She won't eat!!

[emily13hsiao]

Please help! I just noticed this afternoon that my 6/7 year old rabbit looks really unhappy. She is hunched in the corner of her pen and will not move even when I move to pet her (she usually doesn't like being touched). In addition, she won't eat! I gave her some pellets, some hay, and even some apple (which she usually LOVES). I sat with her and she looks like she's in pain. There's some feces clinging to her bottom (but idk what to do about that or if it's related...). I also heard a tiny "bloop" from her stomach but only once. I can't tell if her poop is small or if she has been pooping since we have another rabbit in the same pen :/(she did eat normally this morning, though). My parents don't want me to take her to the vet because it's very expensive unless we're sure it's some kind of emergency.

 

[Azerane]

If a rabbit hasn't been eating or pooping for 12 hours, then it is an emergency situation. Rabbits won't eat when they're in pain (being hunched and not moving is a clear sign of that). Not eating leads to a gut slow down and GI Stasis. Don't leave it until after your vet is closed when it will be too late and you will have to wait until the next day. A vet will often give sub-cutaneous fluids, a gut motility medication and pain medication. The combination of which will get your bunny eating and pooping again. GI Stasis is however a symptom, not an illness itself, so the vet will want to check teeth etc. What did she eat this morning? Anything different that may have upset her or some sort of vegetables that might cause gas?

 

[Aki]

You need to see a vet and fast. As Azerane said, your rabbit will need to be checked for teeth or any other underlying problems and she will probably need an x-ray to rule out a blockage. Maybe your rabbit "just" has stasis (which can be caused by health problems, but also just by stress or a reduced consumption of hay which you might have missed considering you have two rabbits - I have the same problem, I know it's hard to tell, sometimes), maybe it's another problem, but in any case, a rabbit in pain won't eat which can go downhill real quick so you'll need Metacam. It is an absolute emergency. A rabbit not eating will die in two or three days if nothing is done. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to cure her. If money is the problem, talk with the vet, most of them accept to be paid in installments or something - I don't know how old you are, maybe talk to your parents about repaying the bill with chores... It is true it is expensive. One of my rabbits had stasis 3 weeks ago (she is 6 and a half and her symptoms sounded a lot like the one you describe) and the bill amounted to around 150$ (consultation, meds, x-rays) but she recovered and it was well worth the money. I hope you will be able to convince your parents and that your rabbit will recover.

 

[emily13hsiao]

Thanks everyone! I made a vet appointment but as soon as I did she started eating again (imagine being that scared of the vet, haha). Thanks for all your advice though, if this happens again I will definitely call the vet immediately.

 

[awarmrainyday]

If it happens again, as soon as you notice I would recommend starting simethicone at about 1cc ever hour for three hours and then once every three hours, force feeding (Pellets soaked in water, baby food or a mixture of both) and keep the fluids going. Pedialyte is good to keep them hydrated. You should always have oral syringes and simethicone (baby gas medication) on hand. It sounds like she may have had gas that she passed. Simethicone and belly rubs can go a long way with that.

 

[squidpop]

Also give her a really good brush and get rid of all lose fur, lose fur swallowed by grooming could further aggravate her situation.