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Is my pet bunny stressed? Please Help!

A

AbhiKap

New Kit
Hello,

I have a bunny that is about 1 year old. About 3 or 4 days ago, we took him to a professional place to give a bath. After that he has been sitting mostly in front of the heater (It is winters here and very cold) He is eating but not as much as before and sometimes even rejects his favorite treats. One thing I noticed is that he is drinking a lot of water, something which he hardly did before, since he had a lot of vegetables. Is he stressed? Thanks. Help is appreciated.
 
Hi there,

Usually bunnies don't need bathing, as they are very clean animals. However, some do need cleaning up if they have specific health issues or are unable to clean themselves properly due to poor movement etc. They do need to be completely dried after being washed, especially if it is cold.

If your Bunny's eating habits have changed, for example you say he is eating less, and refusing some foods, it is possible he has some pain or gas or a blockage, or is going into gut stasis, which can be brought on by stress. You need to take him to a vet ASAP if he is not eating, as rabbits go downhill VERY quickly if they stop eating, and the sooner a vet sees him to diagnose the problem the better.
 
What exactly and what amounts did he eat on the day you took him to have a bath? Was there any time where he did not have access to food or did not eat for some time? Was he eating fine before? Why did he need a bath? Has bunny seen a vet recently, or had any illnesses? Is he eating his hay and pellets fine at the moment? What are his poos like?

Could be a few things, yes the bath would have been stressful, especially when combined with the journey and the strange place and smell of other animals, but the stress should have ceased since he has been home for a few days. I would suspect something brought on by the stress that day that is having a more lasting effect, like a gut slowdown maybe.
 
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