# Urgent Help Needed- Rabbit Won't Eat



## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

I am at my wits end & I really don't know what to do from here on.. We have 2 dwarf rabbits, Niles & Frasier. Both seem healthy, but we had to change their diet a few weeks ago to something less desirable (I blame my OH for this!) Frasier lost weight & I could feel his spine, so I took him straight to the Vet. She told me that he seemed perfectly healthy other than his stomach felt a little gassy & was empty. By this point, they'd been back on normal food for 4 days. The Vet put it down to one of 3 things: Change of diet, bullying from Niles or worms.. They'd been wormed fairly recently (although she did suggest doing it again to see if it helps) & Frasier is the dominant rabbit.. If anything, HE bullies Niles! (Not in a mean way though)

We bought them inside (normally they live in a hutch) to keep an eye on them. For about a week, they didn't finish all the food in their bowl but then by the second week they were both wolfing it down. 

We've moved them back outside & they've gone back to barely eating again. They're eating some hay, but they're not really touching the pellets. I chose not to fill their bowl up this morning so I could see just how much they are consuming & they've still got about 1/4 of a bowl left now! I fed them yesterday evening & even then, the bowl wasn't empty.

I really don't know what to do now. Our Vet doesn't really listen to what I have to say, she didn't believe that there was no bullying! She also dropped Frasier! I don't think she knows much about rabbits to be honest.  I'm worried & I'm not sure another trip to the Vet would be beneficial. We'll try worming to see if it helps, but I wondered if anyone had any thoughts or advice?


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

there are a few things in your post that i do think need highlighting. so i will get onto them in a minute :lol:

first things first, from the names im assuming both your rabbits are boys, are they both castrated ir still intact? how old are they? can you run me through their typical daily diet (including amounts) 

it is very concerning that they are loosing weight, but the answer to this may come from your answer to my above questions

it isnt the weather to be moving indoor rabbits outdoors, so you may have actually caused more of a problem by having them indoors and then moving them back outside, after a few days indoors they will have adjusted to the temperature inside, and they wont be able to cope properly with the temperatures outside, especially the night time temperatures at the moment.

it also sounds like you are over feeding them, for a normal diet a rabbit should have no more then 1 - 2 egg cups full a day


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Did the vet check front and back teeth?


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## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

Sorry, the bunnies are both castrated males. They eat hay & pellets. We tried them with fresh veg but they were uninterested  They have a plentiful amount of hay both in the bedroom & play area of their hutch & the pellets is usually filled 3/4 of the bowl. This is as advised by our Vet, who told us to not refill their bowl until they finish the lot. 

The Vet did check his front & back teeth, said they were in perfect condition! She was surprised by this! It must be down to all the hay they eat.. Oh, and the hutch they eat! 

I've just been out to see them & topped up their food & hay, usually they will start eating straight away but nothing. 

We only moved them inside so we could keep an eye on them.. The cage inside is smaller than their hutch so they get frustrated being in there too long  I didn't think moving them back outside would be a problem.. We usually end up going back & forth with them in late winter/early spring because the weather changes so much! It doesn't normally affect them.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

what pellets is it you feed them? what are their weights at at the moment? rabbits are naturally quite slender, it could be they are being sensible about the amount of pellets they are eating now (3/4 of a dish is a lot for them in all honesty) and a normal weight for them seems skinny to you :lol:
have you got pictures of them so i can have a look at their body condition?


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## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

They don't look skinny, but Frasier's winter coat is coming in so he's bulkier than he feels. Niles is a good weight & I can't feel his spine at all. I don't have Frasier's weight, the Vet took it but I can't remember what she said it was.

The pellets are Wagg Optimum (I think? Definitely Wagg & they only do one type of pellets). 

Even if 3/4 of a bowl is too much, they've only just managed to eat 1/2 of that over the last 2 days. & they've barely eaten their hay. Normally, if they leave their food, the hay is gone.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

wagg optimum are good pellets, so theres no worries on that front.
is fraiser still as active as normal? pr is he more reluctant to hop around? did the vet take his temerature at all? he could have an infection of sorts, so it may be worth talking to your vet about a course of baytril to see if it makes a difference.
he could even be feeling the cold more, so it may be worth bringing them inside if you can, or maybe moving them to a shed, and seeing if a warmer environment helps his appetite


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## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

We swapped them to Wagg a while ago after we noticed selective feeding from the Wagg Brunch kind. 

She didn't take his temperature, no. He does seem ok in himself, although when I hold him he lets me manipulate him more than is usual. He's normally a grumpy bunny & he was definitely more like himself during the last week of being inside.. Now he's gone back to being quieter. He is hopping around fine though & his eyes are bright. 

I will mention to my OH about possibly bringing them back indoors. Can't imagine that convo going well though, he gets frustrated when they're indoors.  It might be worth trying that before the Vets because they were ok before we put them back out. 

I'll definitely mention the antibiotics to my Vet. She really rushed me out of the room a few weeks ago. She was obviously running late (We were 30 minutes late going in, which was no fun for the bunnies in their little box, surrounded by huge dogs!) Then she dropped him  I will suggest she take his temperature. 

It was all completely out of the blue  We hadn't changed anything to prompt his change in appetite.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

did his behaviour/appitite deteriorate any more after she dropped him? how long ago was it he was dropped? im just wondering if he could be in pain from it, which can effect their appitite

is there another vet in your area at all, who is more bunny savy?


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## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

He seemed ok after she dropped him, she didn't check him over at all - I had to check he hadn't hurt himself! 

He was the same afterwards & two days ago he was back to his normal self.. It really seems as though putting him outdoors has created some sort of a problem. 

I wanted to complain to the Vet, OH is dragging his feet about typing it up though! I thought he'd be more annoyed about it tbh. It still pisses me off no end. 

I'm not really sure which Vets are rabbit savvy near us.. I wouldn't know how to find out! There'd be no point calling to ask cos they'd all say yes! Lol. :huh:


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

it may be worth PMing one of the members on here RWAF (who are from Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund ) and seeing if they can help you find a vet, or if theres any rescues around you it may be worth asking them for a recommendation

maybe the root of your problem is he is not happy being a house rabbit then, see if you can move him inside again and see if that helps, if not then i think your next option is a course of baytril to try clear up any underlying infection that may be pressent.
you can sprinkle some probiotics over his food, or in his water for now, which will help him fight any infection that may be pressent too


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## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

The Vet gave us some probiotics to put in their water.. They drank most of it, I wonder if that helped more than I thought? 

I will send a PM if bringing him inside doesn't help. Do they have a list? 

I really hope this is easily solved by bringing them indoors.. But if that is the case, I will have to invest in a larger cage! No idea where to find a large indoor bunny cage for 2 rabbits though :S


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

i think they do have a list, somewhere, but they would be the people to ask.

you would probably be best getting a 48" dog crate with an attached puppy pen, or building a C&C cage Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home (ignore the fact its a guinea pig site, C&C cages work really well for rabbits too


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Where abouts are you from? The town name, I can go on the RWAF website and find what rabbit savvy vets if any are in your town.


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## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

I'm in Leicester


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

This is where my geography may fail me...Leicester and Leicestershire are the same place right?

If so the only one that comes up for me is...

Name: Chine House Group
Address: Silbey Hall, Cossington Rd
Loughborough
County: Leicestershire
Postcode: LE12 7RS
Tel: 01509 812446


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## JustmeGemmy (Jun 30, 2011)

I've heard of them! I've heard great things  OH & I decided a while ago that we're going to move all of our pets to Chine House when he can drive! I'm glad they're rabbit savvy  Thank you


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