my 6 year old minni lop, has decided she doesnt want to eat today. this is freaking me out. she hasnt touched her pellets, or the treat my husband always leaves on top of the pellets, she is grooming her self but wont leave her litter pan. she is an indoor rabbit, and her area is in the living room with me, i have not seen her eat her hay and it is with in easy reach of the litter pan. i am worried, i know rabbits gut needs to constantly be moving. earlier yesterday she had a pooppy butt. i am concerned and thinking about taking her to the vet but do not have a car and would have to call my husband home from work to do so. so i want to be sure that the vet is the last option.
Rabbit not eating. Please help!
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SarahMelisse
Well-known member
My first thought is always "wool block", but that might be because I have angoras. If she had "poopy butt" yesterday, it probably isn't wool block, but maybe a digestion problem.
What I would do is take away the pellets, and offer only hay, perhaps some seeds, and pineapple (or papaya) juice in a bowl. If the rabbit isn't interested, I usually force-feed the pineapple juice with a small syringe slowly. The idea is to get some liquids in her. If nothing results from all that in a few hours, then maybe you should consider heading to the vet. Or at least call and ask if they have any ideas.
Just my quick 2 cents.
What I would do is take away the pellets, and offer only hay, perhaps some seeds, and pineapple (or papaya) juice in a bowl. If the rabbit isn't interested, I usually force-feed the pineapple juice with a small syringe slowly. The idea is to get some liquids in her. If nothing results from all that in a few hours, then maybe you should consider heading to the vet. Or at least call and ask if they have any ideas.
Just my quick 2 cents.
If she has poopy butt, it is not surprising she doesn't feel like eating. I suggest removing the pellets and treats and offer grass hay and kitchen oatmeal, like Quaker Old Fashioned/Large Flake oatmeal. This will help get her back on track. Is she drinking? That is MOST important. Sometimes offering a crock of diluted black tea will help.
There are some plants that are very helpful for controlling diarrhea: leaves of blackberry, raspberry or strawberry plants and also the lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris
There are some plants that are very helpful for controlling diarrhea: leaves of blackberry, raspberry or strawberry plants and also the lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris
DogCatMom
Well-known member
Transportation question: is your husband the *only* way to get to the vet? Do you live where there are no taxis? (Possible, but I thought I'd raise the question.)
I hope Bunny feels better SOON.
I hope Bunny feels better SOON.
i am very parinoid about my rabbits eatting and drinking habbits, becaus her sister who is now gone ( she had to be put down last year) got very sick the day after we got her and refused to eat or drink, we took her to the vet that same day, and the vet had said if we hadent gotten her in that day she would have died in the night due to her stomach shutting down. but, i massaged her belly a little bit, very gently, and now she seems much more active. she has even eatten a few bites of food. i am watching and if she doesnt drink anything by 4, aprox an hour from now i will have to force a bit of water into her with an eye dropper. i got very good at this nursing her sister.
the poopy bottom was, i dont know, it seemed to be morning droppings that had stuck in her fur, ( her bunny brazilian has grown out, and needs to be done again, ) after removing most of it, she has groomed herself and is much cleaner now. she gets a light brushing every morning from my husband and i give her more indepth grooming once a week. so i doubt it is wool block.
on the other hand it may not be anything and i could just be overly parinoid and there may be nothing wrong at all and i could just be freaking because of the exerpince with her sister .
i dont have any money for a taxi as my husband has the debit card in his wallet.
the poopy bottom was, i dont know, it seemed to be morning droppings that had stuck in her fur, ( her bunny brazilian has grown out, and needs to be done again, ) after removing most of it, she has groomed herself and is much cleaner now. she gets a light brushing every morning from my husband and i give her more indepth grooming once a week. so i doubt it is wool block.
on the other hand it may not be anything and i could just be overly parinoid and there may be nothing wrong at all and i could just be freaking because of the exerpince with her sister .
i dont have any money for a taxi as my husband has the debit card in his wallet.
If it was cecal pellets you were seeing this morning, that is different from diarrhea.
Try not to imagine a disaster every time your bunny seems a bit "off". People and pets alike often suffer from minor ailments and it is no reason to panic. The plants I mentioned are good, safe rabbit foods and can be offered at any time with confidence.
Do follow up with syringing fluids and massage if it seems to be helping... It certainly cannot hurt and you will at least feel you have taken reasonable steps to ensure the rabbit's well-being. Do monitor the rabbits intake and output and keep us informed so we can walk you through any necessary actions. :good-luck:
Try not to imagine a disaster every time your bunny seems a bit "off". People and pets alike often suffer from minor ailments and it is no reason to panic. The plants I mentioned are good, safe rabbit foods and can be offered at any time with confidence.
Do follow up with syringing fluids and massage if it seems to be helping... It certainly cannot hurt and you will at least feel you have taken reasonable steps to ensure the rabbit's well-being. Do monitor the rabbits intake and output
and keep us informed so we can walk you through any necessary actions. :good-luck:YAY she is drinking. ok i can breath a sigh of relief. yes they were cecal pellets, but it was still concerning for me, because she has always been very good at keeping herself clean. they were matted into her fur and that is very unusual for her. i know i am overly concerned but it is so hard with a rabbit to tell when they are not feeling well they hide it so well.
the reason for my concern is her sister. i feel guilty, that we had to put her down. despite the vet assuring me that the issue was a problem in her brain that caused her to stop grooming her bottom and that lead to other issues, i still feel like if i had just cought it earlier. but yes i do need to relax a little bit and not be so freaked every time Pop gets in a mood to scare me lol
the reason for my concern is her sister. i feel guilty, that we had to put her down. despite the vet assuring me that the issue was a problem in her brain that caused her to stop grooming her bottom and that lead to other issues, i still feel like if i had just cought it earlier. but yes i do need to relax a little bit and not be so freaked every time Pop gets in a mood to scare me lol
