Rescued bunny hasn't pooped in 12 hours

[DottiesMomma]

Bit if background info... I captured a little bunny I've been trying to rescue. He has lived on his own in business compounds for the last four months. The business owners said he showed up as a young juvenile bunny late in the Spring. He wouldn't have survived the winter all on his own (never mind the vehicular traffic!) so I've spent the last few weeks trying to safely capture him. I finally did early this morning.

He is nervous. He hasn't fought me handling him, but he is tense when I do so he is obviously scared. I haven't handled him much other than to transfer him gently from the humane trap and to sex him. Other than that I have very calmly and gently stroked him...

I'm very worried though.

He hasn't peed or pooped since I've gotten him home.

He has eaten fresh organic romaine and curly leaf lettuce since being in my care this morning. I can't tell if he has drank any water.

He hasn't touched the botanical hay other than a bit of sniffs and nibbles.

Prior to my catching him, all he had for food was bits of weeds and grasses growing on boulevards beside the business compounds.

I started leaving him romaine lettuce and small pieces of apple here and there a couple of weeks ago. The bait I used to catch him was lettuce, a strawberry and a couple of raspberries.

Advice??? I'm worried the stress of being captured has set him into stasis!

 

[JBun]

After living outdoors he will be used to the type of food he ate out there, so may not understand the hay is supposed to be his food. I rescued an outdoor bun that wouldn't touch hay, so I had to start her on fresh long grass that I cut for her daily, then I started drying part of it and mixing part fresh part dried, then I started adding in the usual hay that I feed my rabbits, until she was used to eating that hay. I also gradually started introducing a small amount of pellets. So that would be what I suggest: to gather long fresh grass, dandelions, and any other fresh forage that you are certain you know how to correctly identify and know is safe to give to rabbits, and that you think the bun might be used to eating. Also be careful about introducing new foods that the bun might not be used to eating. Everything but hay should be gradually introduced into the diet if a bun isn't used to it. And be careful about sugary high carb foods. Too much can lead to digestive problems, so it either needs to be limited to an extremely small amount, or not fed at all.

He's likely not pooping/peeing as he's not consuming enough food, and likely not drinking as he may not understand how to drink from a dish/bottle. But if you can gather enough fresh forage for him and he will eat it, he will be getting enough fluids from the fresh food and will start pooping as he consumes enough food. Of course if he won't eat or is just barely nibbling at food no matter what you try, you may need to start syringe feeding him. But that would be a last resort as it would be extremely stressful for him. If it gets to be more than 24 hours with little to no food and no pooping, you should probably get him to a vet to get him on meds to jump start his digestion. But again it would be a last resort as it would be highly stressful for the bun.

As for helping to minimize stress, if you haven't already put the bun in a quiet room I would suggest doing that. If he isn't used to people, it will be highly stressful for him to be around them and the strange noises, so you want to minimize that as much as possible at the start. It can also help to cover the cage with a sheet over three sides of it(leaving the front open so his sight isn't completely shut off) to help the bun feel more secure. Giving the bun boxes to hide in(with entrance and exit holes) can also be helpful to help them feel more secure.

I would minimize contact with the bun initially and only touch him when absolutely necessary, as it will just make the bun more nervous to have you trying to touch him. As he starts to feel more comfortable around you and seems less scared, then start off with sitting with him and letting him smell you if he wants. Then as he gets braver and more confident in your presence, that would be when I would start initiating contact and seeing if he will let you touch him.

It's just going to take patience and gradually getting the bun used to you as the giver of good things(food), so that he can learn to trust you and feel safe in your presence.

 

[DottiesMomma]

Thank you for your tips/advice! I do have him in the quietest room in the house and his cage is covered other than one side. I've given him both a dish of water and a bottle for him to try if he knows what it is.

Ugh... I wish I could just explain to him he is safe 😞

 

[DottiesMomma]

He's still eating some fresh greens... Romaine lettuce. Same as what I've been leaving for him this last two weeks. And I think he's nibbling on some botanical hay.

I'm now leaving him alone for the night. All my fingers are crossed I find he has peed and pooped when I check on him in the morning!

 

[JBun]

Good luck! Let us know how he does. It's really good that he's at least eating something, as a totally terrified rabbit won't eat at all. So chances are he'll pick up as he settles in over the next few days.

 

[Thumperina]

Is he a domesticated breed who was dumped or escaped? I hope your bun will eat and poop.
Try some kale. Even wild bunnies around would eat it when I occasionally throw some on the ground for them
A little bit of banana?

 

[DottiesMomma]

Hi everyone!!!

Great news!!!! After several days of worry, my little guy has been eating and pooping normally for several days. It took picking the weeds/grasses from where I caught him being mixed with an assortment of different hays, but he finally began eating and pooping normally!

THANK YOU so much for your advice and support!!!!

 

[DottiesMomma]

Here's my now happily eating boy!

 

[Aki]

That's great news. When he settles down, you might want to take him to the vet to confirm the sex (if he happens to be a she, spaying is advisable) and make a health-check.
Do you have a litter box inside the cage? It's hard to tell on the photo. If not, you might want to put one in, it's a lot better for the rabbit not to be in his feces and pee all the time and it's a lot easier to clean up for the owner...
That's definitely not a wild rabbit, though. He looks like a lionhead cross. Someone must have dumped him or his mother outside - anyway, it's lucky for him that you took the time to catch him because you are right, he probably wouldn't have survived for long.

 

[squidpop]

Oh my goodness! He is so cute and orange So happy to hear he is eating and settling in.

 

[BlackMiniRex]

glad he's feeling better!
i love the orange color!!!

 

[DottiesMomma]

Yep!!! I'm positive he's part lion head. So he is now named Leo 😉 And he's definitely a boy. His family jewles are very obvious why I pick him up and have a look. Poor boy feels violated... Lol! So yes... He will be getting neutered. I'm a firm believer in spay/neuter for those health reasons alone (never mind marking or trying to breed everything!)

I'm in the process of getting him litterbox trained. As of today he pees fully in the litterbox but still does his poops throughout his kennel. I am hoping to be able to give him full run of the living room and my home office 😃

 

[BlackRabbits]

He's really cute, congratulations! I feel your pain re the peeing in the box and pooping outside. My Flemish girl isn't spayed yet, and I think that could be why she's marking her pen with poop. Maybe your little guy will be better once he's neutered.

 

[katiecrna]

He is so cute!! Congrats on your new healthy bunny

 

[JBun]

Aww, what a cutie pie :hearts:

I'm glad he is doing well and settling in now. It's always a worry when they won't eat properly.