Help My Bony Bunny

[Pei Pei]

I have two female Dwarf Lionhead bunnies, bun bun and Chester. They are both about 3 months old. Lately Bun Bun has been acting very sluggish and is sleeping a lot more than usual. It eats, but it loses interest in food very quickly. Her dropping are normal. She used to run all over the house and hop around, now she just walks to a corner and sleep there. This has been going on for almost two weeks, and she's getting really really thin! I am a first time bunny owner, so I don't know what to do! Is there anything I should feed her? Or should I take her to a vet?

 

[luvthempigs]

Can you please copy and paste and then answer as many questions as you can:

If you're posting about a sick bunny in the Infirmary, please provide the following:


IMMEDIATE INFORMATION:


Location

Description (Breed, color, weight)

Age

Sex

Concise Summary of the Rabbit's Condition:



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / CHECK LIST: (Please fill in relevant info).

Fecal and Urinary Output

- are the bunny's poops and pees normal?
- when did they last use their litterbox?
- any unusual behavior? straining to pee? unusual litter habits?
- what litter and/or bedding do you use?

Medical History

- spayed/neutered?
- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before?
- is s/he on any medications?

Diet

- what specifically does your bunny eat?
- when and what did s/he eat last?
- any changes in the way s/he eats? (ie: not eating a particular food, odd chewing motions, etc)


Other

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally?
- is the rabbit molting?
- any weight loss?
- any sign of drooling? wet face?
- runny eyes?
- wet nose? coughing? sneezing?
- is s/he breathing normally

Additional

- any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach?
- has the rabbit been outdoors?
- any other pets? if so, have they been ill?

 

[pla725]

She is definitely very sick. Get her to a rabbit savvy vet. There should be a list on the site.

 

[Pei Pei]

If you're posting about a sick bunny in the Infirmary, please provide the following:


IMMEDIATE INFORMATION:


Location: Seattle, WA

Description (Breed, color, weight): Dwarf Lionhead, White/Grey, 500g

Age: 3 months

Sex: Female

Concise Summary of the Rabbit's Condition: Lost of appetite, lack of energy, sleeping more than usual.




ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / CHECK LIST: (Please fill in relevant info).

Fecal and Urinary Output

- are the bunny's poops and pees normal? Yes
- when did they last use their litterbox? 10 minutes ago
- any unusual behavior? straining to pee? unusual litter habits? No
- what litter and/or bedding do you use? Carefresh

Medical History

- spayed/neutered? No
- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before? No
- is s/he on any medications? No

Diet

- what specifically does your bunny eat?
Hay, cucumbers, dandelion greens, and occasional raisins as treats.

- when and what did s/he eat last?
Still eating right now.

- any changes in the way s/he eats? (ie: not eating a particular food, odd chewing motions, etc)
She is just not eating as much as she used to.

Other

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally? Her hopping is normal, but a lot less active. She wouldn't run around quickly anymore.
- is the rabbit molting? No
- any weight loss? Yes
- any sign of drooling? wet face? No
- runny eyes? No
- wet nose? coughing? sneezing? No
- is s/he breathing normally: Yes

Additional

- any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach? No
- has the rabbit been outdoors? No
- any other pets? if so, have they been ill? No

 

[Pipp]

Is she bonded and living with the other bun? Is it a he or she? Is he/she altered?

What kind of hay is she getting?

You're not feeding her pellets?

At three months, it's unlikely to be a dental issue, but it's possible. So is a hidden abscess somewhere, an undetected ear infection or something similar.

Parasites are another concern. The vet can look at her droppings.

I do question her nutrition levels, if she's not getting pellets, that diet is pretty much lacking in protein and a lot of vitamins. So for the immediate future, I'd put her on pellets, alfalfa hay and a lot more variation with the vegetation -- grass, carrot tops, beet greens, herbs like parsley and cilantro, certain weeds and flowers and/or whatever you can get your hands on.

Hope the vet can get to the bottom of it.


sas :clover:

 

[Pei Pei]

Thanks! I'll get go get the pallets immediately.

She is staying with another female bunny in a kennel, they are sisters so they get along very well. I keep them inside the house with the kennel open. I only lock them in there when I'm not around.

How should I care for her before I can take her to the vet?

 

[Pipp]

Try and get a good brand, not the kind with colored bits in them, but a 16% protein (for now) and high fiber (over 20%) pellet. Oxbow, Zupreem and Purina off the top of my head make good pellets. Avoid brands like Small World and Hartz.

Give her as much as she'll eat in one setting, as soon as she stops eating them, take them away. You don't want to give her too much, it will fill her up and keep her from eating the hay and veggies.

Are you sure her sister is her sister and not her brother?

And how is her coat in comparison to the other bun?


sas :clover:

 

[Pei Pei]

Well, the lady who sold me the bunnies told me they're both females for sure, I haven't personally verified...

I feed her timothy hay. And Her coat is a lot less fluffy compare to the other bun, but she has longer hair, it's been like this since I first got her. And nothing's really changed with her coat.

 

[Pei Pei]

I found a bunny Vet right next to my house, I have set up an appointment. I also bought pallets for Bun Bun, she's enjoying them a lot. And she is looking a lot more energetic and her poops are at normal size today! I noticed she's not drinking very much water... But she ate a lot of cucumbers, dandelion greens, and carrots today. Should I worry about her water intake?

 

[Pipp]

Pei Pei wrote:

I feed her timothy hay. And Her coat is a lot less fluffy compare to the other bun, but she has longer hair...

Bunnies with longer hair need higher levels of protein. I really do suspect she's just malnourished. Hopefully the diet change will help, although still a good idea to get her checked out.


sas :clover:

 

[luvthempigs]

Glad to hear she is eating the pellets. Hopefully everything is okay but still have the vet take a look at her. When is your appointment? And btw, It's great that you found a vet who is experienced with rabbits right in your own neighborhood

 

[tonyshuman]

Most of my guys don't drink much water but they get a lot of moisture from veggies.

 

[Pei Pei]

Thanks for all your help, Bun Bun is all good now. The vet told me that she was just malnourished, I'll just have to watch her diet in the future (she is a bunny with picky taste...) Again, than you guys so much for all the support and help!! :biggrin:

 

[jcl_24]

Yay for getting the bun to a rabbit savvy vet

Cucumbers in particular do contain a quite high amount of water, so that could be why Bun Bun doesn't drink much water from other sources.

Given the pellets you chose, it seems Bun Bunis sorting out her energy levels asap . Sometimes it can take a little while forrabbits to get used to a new food type, but that's clearly not an issue here!

Eat and drink enough water BunBun, so you and yourbunny mom can be merry.

Hope to hear of her energy filled adventures/mischief soon :bunnydance:.

Jo xx