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Bouts of hardly eating but seems well.. Psychological? Physical? Baffled!!

Bunny Buddy

Wise Old Thumper
Theo. Age unknown as abandoned but deemed to be 'a youngster' by our vet (which I agree with), been here 4 months, neutered about 14 weeks ago.

He's had a few bouts of refusing almost all food, he's had admission for it where they could find nothing wrong with him (dental issues ruled out). He's a very picky eater anyway, he won't eat 'shop bought':roll: Everyone else eats spring greens/kale and Excel. Theo will occasionally eat kale but not consistently, 4/5 times he will refuse it, the fifth he will gobble it down like it's his favourite :? He's just never entertained spring greens or Excel, he will however usually eat Rabbit Royale (which he gets as a very occasional treat), though has been ignoring some for 18 hours. He only rarely eats the treat biscuits that all my other bunnies get very excited about.

So he eats hay like a trouper, is an appropriate weight, daily I pick grass/dandelions/forage for him which he gets very excited about and tucks into very happily, usually eating every scrap. So, in theory he's on a very good diet, it's just the phases of not eating that's baffling me.

He's a very human sociable rabbit (and rabbit sociable when he's been in adjacent runs). He's currently living outdoors on his own (simply because he's recently arrived hasn't been introduced to a companion yet though a companion is being organised). I'm not away from home long ever so he does get a good amount of attention.

So he was a bit quiet yesterday, he comes over when spoken to but would normally be at the bars when I go out. I did a full clean out yesterday evening and there's only a small amount of poo in the time since then. He's not in his 'usual spot' and his chosen spot today is where he is pooing, not in his hay/litter tray which would be his normal habit. The hay doesn't look very picked through as it normally would, though he did go straight to it and eat when I did the clean out last night.

He does have discoloured fur round the edge of his nose (very, very subtle), which he has had before and was like this when admitted at vets, he possibly has discoloured fur on his front paw though on the top of it, not where I would expect from nose wiping.

I'm baffled. Could it be purely psychological? But why in phases? Should I be looking for something physical?

Thanks in anticipation.
 
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When you say 'episodes of not eating' do you mean a protracted period or just that he does not immediately eat something offered

Could he be lonely ? Is having him as a House Rabbit an option ?

What is his water intake like ?
 
The not eating is 24 hours or so of eating very little, not being enthusiastic about anything offered.

Water intake minimal, it would take him a week to drink a standard bowl of water, though he does get a lot of grass etc.

I'm thinking the solution is making him a house rabbit. I really want him indoors as he's just so human friendly, I'd need to re-organise, get some old furniture moved out but it's doable. He's actually the perfect house rabbit. If it were earlier in the year I'd have moved him in already with a view to putting him out when his companion is available/bonding practical but with it being so cold the timing on that is tricky.

My belief is that it is psychological but I don't want to miss anything by coming to the wrong conclusion.

Thank you for your input :D
 
The not eating is 24 hours or so of eating very little, not being enthusiastic about anything offered.

Water intake minimal, it would take him a week to drink a standard bowl of water, though he does get a lot of grass etc.

I'm thinking the solution is making him a house rabbit. I really want him indoors as he's just so human friendly, I'd need to re-organise, get some old furniture moved out but it's doable. He's actually the perfect house rabbit. If it were earlier in the year I'd have moved him in already with a view to putting him out when his companion is available/bonding practical but with it being so cold the timing on that is tricky.

My belief is that it is psychological but I don't want to miss anything by coming to the wrong conclusion.

Thank you for your input :D

If he has a minimal water intake then the transit of food through his digestive tract is likely to have 'sluggish' episodes. What are his poos like ?
Does he ever have sludgy wee ? Urinary Tract issues causing intermittent discomfort is another possibility.
 
If he has a minimal water intake then the transit of food through his digestive tract is likely to have 'sluggish' episodes. What are his poos like ?
Does he ever have sludgy wee ? Urinary Tract issues causing intermittent discomfort is another possibility.

Thanks. Poos are good, well during the good phases they are. Mostly his urine is clear (well, coloured/watery) but sometimes I've seen it looking creamy though not what I'd call thick.

I do have a vet appointment tomorrow and could (probably) tag him along but at the moment I've got nothing new since last time I took him last time. He hasn't stopped eating and isn't exactly behaving ill but has ignored a pile of grass. I can get him to eat bramble leaves.

Thanks again.
 
I can't think of anything, but didn't want to read and run.
I'd probably just get him checked over at some point I think.

Are you at FHBs tomorrow? If so I might see you there - I'm taking Fudge at 12.45.
 
He sounds to me like he knows what his gut wants, diet-wise. eg. doesn't particularly get on with veg, no treats etc, but gets on fine with hay. When I had stasis-prone bunnies they couldn't eat pellets, veg etc. They ended up on a diet of hay and a few dried herbs.
 
He sounds to me like he knows what his gut wants, diet-wise. eg. doesn't particularly get on with veg, no treats etc, but gets on fine with hay. When I had stasis-prone bunnies they couldn't eat pellets, veg etc. They ended up on a diet of hay and a few dried herbs.

Yes, that's pretty much what FHB said, along the lines of "you are worried about what he eats/doesn't eat because????":lol::lol::lol: Pretty funny really when you say you have a rabbit you are worried about because he only eats hay and forage :oops::oops:

It's just the days he behaves like he's been starved and I'm late with his food, then the days he behaves like he couldn't care less. I think I'm just going to accept he's a complex beast :roll:


I can't think of anything, but didn't want to read and run.
I'd probably just get him checked over at some point I think.

Are you at FHBs tomorrow? If so I might see you there - I'm taking Fudge at 12.45.

:wave: 11.15 - so unless she's running very late and you are very early then I'll not see you, but good luck with Fudge.
 
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:wave: 11.15 - so unless she's running very late and you are very early then I'll not see you, but good luck with Fudge.

Fair enough. Thanks. Hope your appointment goes well, and I hope you can get to the bottom of what's going on with Theo.
 
Theo's eating the full range again. Seems in good spirits. I am wondering if that day it was the wind frightening him as he's been okay since the wind dropped.


I can't think of anything, but didn't want to read and run.
I'd probably just get him checked over at some point I think.

Are you at FHBs tomorrow? If so I might see you there - I'm taking Fudge at 12.45.

How did you get on with Fudge?
 
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