Just looking for some advice - very poorly rabbit

Hi, ive just joined and am looking for some advice for my latest addition.....

I have lots of pets, 4 dogs 4 cats and now 4 rabbits ( plus a baby of the human kind lol!!)

The latest addition is a lionhead buck i rescued , hes beautiful but in honesty if he survives the week i will be suprised. Basically i dont think hes had a decent meal in a LONG time - and virtually nothing in the last week from the info i have - hes a bag of bones, advice so far is if he eats and drinks he stands a chance.....is there anything else i can do? so far hes eateing and had some water, ive got him on good quality dried food but apparently greens etc give him the runs - this may be from not being fed properly though i honestly dont know but am avoiding at the moment till i can be sure??

Ive cleaned his rear up and clipped off the matted hair ( dont worry im a dog groomer and so am safe with a pair of clippers and have experience with rabbit grooming on a small scale) i will keep checking his rear to keep him clean.....hes had a brush too but in all honesty his coats a mess, its not so bad it needs shaving off but hes so thin you can brush him properly as your hitting bones - though thats the least of my worrys with him right now.

Is there anything else i can do? I dont care i just want to help him.

This a pic of him after a bit of a tidy up! ( ps if he weighs a pound id be suprised )

Poor lad

I would get him to a Vet tomorrow morning to have his teeth checked. It is very likely that he has Dental problems, especially as he has runny eyes too. He may need some antibiotic eye drops if there is an infection present.

Is he pooing OK ?

As long as he is eating a little, drinking and passing some feces and urine he should be OK til tomorrow when a thorough examination by a Vet will give you some more detailed info about what you are dealing with.

Good luck

Ditto what Jane said...get a vet appointment for asap.

You say he is eating, but not much...Is he interested in food but reluctant to eat? Is he dropping food out of his mouth? If so, it points towards dental problems. It's easy enough to check his front teeth by pulling his top lip upwards (the 4 front teeth should all be straight and roughly equal size). The back teeth are impossible to check with a special medical tool, so your vet will need to do that.

Good luck

agree with Jane and Amy and to add..vet should check if he is dehydrated..if he is he made need the vet to give him some fluids to boost him up.
Keep us posted

Aww bless him the poor little fella!

I have heard of some people fattening their under weight bunnies up, but can not think what they use now?! :? Is it porridge? or oats?- PLEASE DO NOT FEED AS I DO NOT KNOW!

But as has been advised I would get him to the vets ASAP, he will need a good examine to check for any possible illness or dental problems.
In the mean time, just make sure he is eating, hay is the best thing for him if he will eat it but if not just feed him what he will eat as he needs to keep eating to keep his tummy going.

Oh poor thing can only agree with everyone else, he needs a vet trip who can then advise you on the best diet to continue with. Hope he makes it.

Aww, what a little cutie! Hope the vet trip goes well and he just needs fattening up xx

I agree with the others. Also, will he eat hay? It'll be the best thing for his stomach, but also if he doesn't eat it it's another indication of teeth problems.

Poor little one. I hope the vet can sort him out. Well done for rescuing him and giving him a chance. He looks a beautiful rabbit.

Hiya hes had a check already hence the advice ive already got given - and they say same as you have feed and water - he has lots of hay which he is eating - first thing i did was check his teeth they are a TINY bit long but not enough to risk doing anything with him as hes so poorly and its not stopping him eating - oh and his eyes are fine not running at all infact his eyes are probably the healthiest bit about him!

but he does seem a bit brighter this morning, and is pooing and weeing fine hes a smart boy hes using the litter box already - unlike my rex baby girls who two weeks on still dont get it lol!!

thanks all i will keep you updated doesnt sound like there is much more i can do.

just praying hes ok hes a dear little soul!

Good news that he's eating and is brighter today

The reason he feels thin might be just because pedigree lionheads are usually very small rabbits under all the fur. He will feel thinner than your Rexes because rexes are naturally bigger and chunkier rabbits.

i hope the little fellow keeps fighting and puts on weight. sending vibes for him...

Oh its not that hes just smaller build hes half starved, i can quite literally count each rib and bone in his body

but hes still with us and doing ok so fingers crossed!!

do you have any more photos? I think he is sooo cute!!!:wave:

and thank god you found him!

suz_and_gordon said:

Hiya hes had a check already hence the advice ive already got given - and they say same as you have feed and water - he has lots of hay which he is eating - first thing i did was check his teeth they are a TINY bit long but not enough to risk doing anything with him as hes so poorly and its not stopping him eating - oh and his eyes are fine not running at all infact his eyes are probably the healthiest bit about him!

but he does seem a bit brighter this morning, and is pooing and weeing fine hes a smart boy hes using the litter box already - unlike my rex baby girls who two weeks on still dont get it lol!!

thanks all i will keep you updated doesnt sound like there is much more i can do.

just praying hes ok hes a dear little soul!

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When you say you checked his teeth, do you mean you got the vet to check his teeth or you checked his teeth? The reason I ask is because there is no way to be able to check his back teeth properly without the use of a tool which the vets have, unless you have one?

his teeth are def fine and hes eating really well.

He looks so much brighter today and is actually hopping about where as before he was just laying there!!

I have now taken on one of the rescued cats too - well i will once hes had his neutering on friday along with my two rescued female kittens!!

Just to let you know Gordon is doing amazingly well! Its only today ow hes much brighter and more active that i realise quite how sick and starved he was. My friend ( who helped rescue him ) saw him yesterday and she hasnt seen him since we picked him up and even she was amazed by the change, you can tell hes put a little weight on too! So pleased as really think he will be ok! x

Did you have a check for molar spurs? It sounds and looks as though he may have those if he is not eating, which can also cause running eyes. Has the vet offered any tiacil if his eyes have any infection there?

We have a rabbit who's weight loss problems are unexplained. Cultures can be sent off to establish certain conditions and then the vet may be able to diagnose.

Our vet also did a liver test for one of our underweight rabbits. This came back clear, but there is some mention of weight loss being connected to EC. Has this bunny been treated with panacur?

Just a few thoughts for you.

Disclaimerlease note Greenleaf Animal Rescue takes no responsibility for any of the above- it is not meant as a diagnosis.

Hi please dont take this the wrong way but i have said a few times he doesnt have a problem eating- nor have i said he has runny eyes - like i said before his eyes were absolutely fine no running AT ALL!!

Hes eating great and his weight issue is down to not being fed properly before i got him.

hes doing tons better now hes getting decent food on a regular basis.