Half a spoon sized shredded wheat is the only treat that excites him – no luck with those either during this episode. Normally he mostly eats pellets and is only slowly getting interested in hay. He would frequently grind his teeth like he was in discomfort. We syringe fed him water as his urine seemed dark but no luck getting him to eat. After an entire day not eating he became extremely lethargic, often just stretched out on his stomach and unresponsive to touch or any other stimulation. Two and a half days ago he stopped eating. We have a Nederland Dwarf who is 20-30 months old. Most rabbits with uncomplicated stasis will start eating again within a day or so – keep tempting them with tasty milk thistle and herbs until they’re voluntarily eating. This diet will need feeding every 2 hours during the day, so it can be quite hard work. If dental disease is the cause of the appetite drop, a dental operation may be necessary, although this may be postponed until they’re feeling a bit better.įeeding a recovery diet from a syringe is really important – this input of food reminds the gut to carry on turning over and starts the ball rolling again. They will likely also need some gut stimulants, and some rabbits may need fluids. Gut stasis is extremely painful and they will need pain relief in order to start to eat again. The first thing to do is to take your rabbit straight to a rabbit-savvy vet. How can I help my rabbit who has stopped eating? It quickly becomes a vicious cycle, so intervening early and getting appropriate medical help is essential. This is exceedingly painful and compounds the problem, as the pain causes the rabbit to eat even less. The gut stops turning over properly – also known as ‘stasis’ – and they may start to bloat. When rabbits stop eating this very quickly shuts down. The digestive system of a rabbit relies on constant input of small amounts of food. Unfortunately, rabbits that stop eating quickly start to go downhill. Why is it serious if my rabbit stops eating? Faecal pellets that are smaller and harder than usual are definitely a sign that your rabbit isn’t getting enough food through their gut.ĭid you know that rabbits eat their own poo to have a second go at digesting the grass? Large, wet faeces may suggest that your rabbit isn’t eating his faeces correctly, which is often an early sign of something wrong. A decrease in poos or a change in consistency of the faeces is the first sign of something being wrong. The best way to keep an eye on your rabbit’s appetite is by watching their poo! Rabbits poo around 300 times a day, and it’s important that you get to grips with your rabbit’s pooing schedule. Waiting until you notice food being left might be too late. It’s worth remembering, though, that this isn’t the only way to keep an eye on your rabbit’s appetite. Obviously, if you notice that food is being left in the bowl or hay left in the rack when it usually all goes, that suggests a change in appetite. How will I know if my rabbit stops eating? Think about rabbit stress if you get a new pet, a new member of the family, or if there is a change in routine, and keep an extra close eye on them at these times. Something as simple as a firework going off can upset them, so keep an extra close eye on your pets during firework season. This is very serious and can be tricky to move along, sometimes requiring emergency surgery. Rabbits that have eaten something they shouldn’t (such as inedible bedding or carpet) may get a blockage or ‘impaction’. Those bunnies whose digestion isn’t quite right may also stop eating, or may become more choosy about which food they do eat. Rabbits have amazing digestive systems that can turn grass into energy, but things can, and do, go wrong. This causes pain in the jaw and ulcers on the tongue or the cheek which hurt every time the rabbit chews – it’s not surprising to see that they might stop eating! It’s important to get your rabbit’s teeth checked by your vet often to ensure that any problems are caught and corrected before too much damage is done.
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