Alfie is not acting like himself

[mdkirby62]

I have a small, gray, norwegian dwarf rabbit and he is about three years ago. He is very mild and sweet. I went away on vacation for nine days and I got back to him looking thin and not his active self. The person watching him said that he decreased his eating and drinking and he wasn't eating his favorite treats. Now that I've been home I have seen him drink water and eat , but not as readily as he usally does. This morning he didn't look well and he wasn't interested in a treat, where usually it's like pavlov's dog (the second my alarm goes off he is waiting for his treat). I'm worried about him, and I'd take him to the vet but his vet is closed for the next few days.
His feces were small but have gotten more normal looking. There are some small pelets and some abnormal looking pelets, so there is/was definitely something going on. He feels normal, although he is shedding a lot. Nothing palpable on his body. He lets me pet him and pick him up.
Was it just me being gone for so long? Or is there something more wrong with him and I should make an appointment? Thanks for anything you can help me with.

 

[Tuckerbunnies]

Has Alfie had a dental check up lately as he could have a dental spur on his back molar and this could be painful and preventing him from eating correctly.
I think if he is losing weight a vet visit may be a good idea.

Hope Alfie is feeling better soon xx

 

[MiniLopHop]

I feel that any time a rabbit stops eating it is an emergency situation. Once the digestive system shuts down it will not get going again on it's own. If a trip to the vet, or an emergency vet, is out of the question then I would try critical care and pedialite. Will he take it if you syringe feed food or is it spit out? I would also add symithicone in case of gas.

However, you risk more harm if it is a blockage. That's why a vet assessment as to cause is so important. I don't think that doing nothing is really an option.

DC should have emergency vets that can handle rabbits, that is what I would look for.

 

[Pipp]

The stress of being 'abandoned' (dwarfs are such divas) may have set him off and the molt is making it worse. Once the hair starts accumulating and the gut gets sluggish, it make them more uncomfortable.

I'd start by getting him drinking as much as possible (I set down a separate crock with a little apple juice for flavor, it gets them drinking more).

Feeding him some canned pumpkin, which is a nice wet fiber, is your best bet at this stage.

You can also try three doses of a simethicone-based gas medicine, the baby drops are good but you have to give him a lot, probably close to a full cc, every hour for three hours.

Long tummy rubs should help (and will be appreciated if the problem is a gassy, sluggish gut) and some mild exercise.

So far there's no sign that he's blocked.

Is he trying to eat and dropping the food after a few bites? Or is it he doesn't have an appetite?

I'd try this for the next 24 hours and reassess.


sas :clover:

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[Sweetie]

Pipp is correct. Since he is eating and drinking then there may not be a blockage. I would push the hay and water. When Sweetie has small poops, I just push hay and water and her poops are normal again. Although there could be a mild blockage. For this, I have given Sweetie freshly squeezed pineapple juice, hay and water. The pineapple you buy at the grocery store and squeeze it by using a juicer, a machine that can extract the juice from a pineapple, you'll have to cut it in pieces first. Syringe him the pineapple juice, about 5cc's everyday for a week. Add the simethicone gas meds, baby gas drops as mentioned above, and keep giving him hay and water.

Please see a vet just in case. But I think that he will be okay, but see a vet just in case.