Bell’s loosing weight

[KC413]

My rabbit had been loosing weight gradually, She’s always been to herself and doesn’t really interact much and I didn’t really notice until I could feel her spine. I took her to the vet about 2wks ago. I did inform them that she wouldn’t really eat hay but thought it was just her being picky by only eating pellets. Her poops are also very small. They did an Xray and informed me her molars were a little over grown. im stuck in the middle . She is too underweight to go into surgery & in order to get them trimmed she has to gain weight. obviously if she doesn’t gain weight she will eventually pass. She now doesn’t really want to eat pellets and I have to improvise by giving her softer foods in order for her to eat/feel motivated to eat. (I have been giving her critical care) For example I’ll grind up some pellets with spinach sprinkle some rosemary with some hay etc. She does still get hungry tho, but has completely discarded consuming her hay. My heart is breaking I feel I gain and loose hope everyday. She only 3 and looks like she’s still full of life. any advice? Maybe on how I can at least help her gain weight

 

[bunny momma]

Did the vet prescribe any pain meds? If the reason for her not eating is her molars are slightly overgrown, the pain meds may help enough to encourage her to eat until she can get a dental. Does she eat anything on her own? Green leafy vegetables? Herbs? Greens?
Did vets listen for gut sounds and check her blood glucose levels to check for gut stasis? Did vet give her IV or sub Q fuids or prescribe any motility drugs? Her not eating may have caused her to go into gi stasis and while eating will stimulate gut movement it may not be enough so motility meds would be prescribed.
Fluids, including oral, can help to soften any fecal material and make it easier to pass.

Sending vibes for your bunny. Please keep us updated.

 

[tonibun]

Sorry to hear about your Bunny. Will she eat grass, or porridge oats?

 

[Shimmer]

Keep syringe feeding her every few hours (or as much as is practical if she will eat by herself). You can use softened pellets as well. At this point, it's a case of getting food into her so she can have the dental, so I wouldn't be too worried about extra pellets. Critical Care has more fibre and a better balance of nutrition, but is also more expensive if she's exclusively eating that. There's no point in expecting her to eat hay etc if she physically can't and it hurts. The usual rules of 80% hay go out of the window in situations like this.

Will she eat from a saucer? You can soften pellets or use thicker mix CC and let her eat as she wants, and just do top up syringe feeds.
Grass is easier to eat than hay. If she's struggling with chewing, you can cut handsful into 5mm lengths with scissors.
Grated carrot & apple - add to softened pellets. Or add puree to syringe feed to make it flow a bit better.
Finely chop cabbage - like for coleslaw.
Some fresh leaves are easier to eat, especially if they are still on branches - eg apple, willow, bramble, lilac, buddlia, herbs (mint, corriander, etc). They also provide fibre.

The key is literally to get food into her at regular intervals - so every 2 or 3 hours if she's not seen to be eating by herself.
Pain relief will make a big difference as well. Ask your vet about eg Metacam.

Her poo will increase in size & quantity the more food you can get into her. It is essential to keep her guts going, so output is a good indicator of food input. I've been in this situation too many times. It needs more determination and time to feed her, but it's worth it to get her through the dental. Then you need to monitor her weight in future to look for signs that she may need another dental, and catch it early when she loses a small amount of weight over a couple of successive weeks as she's struggling to eat again.