Rabbit drooling but not dental issue? Advice please!

[Juci]

My 1 year old rabbit started drooling on and off about 3 weeks ago. First week it happened it stopped after a couple days so I thought it was the smell of house paint- I had just painted the room he’s in the same day the drooling started.

Then he started drooling again and completely stopped eating for 2 days. I weighed him at 5.45 pounds, and he’s normally 6.5-7 pounds. So I took him in to see a vet last week- soonest appointment I could get. I raise rabbits for meat but this one is my indoor pet.

Vet took X-rays and examined him but said his teeth are perfectly aligned. He did say there were burs on his molar on that side. Gave me pain medication for him and critical care + Greek yogurt to get him eating again, and 4 days later at the follow up appointment said the burs on his molars were gone, so there was nothing for him to remove and sent him home with me. That was on Sunday.

Now it’s Wednesday and he’s still drooling quite a lot. He is eating now but only small amounts at a time. So I’m at a loss. I took this picture of him this morning. Is there some other reason a rabbit might be drooling besides a tooth issue? Should I take him to another vet to get a second opinion?

I believe the vet I saw was rabbit savvy. He shared that he’s raised rabbits since he was a child and currently breeds and shows them… I’m not sure there’s anyone more experienced with rabbits in my town. Any help or advice much appreciated!

 

[Alaska Satin]

My 1 year old rabbit started drooling on and off about 3 weeks ago. First week it happened it stopped after a couple days so I thought it was the smell of house paint- I had just painted the room he’s in the same day the drooling started.

Then he started drooling again and completely stopped eating for 2 days. I weighed him at 5.45 pounds, and he’s normally 6.5-7 pounds. So I took him in to see a vet last week- soonest appointment I could get. I raise rabbits for meat but this one is my indoor pet.

Vet took X-rays and examined him but said his teeth are perfectly aligned. He did say there were burs on his molar on that side. Gave me pain medication for him and critical care + Greek yogurt to get him eating again, and 4 days later at the follow up appointment said the burs on his molars were gone, so there was nothing for him to remove and sent him home with me. That was on Sunday.

Now it’s Wednesday and he’s still drooling quite a lot. He is eating now but only small amounts at a time. So I’m at a loss. I took this picture of him this morning. Is there some other reason a rabbit might be drooling besides a tooth issue? Should I take him to another vet to get a second opinion?

I believe the vet I saw was rabbit savvy. He shared that he’s raised rabbits since he was a child and currently breeds and shows them… I’m not sure there’s anyone more experienced with rabbits in my town. Any help or advice much appreciated!

I don't know if x-rays would necessarily show an abscess, but that would be my first thought, given how prone rabbits are to getting them. An abscess definitely impacts how willing a rabbit is to eat, and it would make sense he'd be more willing to eat Critical Care and yogurt rather than hay and pellets.

If your vet has already ruled out an abscess, I've also had rabbits drool when they had GI problems. Heat also can make them drool but that doesn't sounds like it's the problem in this case.

 

[Juci]

I don't know if x-rays would necessarily show an abscess, but that would be my first thought, given how prone rabbits are to getting them. An abscess definitely impacts how willing a rabbit is to eat, and it would make sense he'd be more willing to eat Critical Care and yogurt rather than hay and pellets.

If your vet has already ruled out an abscess, I've also had rabbit drool when they had GI problems. Heat also can make them drool but that doesn't sounds like it's the problem in this case.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It definitely could be related to a GI problem, this rabbit has had that in the past and I’m always having to stay on top of that. I’ll mention the abscess to the new vet. I managed to get an appointment for Monday so will be nice to just see what the other vet has to say. The previous one didn’t mention abscesses at all, so maybe this one has more experience with that kind of thing.

Thanks again for your advice, I had no idea rabbits could drool from heat and GI problems.

 

[Juci]

Well, I took him in to see the other vet today and she also confirmed that there isn’t anything wrong with his teeth. No burs for her to file down or any other dental problem. She gave him a vitamin B shot to encourage his appetite.

I’m relieved that his teeth are okay but it’s also discouraging. I’m just not sure what to do for him at this point. Other than continue to syringe feed him and encourage him to eat, and try to keep his chin clean.

@Alaska Satin when your rabbit drooled because of GI problems did it stop drooling on its own eventually?

 

[Alaska Satin]

Well, I took him in to see the other vet today and she also confirmed that there isn’t anything wrong with his teeth. No burs for her to file down or any other dental problem. She gave him a vitamin B shot to encourage his appetite.

I’m relieved that his teeth are okay but it’s also discouraging. I’m just not sure what to do for him at this point. Other than continue to syringe feed him and encourage him to eat, and try to keep his chin clean.

@Alaska Satin when your rabbit drooled because of GI problems did it stop drooling on its own eventually?

