Inactive/Refusing food

[Haru the Lionhead]

Hello everyone
Haru is an almost 3 year old female bun, she’s 3 pounds and unspayed
She’s been inactive and refuses food for 4 days now
Sometimes hides under the couch and refuses to come out for a long time
Sometimes she looks okay, chases me everywhere, and flops in her usual spot
She’s refusing hay, but eats her veggies and pellets, but also sometimes she also refuses veggies and pellets.
Her poops are round, but they are very few and small
When i go to sleep I can hear her eating her hay. I’m really worried
She’s not gassy, her belly is soft and I don’t really see her pressing it on the floor. Whenever she wants pellets i make her chase me to get it, so she can move a little
I’m giving her sherwood digestive support, as soon as she takes them she eats for a few minutes then goes back to hiding.
Is this a winter thing or what.. I remember her doing something similar two years ago

 

[JBun]

If you got a new batch of hay when this started or live in a humid area where the hay can go bad, check your hay to make sure it doesn't have a sour or musty smell, or other signs of mildew. Bad hay could cause a rabbit to stop eating it and also make them very sick.

If the hay is fine, she could have a problem with her teeth, such as molar spurs or an infection. Dental problems can cause selective eating, where a rabbit will stop eating certain foods because those foods are more painful to chew.

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/illness/dental-problems/
(LINK CONTAIN MEDICAL RELATED PHOTOS)
https://lbah.com/rabbit/rabbit-teeth-conditions/
Your rabbit will need to be examined by a knowledgeable rabbit vet right away. A dental exam will need to be done, and possibly xrays and other tests if the dental exam doesn't show what the problem is. If it is a dental problem with overgrown teeth cutting into your rabbits mouth, your rabbit will need to be sedated so those teeth spurs can be filed/burred down.

In the meantime, you need to try and keep your rabbit eating enough food to prevent GI stasis from setting in. Chopping up the food she is struggling to eat may help. If she's having a hard time with her pellets, you can try soaking them in warm water to make a pellet mush, and see if she'll eat that on her own. This needs to be made up fresh and not left out for more than a few hours. Also feed more pellets if you can't get her to eat any hay, even when it's chopped up.

But if you still can't get her to eat very much, you may need to start syringe feeding until the vet can get this problem figured out. If you don't have a syringe feeding mix, see if you can pick some up at the vet. You can also try using a pellet mush, but you'll need a wide tip syringe so it doesn't clog.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Medicating_your_rabbit
If at any point your rabbits condition worsens or you are concerned, contact your rabbit vet immediately and if needed, get your rabbit seen as an emergency.

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

If you got a new batch of hay when this started or live in a humid area where the hay can go bad, check your hay to make sure it doesn't have a sour or musty smell, or other signs of mildew. Bad hay could cause a rabbit to stop eating it and also make them very sick.

If the hay is fine, she could have a problem with her teeth, such as molar spurs or an infection. Dental problems can cause selective eating, where a rabbit will stop eating certain foods because those foods are more painful to chew.

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/illness/dental-problems/
(LINK CONTAIN MEDICAL RELATED PHOTOS)
https://lbah.com/rabbit/rabbit-teeth-conditions/
Your rabbit will need to be examined by a knowledgeable rabbit vet right away. A dental exam will need to be done, and possibly xrays and other tests if the dental exam doesn't show what the problem is. If it is a dental problem with overgrown teeth cutting into your rabbits mouth, your rabbit will need to be sedated so those teeth spurs can be filed/burred down.

In the meantime, you need to try and keep your rabbit eating enough food to prevent GI stasis from setting in. Chopping up the food she is struggling to eat may help. If she's having a hard time with her pellets, you can try soaking them in warm water to make a pellet mush, and see if she'll eat that on her own. This needs to be made up fresh and not left out for more than a few hours. Also feed more pellets if you can't get her to eat any hay, even when it's chopped up.

