Woody rabbit not eating or pooping.

Hello everybody,

I took my house rabbit, Woody, to the vet this morning as he is not eating, drinking or pooping. He is however weeing, so I am thinking that he probably drank enough water through the night. The vet could not detect any digestive issues however gave him an injection for digestion in case and provided me with some liquid food and medication for digestion. She also took his temperature, which was a bit low. The window was left open during the night - it wouldn't usually be left open. I usually wake up to him thumping between 7am and 8am for attention and food, but this morning I found him lying curled up in his litter tray. He's not as sprightly as he usually is and keeps lying down. I just really want some answers, if anybody has anything to offer.

Thank you

Has he received pain relief ?

Are you providing him with a heat pad, hypothermia can become a serious problem for a sick Rabbit

Did the Vet not suggest admitting him ?

Hello

Thank you for the response. The vet couldn't work out what was wrong and suggested to take him to the emergency vet if he hadn't ate by tomorrow. The injection was to help with digestion. When I brought him back home I kept him nearby and warm, but his behaviour didn't improve. I took him outside to see how he'd respond and within half an hour, he started to perk up and started grazing. He's now had a handful of pellets and plenty of hay and has started to poop. I wondered whether it was low mood, but I cant be certain. I'm going to continue to monitor him.

I can't make out if Woody is a house rabbit or lives outside. At this time of year it isn't advisable to move a rabbit from indoors to outside, then back in. Hope Woody is back to normal now.

Indoor Rabbit.

tonibun said:

I can't make out if Woody is a house rabbit or lives outside. At this time of year it isn't advisable to move a rabbit from indoors to outside, then back in. Hope Woody is back to normal now.

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Woody is a house rabbit, but he goes outdoors for a run and nosey around the garden depending on the temperature. He never sleeps outdoors. He's much better and appears to be back to normal. I panicked this morning as his behaviour was totally out of character. I was looking for answers, if anybody else had any similar experiences - as I felt that nothing was clarified at the vets.

I'm glad he's eating again I'd keep a very close eye on him to make sure he continues.

You were completely right to take him to the vet when you did, as it can be very serious when a rabbit stops eating/pooping. It sounds like your vet wasn't very supportive though. The Rabbit Welfare Association have a list of rabbit savvy vets - www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk it or if you post a topic on here asking for a vet recommendation with your location someone might be able to suggest one. That way if you need one again you'll have the details ready

Although the vet was lovely, I worried that she may have missed something because that has happened to me before. Thank you very much for that website and your kind words

People here can very often recommend a rabbit savvy vet. If you start a new thread 'Vet needed in ..............' someone from your area may know of one.

It sounds like your rabbit's digestive system slowed right down, this is called illeus or GI(gastro-intestinal) stasis. It can be dangerous and is classed as an emergency. It can have lots of different causes but the main ones are diet, stress, pain or illness.

I'm glad he is feeling better and eating again. Please do keep a close eye on his behaviour, what he is eating and what his poos are like, as it can take a while for them to bounce back fully.

My vet hospitalises rabbits that show the symptoms of stasis (the main one being not eating or pooing) and gives them fluids by a drip or by injecting fluids under the skin, strong painkillers, gut stimulant drugs (your vet may call these prokinetics) and syringe-feeds the rabbit until they are eating on their own again. They check for a blockage in the digestive system before giving any medication. I would recommend asking on here to find a vet in your area that is experienced with rabbits so that if this happens again you can be confident in their abilities. The Rabbit Welfare Association also hold a list of rabbit-friendly vets: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/?section=veterinary.html#good_vet

I hope your bunny continues to improve and is feeling better. Try to encourage high-fibre foods like hay and avoid large amounts of sugary or gassy foods such as carrot or cabbage - this should help to keep the gut healthy.

Rabbitlove said:

Although the vet was lovely, I worried that she may have missed something because that has happened to me before. Thank you very much for that website and your kind words

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When you have the chance, I would find a vet who you can really trust with rabbits, and get a blood test done. It may be there's something going on you don't know about, apart from the obvious things like teeth problems.

I'm so glad your bunny is feeling much better now

Update

Thank you very much to everybody who has responded, you all have provided some very helpful advice. I wish I had come across this website sooner! I am certainly going to research local rabbit savvy vets. Just to update, Woody is back to his normal happy self and he is eating lots of hay and has had a small portion of pellets and some veg. I tried to upload am image of him for everyone to see but I'm not sure how to do it. I'll have a little explore and see what I can do. Thanks again