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new rabbits not eating nor pooping

E

erictheviking

New Kit
help =(

i just got a pair of rabbits yesterday from the pet stop. according to the owner, theyre about a months old but i believe they're younger.

i brought them back, laid out the pellets for them and they don't seem to be eating. they don't seem to be drinking much from the bowl either. this is evident as its been over 24 hours and there is no sign of poop or pee anywhere.

i made another trip to the pet store today and the owner told me they mixed a higher quality pellet with the ones i got. so i bought that too as well as some alfafa hay. its been 3 hours since and they barely nibbled the hay and refuse to touch the new pellets.

other than that, they seem to be actin normal, though they tend to sleep and cuddle with each other a lot.

what should i do? :( i dont wanna see a vet, its gonna be pretty costly if i do :S

http://www.photoalbum-2day.com/image.php?i=34139-jpg

139-t.jpg
 
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If thery are only a month old then I am afraid they are way too young to have been separated from their mother :(

Even older rabbits take a little while to settle into their new surroundings and they may have been stressed from their journey and/or being separated from their mother.

Hopefully someone with more experience will come and post some advice for you quickly.

Yes vets are costly, but when taking on an animal you must be prepared for vet expenses at any time, especially with rabbits as they can go downhill so very quickly and without immediate treatment they can die. If you can't afford to do this when it's needed then I would suggest you think again about whether rabbits are the right pets for you to be honest.

Hoping things improve with the bunnies :)
 
They're very likely in stasis since it's been so long since they last ate. And being so young they will go downhill much quicker than adult would so they really need to see a vet now or they will very likely die. Not eating is very serious with rabbits. :(
 
They do look very small to be away from their mother. I really think they need to see a Vet as soon as possible, he/she will be able to asses them thoughly and advise you the best action to take. I afraid if you don't they will most likely die very soon, bunnies especially babies have very fragile tummys :(
 
Yes they urgently need to go to a vet, maybe you could speak to the petshop about assisting you with vet bills? They should not be sold until 8 weeks old as a minimum. Hope the pretty babies do ok :love:
 
They are too young to be away fro their Mother :cry:

You need to get Veterinary attention for them today as without it they are likely to die. Sorry to be blunt, but there is no point in pretending otherwise.

Your best course of action to try to save them is to contact a Vet straight away.

The Petshop needs reporting too as selling underage Baby Rabbits is probably in breach of their 'Sale of Livestock License'.

Your local Council Environmental Health are the people to contact to report the Petshop.
 
thnx loads everyone. i appreciate all the advice given.

where i stay, it's even cheaper to get another pair of rabbits than send them to the vet :S

not that i don't care about my rabbits. i really do. in a last ditch attempt to avoid the vet, i let them try some leaves and grass i plucked from outside my house - nothing poisonous/harmful. and wow, they really are eating it. *phew* *big sigh of relief*... so much for the expensive hay, pallets..

once again, thx everyone. i look forward to be a part of this community.:)
 
erictheviking said:
thnx loads everyone. i appreciate all the advice given.

where i stay, it's even cheaper to get another pair of rabbits than send them to the vet :S

not that i don't care about my rabbits. i really do. in a last ditch attempt to avoid the vet, i let them try some leaves and grass i plucked from outside my house - nothing poisonous/harmful. and wow, they really are eating it. *phew* *big sigh of relief*... so much for the expensive hay, pallets..

once again, thx everyone. i look forward to be a part of this community.:)
Click to expand...


They are too young to be fed grass !! Doing so could easily give them Bloat.

Are you in the UK ?
 
giving them food they are not used to could make them alot worse. :(

they are your responsibility and need to see a vet asap. you shouldn't have pets if you cannot afford to pay for treatment if they fall ill. and they are individuals, they shouldn't have to be left ill and/or to die just because it would be cheaper to 'replace' them! :shock:

please take them to the vets. :cry:
 
Hi Eric,
Welcome to the forum. What country are you based in?
I'm afraid you shouldn't have been sold these baby rabbits. They shouldn't be seperated from their mother until they are 8 weeks old and from that photo they look considerably younger than that. I'm afraid they will probably die unless you get some advice from your vet. You may even be told you need to bottle feed them.

I appreciate it is expensive, but that is the responsibility you take on when you have an animal. For you it is a few pounds, or whatever your currency is, but for them it is their precious life. Please take them to a vet today.
 
They definitely shouldn't have sold you these rabbits so young :( Where are you? It would be worth reporting them to the RSPCA if you're in england.

Not eating is very dangerous to rabbits, much more so than for other species eg cats or dogs. Once their digestive system slows down it can be very hard to get it moving again, so they die very quickly.

I know it's difficult to find money for vets fees, but trust me, the guilt you'd if they die will be so much worse than whatever it would have cost.
 