But if you still can't get her to eat very much, you may need to start syringe feeding until the vet can get this problem figured out. If you don't have a syringe feeding mix, see if you can pick some up at the vet. You can also try using a pellet mush, but you'll need a wide tip syringe so it doesn't clog.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Medicating_your_rabbit
If at any point your rabbits condition worsens or you are concerned, contact your rabbit vet immediately and if needed, get your rabbit seen as an emergency.

Thank you for replying
I don’t think it’s a dental problem since she still goes crazy for her oxbow heart treats, and they are very hard and big.
She looks much better today, chasing me around and eating veggies. It’s just the hay she’s refusing. One of them does smell nasty but she used to love it and I bought it because I noticed that she loves nasty brown hay, and whenever i get green fresh hay she starts to eat less

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

Okay I figured it out
I just smelled the hay that I’ve been trying to feed her, and it isn’t fresh but it smells like hay. As soon as I gave her the nasty hay she started eating it nonstop!!

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

Soo..
She got better, eating alot and doing binkies and zoomies
Two hours ago she was eating vegetables
But now she’s hiding again and refuses to come out even for pellets
She took the treat from me but other than that she refuses and looks away from it
I’ll take her to a vet today but please if anyone knows anything to help
Her belly is soft and I don’t see her pressing it against the floor

 

[JBun]

If it's a reoccurring problem, she might be sensitive to something you're feeding her. I had a rabbit that was sensitive to all types of pellets. Within a half an hour of just getting a pinch of them, he would start showing signs of abdominal discomfort by belly pressing, repeatedly shifting his position, and squinting his eyes, along with stopping eating.

So I would suggest looking at anything that your rabbit is being fed to see if the change in behavior coincides with being fed a particular food. If you can't determine if the cause is the food, you may need blood tests and xrays done, to see if there's an underlying medical condition causing the lack of appetite.

 

[Preitler]

Wenever I see one of mine see being uncomfortable like this I give a little belly massage, by putting the rabbit on my leg facing me and rocking the whole rabbit, often I can see how they ease up. I get nervous pretty quick when I notice one being lethargic.

I also have dried stuff for such occasions to offer: Apple leaves, nettles, butterbur, willow leaves,..., I also offer fresh safe greens when available like narrowleaf plantain, leaves fom fruit trees, roses, brambles etc..

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

Yes she can only eat versellaga sensitive pellets, other than that she gets gassy and her poop smells bad. Also she doesn’t want anyone around her when she’s sick so I can’t rub her belly, she runs away or try to bite. As soon as i left her alone and pretend to sleep, she got out and started eating and flopping around the room. Also she only does zoomies and binkies when she thinks I’m sleeping. Is there a chance that she’s not sick and it’s just a mood thing?

 

[JBun]

Do you try and pick her up or pet her and she doesn't want you doing that to her? If you're trying to pick her up and she doesn't like that, or if you're trying to pet her when she doesn't want to be petted, that could be a reason she is waiting to eat and relax and play when you're sleeping.

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

Do you try and pick her up or pet her and she doesn't want you doing that to her? If you're trying to pick her up and she doesn't like that, or if you're trying to pet her when she doesn't want to be petted, that could be a reason she is waiting to eat and relax and play when you're sleeping.

I only pet her when she asks to, but i do try to pick her up for a few seconds.
Today i wasn’t home for a long time, and there were no poops around the room and her litter box looked the same 18 hours ago I got really worried and I took her to the kitchen where she isn’t allowed so she would mark around. She pooped and peed alot, then ate a bit of hay. Her appointment is after tomorrow.
If she was sensitive to pellets, is it okay to just cut it out of her diet? Or should I replace it with something else

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

Could it be blockage? Since her fur is long like an angora and she’s shedding..
Would blockage let her poop and then stop? Or would there be no pooping at all if it was blockage? Because when she poops it’s very small and some of them are beaded together

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

Vet checked her teeth, and it looks okay. Temperature is okay too and now they’re taking her for an xray.
They say it’s only gas and they don’t see any blockage. If she had any other issues would it show on the xray? They gave her an iv in the nape is that normal? It’s ringer lactate. And they gave her other medication that’s in the picture. And told me to only give her simethicone at home and bring her back tomorrow for a check up.

