Bunny without hay or pellets – 5 days, help!

[Mr.Leo]

I left home for a week to attend school and I organized for someone to take care of him, having written everything down (including pellets, hay, and fresh greens). However, it turns out they were not listening and only fed him the fresh green (kale) once a day (about 1 cup) and never gave him pellets or hay. I am very concerned as now he is not eating the pellets I gave him, barely touch the kale, and has small minimal poops. He only eats hay when I’m constantly holding it in front of him. However, he doesn’t seem to be lethargic. Should I wait it out or go the vet? I am very concerned for my bun and upset at the care taker. Is that long enough time to make him that sick? (He has always been very healthy)

[Gina.Jenny]

Bunnies need food going through their system constantly, to prevent GI stasis. 5 days with only 1 cup of kale a day is very concerning, and I would take him to a vet asap, he may well need motility drugs to get his gut moving by now, and every hour will count if that is the case.

[Bam]

This is not good, so I think you could call a vet and ask. Try to make him eat, if he eats when you hold food right in front of him, hold food right in front of him. Hopefully he’ll get his appetite back and eat and drink like he should. It’s a very good sign that he’ll eat the hay when you hold it in front of him. I hope you can turn this around, but if he doesn’t come around and start eating and drinking very soon, within hours, he will need a vet. As GJ says, buns need to have food in their tums all the time or their gut will slow down and can stop working completely.

[Kiahak]

I believe the vet is the best choice.

They will want to give the bun motility drugs (as described) and may give you some critical care or other powdered food you can mix up with water and syringe feed several times a day until your bun starts eating on his own.

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