Rabbit Rapidly Losing Weight, What Medications Should Be Avoided?

[CrazyChickenGirl]

About a month ago Snowball (a rabbit from Opal’s first litter a year ago) was returned to us because his owner couldn’t care for him anymore. Last week he started losing weight so I doubled his pellet ration. His diet went from 1/4 a cup of pellets in total a day along with 2 cups of veggies, unlimited hay and water. To now along with the other stuff he gets 1/2 a cup of pellets a day in total. After a week now he is even skinnier. I have checked his poop for worms and couldn’t find any. He eats all of his food he’s given and drinks about 4 cups of water a day on average, but he’s still losing weight. He’s not even remotely lethargic or anything, in fact, he’s still just a little bundle of energy. Today I plan to schedule a vet appointment to figure out what is going on. The only thing is, I haven’t used this vet before and I’m not sure how rabbit savvy they actually are. The whole point of all this information is I have two questions.
1. Is the any medication or treatment that I need to make sure that they don’t give him?
2. Are the signs pointing to any specific problem(s) that I should ask them to check specifically for? Are there any that aren’t possible and therefore don’t need to be checked for?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[JBun]

If you've verified your rabbit is eating all of his food well, dental issues aren't a likely cause. But even if you can't see signs of worms in the poop, it's still a possibility. A fecal float test should be done to rule out internal parasites. If that's clear, maybe a urinalysis. Next would be a blood test and possibly xrays.

The biggest concern with the weight loss occurring, when there is also significantly increased thirst and urination (if your rabbit isn't a large breed), is that it can be a sign of kidney failure or possibly liver disease. With normal or increased appetite, and also significantly increased thirst, kidney problems would be my primary concern.

Acute kidney problems or liver problems have a chance of recovery. If it's chronic kidney failure, it can't be cured but is managed with medications and diet. Though even with this it may only give the rabbit a little more time, it just depends on how progressed it is.

https://www.jwoodvet.co.uk/kidney-problems/
https://wagwalking.com/rabbit/condition/kidney-failure-
Other possibilities can be toxicity(from ingested toxins or toxins in the feed), diabetes(rare in rabbits), tumors or cancer, infection, but with these I would expect there to definitely be lethargy and decreased appetite. With liver and kidney disease, there may still be normal behavior initially.

Antibiotics are the primary medication to be careful with. Some prove fatal to rabbits if given orally. Steroids also have risks of affecting a rabbits immune system, so should only be given in certain circumstances like severe head tilt(last resort case), spinal trauma, etc.

Medirabbit: dangerous drugs

Medirabbit: safe drugs

If this is anything more complicated than an internal parasite issue and this vet isn't very experienced with rabbits, it would probably be best to take your rabbit to an experienced rabbit vet if possible. In fact if you have the option, it may be best to just go to a good rabbit vet from the start, as this helps increase chances of correct diagnosis and treatment being given.

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

If you've verified your rabbit is eating all of his food well, dental issues aren't a likely cause. But even if you can't see signs of worms in the poop, it's still a possibility. A fecal float test should be done to rule out internal parasites. If that's clear, maybe a urinalysis. Next would be a blood test and possibly xrays.

The biggest concern with the weight loss occurring, when there is also significantly increased thirst and urination (if your rabbit isn't a large breed), is that it can be a sign of kidney failure or possibly liver disease. With normal or increased appetite, and also significantly increased thirst, kidney problems would be my primary concern.

Acute kidney problems or liver problems have a chance of recovery. If it's chronic kidney failure, it can't be cured but is managed with medications and diet. Though even with this it may only give the rabbit a little more time, it just depends on how progressed it is.

https://www.jwoodvet.co.uk/kidney-problems/
https://wagwalking.com/rabbit/condition/kidney-failure-
Other possibilities can be toxicity(from ingested toxins or toxins in the feed), diabetes(rare in rabbits), tumors or cancer, infection, but with these I would expect there to definitely be lethargy and decreased appetite. With liver and kidney disease, there may still be normal behavior initially.

Antibiotics are the primary medication to be careful with. Some prove fatal to rabbits if given orally. Steroids also have risks of affecting a rabbits immune system, so should only be given in certain circumstances like severe head tilt(last resort case), spinal trauma, etc.

Medirabbit: dangerous drugs

Medirabbit: safe drugs

If this is anything more complicated than an internal parasite issue and this vet isn't very experienced with rabbits, it would probably be best to take your rabbit to an experienced rabbit vet if possible. In fact if you have the option, it may be best to just go to a good rabbit vet from the start, as this helps increase chances of correct diagnosis and treatment being given.

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough response. I’ll read through the links that you provided. With this being, quite possibly, something serious I’ll have to try and schedule at a more experienced rabbit vet like you said. This one was just convenient since we already used it for our dogs and it is reasonably close. Plus, it seems all the experienced rabbit vets anywhere near us are pricy and far away, but I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to help Snowball.

