Question related to malnourishment in younger rabbits future health

[Maureen Las]

I just read questions about Flowers dietconsidering she is malnourished...led me to think about our shelterbunny whose sibs died from starvation. Our shelter bunny is eating verywell....pellets timothy hay , greens etc. and has gained wt. in severaldays. I am concerned with the knowledge that if a rabbit does not eatwithin 12-24 hrs. she/he will suffer from a fatty liver. Our shelterbunny had not eaten for weeks what does this mean in terms of futurehealth issues. She is now pooping and peeing normally probably around8-9 months old. Is her future bleak because of her neglected start inlife???

 

[maherwoman]

I'd like to know this, too...obviously because I'm Flower's mama.

Thanks for posting the question!

 

[Spring]

I'm not sure, but my cousin saved three babybunnies a while back that were extremly thin and were almost to thepoint were they were starved, so she rescued them from the auction. Shestill has two of the babies, now adultsand they are nowaround a year old and she keeps them as house pets.

The two rabbits my cousin has haven't had any noticable healthproblems, and considering they are still fairly young, I'm not sure ifthere's still any chance of health problems in the future.

Pepsi has gone atleast 36 hours without eating (during her statis)and I've never had a problem afterwards.

Hope this helps a bit!

 

[cheryl]

argh..how can anyone let an animal starve todeath?how can they just push an animal aside and just forget aboutit,dont they realize that there is a little hungry animal just waitingfor someone to feed them,i feel like crying,it makes me sad to thinkthat there are starving animals out there,some people can be downrightnasty,to buy food for an animal ain't that much,maybe it is just tomuch effort for some people,these kinds of people have no heart just avery cold stone to replace it.



Angieluv,i hope this little bunny does not suffer any longtermhealth problems,she deserves a lot of loving at themoment,just to see her eat would make my heart skip a beat



cheryl

 

[Maureen Las]

Cheryl...she's eating like a little piggie right now..just hope that she stays OK angieluv

 

[Maureen Las]

Cheryl...she's eating like a little piggie right now..just hope that she stays OK angieluv

 

[maherwoman]

And the same with Flower...she's eating SO MUCH!! It's encouraging...

angieluv wrote:

Cheryl...she's eating likea little piggie right now..just hope that she stays OKangieluv

 

[cheryl]

here's to two happy and well fedbunnies:toastingbuns,im so happy for both of these bunnies,they nowhave a wonderful life to look forward to,there is nothing like a happywell fed bunny to put a smile on my face ,well a BIG smile anyway



cheryl

 

[Maureen Las]

Nothing like a bunny with a big appetite

 

[maherwoman]

Oh yes...I couldn't agree more!!

angieluv wrote:

Nothing like a bunny with a big appetite

 

[m.e.]

angieluv wrote:

I am concerned with the knowledge that if a rabbit does noteat within 12-24 hrs. she/he will suffer from a fatty liver.

Hepadic lipidosis, or "fatty liver", strikes overweight animals that goon a sudden fast, forcing their body to burn fat and releasing toxinsfrom the liver (most common in overweight cats). It's a prettyimmediate illness.

 

[pamnock]

Many animals that have suffered from beingmalnourished recover very well and go on to live healthy lives.



Pam

 

[Maureen Las]

m.e. wrote:

angieluv wrote:

I amconcerned with the knowledge that if a rabbit does not eat within 12-24hrs. she/he will suffer from a fatty liver.

Hepadic lipidosis, or "fatty liver", strikes overweight animals that goon a sudden fast, forcing their body to burn fat and releasing toxinsfrom the liver (most common in overweight cats). It's a prettyimmediate illness.

I really didn't know that. How come when a rabbit isgoing into stasis we have to to force-feed themright away ?....I thought it was to prevent fatty liver or liverdamage...actually a vet told me that (I know that doesn't always meanmuch depending on the vet)

 

[Maureen Las]

pamnock wrote:

Many animals that have suffered frombeingmalnourished recover very well and go on to live healthylives.

Thanks Pam I certainly am relieved to hear this and I'm sure Maherwoman will be too.

 

[m.e.]

angieluv wrote:

m.e. wrote:

angieluv wrote:

I amconcerned with the knowledge that if a rabbit does not eat within 12-24hrs. she/he will suffer from a fatty liver.

Hepadic lipidosis, or "fatty liver", strikes overweight animals that goon a sudden fast, forcing their body to burn fat and releasing toxinsfrom the liver (most common in overweight cats). It's a prettyimmediate illness.

I really didn't know that. How come when a rabbit isgoing into stasis we have to to force-feed themright away ?....I thought it was to prevent fatty liver or liverdamage...actually a vet told me that (I know that doesn't always meanmuch depending on the vet)

Because a rabbit's digestive system needs to be constantlymoving, and if it stops (which is what "stasis" means) and blood flowis limited in the GI tract, then parts of the intestine could die. It'svery, very serious, and that's why not eating/pooping should be takenseriously.

Not all animals are like this: predators like cats can fastoccassionally and be just fine, provided they're not overweight. Butrabbits are particularly prone to complications with stasis.

 

[Maureen Las]

But if a rabbit has food with held by neglectthen doesn't the rabbits GI system stop moving because ofexternal factors??? When we brought the skinny little bunny infrom from his neglectful situation he was not pooping orpeeing but after bein fed and given water started to almostimmediately. How could the GI system survive not being fed atall if it has to keep moving.??

 

[naturestee]

Some rabbits can survive stasis more easily thanothers, especially if it wasn't their choice to not eat. Manycases of true GI stasis are also accompanied, or even caused by,bacterial imbalances/infections and viral infections which can causethe intestines to slow down.

It's also possible that the rabbit was finding some kind of food/fiber,such as the wood of his hutch. Not enough to keep himhealthy, but it may have helped keep his intestines moving.

 

[Maureen Las]

Thanks Angela..that makes sense

 

[maherwoman]

Yes, I definitely am! Thank you, Pam!

angieluv wrote:

pamnockwrote:

Many animals that have suffered frombeingmalnourished recover very well and go on to live healthylives.

Thanks Pam I certainly am relieved to hear this and I'm sure Maherwoman will be too.