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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 Caring for my senior bunny

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    • brianamonster
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        Hello all!

        I’m seeking some general advice on caring for my aging bun bun. Gizmo is a holland lop and is about 7.5 years old now. He typically goes to the vet for a check up 1-2 times a year. The last time he went (in August, I believe) the vet said he looked very good for his age. Gizmo mostly spends his days napping and may chew on a toy here and there. He will usually hop around the room a few times a day. Typically, if he is stretched out and napping, he will get up if I get on the floor near him. As time passes, I find him more and more all stretched out with his head on the floor, in what seems to be a pretty deep sleep, for longer periods of time. A few times he continued sleeping even when I pet him or moved his bag of food around (which caused me to panic until he got up). I suppose these are just signs of his age, but I’m hoping there are others out there with sleepy elder bunnies too.

        He also has quite a sensitive digestive system (which has developed with age, it seems). I bought him the oxbow senior supplements a while back and without even feeding him the whole cookie, he had messy poos. He gets 1/8 cup of pellets as well as unlimited hay and parsley a few times a day. Sometimes I increase his pellets ever so slightly when I feel he needs to gain a little weight. Is it normal for an elderly bunny to need a little help keeping weight up?

        Eventually I will be lowering his second floor so he doesn’t have to hop so high. Gizmo and Pongo were my first rabbits, so this is my first time caring for an aging bunny. Any advice on what to expect is very much appreciated!


      • hportland
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          Hi there!
          Yes, it is perfectly normal for an elderly rabbit to need help keeping his weight up. It’s actually recommended that you allow them unlimited pellets in that case. Once they have reached a healthy weight, go back to their normal rationing. Also, you can give him alfalfa IF his calcium deposits are normal.
          This will provide more details

          http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/

          And yep, elderly bunnies are known for slowing down, jumping less often, and sleeping a lot more. They’re also known to be more cuddly. More of the snuggly rabbit that you hoped for when you got him. The poo thing is a bit odd, though. I would give him the supplemental cook and skip the parsley some day and see if he still has messy droppings. You could also just give him smaller bites, and spread it through the day.

          I think it’s very sweet that you’re making such an effort! I’m sure he appreciates it, even though he can’t express it. You’re like his little caretaker in the nursing home haha.


        • Sarita
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            Has your vet done an x-ray to check for arthritis? Much of what you describe could be the result of this including the “messy poo’s” – which can also be related to dental problems. Many rabbits this age develop molar spurs because their bone density decreases.


          • JackRabbit
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              I would go ahead and lower the second level, and even consider putting in a ramp if there’s space for an incline that isn’t too steep — you don’t want to risk an elderly bunny getting hurt trying to jump too high.


            • brianamonster
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                Sorry I haven’t been able to get on here and respond! I work in retail and with the holidays coming up the hours have been crazy.

                Sarita, I believe you have provided me with very helpful information in the past! I took him to see two vets in recent months. The second vet (my preferred vet but much farther away) did a very thorough examination and said his teeth looked great and that he was very healthy for his age. He didn’t mention anything about his joints, and I’m not sure if its possible for a vet to feel joints for inflammation. We haven’t done an x-ray and that would be something that I would really have to consider, only because I’m in college and my income is not very high. 

                His current cage set-up doesn’t allow for a ramp, but I need to rebuild it anyway so I think it would be best to make it longer so that a ramp can go in.

                 

                My current confusion is this (and I apologize for this post getting lengthy): For many years Gizmo received 1/4 cup of pellets once a day. He was never overweight and still had a good appetite for hay and greens. I reduced it down to 1/8 cup a few months ago to see if it would help with the messy poos and it did BUT I noticed he became a little skinnier for my liking. The last few days I have tried increasing it and I’m noticing that he is producing many more cecal pellets. When he was eating 1/8 cup, I saw him eat every cecal he produced. Now, I believe he is producing much more and is not eating all of them, and therefore causing a mess in his cage.

