Suddenly chewing everything

[annabolic]

My little girl Dot has suddenly started to chew everything in sight. She is on her own after my boy Arthur died of coccidiosis a couple of weeks ago, and I can't get another rabbit until I've had the whole living room steam cleaned so it might be some time. She used to occasionally chew her lino flooring and sometimes her wooden toys, but now she has suddenly started to chew everything - lino, wooden toys, cage bars, cables (which I've covered), cardboard castle, my clothes… The other day I ran out of Carefresh and couldn't get any straight away so I put some newspaper and hay in her litter box but had to take it away because she was eating the newspaper! I know chewing's normal generally, but would a sudden change like this suggest dental problems or might it be more of a boredom thing? I'm also worried that it's going to do her some damage because with things like the cardboard, newspaper and lino she's actually eating it, not just chewing it…

 

[weedug]

Sorry to hear about Arthur .

Could you give Dot a lot of toys and wooden branches to chew, in the hope that she chews them instead of everything else.

Although just thinking, my housebun chews everything in sight when he wants my attention. Maybe if you could spend a little extra time with her it might help?

Good luck.

 

[annabolic]

Thanks. I have a little apple tree so will try giving her some twigs from that. She loves them so tends to polish them off in minutes, but it's only a little sapling unfortunately so I can't give her much. She has two wooden toys and a wooden tunnel in her pen all the time so I'm trying to encourage her to chew on them instead of her lino flooring (which she can get to the edge of if she puts her mind to it, even when she's not free-ranging). I tried putting vinegar on the edge of her lino this morning and it seems reasonably intact tonight, so perhaps she doesn't like the smell.

Should I be worried about her teeth? She's eating plenty of hay and demolished her carrot at dinnertime...

 

[annabolic]

PS Weedug your rabbits are gorgeous! I love white rabbits - my Dot looks like the little black and white one on your signature

 

[weedug]

PS Weedug your rabbits are gorgeous! I love white rabbits - my Dot looks like the little black and white one on your signature

Aww, thank you!

The black and white bun on the left is my house bun, Mr Bubble. He is a wonderful boy, but will chew everything and anything that he knows he shouldn't if he thinks it's time I paid attention to him :lol:.

Dot could be chewing from feeling lonely now she has lost her friend. I can't rule out her teeth, but if you're concerned maybe you could pop her along to your vet for a check up?

 

[annabolic]

He sounds lovely - a little scamp like my Dot I spoke to my (very rabbit-savvy) vet today about Dot's teeth, although it was just over the phone. I was worried because she has also recently stopped drinking from her water bottle and will only drink from a bowl these days (she has both), and I wondered if it was linked. The vet said she's never heard of dental problems causing that change, and the first sign of dental problems would be if Dot went off her food (particularly her pellets) - Dot's as excitably enthusiastic about food as she always has been so that put my mind at rest a bit. I think she's just a bit bored and lonely, poor thing. Hopefully I'll be able to get my house cleaned and get her a friend soon. In the meantime I'm giving her as many head rubs as I possibly can and letting her use me as a climbing frame/trampoline when she wants to!