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No appetite

Mrs Carr

Mrs Carr

Warren Scout
Aargh apologies if this is a duplicate thread ..... Just spent ages typing up a lengthy post and it vanished :cry: I'll keep this one very simple (if the other one appears feel free to delete this)

2year old neutered Bob has lost his appetite, we've had him at the vets twice and she can't find any reason for it at all! He's reasonably perky in himself (not hunched up and trying to avoid us as per previous bouts of stasis), teeth are fine, gut feels fine, temp fine etc etc but he's just "off" .... I know that is a terrible vague thing to say but I also know you all know exactly what I mean lol.

He's ignoring fresh veggies, not eating his hay and has only been nibbling on his bedding straw! He got some fluids and gut stimulant as a precaution from the vet but it doesn't seem to have made any difference ...... Minimal poop in his litter tray and he's not had much water either by the look of it.

There have been no changes to the environment to upset him so I'm at a loss.

Any ideas?
 
No idea but can you syringe feed him critical care to get something into him and maybe make it quite watery so he's getting fluids too.
 
Tried and failed miserably I'm afraid, he's quite a handful and is almost impossible to hold to syringe feed so I've mixed up a bit of cc in a dish with some fruit juice in the hope he'll be tempted to lap some of it up (no joy as yet)

Edit: just dropped a couple of slices of banana into the mix and he's having a nibble ..... Not very enthusiastically but I'll take the small victory for now
 
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What about herbs or fresh grass? If he doesn't eat soon I would take him back and get him admitted for an IV.

Is he moulting?
 
Turning his nose up at fresh dill and mint as well, he just ate a full slice of banana out the dish so he'd have got some critical care in him at the same time plus a munch of some more straw!

He is moulting quite heavily at the moment!
 
Are you confident with your vet? Whilst I can appreciate that she can't find the cause, I would have hoped that she would have suggested some further diagnostic tests, as he will become very poorly if he doesn't eat or drink very much, especially if he won't tolerate syringe-feeding.

If you are happy with the vet's competence then I too would take him back. Sending lots of vibes for him.
 
Sorry Bob is off colour. brambles are good for stasis & moulting - I wonder if he would be tempted by them. If he is so difficult to syringe feed I think I'd get my vet on to it. I hope he feels better soon
 
I think some bunnies don't feel that great when they moult although I'm no expert. If he isn't back to normal soon I would definitely pop him back to the vets as they can inject the meds too getting him eating quicker hopefully.
 
I am going through similar with Hettie at the moment. She was admitted on Monday to the vets and has been there ever since - she is refusing to eat anything but is bright and alert.

All I would say is he needs to be admitted - I struggle to syringe feed Hettie as she's so big and strong and stroppy, but the nurses there have been managing it - I guess they do it almost every day. She has also been on a drip to keep her hydrated. It's essential your guy gets food inside him
 
Just went out shopping for some more treats to try and tempt him, he was nibbling on some hay when I got in so it IS a start but he's not not getting the quantities he needs, gonna give him a bit longer to see if he takes a notion for anything I've bought and if need be ill get him back to the vets later on if there's no sign of him drinking or pooping.

I have him confined to his pen at the moment to make it easier to monitor his litter tray but would I be better off letting him out so he can be more active? ( if he wants to be)
 
I would let him out as running around gets the gut going. I'm sure you'll find little pills around if he's having any output.

Yes best to take him back later this afternoon if he doesn't pick up as you don't want to have to call the emergency vets and be worrying in the night about him. You may well get him back tomorrow if he's hydrated and got his gut going again.
 
Thanks for the input and support everyone, I've penned my other boy and let Bob out .... he had a quick nibble on some watercress and is currently exploring and chinning everything in sight like there's nothing wrong. Very confused what to make of it all at the moment and I just want to see some poop!!
 
In regards to syringe feeding, have you tried getting in the pen with him and having him on the floor between your knees? Cross your legs at the back so he can't reverse out, lean right over him as far as you can go and then hold his head with your left hand and syringe with the right.
I have a really tricky bun and he had a major operation last year, for months and months we had to give him injectable everything because we couldn't give him anything orally. I tried this on him recently and it worked :) It was such a relief because it's good to know that we can syringe feed him at home in situations like yours.

In regards to him not eating, there could be many reasons. I have a stasis prone bun so I have been in your shoes. There is usually always a reason for for it so I'd want some diagnostic work done. Bloods and an xray might be a good place to start :)
 
Just back from vets, he's had another injection of fluid under the skin and another shot of gut stimulant. If no improvement in the morning he's going back in for the day to go on a drip so they can monitor him themselves.
 
We have poo this morning!!!! Very very small ones but poo nonetheless. He seems to have eaten his salad overnight and I saw him having a drink when I got up so *touch wood* he's heading in the right direction. Hubby is going to phone the vet when he gets up to keep them updated so I'm hoping they say there's no need to take him back in and stress him out even more.
 
Mrs Carr said:
We have poo this morning!!!! Very very small ones but poo nonetheless. He seems to have eaten his salad overnight and I saw him having a drink when I got up so *touch wood* he's heading in the right direction. Hubby is going to phone the vet when he gets up to keep them updated so I'm hoping they say there's no need to take him back in and stress him out even more.
Click to expand...


This is looking promising :)

Vibes for continued progress and that he doesn't need to go back in.
 
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