That is frustrating, for sure.

We used to have intermittent problems with mucoid enteritis in our Mini Rex. Several times the general misery of the bunnies included drooling. Yes, after we cleared up the GI distress, the drooling stopped.

Other times I've seen drooling include rabbits suffering from neurological poisoning from bad hay (probably lupine); in rabbits that we took to shows and clinics, which were in hot, crowded rooms compared to the unheated barn they're used to living in; and in rabbits that got overheated when brought inside during the winter. So I suspect drooling can be a general indication of stress.

Is he grinding his teeth as well, as if in pain? Did you by any chance change his feed, or anything else in his environment when you painted?

In my experience, all I could suggest is what you're doing. It's good that he's eating again on his own, even just a little. I'd offer him anything and everything that might tempt him to eat. Critical Care has come to the rescue many times for us when we had to temporarily sustain a bunny that wouldn't eat otherwise. You can sometimes fool around with the consistency to make it more tempting; some rabbits prefer it kind of soupy, others like it more dry and pasty. Parsley has helped some of our rabbits regain their appetite, and chamomile has also seemed to help soothe them. And yes, definitely try to help him keep his chin clean or he'll get so sore. Poor bunny.

 

[eco2pia]

In case anyone else is curious about this "critical care" mentioned above, I think it is this: Oxbow Critical Care

I have used similar rations in a medical or institutional animal research setting, and had no idea there was a convenient option for the non-vet home animal keeper! In my experience stuff like this has near miraculous rejuvenation powers, though I have never tried this specific brand. We called it mousey ensure. I am ordering some immediately!

I notice it comes in regular and anise flavors, have you got a preference @Alaska Satin ?

 

[Julie Stade]

I notice it comes in regular and anise flavors

We always order the Herbivore formula that's the apple/banana one.

 

[Juci]

That is frustrating, for sure.

We used to have intermittent problems with mucoid enteritis in our Mini Rex. Several times the general misery of the bunnies included drooling. Yes, after we cleared up the GI distress, the drooling stopped.

Other times I've seen drooling include rabbits suffering from neurological poisoning from bad hay (probably lupine); in rabbits that we took to shows and clinics, which were in hot, crowded rooms compared to the unheated barn they're used to living in; and in rabbits that got overheated when brought inside during the winter. So I suspect drooling can be a general indication of stress.

Is he grinding his teeth as well, as if in pain? Did you by any chance change his feed, or anything else in his environment when you painted?

In my experience, all I could suggest is what you're doing. It's good that he's eating again on his own, even just a little. I'd offer him anything and everything that might tempt him to eat. Critical Care has come to the rescue many times for us when we had to temporarily sustain a bunny that wouldn't eat otherwise. You can sometimes fool around with the consistency to make it more tempting; some rabbits prefer it kind of soupy, others like it more dry and pasty. Parsley has helped some of our rabbits regain their appetite, and chamomile has also seemed to help soothe them. And yes, definitely try to help him keep his chin clean or he'll get so sore. Poor bunny.

The only change I know of is that my mom was helping me take care of the rabbits while I was away- right before the drooling started. She opened a new bag of hay and it was alfalfa not Timothy. I didn’t think it was a big deal since I was only gone for 2 weeks, but I live in a humid place (tropics) so I’m constantly battling moldy hay. usually I can sniff that out pretty quickly but maybe he ate some that had mold in it before I got back. All the other rabbits are doing great though, and eating just fine.
Currently I’m giving him hay from a new bag of Timothy, so he hasn’t had any of the alfalfa since this all started.

I grow lots of parsley so I’ll offer some of that to him, and some chamomile. Thank you so much for all the tips. I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can get him back on track eating again and the drool will clear up.

 

[Juci]

That is frustrating, for sure.

We used to have intermittent problems with mucoid enteritis in our Mini Rex. Several times the general misery of the bunnies included drooling. Yes, after we cleared up the GI distress, the drooling stopped.

Other times I've seen drooling include rabbits suffering from neurological poisoning from bad hay (probably lupine); in rabbits that we took to shows and clinics, which were in hot, crowded rooms compared to the unheated barn they're used to living in; and in rabbits that got overheated when brought inside during the winter. So I suspect drooling can be a general indication of stress.

Is he grinding his teeth as well, as if in pain? Did you by any chance change his feed, or anything else in his environment when you painted?

In my experience, all I could suggest is what you're doing. It's good that he's eating again on his own, even just a little. I'd offer him anything and everything that might tempt him to eat. Critical Care has come to the rescue many times for us when we had to temporarily sustain a bunny that wouldn't eat otherwise. You can sometimes fool around with the consistency to make it more tempting; some rabbits prefer it kind of soupy, others like it more dry and pasty. Parsley has helped some of our rabbits regain their appetite, and chamomile has also seemed to help soothe them. And yes, definitely try to help him keep his chin clean or he'll get so sore. Poor bunny.

