Has Maa gone Senile? *UPDATE page 6* She's been PTS

Do bunnies go senile? Maa's at least 4 but I have no idea how old really. She's pooping, and will dive onto grass/dandelions/veggies and scoff the lot, and will eat warm (must be warm :roll porridge made from pellets and porridge oat soaked with a splash of fruit juice or mashed banana (yes this is a good hotel ) but she now refuses to drink anything, not even hot peach squash - and will only eat food under her nose. She's definitely slowed down from the galloping horse she used to be, but her bum is clean and she's grooming herself - she seems like the old Maa from time to time, like she has lucid moments.

But it's her behaviour regards her hutch that's changed so much. I've never had a problem getting her in her hutch - just chuck some food in and in she scoots. But now, even if I throw in her favourites, she is reluctant to go in - she'll streeeeetch her head in and try and grab the food without going in (as she knows I'll shut the door I guess) - and when she does go in she flies straight up the stairs to the top floor, and just sits by the stairwell till she's let out again - won't come down, won't eat ANY hay, even from the box upstairs (has never been a big hay eater but she's completely stopped now - thankfully the grass is growing again!) and of course she still refuses to toilet in the hutch, so she's giving herself stomach ache overnight I'm sure

Her poops are now tiny due to her stubborness, and her wees are getting chalky because she won't drink at all. I know dandelions and greens are high in calcium but that's what she's living on, and what she gets her water from, along with grass and a tiny bit of porridge (probably a couple of desertspoons a day) I'm not giving her carrots any more as her tum's not right.

She spent the first 2yrs (not sure how old she is - could be older) of her life living free in someone's garden - and it's like she's determined to do that again now, only she can't obviously I'm sure she'd be fine if she had the run of the garden 24/7, but I doubt she'd last long and no way would I be able to catch her up again (plus my neighbour would kill her if she dug into his garden - he's got a fantastically beautiful garden he toils on for hours) :roll:

At the moment I let her out for an hour before the other bunnies come out in the morning, then after they've finished I leave her out several hours till tea time, when I shut her up again for several hours while the others all have a few hours on the patio in turn, then she has half an hour before bed.

If she's refusing to eat anything except mushy stuff then could it be her teeth? Or perhaps it is a bladder infection ad Tamsin suggested if she is now refusing a lot more. I would take her to the vets as there is obviously something wrong with her and we all know that when bunnies stop eating properly they will decline rapidly.

Hope she feels better soon

yeah I wondered about her teeth with her never eating much hay, but she's eating veg fine? It's so hard for me to get to the vets I just tend to try everything else first :roll: I really hate asking my ex to take us when he's finished work, but that's the only way - I feel very uncomfortable with him - he drives like a lunatic (used to do it to frighten me when we were married) and last time I got him to drive us the guinea pig died of fright while me and my son yelled at him to slow down Taxi drivers terrify me - lecherous men! And only 3 buses a day, with son in tow who has a dog-phobia and will run out of the vets into the road if there's one in the waiting room - it's a 2 hour round trip on the bus :?

Poor Maa, it sounds like she's distressed and or confused. Is it possible she may be loosing her sight?

I wouldn't know anything about bunny senility, but I know that this...

elve said:

She spent the first 2yrs (not sure how old she is - could be older) of her life living free in someone's garden - and it's like she's determined to do that again now, only she can't obviously

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is something that us Sapiens do when we go senile

Hugs to you and Maa xx

elve said:

yeah I wondered about her teeth with her never eating much hay, but she's eating veg fine? It's so hard for me to get to the vets I just tend to try everything else first :roll: I really hate asking my ex to take us when he's finished work, but that's the only way - I feel very uncomfortable with him - he drives like a lunatic (used to do it to frighten me when we were married) and last time I got him to drive us the guinea pig died of fright while me and my son yelled at him to slow down Taxi drivers terrify me - lecherous men! And only 3 buses a day, with son in tow who has a dog-phobia and will run out of the vets into the road if there's one in the waiting room - it's a 2 hour round trip on the bus :?

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oh dear, not so easy then. Its a shame there's no NHS direct for animals.

