Rabbit not eating - vet not sure what's wrong

Hello all,

We have a poorly bunny who isn't eating, pooing and is just sat in the corner of his hutch (he's a house bunny). so we took him to the vet and they couldn't find anything wrong with him.... They gave him a pain killer and a anti inflammatory, they also gave us some baytril to give him later on.

We have some recovery which we are feeding 10mil every hour (although he's not keen!) but just noticed when stroking that he grunts when stroking one side of his tummy\leg. I think it's more his leg than tummy but not 100%.

We are going to give the vet another ring when they open again tonight but thought we would ask for any advise on here also....

Cheers

Neil

I'd recommend keeping his stress levels down by keeping him quiet & warm. A heat pad is great for buns to snuggle up to if you have one or can get one. Offer him fresh water in a bowl rather than a bottle which is easier for him to drink from. Keeping him hydrated is very important. Put some pro bioic in it like bio-lapis (ask the vet for some) or some fibreplex whih comes in a syringe to be given orally which is also good for helping gut function. Open his huntch so he can run around if he feels up to it as this will help get things moving through his system. Offer him his favourite foods to tempt him to eat - fresh herbs like mint & flat leaf parsley are good, or grate up some carrot & mash/fluff up his pellets with some cooled boiled water to try him on incase he has a dental issue. If he's experiencing signs of GI stasis (ie. not eating or pooping) try him on some Infacol or gripe water to help dispell any gas built up which could be causing him pain. Ask the vet for pain relief as the main reason buns stop eating is through pain often caused by an underlying issue. Also ask the vet about zantac & metaclopromide which will help get his gut moving & encourage his appetite.

These are some of the things I do when my buns are not eating or pooping. I'm sure other people will have more comprehensive advice.
Good luck & lots of healing vibes for your little one.

How's bunny doing now? :wave:

rhodes73 said:

Hello all,

We have a poorly bunny who isn't eating, pooing and is just sat in the corner of his hutch (he's a house bunny). so we took him to the vet and they couldn't find anything wrong with him.... They gave him a pain killer and a anti inflammatory, they also gave us some baytril to give him later on.

We have some recovery which we are feeding 10mil every hour (although he's not keen!) but just noticed when stroking that he grunts when stroking one side of his tummy\leg. I think it's more his leg than tummy but not 100%.

We are going to give the vet another ring when they open again tonight but thought we would ask for any advise on here also....

Cheers Neil

Click to expand...

Hi Neil I hope he hasn't hurt his leg or something, especially if he is grunting after the painkiller - syringe feeding every hour sounds a bit drastic, thats not giving him long to rest and eat for himself, is he drinking at all and how long since he's been like this, are you able to say?

Rabbits stop eating for lots of reasons. It's good you've already had bunny to the vet but he probably needs a bit more.

Try feeding more food but less often, when I syringe feed mine it's an ordeal in itself so the less frequently the better.

Bunnies get dehydrated if they're not eating or drinking, the vet can administer fluids to the bunny.

Did the vet mention if there was any activity at all in the bunnies tummy? More medications (like Zantac and metaclopramide as mentioned before) might be needed.

I would also ask the vet to examine your rabbits leg properly too, remember rabbits are good at hiding pain so it may not be very obvious.

Hope you get everything sorted, keep us posted. There are plenty of people on here know what's involved with bunnies not eating, and how much work is needed to get them going again.

try offering him some wet(washed) leaves like dandelion leaves or apple leaves if you have any or washed grass as the moisture will improve his hydration.

I hope he perks up soon.
sue:wave:

Well little bolo perked up last night after giving him some recovery, he has now started eating and pooing and seems back to his normal self..... That was a scary ordeal!

Anyway we are going to take him to the vet this morning just to get the all clear, I'll ask about the bits mentioned just as a back up for any future issues (hopefully not)

The only weird thing now is when bolo was back to his normal self, the other rabbit (female) started 'going' for him and it ended in a tussle!? Not sure what bought it on though? Bolo just not wanting to be bothered or her jealous?

I'm sorry to come on here and ask for help with my first post but I'm sure you all understand. Thanks for everyone who replied or just read my post.

Many thanks

Neil

I think a lot of people find this forum when looking for help, there's nothing wrong with that. Welcome to RU :wave:

I've not had many problems with my bunnies but I couldn't have got through them without RU. I've got a really fab bunny vet which also helps. Is your vet rabbit savvy? It may be worth looking for another local vet who is good with rabbits if yours isn't too familiar with them, a rabbit savvy vet makes a huge difference.

The little missy rabbit might just be feeling a bit dominant if Bolo has been under the weather, keep an eye on them but I'm sure it'll settle down. Did you separate them when Bolo was poorly? Bonds between rabbits can be a bit fragile sometimes so you just need to make sure they're ok together.

Glad to hear he's eating and pooing again. Everyone on here is pretty much obsessed with all important rabbit poos :lol: