Bunny not eating :( U/D P20

[Peterbunny]

Hi all,

Peter is a nearly 6 mth old neutered bunny. He is normally food mad, very excited when food comes his way (particularly loves his veg and pellets).

I normally feed him at about 5pm but we were out and ran late tonight so it was just gone 6pm before I went out to feed him (he has a small amount of pellets at this time). As it was dark I had to use a torch to see what I was doing. Peter was in his box (abit unlike him as normally as soon as he hears the patio doors open he is there waiting!) so anyway I filled his bowl and he appeared to move out of his box towards the food. I then left him to it and came indoors. I went back out again about an hour and a half later and it appears he has eaten very little of his pellets, VERY unlike him (normally he scoffs the lots within minutes) and he was back in his box. I was worried (as its so out of charactor) so I went back in to get him a piece of parsley (his fave) and offered it to him (again I was using the torch) but he didnt want it I've just been out again and the parsley is still in his bowl and I opened the top of his box and he stood up on his back legs (so doesnt appear to physically seem poorly IYSWIM?) He looked normal too.

Should I be worried? He has eaten today, he had a small amount of veg / herbs this morning (he didnt wolf them down but did eventually eat them all) and has eaten hay today (I've witnessed him doing it) and he has had some water. Poo looks normal too.

Could it just be that I startled him with the torch?

As I fed him later than normal, and it was dark, was he just in "sleep mode"?

My thoughts are that first thing tomorrow I will check that he has eaten etc and if he hasnt then I will take him to the vets

Any ideas??

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Have you taken him out of his hutch and checked him over ?

Mucky bum ?

Bloated abdomen ?

Feeling unusually hot or cold to the touch ?

Drooling, wetness round nose or mouth ?

 

[Peterbunny]

Have you taken him out of his hutch and checked him over ?

Mucky bum ?

Bloated abdomen ?

Feeling unusually hot or cold to the touch ?

Drooling, wetness round nose or mouth ?

Hi,

He's not the easiest bunny to handle but what I've felt and seen seems normal i.e how he normally is

 

[Peterbunny]

He's still not eaten his pellets / parsley. Hard to know if he has eaten any hay.

When I went out he was again sat in his box, he appears alert (i.e not laying down) and appears aware that I've opened his hutch to check on him. He still looks normal facially but due to him being in his box I didnt get to see his body.

 

[Bunny Buddy]

He's still not eaten his pellets / parsley. Hard to know if he has eaten any hay.

When I went out he was again sat in his box, he appears alert (i.e not laying down) and appears aware that I've opened his hutch to check on him. He still looks normal facially but due to him being in his box I didnt get to see his body.

Is it particularly cold where you live? If he isn't eating he could lose body temperature very badly over night. Is there any scope for bringing him indoors for keeping warmer/observations?

Apparently it's quite usual for a rabbit who is in pain to pretend to anyone coming to check on them that they are well so if outdoors and being checked on occasionally it will be very difficult to be sure of he's just slightly off it or is more unwell.

 

[Peterbunny]

Is it particularly cold where you live? If he isn't eating he could lose body temperature very badly over night. Is there any scope for bringing him indoors for keeping warmer/observations?

Apparently it's quite usual for a rabbit who is in pain to pretend to anyone coming to check on them that they are well so if outdoors and being checked on occasionally it will be very difficult to be sure of he's just slightly off it or is more unwell.

Hi Bunny Buddy,

No its not particulary cold, certainly no colder than it has been on previous nights. He has plenty of hay / straw in his box and he also has a tarpaulin covering his hutch, protecting him from draughts.

Its not ideal to bring him inside, I don't have anything I can make into a make shift pen for him and also I try to keep him outdoors if possible as I'm Asthmatic (particularly a problem at the moment) and Peter is moulting so I can't have his fur all over the place I'm having to change my clothes / thoroughly wash after handling him outside as it is.

He has eaten quite alot of hay today, could it just be that he has filled up on that??

 

[Bunny Buddy]

Hi Bunny Buddy,

No its not particulary cold, certainly no colder than it has been on previous nights. He has plenty of hay / straw in his box and he also has a tarpaulin covering his hutch, protecting him from draughts.

Its not ideal to bring him inside, I don't have anything I can make into a make shift pen for him and also I try to keep him outdoors if possible as I'm Asthmatic (particularly a problem at the moment) and Peter is moulting so I can't have his fur all over the place I'm having to change my clothes / thoroughly wash after handling him outside as it is.

He has eaten quite alot of hay today, could it just be that he has filled up on that??

I have actually had a few vet trips with not eating bunnies that have been x-rayed only to find out that they have very full stomaches, not actually unwell just not eating because they are very full so, yes, it is possible. Barnaby also once did this when I was a couple of hours late with his tea, so it does fit with what you are seeing with Peter.

I understand your issue with indoors, that must be a difficult situation Best just keeping checking as you are doing then.

 

[Peterbunny]

Thanks again Bunny Buddy,

I'm going to keep an eye on him, he certainly appears to have eaten more hay than normal today (I normally fill his rack in the morning and chuck a handful in his litter tray, yet I had to refill his rack again at lunchtime (not all eaten but certainly 50% gone)

Fortunatley I'm a Mum at home so theres plenty of opportunity to keep an eye / get him to a vets first thing tomorrow.If he is poorly I just don't understand how he can have gone downhill so quickly. Earlier on he seemed like normal old, bonkers Pete

 

[Babsie]

If he were my bunny I would take him to the emergency vet tonight. Any change in behaviour (such as staying in his box, not eating as normal) can mean that a rabbit is ill - and they go downhill extremely quickly.

 

[GrahamL]

If he were my bunny I would take him to the emergency vet tonight. Any change in behaviour (such as staying in his box, not eating as normal) can mean that a rabbit is ill - and they go downhill extremely quickly.

This.

I would hate to worry you, but by the morning he *could* be dead.

 

[Bunny Buddy]

Thanks again Bunny Buddy,

I'm going to keep an eye on him, he certainly appears to have eaten more hay than normal today (I normally fill his rack in the morning and chuck a handful in his litter tray, yet I had to refill his rack again at lunchtime (not all eaten but certainly 50% gone)

Fortunatley I'm a Mum at home so theres plenty of opportunity to keep an eye / get him to a vets first thing tomorrow.If he is poorly I just don't understand how he can have gone downhill so quickly. Earlier on he seemed like normal old, bonkers Pete

They do. Sadly when rabbits are poorly they often go downhill very quickly. It's really shocking. If you think he's not eating at all and is quieter than normal he could be in trouble

I'd be same as Babsie, if he were mine, I'd want a vet checking/medicating him tonight. It was about 6pm when you noticed he wasn't as normal so that's five+ hours ago, which is quite a long time in 'bunny not eating' terms. After 12 hours it can be very serious - your 12 hour mark would be 6am..... that of course is from when you noticed it, it could have been a few hours earlier.

 

[Peterbunny]

Slightly good update

He has eaten a small piece of spring greens

 

[Bunny Buddy]

He has eaten a small piece of spring greens

That is really good news

 

[Peterbunny]

That is really good news

Do you think? Funnily enough as I went out to try him with the greens he wasn't in his box and was sat by his food bowl. I can't be sure he had eaten any pellets (the parsley was still there) but at least he wasnt sat in his box.

I'm still going to keep a close eye on him though. Oh how Peter worries me all the time!!

 

[Babsie]

He has eaten a small piece of spring greens

I'm afraid my advice would still be the same.

 

[GrahamL]

I'm afraid my advice would still be the same.

Same.

 

[Peterbunny]

I'm afraid my advice would still be the same.

Hi Babsie,

looking at your location you can't be far from me (I'm also north hampshire), which vets do you use? Upto now (Peters had his vacc and neutered) I've been using the companion care at Pets@Home.

Thanks

 

[Babsie]

Hi Babsie,

looking at your location you can't be far from me (I'm also north hampshire), which vets do you use? Upto now (Peters had his vacc and neutered) I've been using the companion care at Pets@Home.

Thanks

Hi - I use John Chitty, Exotics Specialist, and wouldn't take my rabbits to anyone else. He is now based in Andover at Anton Vets, and provides his own out of hours cover. It's about 30/45 min from me - but well worth the journey. They have a website.

 

[Bunny Buddy]

Do you think? Funnily enough as I went out to try him with the greens he wasn't in his box and was sat by his food bowl. I can't be sure he had eaten any pellets (the parsley was still there) but at least he wasnt sat in his box.

I'm still going to keep a close eye on him though. Oh how Peter worries me all the time!!

Eating some spring greens is good, the parsley still being there is of concern. It's really difficult to gauge how significant the greens eating is - does he normally eat all of it quicky? Did he just nibble a little, was he very enthusiastic? I don't necessarily mean answer all these, just question them to yourself as a guide to how much he's improved/whether he's not quite right.

The night-time temperature would be more likely to sway my opinion of seeing a vet tonight if he isn't right yet as they do rely on the eating/digestive activity to keep them warm, so this factor along makes him vulnerable.

 

[Peterbunny]

Update!

This morning..... One happy, normal bouncy Peter and an empty food bowl!

I'm going to continue to keep a close eye on him, Its still dark at the moment but once it gets light I'm going to get him out and properly check that he feels and looks fine.