Could you perhaps call a taxi and ask for a lady driver?

She might eat veg even if it hurts because its nice. Mo's eating has slowed down again so I reckon he needs another dental.

JayUK said:

Poor Maa, it sounds like she's distressed and or confused. Is it possible she may be loosing her sight?

I wouldn't know anything about bunny senility, but I know that this...
is something that us Sapiens do when we go senile

Hugs to you and Maa xx

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thanks Jay - I didn't know that about senility - I'm going to try her on the garden after the girls have finished having their run - will have to use a wash basket to catch her again but I want to see how she behaves

IsabelM said:

oh dear, not so easy then. Its a shame there's no NHS direct for animals.

Could you perhaps call a taxi and ask for a lady driver?

She might eat veg even if it hurts because its nice. Mo's eating has slowed down again so I reckon he needs another dental.

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ah I see what you mean - it would figure as she's never been a hay eater :roll:

She's so odd :shock: I just locked up the girls and opened Maa's hutch again - she's asleep at the top of the stairs as usual these days - I shake the ladder and say come on! She kind of wakes up, gives herself a shake and thinks 'oooh grass' and starts tucking into the pile of grass that I left next to her over an hour ago :shock: So she's not desperate to get out, and her mouth seems OK?......It's refusing to drink that's bothering me most - she's always been a keen drinker - over half a bowl a day, compared to Benny who barely has a drop (and although it hasn't hurt him - it's just odd for her :?)

Hi Elve,

I am sorry to hear Maa is acting out of character. She sounds a very stubborn, determined lady

Do you have Pets to Vets type service in your neck of the woods. I know there are a couple of people around here who take animals (but not sure about owners) to vets where there is no transport?

Hope all goes well in the garden,
Vanessa xx

Perhaps it is uncomfortable for her to wee. Would it noto be worth getting a prescription for Baytril in case she has a urine infection?

I think any change in behaviour can indicate a health issue and she probably needs to see a vet..

Your ex sounds like a nitemare driver :shock: but, that said, I think you do need to take Maa to a vet, somehow. It may be traumatic for you all, but she clearly isn't right, and the worry won't be doing you any favours either

You might have a ladies only taxi service near you - there are a few around. Otherwise pets2vets or a similar animal taxi service might help. Try asking your vet for the last appointment of the day (or before lunch) that way there will be less animals around to worry your son. You could also ask them if they have a dog free spot.

Tamsin

yeah I think she'll have to go see a vet as she's just not 'right' - I've spent hours weeding and fencing off the garden in the rain, picking her grass etc (and Benny too, as he looks all hurt and disappointed at me if she gets grass and he doesn't :roll - she ran onto the garden looking thrilled, then came back to see me and I grabbed her as I'd noticed a tiny poo stuck on her leg - I never normally handle her so she fought like mad but I had a look down there and removed offending poop (all looked OK) - Now she won't leave her hutch at all incase I pick her up I've taken the ladder out and removed all the shelter from the run area, so she's being forced to sit in there now she can't hide at the top of the stairs - poor thing's looking so stressed now - she thought she could trust me not to manhandle her She's eaten more than me today as I've been handfeeding her - I'm starving!!!! :shock: Shall leave her in peace for a couple of hours now - it's siesta time for bunnies and she's had quite a lot to eat, unlike me and child - hopefully she'll go on the garden later when it stops raining

Would definately take her to the vets :? X

Elve, from the sounds of it, shes not well and does need to see a vet ASAP x

Sending healing vibes to Maa and hugs to you Elve. Perhaps a trip to the vets might sort her out

well it's gone from bad to worse now :roll: she either kicked too hard when I manhandled her, or landed awkwardly on a house brick when she jumped out of her litter box - is now lame in her right back leg and won't budge out of her hutch poor love Stupid f-ing brick :evil: I tried getting it out last week but it was too deep inside for me to reach - I had to dismantle the hutch and crawl into the run part to get it after she hurt herself - bit late now though

Aww Elve poor Maa is putting you through it right now. Hope she gets better soon

Awww sending lots of soothing vibes for you and Maa.