Are rabbits always so complicated?

C

ColPer

Young Bun
Morning all!
Just looking for some advice, on Wednesday little girl bun decided she wasn’t hungry (major warning bells as she loves her grub!) I panicked as per and rung the vets, in the couple of hours before the appointment she started eating and drinking again, but still seemed quiet. Anyway being sensible I took her (and him) to the vets just to be extra vigilant, where the vet said tummy was nice and soft, no dental issues and heart ears eyes etc all good!
All happy and my bank slightly lighter off I skipped home.

When I got home both rabbits now seemed tired and fretful (both do sulk after going vets)

2 days on they are both eating hay, grass herbs and greens and drinking water. But take ages to get their way through the pellets, whereas before they would scoff them.
their poops are also a bit on the small side, her more than him.

I’m wondering whether it was the dramatics that have stressed her and then ultimately him as she’s unsettled.

But there’s a knot in my stomach and I am becoming obsessed

I’m nervous to take them to the vet again incase it makes us go back ever further but I’m also scared in case im missing something!!!

Side note- she is extremely nervy and some days can be a bit scared of every movement you make..
 
They are complicated beasts a lot of the time & its certainly a juggling act managing interventions they need & the stress it is causing them.
You do hear of buns going off their nuggets sometimes. I'd try a fresh bag & see if that helps. If they are very nervous I think its plausible they are still stressed after their vet trip. I'd keep a very close eye on their poops & food consumptions & keep the vets on standby. As you say, its complicated making that judgement call. i hope they both improve
 
My rabbit goes off her pellets first when her teeth hurt, did the vet assess visually or with an x-ray? That being said given both your rabbits are off the pellets at the same time it seems like it may be a bag issue.

Bit of a wild card but the only other thing I can think is that in my experience they're less keen on pellets when it warms up, did you just turn up your heating or change their set-up in any way?

I sympathise with all the worry and decisions around rabbits, I feel like I'm living in only rabbit health at the moment. Sending vibes to you and your bunnies
 
Thank you! Nothing has changed, the only difference is a new bag of pellets..
The vet visually checked teeth, but did have a good look.
They are eating plenty of hay and readigrass and poops look pretty back to normal.. so I think I’ll hold my nerve a bit longer 😬

I just hate the thought of missing something!
 
It is good to hear they are doing better. Even with the same pellets, I always mix the end of the old bag into the top of the new one.
 
Which pellets do you feed? The science selective ones look really different and slimmer recently so I assume they've changed the recipe slightly. I wonder if they're not as tasty?
 
Yer it’s the science selective ones.. I bought another bag. They normally have the grain free so I bought the normal and mixed in and they have also turned their noses up.

It’s definitely the pellets, I bought 6 bags from a farm shop last year as they were selling them off, and the buns ate them perfectly. Then I bought a new bag this year and they are having none of it. But still run around excited before I put it down…

Very strange!
 
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Hi, it’s me again.. I feel all I do in this is moan, but I have been up the vets all afternoon with little girl!
I woke up this morning and gave the buns their breakfast, and when I came downstairs she was acting very strange, kept hiding from me
So I put the camera on her and went to the stables and monitored her, she didn’t eat and I could just tell something wasn’t right!

Anyway, I shot straight to the vets with her who did X-rays and tests and kept her in for the afternoon.. and they have sent her home as she was eating and pooping and reacting really well to the meds.

I feel relieved but also extremely on edge, I just feel like I’m failing as a bun carer 😞

Sorry for the rant .. bad day 😭
 
I just feel rotten.. and I have to syringe her meds which is making me feel even worse. She acts as if I’m torturing her

So any tips greatly welcomed!!!
 
You definitely the right thing, it sounds like you caught onto her odd behaviour and helped sort her issue out early! Well done, that's the mark of a great bunny carer :)

Syringing can be rough, I try to end it on a good note with some drops of fruit juice or a treat to run off with. Then go in after a few minutes for a little apologetic head rub.
 
No way are you failing as a bun owner - you saw she needed medical attention & didn't delay getting it for her.
Baby food pouches (the just fruit ones) might make the recovery feeding more palatable. Hopefully cos you took action quickly & your bun is already pooping & eating you hopefully wont have to do it for long. If bun is squirmy a burrito might help (search bunny burrito on youtube)
 
Thanks all ❤️ she’s eating, drinking and pooping not back to normal, but I think she’s a bit stressed from it all still so trying to give her time
Keep everything crossed for us! Xx
 
It’s completely understandable to feel anxious when your buns aren’t acting like their usual selves! Rabbits can be so sensitive, and even a trip to the vet can stress them out for a couple of days. Since they’re eating hay, grass, and greens, that’s a really good sign. Small poops can indicate slower gut motility, which might just be due to the stress of the vet visit. You might want to encourage more hay intake and maybe offer some probiotics like Fibreplex to support their digestion.


If they continue to be slow with their pellets or if their poops get even smaller, it might be worth another vet visit just to be sure. Rabbits can be complicated little creatures, but it sounds like you’re doing all the right things by keeping a close eye on them. Hopefully, they’ll be back to their normal greedy selves soon!
 
I think once you get to know them, it does get easier to judge what they need. I knew that when Archie didn't eat I needed to go straight to the vet because I was unlikely to be able to turn it around, whereas when Millie stopped eating I could give her 2-3 hours or so, time to calm down and she'd probably start again once she's realised she's not being rushed to the vet. Going to the vet is so stressful for them, I think fear of the vet can help stasis to establish itself. As Archie got older I found I didn't need to take him straight away either (following an incident when I was unable to because I was snowed in overnight). Now Millie's on her own, I give her half an hour alone to calm down, then go back and offer something delicious but very small, a piece of fruit, a pellet, parsley or something but offer it in my hand so it looks like I could take it away if she doesn't take it from me. Then I'd probably give her another half and hour and offer her something again but making sure that I'm behaving in a normal way and not showing any signs of anxiety myself (they take their cues from you!). Sometimes she'd decline a bowl of pellets (overwhelming) but will eat one that's offered by itself. When we moved house she'd only eat one for about two days but I kept offering her another one so she ate the normal amount overall. If she had other symptoms, particularly signs of pain (teeth crunching, lethargy, stretching in an unusual way) I would just take her straight to the vet though.
 
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