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

We called around our area and the soonest that we could get in with a knowledgeable was the 15th this month as everyone else is booked out very far. My only concern is he is losing weight rapidly. What can I do to help him until then? Should I start giving him unlimited pellets until we can get him there to keep his weight up? Also, (I forgot to mention in the first post) about 3 months ago (he was returned last month) his home had a flea outbreak. They brought him to the vet the who gave him some injection for fleas (they didn’t tell me what), and they put a flea collar on him. Could this have contributed to it at all? I don’t have a whole lot of information on it because they didn’t tell me until they returned him about all this.

 

[Moonshadow]

I would definitely go to unlimited pellets if I were in your situation. Could you call the vets office again and stress the urgency? Maybe let them know how many ounces he’s losing per day. Hopefully they can move up his appointment.

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

I would definitely go to unlimited pellets if I were in your situation. Could you call the vets office again and stress the urgency? Maybe let them know how many ounces he’s losing per day. Hopefully they can move up his appointment.

Ok, I’ll start on unlimited pellets tomorrow. Unfortunately, we did try to stress the urgency, but they don’t have any emergency care unit or anything of the sort. We did, however, ask a friend of ours who is a vet to do a fecal test looking for parasites or coccidia (I hope I spelled that right), and we are waiting on the results for that. If it comes back positive for anything she’ll give us the proper medication for him.

 

[Moonshadow]

Ok, I’ll start on unlimited pellets tomorrow. Unfortunately, we did try to stress the urgency, but they don’t have any emergency care unit or anything of the sort. We did, however, ask a friend of ours who is a vet to do a fecal test looking for parasites or coccidia (I hope I spelled that right), and we are waiting on the results for that. If it comes back positive for anything she’ll give us the proper medication for him.

Glad you have a vet friend! Definitely keep us updated~

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

We got the results back for Snowball’s fecal float. He is parasite free. Which leaves the two most likely either kidney or liver problems. It was suggested to us to give him papaya or pineapple (we have both), would either help in this case? Knowing that it is most likely something to do with either his kidney or liver, is there anything we can do to help his condition? Along with the unlimited pellets of course.

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

Our vet tech friend got Snowball into the vet she works for earlier than the appointment we had with the other vet (plus, this one had been recommended to us).
Friday- He was given a check up, and nothing was found wrong with him. The vet said she wanted to keep him overnight to do blood work and another fecal float. She said she had a super healthy hay based rabbit food so we didn’t need to go home and grab some as we didn’t need to worry about him getting GI upset from this food. I was unsure about the necessity of the overnight stay and giving him new pellets, I’m no vet so I agreed.

Saturday- We waited all day for them to call us to pick him up, and by the time we tried to call, they had closed.

Sunday- They were closed and there was nothing we could do.

Monday (today)- We called back when they opened, but they said the vet was in surgery and Snowball wasn’t cleared for discharge so we couldn’t pick him up yet. Later in the day we called back, Snowball was cleared for discharge and we could come pick him up. When the vet brought him out and handed him to me I could immediately notice that he had already gained almost all his weight back. She handed me a small baggie filled with the feed she gave him over the time he was there, the supposedly super healthy one (pictured)
It has (from what I recognize other than pellets) corn, pumpkin seeds, peas, and dried papaya. I have a couple different questions based on what scenario is best.

-Should I transition him back to my healthy feed? Do I need to transition since he wasn’t transitioned before? How mush of my feed since he lost weight while being fed 1/2 cup a day?

-Or should I just keep him on this feed until it runs out? How much would I feed? Will he lose weight again as soon as this feed is gone?

-Should I just pick out anything from the feed that is unhealthy and just feed him the healthy pieces? Wouldn’t he still lose weight again since all the fat in the unhealthy pieces is what made him gain it?

Or I guess the real question is, how do I get him back up to the proper weight AND keep him there?!?

 

[JBun]

I have doubts about how rabbit knowledgeable that vet is. Muesli is considered the worst rabbit feed for rabbits because they can pick out what is tastiest leaving the less tasty bits uneaten, which is usually the vitamin packed pellets. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies and increased risk for acquired dental disease. Plus the fact that it's excessively high in carbs and fat, and too low in fiber usually. I wouldn't continue to feed it.

Since he was only a few days off his usual food, I wouldn't think it would be necessary to slowly transition back onto it. I would just feed normally. Though until the weight issues are figured out, it would probably be good to increase feed amounts, possibly even feed unlimited for now, while also monitoring that poops stay healthy and there are no signs of digestive upset. But this is just my opinion.

It's likely he gained weight back at the vets, not from the change of food but from being fed more feed. This would mean that the problem with his weight loss is likely that he wasn't getting enough protein and higher calorie food for his size, to sustain a healthy weight. This can be from being fed limited pellets and having a hay that is too coarse or low quality that it lacks sufficient protein and nutrients for good weight maintenance, from getting too many veggies and so not eating enough hay(not too coarse) and pellets, or from having dental issues causing selective eating.