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

Update
She started pooping after almost 24 hours of no poops. She gave us 78 presents which means that her gut is moving now.
And she’s only eating hay and drinking water which means that her diet is not the problem.
BUT she’s still getting gassy and i cannot figure out why! Every hour she gets up, eats, drinks, poops , and moves normally. Then she goes back to the corner and refuses to eat, and moves slowly, and looks like she’s in pain again, till I message her belly. Then she gets better and the cicle has been going for a few hours now.
Also for some reasons she’s refusing to poop in the room, i have to take her to the living room to poop..

 

[JBun]

If she's shedding, ingested fur can certainly slow down a rabbits digestive system so that they are pooping small fecal balls and sporadically. To help minimize the amount of fur ingested, brushing can help, or sometimes for an angora bun clipping the coat shorter. Also, good hydration, and lots of hay to help keep gut contents moving well.

Xrays don't pick up everything, but if the vet is a good vet, they would likely pick on anything obvious in an xray.

Subcutaneous fluids at the back of the neck is normal, to help rehydrate a rabbit. Metoclopramide is a normal gut stimulant given to rabbits experiencing GI stasis. So the metoclopramide will be helping getting her gut moving and pooping better.

If she is immediately going to hide, not wanting to eat anymore, and acting abnormally, very soon after she eats her hay, it could be the hay that's the problem. If she only likes to eat the brown hay, if there is any mold in it, that could be the cause of all these digestive issues. Or a slight possibility could be her water if there could be any contamination, lead, or chemicals in it. I just know when my one rabbit would act odd within 30 minutes of eating, it ended up being him having a problem with his food.

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

I already changed the brown hay to fresh orchard grass.
I noticed that when i rub her belly, there is something stiff on the left side right under her rib cage. It is smooth not lumpy, the width of two fingers and it’s from her side till the middle of her belly. Is it her stomach? Or liver? And is it normal that it’s as stiff as her ribs? I’ve never noticed it because she never allowed me to rub her there till now

 

[Haru the Lionhead]

If she's shedding, ingested fur can certainly slow down a rabbits digestive system so that they are pooping small fecal balls and sporadically. To help minimize the amount of fur ingested, brushing can help, or sometimes for an angora bun clipping the coat shorter. Also, good hydration, and lots of hay to help keep gut contents moving well.

Xrays don't pick up everything, but if the vet is a good vet, they would likely pick on anything obvious in an xray.

Subcutaneous fluids at the back of the neck is normal, to help rehydrate a rabbit. Metoclopramide is a normal gut stimulant given to rabbits experiencing GI stasis. So the metoclopramide will be helping getting her gut moving and pooping better.

If she is immediately going to hide, not wanting to eat anymore, and acting abnormally, very soon after she eats her hay, it could be the hay that's the problem. If she only likes to eat the brown hay, if there is any mold in it, that could be the cause of all these digestive issues. Or a slight possibility could be her water if there could be any contamination, lead, or chemicals in it. I just know when my one rabbit would act odd within 30 minutes of eating, it ended up being him having a problem with his food.

Hello, I need your help please
When I took her to the vet before they took an xray and it looked like nothing was wrong other than gas.
She got better for two days, eating and running around, as if nothing happened. Then got sick again yesterday, she hasn’t been eating or pooping for 19 hours. I took her to the vet as an emergency and waited for five hours. The vet said that everything was normal and we got bloodwork done. Everything was normal but her cholesterol was low. She also pooped there and they tested the poop and nothing was wrong. I’m confused about what caused her to get sick. Please help.

 

[cwebster]

Not sure what is going on. Our bunny Dutchess will get sick, and the vet will find nothing, then she gets sick again.I feel so dumb when it happens. It sounds like your bunny has good care. Hope she stays well.

 

[cwebster]

BTW if she is in pain from gas, you can offer simethicone baby liquid.