Rabbit not eating! Please Help! It's Urgent!!

[The_Dutchess]

I bought my 8 month old Jersey Wooly buck from a well-known, reputable breeder. The girl was very nice and I did a full health check on the rabbit - I checked its eyes, ears, nose, teeth, felt its skin and belly, its tail, everything. I brought him home, but he seemed a little lethargic, wouldn't move or eat. I thought he was just adjusting to his new home. Then, somehow my Mini Lop buck got in with him and they just LOVED each other! Snuggled and everything! I tried to separate them to no avail; the lop kept getting in somehow. But once Smokey (the jersey wooley) hit "puberty" he started biting the lop, so I found the breach in the cage divider, fixed it and separated them. When they were together, Smokey was eating really well and happy and healthy. But after separation he ate a little less. I just thought maybe now that it's colder he wasn't eating as much. Well, for a week now he hasn't been eating ANYTHING. He's been drinking but the past 30 hours he hasn't been even drinking. I have been treating him with pedialyte, oats, papaya enzymes, banana, apple, parsley, trying to get him to eat or drink ANYTHING but nope- nothing. Finally today I got out the syringe and force-fed him. I noticed something - he seemed to be sleeping, but his eyes were open and he was twitching, moving, hopping a little. He was awake. I got a little scared and pointed my finger at him less than a centimeter from his eyeball. No response. His eyes looked a little filmy and teary, but still his brown color. I tried waving at his eyes, waving lettuce in front of his eye, shining a light in his eyes, but no response. Then I placed my dog's large basket in front of him and scared him into moving. The poor little thing ran straight into the dog basket. I think he's blind! What do I do? Should I get him a neutered buddy? Should I keep him inside and monitor him? Force-feed? Put him down? I have no idea what to do!!! Please help!!

 

[Zass]

It sounds like you are already very close to losing him.

Keep force feeding pedialyte and any wool block treatments you use. Mashed pumpkin and oats are my foods of choice for these situations.

 

[jeannie]

For wool block, try syringing flax seed oil in with the pedialyte

 

[Miss M]

It sounds like you're doing just about everything that can be done.

Perhaps he's not in any shape to bite the minilop at the moment... maybe you can see if you can put them together for now. If they were that fond of each other, perhaps his presence would help him recover.

I have to agree with Zass, though. It does sound like you are very close to losing him. You can keep trying to force liquids and food on him... or you can put him down. Neither option is wrong at this point, and it is truly up to you. I might try putting his buddy with him and trying to get food and fluid into him for a bit longer, and if he doesn't respond, put him down.

 

[Silver Cloud]

You could try a Papaya Enzyme chewable tablet they help with digestion and digestion troubles. They can be purchased at walmart and other stores in the pharmacy section. Just a thought. <br /><br /> -- Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:48 pm -- <br /><br /> Calf Manna states it will help an animal that won't eat or transition periods of stress and such use as directed. It is safe for rabbits. Rabbits really like Calf Manna. Also just a thought.

 

[The_Dutchess]

Smokey and Bandit (the mini lop) can't be together right now because I have Smokey inside to monitor him and I have only one indoor bunny cage that isn't big enough for two rabbits. Should I maybe try putting them together tomorrow morning?
And Silver Cloud, I am currently using the Papaya Enzyme tablets from GNC for him.
Smokey is a tad better, still no eating or bowel movements but he started to fight me a bit and started grooming and hopping around a bit, that's a good sign, right?
I really don't want to lose him. He's not THAT valuable, and is easily replaced from a business standpoint, but he's my baby.
p.s. Smokey is the little cutie in my avatar.

 

[Easy Ears]

