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Can anyone help

M

Mrsqueak

New Kit
I was referred to this site due to vast amount of knowledge pooled together.

I have a 7 year old Netherlands dwarf rabbit.

He has stopped eating his pellets in the last day or so.

He still eats a small amount of hay and some round lettuce but not much. Also hasn't had much to drink recently. He also seems really friendly and quite lathargic. He did have some dental problems 3 years ago with his teeth filed and recovered well.

I was going to take him to the vet tomorrow. Can anyone give any suggestions as my 2 year old son loves him and we are worried by taking him to the vet he might not come home.

Any suggestions?
 
Hello, welcome to RU :wave:

It sounds as if his dental problems may have come back. Ideally he needs to see a vet tonight, but the quality of emergency care can be quite varied.

There are at least two issues here: one that he isn't eating much and the other that something is causing that, probably dental pain. Have you tried softening his pellets in water to see if he will eat them then? Rabbits shouldn't have lettuce, by the way, but if he's off his food then a small amount of grated carrot may tempt him. Better still some fresh herbs or blackberry leaves.

Hopefully someone else will be along to give you more advice soon, but if a rabbit stops eating that is an emergency (in a way that it isn't for a cat or dog). If you've ever had dental pain yourself you can imagine how he might be feeling, so it's vital that you get him to the vet asap and insist on an early appointment - it sounds as if he definitely needs painkillers.

I do hope he's okay...
 
do take him asap. most people here take a rabbit to the vet as soon as they are concerned, as rabbits decline so quickly when ill.

while you're at home, try getting him to move around a lot.

does he always eat lettuce? I don't feed it.

any runny eyes? are his ears warm or cold?

hope someone who knows what they're talking about will be along soon.
 
Thankyou for your help.

He doesn't normally have lettuce we thought we would try it as its wet and might of helped as he had stopped drinking.

We thought it might be dental as his cheeks were a bit wet.

Someone suggested a blockage but am unsure due to his previous dental problems.

We are going to try and get hold of a vet. He has not got runny eyes but has lost that lovely sparkle in his eyes.

I touched him just behind his cheeks and he ran off into his cage. Is this where the back teeth would be?

I'll try wetting the pellets and see if he will eat them.

He also has small poo's but these are very in frequent which is why someone suggested a blockage.

Thankyou again everyone.
 
Mrsqueak said:
I was referred to this site due to vast amount of knowledge pooled together.

I have a 7 year old Netherlands dwarf rabbit.

He has stopped eating his pellets in the last day or so.

He still eats a small amount of hay and some round lettuce but not much. Also hasn't had much to drink recently. He also seems really friendly and quite lathargic. He did have some dental problems 3 years ago with his teeth filed and recovered well.

I was going to take him to the vet tomorrow. Can anyone give any suggestions as my 2 year old son loves him and we are worried by taking him to the vet he might not come home.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...


Yes you should take him to see the vet as soon as you're able. In fact he is more likely not to survive if you keep him at home rather than take him. If he's not been eating much at all for a couple of days I would see this as an emergency. A vet tonight can examine him and give pain killers (useful if he is in dental pain or gut pain from building up gas - caused by not eating), and also something to get the gut moving again. It's really not worth waiting as it's important.

The fact that he is lethargic is worrying. He may be dehydrated and you won't be able to get enough water into him simply by syringing. He may well need sub cut or IV fluids. Ask your vet if he can give these tonight. It makes a world of difference. A dehydrated bunny may not survive long.

Also ask the vet to take his temperature.

Lettuce - nothing wrong with that. It's a myth that rabbits shouldn't eat lettuce. That hasn't caused any problem.

Good luck. Keep us posted xxx
 
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