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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Weight Loss

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    • Dobby
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        My teeny tiny bunny Pip has become even teenier and tinier lately and I am worried.

        About a week ago, I noticed that there were still pellets in Pip and Dobby’s bowl when I got home from work.  This happened pretty much all week.  Some mornings there was still salad left over from the night before.  I also started to notice that Pip was being a little more aloof/relaxed than he normally is.  I decided to get out the scale to see what was going on only to find out that he had lost about 65 grams.  Given he was only about 760 grams to begin with, this was a decent size drop.  I called the vet and she recommended we schedule a molar trim for him, since he needs them regularly.  She thought his teeth were bothering him.

        The trim took place on Friday.  The vet told me he had a couple of small points but no lesions or ulcers.  She also said his teeth had been a lot worse in the past.  Because of this, she wasn’t convinced the weight loss was because of the teeth.  She said his stomach felt fine and she didn’t feel anything obviously wrong with him during a quick exam.  I was told to watch him closely over the weekend and call if the eating hadn’t picked up.  I watched and he seemed to be eating regularly.  But there were still pellets left at the end of each day.

        Today there were a bunch of pellets left over.  I decided to weigh Pip again and he is now down to about 675g.  (Given I am dealing with grams here, could the difference just be a before going to the bathroom and after weight difference?  And I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill?)

        The only other slightly odd behavior out of him has been that he has peed outside his litter box a few times.  He is usually excellent in his litter habits (unlike his roommate, Dobby, who likes to pee on the carpet when company comes over to show his displeasure) so this surprised me.  I’ve also noticed him sitting in the litter for awhile, not eating hay or moving much, although I can’t swear he didn’t do this before.

        Oh, and one other thing – on Sunday morning, when he got up to get out of their cage, there was some wet poo markings underneath him.  He is definitely able to clean himself and doesn’t seem to have anything stuck to him.  On it’s own, I’m not sure I would have thought anything of this.

        Otherwise he is still fairly active, although I haven’t seen any running or binkying for awhile.  And he is pooping.

        (Dobby has lost a tiny bit of weight but is still his active self.  He also was always a light eater whereas Pip rarely leaves food behind.  I don’t think the leftover food is because of Dobby.  I weighed him again tonight and he is a few grams more than he was on Friday.)

        I will be calling the vet tomorrow but was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on what might be going on.  Any things I might bring up with the vet when we go in?

        Sorry this was so long.  As a reward for making it this far, please enjoy the following:

         

         


      • Sarita
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        18851 posts Send Private Message

          What cuties.

          How old is Pip? I do wonder if perhaps arthritis is a possibility.


        • Dobby
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            He is around 4 years old now. This is just an estimate, though. He was rescued from a backyard breeding situation.

            I weighed him again this morning and he is at 697 so not quite as bad as last night. I’m guessing the difference had more to do with when in the day he was weighed. Regardless, he’s still lost a good bit of weight.


          • Sarita
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              My rabbit Bobby who is also a Netherland and has dental problems seems to fluctuate from 1.5 to 2 pounds too – usually he is about 1.75 pounds.

              He was only about 1 pound when he was dumped at the guinea pig rescue due to dental problems (at least that is what the rescue thought was the reason) – he had an abscess and eventually lost all his bottom left molars. I estimate him to be about 5 years old too. He also has to have regular dental trims…


            • Dobby
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                Just got back from the vet. They looked at his urine and saw some sludge and a bit of bacteria. I guess the amounts weren’t incredibly overwhelming so the vet isn’t 100% sure we’ve figured out the cause of his weight loss but they could be. Because of this, he is on an anti-inflammatory, an antibiotic, and those Oxbow supplements for urinary tract health. I’ll be weighing him every day to see if his weight stops dropping with all of these interventions. Fingers crossed this is the issue.

                They also checked his poo and his joints and they were fine. If this doesn’t stop the weight loss we will go back for blood work next week.

                Poor little guys both hate me right now. They started thumping when they saw me take the carrier out earlier today and have been flicking there feet at me since we got home. I’m bribing them with willow leaves to get back into their good graces.


              • LongEaredLions
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                  Glad you got to the vet, keep us updated on how he does. (((((Vibes)))))
                  Craisins are good for forgiveness as well.


                • Sarita
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                    Yes, please keep us updated on your little cutie.


                  • Dobby
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                      Ugh. Just got home and realized I only put out one bowl of there pellets. (I spllt them in two bowls because they aren’t always the best sharers.) This is the first time I have ever forgotten to put them both out. I think I was too focused on giving Pip his meds before I left for work.

                      And despite the fact that they were only given half their serving of pellets, there are still some left. I don’t know what is going on! I tried to entice them with the new pellets and there was no interest. I put out the whole bowl of oat pellets I use as treats and nothing. I even opened a new back of pellets, thinking maybe the others had gone bad. Nothing.

                      Pip did take his Oxbow supplement and Dobby is eating hay. They’ve also both pooped and it looks normal. So their digestive tracks are working.

                      Oh, Pip just ate an oat pellet! But just one…

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                  Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Weight Loss