Hi,

Please, please take the buns to a vet. Im sure if money is an issue you could ask if you could pay as soon as you can afford it.

I bought a bunny from a local Pet Shop, it was 5 wks old and obviously not well. Swollen tummy, tooth chattering, wouldnt eat and wouldnt move.

Less that 24 hours later I was at the vet and the poor thing was in statis. Vet wanted to put him to sleep it was so bad, but I begged him to try something first. To give my bun a chance. So for 3 weeks I drip fed him water every 1/2 hr, gave him meds the vet prescibed, gentle tummy massage and special paste. The statis had been caused by poor care before I got him and being away from his mum so young. He eventually got better, but relapsed a couple of times and the last time it happened was too much for the little boy.

We had him for 16 weeks, but gave him the best possible life in that short time.

Please dont let the bunnies suffer. They must see a vet.

Rach
 
Poor little bunnies, its very sad to be away from their mother so young - and now suddenly in a new environment where everything is unfamiliar and with strange smells and noises.

Try to see it from your bunnies point of view - and consider how they might be feeling and their potential to suffer.

They are prey animals - so aside from not eating there is usually very little obvious sign of them being ill.

These little ones are your responsibility. I cannot echo enough what everyon else has already said - there is excellent advice here, please take it.
 
wow i'm amazed to see so many bunny lovers here. i myself am starting to grow fond of my two baby buns.

i bring you all good news. a friend of mine suggested i smash the pellets into smaller tiny pieces so i took the liberty of doing that before bedtime. the next morning i realised the food was gone and when i came back in the evening, there was real poop + pee all over the place. what a huge relief! maybe they just needed time to adjust to the new surroundings? ever since, they've been eating (more than) regularly and chewing a good portion of the hay.
no more grass/leaves for them as some of you guys have advised - though they did have a nibble when i took them to the playground.
i treated them to fine slices of grapes and they absolutely love it!

thx for the much needed advice everyone.. i hope this means no trip to the vet, right?

Mandy said:
Hi Eric,
Welcome to the forum. What country are you based in?
I'm afraid you shouldn't have been sold these baby rabbits. They shouldn't be seperated from their mother until they are 8 weeks old and from that photo they look considerably younger than that. I'm afraid they will probably die unless you get some advice from your vet. You may even be told you need to bottle feed them.

I appreciate it is expensive, but that is the responsibility you take on when you have an animal. For you it is a few pounds, or whatever your currency is, but for them it is their precious life. Please take them to a vet today.
Click to expand...

Hi Mandy. I'm from Malaysia. I'd barely a clue about raising rabbits when i first bought them. but i guess if i didn't purchase them, they'd be living a miserable life right now in the cage at the pet shop don't you think?
 
Glad to hear there has been some improvement :D

Keep their diet simple with pellets and lots of hay until they are at least 12 weeks old and hopefully they will continue to improve.

There are lots of people on this site with lots of experience and good advice. It has helped me loads to read about how I should be looking after my rabbits. Keep logging in and reading and you will quickly pick up the best way to be looking after your 2 lovely baby bunnies.

Good luck :D
 
erictheviking said:
wow i'm amazed to see so many bunny lovers here. i myself am starting to grow fond of my two baby buns.

i bring you all good news. a friend of mine suggested i smash the pellets into smaller tiny pieces so i took the liberty of doing that before bedtime. the next morning i realised the food was gone and when i came back in the evening, there was real poop + pee all over the place. what a huge relief! maybe they just needed time to adjust to the new surroundings? ever since, they've been eating (more than) regularly and chewing a good portion of the hay.
no more grass/leaves for them as some of you guys have advised - though they did have a nibble when i took them to the playground.i treated them to fine slices of grapes and they absolutely love it!

thx for the much needed advice everyone.. i hope this means no trip to the vet, right?



Hi Mandy. I'm from Malaysia. I'd barely a clue about raising rabbits when i first bought them. but i guess if i didn't purchase them, they'd be living a miserable life right now in the cage at the pet shop don't you think?
Click to expand...


Hi :wave: Can I just ask what you meant when you say took them to the playground? Did you take them out on a lead or something like that? :shock:
 
Rabbits are prey animals and get scared easily, please don;t take them out to a playground. Especially so young.
 
Glad to hear they're better now!

NLENG2000 said:
Hi :wave: Can I just ask what you meant when you say took them to the playground? Did you take them out on a lead or something like that? :shock:
Click to expand...

Yeah, thats what I was thinking... I think the main concern with taking them to a park/playground is that it would stress them, which may be why they weren't eating when you got them. Right now they need to settle into their new home and get used to things, and then maybe you could take them out in the backyard for some fresh air and outside playtime. I don't know what kinds of predators there are in Malaysia, besides cats and dogs, but you need to be careful about predators while they're outside.
 
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