not leafy enough and is very coarse could cause a loss of weight. If your hay is as it normally is, then have you noticed if your bun is eating less hay than usual?

When you've ruled out it being dietary then you have to consider the possible health issues that can cause sudden weight loss? Have you noticed any difficulty chewing or odd chewing behavior, drooling, cecotropes being left uneaten, increased urination/thirst, increased respiratory rate and effort, protruding third eyelids, unusual tiredness/lethargy, any other odd symptoms? Unusual changes of behavior like being more affectionate and snuggly can sometimes signify an underlying health issue, but it's also possible it doesn't mean anything more than he's getting older and more affectionate.

 

[Minilopbun]

Thank you for your reply. Nothing is unusual, except today he is very calm/lethargic. He’s been eating his hay normally and his pellets. No unusual chewing or drooling nothing like that. His poops are normal in size and shape, no uneaten cecoscopes, nothing like that.

I have recently changed his hay actually and his pellets. Within the past month and a half. I’m worried because he does seem tired. But when he runs/jumps/ tries to leave my arms he has strength. He has a dewlap and the more I think about it the more nervous I am it is cancer

 

[JBun]

There are other possibilities other than cancer, though some of them are still as serious a health issue. The least serious with the highest likelihood of having a chance to correct it would be parasite problems, or a dental problem affecting his eating, though with dental problems you will usually see a reduction of eating and other signs such as trouble chewing.
https://www.rabbitnetwork.org/educa...abbit-health-articles/weight-loss-in-rabbits/

I think increasing pellet amounts could be helpful, as long as it doesn't cause any serious digestive issues and you don't suspect a possible problem with the pellets(low quality pellets are more likely to be a cause contributing to serious health issues over high quality pellets). But if you suspect it's not a dietary issue but rather a health problem, only thing to do would be to take him to an experienced rabbit vet for an evaluation. You want a thorough dental exam, but you may also need to have a blood test and/or xrays done.

 

[Minilopbun]

Okay, he seems perkier right now and drinking lots of water and just finished some more pellets. He peed/pooped again just now and things still look normal. He’s also grooming like normal.

I’m going to try to switch his hay or maybe add some alfalfa to his Timothy hay and also increase his pellets and see if I see any improvement in the next few days. He had stasis almost 2 years ago and was at the vet for 3 days and he isn’t acting anything like that, which is reassuring for me. He’s quite normal except the cuddles and calmness/tiredness. Hopefully this is just him becoming more affectionate and trusting! Thank you so much for your replies. I will get him to my vet if any red flags come up.

 

[Minilopbun]

So update ... baci somehow physically feels better today. He ate a lot all day yesterday and he feels less boney. Not fatter but his bones feel less sharp/harsh? Idk if that’s possible but that’s how it feels.

Also, he’s a little more fiesty but still soooo cuddley. He’s laying in bed with me now and as I stopped petting him to type this he popped his head up to demand more head pets lol