Sick rabbit?

Okay, I'm asking this question for my sister. She doesn't raise rabbits but has owned a pet one for the last four or five years, and now she's concerned about his health.

My sister contacted me a few days ago saying that her rabbit has been "acting strangely" and she's worried he might be sick. According to her, he's not as active or lively as he usually is and has been off his feed for several days. He also isn't drinking very much water. I knew that this rabbit hasn't exactly been kept in ideal living conditions, but she assures me that she's been cleaning his cage every day since discovering the odd behavior. Still, because of his cage conditions for the last few years, I can't help wondering if he's got some kind of internal parasites?

I finally went over there yesterday to take a look at him. I was surprised to find what appeared to be a perfectly healthy rabbit. :shock: He behaved well enough while I checked him over, except that he seemed to be very shy (staying near the back of the cage) when we first arrived. According to my sister, that isn't normal for him. I pulled him out and checked his eyes, ears, and nose which all seemed clear. He's shedding his coat at the moment, but this time of year all our rabbits are shedding. I tried flipping him over, but he didn't react well to that so I only got a quick look. (Ouch! He has sharp claws! :-x ) His rear area looked clean and didn't seem to be red or sore.

I checked his droppings and they were fine. However, my sister said they've been "all over the place" -- normal size, too large and loose, too small and wet, abnormal shape, etc. Also I asked if maybe the heat was bothering him, but she insists that he's not bothered by heat.

I gave told her to feed him oats and timothy hay for a few meals to see if it makes a difference. I also showed her what plantain looks like and suggested giving him some of that and some strawberry leaves if he'd eat them. She contacted me again last night to say that he ate some of the hay and strawberry leaves, but that he's still not eating or drinking very much. She also said he's looking more listless.

So, basically I'm out of ideas. I promised her I'd get some expert advice on the matter. And the best rabbit experts I know are all located on here so I came here for some advice. So what do you think?

I think you gave your sister good advice regarding diet. Oatmeal, grass hay and the plantain and strawberry leaves should help regulate its droppings.

To encourage the rabbit to drink more, she could try adding a bit of apple cider vinegar to its water. (1-2 Tablespoons per gallon of water.) Also, some rabbits will happily drink weak tea or herbal tea.

If she uses a water bottle she should definitely check to make sure it is functioning correctly. It would be a good idea to offer a crock of water in any case . . . many rabbits will drink more that way.

I have noticed that some rabbits become a bit listless or irritable when they are shedding. This could be part of the problem. Brushing the rabbit could help prevent excessive ingestion of fur, which can lead to wool block (as I am sure you are aware.)

Thanks, MaggieJ!

I went over there again tonight and my sister said she got him to eat some of the hay, oatmeal, and strawberry leaves. I told her what you said about the water, so we switched him to a water crock and she'll try adding some tea for him.

He's not a wool breed (he's a meat mutt that is mostly Satin and Cali) but I did pass on the advice about the possible wool block. Tomorrow I'll take over some of my papaya tablets for her to try giving him -- that always seems to work on my Angoras.

Thanks again for the advice! My sister was very worried about her rabbit.

You're very welcome, Winterwolf!

I wish some other members had chimed in on this topic. I had so few health problems with my rabbits that I am not as good at troubleshooting as some other members. It just occurred to me that your sister may want to offer two crocks . . . one with plain water and one with the tea. Never hurts to hedge your bets.

Pleae post an update when the situation seems to be resolved, one way or the other.

it's so hard to say right?

If his poops are doing odd things and he's lethargic speaks of something not being right with what he's eating OR something being off in his environment.