So these would be the things I would be checking for. If your hay is a good quality leafy or semi leafy hay, then the hay quality isn't likely the problem. If your bun is eating all his pellets but isn't eating a large pile of hay(the size of his body or larger) per day, this is likely where the problem is. The lack of hay eating could be he's getting too many veggies, or it could be from dental issues. Do any of these sound like a possibility?

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

I have doubts about how rabbit knowledgeable that vet is. Muesli is considered the worst rabbit feed for rabbits because they can pick out what is tastiest leaving the less tasty bits uneaten, which is usually the vitamin packed pellets. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies and increased risk for acquired dental disease. Plus the fact that it's excessively high in carbs and fat, and too low in fiber usually. I wouldn't continue to feed it.

Since he was only a few days off his usual food, I wouldn't think it would be necessary to slowly transition back onto it. I would just feed normally. Though until the weight issues are figured out, it would probably be good to increase feed amounts, possibly even feed unlimited for now, while also monitoring that poops stay healthy and there are no signs of digestive upset. But this is just my opinion.

It's likely he gained weight back at the vets, not from the change of food but from being fed more feed. This would mean that the problem with his weight loss is likely that he wasn't getting enough protein and higher calorie food for his size, to sustain a healthy weight. This can be from being fed limited pellets and having a hay that is too coarse or low quality that it lacks sufficient protein and nutrients for good weight maintenance, from getting too many veggies and so not eating enough hay(not too coarse) and pellets, or from having dental issues causing selective eating.

So these would be the things I would be checking for. If your hay is a good quality leafy or semi leafy hay, then the hay quality isn't likely the problem. If your bun is eating all his pellets but isn't eating a large pile of hay(the size of his body or larger) per day, this is likely where the problem is. The lack of hay eating could be he's getting too many veggies, or it could be from dental issues. Do any of these sound like a possibility?

Thank you for the response. The hay is good quality and he eats more than his body size per day. He gets two cups of veggies a day. The pellets I normally feed have no extra treats in them, but they have plenty of protein and fiber (I found a really nice, healthy brand). He eats normally, he practically bounces off the walls for his pellets (like every rabbit I’ve ever know, is pretty excited for his veggies, and whenever I give him fresh hay he hops over to sniff through it and it is always gone by the end of the day (when we n he gets some more). Is it possible that he just burns calories faster or something?

Also, I forgot to mention in the previous post, when I got him back from the vet not long after we had gotten in the car I noticed a bunch of ceotropes stuck to his butt. I don’t know if he did it after we got in the car or if they were there when the vet handed him to us.

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

Quick update: Snowball is completely back up to his normal weight. I don’t know how, he was almost back up to weight yesterday, but now he is completely back up. My biggest question/concern now is, how much should I continue feeding him?

 

[JBun]

Enough pellets to maintain a healthy weight and enough hay to ensure good gut function. Since 1/4 cup pellets wasn't enough for him to maintain a healthy weight, you'll probably need to give at least 1/2 cup or more of pellets per day. You'll have to find the right balance. How big a bun is he?

I would suggest keeping a close eye on his weight and body condition until you've figured out his diet and what balance is needed to keep him healthy.

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

Enough pellets to maintain a healthy weight and enough hay to ensure good gut function. Since 1/4 cup pellets wasn't enough for him to maintain a healthy weight, you'll probably need to give at least 1/2 cup or more of pellets per day. You'll have to find the right balance. How big a bun is he?

I would suggest keeping a close eye on his weight and body condition until you've figured out his diet and what balance is needed to keep him healthy.

He’s a Holland Lop. To get his weight I’d have to bring stuff in from the barn and set it up, but I can if you think that’s necessary?

 

[JBun]

So about 4 lbs then. 1/2 cup would be a place to start and would be the amount many breeders feed a rabbit that size(though pet rabbits are usually fed less pellets and more hay). Then if you feel he needs a bit more pellets, increase a little.

Once his weight is stable, or if it increases, you can decide if you want to decrease pellet amounts at all. Less pellets and more good quality semi leafy hay, is a better diet in my opinion, but it all depends on the individual rabbit. Some rabbits may need a higher pellet diet to maintain a healthy weight, due to a faster metabolism

 

[CrazyChickenGirl]

So about 4 lbs then. 1/2 cup would be a place to start and would be the amount many breeders feed a rabbit that size(though pet rabbits are usually fed less pellets and more hay). Then if you feel he needs a bit more pellets, increase a little.

Once his weight is stable, or if it increases, you can decide if you want to decrease pellet amounts at all. Less pellets and more good quality semi leafy hay, is a better diet in my opinion, but it all depends on the individual rabbit. Some rabbits may need a higher pellet diet to maintain a healthy weight, due to a faster metabolism

Thank you so much for all the help!