I meant to add, he has definitely been spending a lot of time sitting like a loaf and grinding his teeth. Just hasn’t been himself at all. I think he’s in pain.

 

[Juci]

In case anyone else is curious about this "critical care" mentioned above, I think it is this: Oxbow Critical Care

I have used similar rations in a medical or institutional animal research setting, and had no idea there was a convenient option for the non-vet home animal keeper! In my experience stuff like this has near miraculous rejuvenation powers, though I have never tried this specific brand. We called it mousey ensure. I am ordering some immediately!

I notice it comes in regular and anise flavors, have you got a preference @Alaska Satin ?

Yep! I’m actually using the Sherwood brand rabbit recovery food and vitamin powder, but I have some oxbow critical care (apple banana flavored) that I’m going to try giving him today. Maybe he’ll like the taste better and will eat it without a syringe.

 

[Alaska Satin]

I notice it comes in regular and anise flavors, have you got a preference @Alaska Satin ?

The one I've used (and the rabbits usually love) is the apple banana:

https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/product/critical-care-herbivore-apple-banana/

The only change I know of is that my mom was helping me take care of the rabbits while I was away- right before the drooling started. She opened a new bag of hay and it was alfalfa not Timothy. I didn’t think it was a big deal since I was only gone for 2 weeks, but I live in a humid place (tropics) so I’m constantly battling moldy hay. usually I can sniff that out pretty quickly but maybe he ate some that had mold in it before I got back. All the other rabbits are doing great though, and eating just fine.
Currently I’m giving him hay from a new bag of Timothy, so he hasn’t had any of the alfalfa since this all started.

I grow lots of parsley so I’ll offer some of that to him, and some chamomile. Thank you so much for all the tips. I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can get him back on track eating again and the drool will clear up.

I meant to add, he has definitely been spending a lot of time sitting like a loaf and grinding his teeth. Just hasn’t been himself at all. I think he’s in pain.

Yeah, the grinding almost surely means he's uncomfortable/in pain. Since he's had GI trouble in the past, that would be my guess.

I don't know how expensive the vet visits are, but if funding were unlimited, you might see if one of them could do an ultrasound on his gut. Maybe there's a torsion or blockage.

In that light, whether or not you get an ultrasound, you might try to get him eat a bit of fresh pineapple or pineapple juice, or papaya or papaya tablets, which you could crush and mix into the Critical Care if he won't eat them. It probably can't hurt him, but might help clear his gut if he's got a hair blockage. I'd go lightly on the pineapple, especially, since it's high in sugar, but it contains enzymes that can help dissolve hair, and because it's sweet the rabbit might be more inclined to eat it. (And like I said, when a rabbit is off its feed I will try pretty much anything to get them eating again, even though I usually stay far away from sugary treats.) I've never had to use either pineapple or papaya, but my angora breeder friends have used both.

The other thing I keep on hand and strongly recommend is Benebac, which is a source of probiotics that can help re-balance a messed-up gut (and if a rabbit's not eating, the microscopic bad guys can take over inside pretty quickly). Here's what I use:
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...ve-digestion-gel-supplement-for-small-animals

 

[eco2pia]

If you try the pineapple be sure to use fresh pineapple--enzymes are destroyed by the canning process.

 

[Juci]

I know it’s been a few days but I wanted to make sure before I updated this. I’m pretty sure the problem was coccidiosis! He’s doing great now and even ate hay and some greens on his own yesterday- which hasn’t happened in weeks.

Last week thought he was doing better on the critical care, but then woke up to his eye watering a lot and tons of drool and lethargy. The eye that was watering was his blind eye- he lost vision in it months ago when he was just 4 months old and I thought it had been injured.
So I gave him 1/4 ml of liquid corid every day for 6 days. I’ve had 2 outbreaks of cocci in my chickens earlier this year so maybe it somehow got to the rabbits and was dormant in him until now.

It’s been almost 2 days since his last corid dose and the drool has completely stopped and his eye is dry now too. He has energy and acting more like himself. He’s drinking water and eating little bits of food and hay on his own.

@Alaska Satin I wasn’t able to ship the benebac here, but I got this other rabbit probiotics that came up as an alternative. I’ll keep an eye out for listings for the benebac that I can get here, because I think the probiotics are making all the difference in his appetite after the corid treatment. Thank you so much for all your help, you helped save my favorite bun!

Thank you also to everyone else who commented and helped. Now I just have to keep an eye on the sore bald spot under his chin from where the drool was. Hopefully he doesn’t aggravate it with all the grooming. So glad and relieved that he’s doing better!