• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Rabbit Illness [Please Note!]

LouThom

Young Bun
I am concerned about my Rabbit, he's been acting strange all day, he seems to be off his food, but he is drinking. He seems to be breathing funny & shivering slightly. I intend to take him to the vets tomorrow. Any ideas of what could be wrong?
 
I am concerned about my Rabbit, he's been acting strange all day, he seems to be off his food, but he is drinking. He seems to be breathing funny & shivering slightly. I intend to take him to the vets tomorrow. Any ideas of what could be wrong?


If he is not eating you should really get him to the vets as if his guts stop completely you may lose him. Is there anyway you could get him to the vets tonight?

In the meantime try to keep him warm and tempt him with any food he likes.

Helen x
 
If he's an outdoor bunny, bring him into the warm immediately and ring your vet. If he hasn't eaten then you musn't risk waiting till tomorrow to see a vet. Rather get him in now before evening surgery closes so you don't have to pay for an out of hours consultation. Is he registered with a vet?
 
If he's an outdoor bunny, bring him into the warm immediately and ring your vet. If he hasn't eaten then you musn't risk waiting till tomorrow to see a vet. Rather get him in now before evening surgery closes so you don't have to pay for an out of hours consultation. Is he registered with a vet?

Yes he is with a vet... any idea on what you think could be wrong? He's still drinking & cleaning himself, but he seems quite drowsy!
 
Rabbits need to eat constantly to keep their guts mobile, ie food passing through their digestive system which is why they poop a lot, if they stop then a blockage may develop and he could go into stasis which is painful and can be fatal if left untreated. If you can get him to the vet tonight then do so, call them, tell them he's not eating and that you want him seen urgently.

I don't know what's wrong, some more experienced members could guess but guessing is all they can do, he needs to see a vet.
 
What do you mean by his guts stopping completey?

If a rabbit stops eating its guts slow down and eventually stop unless you can get him eating either on his own or with help from the vet. the vet will probably give him a painkiller and a gut stimulant to get him eating again.

can you get him to a vet tonight as it is very urgent as bunnies go downhill very quickly
 
He's now eating loads pear, cabbage and grain. I told the vet that he's eating now so I m going to keep an eye on him. If he detieriates I will have to take him to out of hours surgery. He seems to have perked up a bit aswell.
 
Last edited:
If he's eating again then you shouldn't need to take him to the vets tonight, but keep an eye on him and don't rule out the possibility of an out of hours appointment. It's probably best to take him in the morning just in case.

Have you tried mixing his rabbit food with a little warm water to make a mash? If he has dental problems then it could be harder foods are painful to eat.
 
If he's eating again then you shouldn't need to take him to the vets tonight, but keep an eye on him and don't rule out the possibility of an out of hours appointment. It's probably best to take him in the morning just in case.

Have you tried mixing his rabbit food with a little warm water to make a mash? If he has dental problems then it could be harder foods are painful to eat.

Yes, We Decided Not To Take Him Afterall. He Has No Dental Problems That I Know Of Atleast. I Really Hope He Doesn't Though, Wouldn't His Mouth Smell If He Did?

X
 
I see from your post that he seems to be having mostly soft or easily eaten foods. What do you mean by "grains"? How does he cope with stalky hay and hard veg such as carrot? You wouldn't know if he is having problems with his teeth as it really does need a vet to look at his back teeth. One of the symptoms of dental problems is an inability to cope with some foodstuffs and a reluctance to eat. If this was my rabbit bunny I'd want my mind put at rest and have him looked at.
 
I'd take him in for a check up and get his teeth looked at, I'm not sure about other surgeries but ours offer free dental checks with the vet nurse and she checks both the back and front teeth.
 
dental check is a good idea, my rabbit had molar spurs but i had no idea till it was picked up when she was in for something else! :shock: hope he's ok
 
My boys get this every now and again, in fact Scampi had it last night and it is a tummy ache. This is caused by one of the following:

- change in diet, rabbits have incredibly delicate tummys, so introd a new veg or food can cause problems
- build of of fur, is your bunny moulting??
- diet related, your rabbit should eat LOTS of hay, a small amount of green food and only occasionally fruit, if at all. If your bunny is not eating enough hay this can affect gut motility
- stress, did your bunny see or hear something that upset them?

When this first happened to me afew years ago I POOPED myself, it was near my bedtime and I called out the emergency vet. Annoyingly Miffy/Snuffy was virtually better by the time they got there as the shock of the journey has go their gut motility back! All the vet tends to do is give them a painkiller injection (metacam) and maybe a motility jab.

After a while, when I became a vaguely experienced bunny mummy I began to see the signs before a tummy ache and I did not panic when I did see them. The signs (in my experience) are:

- smaller, very hard almost grit hard, poos
- anytime they are moulting
- if I am very slowly introducing a new food to them (which I am at mo which would explain why my Scampi Doodle had a tummy ache last night!!)

When they have a tummy ache I keep them inside, and massage their tummys. I do this by putting them on my lap, lifting their back end slightly to let wind out and gently squeeze and massage their belly. It must be nice for them as they never wriggle.
If you can syringe some water into their mouth, so much the better as the more water they drink the less likely it is the blockages will happen.

Always by the morning they are better. And its interesting that when you see their first passing of poos, they are alwatys quite different from their normal poos or their caecotrophs.

I do have to stress though that I do know my boys very well and you must only do what you think is right, if they are still not eating after 12/24 hours then a vet must be called. But please only use this email as general advice, not as law, this is just what happens with mine every time.

I do worry alot when mine get tummy aches, and they always look so uncomfortable. I wish I could do more....

Hope this is a bit useful, but always double check with vet if you are in doubt!:wave:
 
I see from your post that he seems to be having mostly soft or easily eaten foods. What do you mean by "grains"? How does he cope with stalky hay and hard veg such as carrot? You wouldn't know if he is having problems with his teeth as it really does need a vet to look at his back teeth. One of the symptoms of dental problems is an inability to cope with some foodstuffs and a reluctance to eat. If this was my rabbit bunny I'd want my mind put at rest and have him looked at.

He Handles Veg Fine, There's Nothing Wrong With His Back Teeth. I Can Tell =]
 
Back
Top