Hello! I’m new here.
My name is Cassie. I have a 12-13 week old dwarf lop called Theodore, but he lives alone, although we give him lots of attention and has free run of the flat except when we are out or asleep (there’s always someone in usually). We have had him since he was approx 8 weeks old.
When we first got him he had a case of snuffles, he had some antibiotic treatment that seems to have worked well. He no longer sneezes although occasionally makes some strange sounds that sound like he might be a bit “bunged up” – he is breathing fine and there is no longer any nasal mucus.
He has a diet of unlimited hay, 50g of baby bunny pellets (16% protein, 16% crude fibre, 4.5% oils and fats, 7% crude ash, 10% moisture) (recommended by the vet, decreased from 60g to try and encourage eating cecotropes), unlimited water and the very occasional treat. We are going to start introducing some fresh veggies in there this week. He is due to start on adult pellets at 16week, although I am not entirely sure how much to introduce and when.
The last day and a half ish he hasn’t been himself – he’s usually running around and jumping on the bed and sofa. (Although he always does lay around a lot) and yesterday he ate and drank much less. Today he has eaten almost all of his pellets although I haven’t seen him eat much hay. I fed him a few syringe fulls of water and since then he seems to have been drinking better. He was also ignoring us but has given us some loves and kisses tonight. I’m wondering if he was cross with us for leaving him for a while at the weekend and he didn’t get as much attention as he usually does – he looked really sad and lonely but does seem a little better tonight.
Something that is really worrying me is that he doesn’t eat his cecotropes. I occasionally see him coming up from his bum chewing but I’m not sure if he’s eating them, and there are SO MANY left over. Like loads. We have tried putting them in his food bowl, reducing his pellets, feeding them to him and even dunking them in apple juice (he likes that – the vet suggested it when we were giving him his snuffles medicine). The apple juice thing worked a couple of times but it’s an awful lot of work, I don’t want to be giving him too much apple juice, and also I feel like he kind of needs to know that he should be eating them and won’t know if they don’t smell and taste so sweet! However, he eats his normal poos, the round ones. Often. And I don’t know why. There has been a little variation in his poos – some have been a little smaller and a little darker, a tiny bit less round than usual. But some are normal. Although the ones I class as normal are slightly moist, but look a good colour and crumble when pressed… is that normal???
Also does anyone have any suggestions for litter training? He uses the litter tray to wee but not as much to poo, and occasionally wees on the kitchen floor. Although he is good I’m that he wees and poos in the kitchen except a couple of times on the bed before he figured out he could get down as he wants to. He has a litter tray in his cage which he can go in to whenever he wants but he doesn’t use it in there, and a tray in the corner of the kitchen – he does use that a little more. We put him in the tray when he wees on the floor and put the tissue in it used to wipe it up but he’s still not totally getting it. His wee also smells worse than usual I think.
One more thing – I’m thinking of getting him a friend as soon as he is old enough to be neutered, around 4 months. Will it be OK to introduce a female friend to him at this stage? I’d like to get a baby girl and would get her spayed as soon as she is old enough.
I guess my questions are:
1. Is the “bunged up” sound normal?
2. Is his diet ok?
3. How much fresh veggies should we introduce and for how long? What should he be eating as a full grown adult?
4. Is the behaviour change a cause for concern, given that he seems quite a lot better now?
5. Do you think he was cross with us and have started to earn back some trust? Do you think he is bored/lonely/unhappy?
6. Is the fact that there are lots of excess cecotropes normal? How can we get him to eat them? What will happen if he doesn’t? Could it be a symptom of an underlying condition?
7. Is it normal that he eats so many of his ordinary poos?
8. What may have caused the variation in his poo size/colour? Although only fairly subtle?
9. Are his normal poos supposed to be slightly moist and squishy?
10. Are there any suggestions for litter training based on the circumstances?
11. Why might his wee smell more than normal? Does all of this add up to something like a UTI?
12. Would it be ok to introduce another bunny once Theodore has been neutered? Or does it have to be that they are introduced really young?
Sorry for the life story. I’m not sure what’s me being an embarrassing worrying mum and what is cause for concern!!
It’s frustrating because I’m a nurse for people and people can just tell me if everything is not OK. I haven’t had pets for many years, so I’m learning to interpret behaviour etc from scratch. And also still getting to know his personality, as he hasn’t that long since joined our family!
Thanks for reading and I appreciate any responses.
Lots of love,
Cassie, Theodore and family. <3
xxx
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