                I’m not sure what is considered a “normal” amount for him to produce. Should rabbits eat every single one or is it normal for him to only eat some? If it’s normal for them to not eat some of them, then I’m wondering if I have been looking at his “sensitive” tummy issues all wrong and thinking the cecals that aren’t being eaten is “messy poo.” His appetite seems much more balanced out when he receives more than 1/8 cup.

                I hope that made sense and I’m sorry again for the length! I’m off to work now so I had to type this in a hurry!

                 

                Briana


              • Sarita
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                  Well, like I said the reason for the cecal problem could be arthritis which would be the reason that he cannot reach his cecals. I don’t think he’s developed a sensitive stomach though – extra cecals aren’t the result of that – it may be that he’s just eating what he needs and leaving the rest – that is usually the reason for this. If the cecals are normally formed then it’s not a concern other than being messy.


                • brianamonster
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                    Okay, thank you! I guess all these years I haven’t been sure if it was “normal” for this to happen. It isn’t mushy poo like his brother had (we were always having to clean him!). It’s definitely normal looking cecals, but then I think he steps on them or sits where they are and that’s what makes a mess. I like things to be neat and tidy so when I saw these messy spots in his cage it made me worry. I would say he eats 60%-70% of them, and the rest are left for me to clean.

                    I’ll have to ask his vet next time he goes about the cost of x-rays. Of course I have emergency funds, but I try not to pull from that unless necessary


                  • brianamonster
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                      One more question…lets say he is overproducing from getting too many pellets. How can I reduce his pellet intake to a healthy amount for him, but help him maintain his weight? I could see that he had lost a little weight when I was feeding him 1/8 cup, even though as a result he was eating more hay and fresh greens.


                    • dewey
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                        My bunny is 8 years of age. I notice that he is a very sound sleeper now. I have had the same incidents where he is not awake even after I pet him. He has the seriously sensitive gut issues. I stopped feeding him banana b/c of overproduction of cecals. And although he has always been snuggly, he is now very snuggly. But I attribute that to all he has been through lately.

                        He was bored, so we got creative (nah, just read a lot on binkybunny) and figured that he might be bored. So, we built some mazes with boxes from the local liquor store. He loved them.

                        I am glad to hear from someone else with an older bunny!


                      • brianamonster
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                          Dewey, have you ever had issues maintaining your bun’s weight? Lately Gizmo just feels a little thin. I did a little bit of googling about arthritis in rabbits and read somewhere that rabbits can lose weight from losing muscle mass. Looking at Gizmo, he doesn’t look thin…it’s just when I pet him. I’ve already decided that after the holidays he is going to see the vet about x rays, but until then I’m just not sure what else I can do to help maintain his weight!


                        • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                            Just wanted to say I feel ya! My guys are seniors now and everything upsets their tummies. I have stopped veggies and just give them fresh grass I grow for them, hay and pellets, hay topper (dried flowers don’t upset them), willow wreaths and some oxbow treats. They had messy poop from spinach, that was the last veggie on our list that wasn’t causing issues. I think they just get more sensitive with age!

                            And the laziness-I do a lot of toy rotation to provide some stimulation-I just swap toys in and out to keep them interested but there is a lot of laying and eating

                            For the weight-can you try alfalfa hay?


                          • brianamonster
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                              I have not tried alfalfa hay, but I think that would be a good next step. The last year of Pongo’s life, we had some issues with his weight and started mixing in calf manna with his pellets. That seemed to help keep his weight steady. I may try that with Gizmo if I feel it necessary, but I would like to avoid high calorie pellets if possible! He isn’t “skin and bones” skinny, but he isn’t the pudgy, fluffy bunny he has always been. I feel like his back leg bones are more prominent when I pet him and depending on how he sits they feel more prominent. He’ll be going to see the vet after the new year, so I’ll be anxious to see what he weighs!

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                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Caring for my senior bunny