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Do rabbits sulk? Fairly urgent - bunny refusing food

Boots

Mama Doe
One of my trio was completely fine this morning; up, active and eating.

This afternoon/evening however she has become quite quiet and withdrawn into herself and has refused her greens and pellets. This is highly unusual for any of them as they all LOVE food.

My mum is going out to check on her now and try to tempt her with all sorts of treats etc.

Chinook has done this before and been fine by the next morning - it seems as if she goes into a sulk but then is fine after a couple of hours. We've even taken her to the vets before and she's perked up as soon as she's there and is fine.

We are going to try and make an appointment at the vets now if she doesn't eat. Can anyone advise if this could be the beginning of stasis or if she's just having an off day like she has had before?

As always, any advice you can give is appreciated :wave:
 
Is bunny pooping? Or are they abnormally small and dark? If so it could be the start of statis which can be fatal (I lost a bunny to it despite vet treatment) so I, personally, wouldn't risk it. You know your buns best though and you know when something isn't right, go with your instinct.
 
A bunny sulk?? I dont think so....

could be gas or something.Give your vet a ring.xx
 
Is bunny pooping? Or are they abnormally small and dark? If so it could be the start of statis which can be fatal (I lost a bunny to it despite vet treatment) so I, personally, wouldn't risk it. You know your buns best though and you know when something isn't right, go with your instinct.

It's hard to tell as she's in a group of three in a shed, so they all get mixed together :?

I'm also going on what my mum says, because I'm away from home at the moment :( I've also lost a bun to stasis before, which is why I'm so terrified :cry:

We'll phone the vets now and see if we can get in, thank you x
 
It's hard to tell as she's in a group of three in a shed, so they all get mixed together :?

I'm also going on what my mum says, because I'm away from home at the moment :( I've also lost a bun to stasis before, which is why I'm so terrified :cry:

We'll phone the vets now and see if we can get in, thank you x

I hope she's okay. If you can get in at the vets it won't do any harm x
 
Agree with above, if bunnies aren't eating, there's something wrong.
I would phone the vet with it being a Saturday.
When mine do this, they get tummy rubs and boiled cooled water syringed into them and made to run around.
I try to tempt them with dandelion leaves or fresh herbs, even fenugreeks.
If they're still looking uncomfortable, I phone the vet.
Hope she gets better.
 
Well, my rabbit often refuses to eat when we go on holidays and leave him with a breeder to look after him. Once he didnt eat for 6 days, so had to be taken to the vets to be put on a drip. Has anything in his surroundings changed? Any new pets? Is he kept inside or outsdide? have you changed his bedding, food or got him any new toys? Once you answer those i may be able to help. Rabbits can sulk, mine does if ive been away from him for a while, as he is used to my smell from his food and used to his own surroundings. Try offering him a strawberry, my rabbit adores strawberries! Good luck! :) x
 
Yes rabbits sulk, but I would expect a sulking rabbit to still eat. I would suggest a rabbit refusing to eat is either very stressed or unwell and would get it seen by a vet as soon as you can. I wouldn't leave it until Monday but would see an out of hours vet. Hope your bun is ok.
 
also, is your rabbit constipated? or does he have diarrhoea? If he is constipated, feed her on a diet of only fruit and veg (fresh) and water for 24hours. if she has diarrhoea feed her on a diet of only hay and water for 24hours. :)
 
just read your other posts, does your mum usually feed your rabbits? Your rabbit may be missing you, as i said in previous post.x
 
Sorry Saffron24, but I'm not sure that's the best advice to give.
Bunny's not eating, and we don't know the cause - it could be molar spurs, GI Stasis or a blockage, and until a vet's been seen it's difficult to say how to treat.
If there is any change in the bunny's eating habits, there is a problem which needs to be found. They should always have access to hay and water, and fruit and veg should always be given sparingly, as any change in diet can onset in problems.
 
Yes, sorry, just read back my question and phrased it wrongly, thank you for pointing that out. What i meant is, only do what i said if your for CERTAIN that that is all that is wrong with your rabbit (constipation/diarrhoea) (told things in previous post by a vet) but you should definitely take it to a vet first to make sure nothing is seriously wrong. Thank you HS x
 
Thank you everyone for your advice x

I've phoned the vets who are now out of hours, which is fine and they're happy for us to bring her over tonight.

She's now inside in the back room (where it's quite cold) and she explored a bit, but has now settled on my mum's lap. Not sure if that's good or bad? She's a very friendly cuddly bun, but I'm still surprised she's on her lap.

Apparently she keeps re-adjusting herself though, so it sounds like she's uncomfortable. We are going to try and tempt her some more, see if she poops at all and then drive her over in 30 minutes.

I don't think she misses me per se? When I'm there they absolutely recognise me and make a fuss of me being there :love: but they've always been fine when I go.

I'm so worried, she's the sweetest most wonderful bun and she LOVES life.
 
In my experience, getting treatment quickly helps hugely in the recovery. I'm sure she'll be absolutely fine.
Great that she's been exploring and hope she feels better soon.
 
Sending vibes, and hope she is feeling more comfortable soon after the vet trip - sometimes it takes a few hours for the meds to kicki in. xxx
 
She's been exploring, chilling out, exploring some more and generally pottering around.

She hasn't done any poops and is still refusing food (including fenugreek crunchies!!) BUT has been drinking some water and cleaning herself.

My mum will be taking her over to the vets now, just got to get her in her carrier etc. *worrying* :(

Thank you for the vibes!

PS. She's had a wee, but still no poops. The vet we are taking her to treated her last time, so that is really comforting; he even remembers her!
 
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It sounds like she's going to be absolutely fine. Glad she's going to the vets and good luck getting her into the carrier.
 
Sometimes they will refuse food if they have been scared recently or they are on edge because there is an unusual smell / noise around. Something as simple as a hand cream on the hand that is feeding them can put them off
 
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