You could try putting them together tomorrow. It wouldn't hurt. Just watch them for a bit and see what happens.
Yes, grooming is a good sign! I know how you feel. I have a ND/DT cross bun who is extremely special to me. When I left on a trip once, I left him, along with two newly adopted does with some friends. Right before I left on the trip, I was sent an email by my friends informing me that their dogs had broken into the garden where the rabbits were kept, and stormed the cages. She said that one of the does was killed, but the other two rabbits were fine. Halfway through my trip, she e-mailed me again saying some sort of snuffles was going through her heard and had infected my two rabbits as well. To make a long story short, when I finally came home, I was left with a very weakened Harvy (My ND/DT buck) but thankfully my doe had recovered. I had to clean Harvy's eyes with chamomile tea daily to get the white goop out. He sneezed a lot, and even stopped cleaning himself. I found later deep teeth wounds in his head, and neck, that were from dog bites! After some time Harvy's eyes started to clear, and I put him in with my doe to breed her. He didn't have the energy to breed her barely at all, but I did leave him in the with her for a few days. After some time, I noticed his appearance was less messy, and found that my doe had been grooming him! I left him with her for about a week, and when I put him in his own cage he only improved from there. Me and Harvy have gone through a lot together, fighting ear infection, and worms. (Jesus Christ has been with me guiding me all the way, through my fears and doubts, he has comforted me. ) And Harvy has been an amazing rabbit through it all, and he is my sweet baby. He is now in great condition, and I am happy to say after months of recovery, back with his wife Princess for another shot at breeding!
I guess what I am trying to say, is that if my little 2.8 lb baby can do it, yours can too! I hope this gave you some peace and hope! And I just want to say, if you do loose him just know that you did everything in your power to help him, and that he will be in a better place. :kiss:

 

[The_Dutchess]

*UPDATE*
With the help of a bossy little guinea pig named Swizzle, Smokey is eating! Small amounts but a lettuce leaf here and there or a bit of oats or hay. Swizzle eats almost constantly. She takes the word pig in her name very literally. So listening (I have discover smokey is either blind, very poor eyesight or a bit of a deadbeat) to Princess Swizzle's constant chewing and drinking its like he has started to copy her. I have decided to get Smokey a buddy. BUT I have a problem. Financially I am having a bit of a hard time right now and I can't afford to have a bun neutered. And I don't want to bond two intact males. Any suggestions? Could I get an already neutered bun? The ideal situation would be a spayed female but I don't think I'll find one around here that isn't $75.

 

[MaggieJ]

That's good news that Smokey is beginning to eat again. Is Swizzle sharing a cage with Smokey? If so and if they are getting along, I suggest that you let them be buddies. A buddy does not always have to be the same species.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

That's good news that Smokey is beginning to eat again. Is Swizzle sharing a cage with Smokey? If so and if they are getting along, I suggest that you let them be buddies. A buddy does not always have to be the same species.

Yes, and if whatever is affecting the blind rabbit is contagious, you would be infecting another rabbit.... Since they seem to get along so well, I would just leave them as buddies, as Maggie stated. But watch your Gpig for any symptoms.

 

[The_Dutchess]

No the g pig is in her own cage they were just side by side in separate cages and if I tried that he'd be jumping her as they are both intact. I don't have a cage big enough for him anyways. Today u shined a light in smokeys eyes and he miraculously blinked. So I dunno what's up with that. I have the oppurtunity to get a free male neutered bun, do you think I should take that chance or leave him single? He seems lonely and I can't spend a ton of time with him with school.

 

[MaggieJ]

Quite honestly, I think Smokey will be just fine on his own - especially if you keep the G Pig cage next to his. The idea that rabbits need a buddy has been popularized by the House Rabbit Societies, but most people find that rabbits are territorial and really prefer to have their own cage. Get him some toys, perhaps, and let him socialize with the G Pig through the wire.

You will have to be careful if you do decide to take on that neutered male rabbit. There is absolutely no guarantee that they will take to each other. Neutering helps lower aggression, but rabbits have very individual personalities, the same as people, and not all of them can get along together. You could get the second rabbit and find that they can't be together at all - and that would mean needing another cage, feed and water dishes etc. plus more cleaning out and time caring for them.

 

[The_Dutchess]

But that's the thing - I have no indoor cages suitable for a rabbit. The one I had him in I'd use for a hamster! The cage he was in is PURELY emergency care cage for sick bunnies. I am looking for a nice indoor cage for emergencies, but I live with my parents and I'm not allowed to keep bunnies in the house unless it's temporary. It was a huge fight just to get the guinea pig. So Smokey will be totally isolated for the rest of his life, unless I get him a neutered buddy for outside. But like you said, Maggie, there is a huge risk! And I wouldn't be able to keep the bunny outside alone, I have litters on the way and no cage space. It would be awesome to put the guinea pig and Smokey together but like I said, no bunnies in the house and cage isn't big enough. So I don't know what to do. I wish I could put him somewhere where he could interact with Bandit through the wire, but I'd have to switch everyone around, and I can't do that with pregnant bunnies in winter. I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?