worried about my rabbit

well last summer my rabbit started getting runny eyes so my mum took him to the vet they told us that his tooth had growing too much and that it has ruined his eye duct so we had to start feeding him on pelets so we did he was really healthy when he wos outside then winter came and we brought him into our garage and he is looked after well gets feed twice a day on all greens carrots apples brown bread toasted and he gets treats now and again.its only been recinet since he has started getting skinner and his fur has started getting tated and dirty i think off his pelets because he eats his apple and all his fur gets wet and then he eats his pelets and he looks awful plus his fur is starting to come off on his legs but we cant wash him because its too cold and we have nothing to put him in for in the house and i really dont know what to do i want some advice cos i cant do nothing about it and i feel like crying cos i love him so much and i dunno wot to do please help

Does he get Hay?

Are you feeding him plenty of hay? That should really be his main diet. Also toast isn't particularly good for him - just as a treat. Apples & carrots are also really high in sugar & probably shouldn't be given everyday - I feed apples as a treat. I should get him to the vets. His fur might be rubbing off if he's wet? He really needs to be kept dry, so I would cut out the apple if this is what's causing it.
He's at risk of flystrike if he's not clean.

If his tooth roots have overgrown into his tear ducts then feeding him pellets won't solve this problem.
Like the others have said, it's important that he has hay as his main diet, especially with problematic teeth.
He definately needs to go back to the vet, especially if he's losing weight, as buns can get quite poorly with teeth problems (which can also lead to tummy problems if they're not eating properly)

Hi

You sound very caring and you've done your homework to find us so don't worry too much. This place has loads of information, though usually the main rule is if your bunny isn't looking too good, dirty and not grooming alot and getting thin, you really need to pop him back to the vets so they can check him over as it might be something other than the tooth problem!

Vets are also great at helping keep animals well as well as treating them when they are poorly, so see a vet and see what they think. Ask them about food as well.

How old is your bunny, as they get older they can lose condition as well.

I give my rabbit science selective pellets, loads of hay and greenstuff too. I don't give him alot of apple as it's a bit sugary for his teeth as is most fruit, but he has it once in a while.

My bunny didn't like hay alot but now eats loads, I've just got him some Oxbow hay which is great. Though it costs a bit more it is really part of his food so worth it. I also use only Timothy hay as it smells lovely, hay is vital for filling tummies and grinding teeth down too. It's also a great hobby for buns so I stick some in Jacobs litter tray, the other end to where he does his stuff and he'll sit on the loo for ages munching!

Sometimes Jacob gets a bit mucky so I wash him with a flannel using some cleaner from the vets. The flannel means he doesn't get too wet but you do have to be very careful not to pull dirty bits or the skin can tear. I then dry him well, I've got some microtowels that are great and then plonk him in front of the radiator.

Do you think you could have him as a house rabbit if we told you what you could do for him? He doesn't have to have the whole house, just a warm area and then he can have a run around when you're around and the rest of the time be confined. If he's not 100% it might be good, and you could keep an eye on him more too so less worry.

Apologies for going on a bit! Do PM me if you like, meanwhile pop buns to the vets for a once over and ask as many questions as you want..this place is amazing for info..Hope you get this sorted soon and don't worry too much, our animals lead to alot of tears sometimes! Take care.

Bump :wink: xx

yes as said he mainly needs hay to eat - cut out completely the apple, toasted bread and all treats, as these are going to cause problems with his tum, as you've found. Also he only needs a handfull of pellets every day - not a full bowl all day - if they eat too many pellets the extra protein can make them mess themselves.

If you can't bathe him, there is a dry bath you can use, with cooking cornflour that you use for making sauces - massage it into the dirt and it will slide off enough for you to brush it all out.

If his skin's sore then you can put sudocream on it, that's sold for babies with nappy rash - that should soothe it a bit and help it heal up, if you change his diet too.

The real danger is that the flies will get him in summer if he's left in this condition - they lay maggots on the rabbit and the maggots kill the rabbit! You have time to sort this out before the weather gets warmer, so please do - and if you try various different types of hay with him, you should find one he likes the taste of, as it does vary so much and I've found hay to be a bit of a nightmare - sometimes they won't eat it and then the nice stuff runs out :roll: You just have to keep looking at pet shops or preferably farm shops for good hay. Hay is the most important thing for a rabbit! I hope he's sorted soon - just make a few simple changes and he should be fine