Strange behavior, I'm worried

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 6 months ago by Bam.

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- 10/13/2016 at 7:02 PM
  novabun
  Participant
  16 posts
  Hey there everyone. I’ve been worried out of my mind today about my bunny Nova. Her behavior has been strange, especially today, and I don’t know if there’s something wrong or if it’s possibly just hormones, since she is now 6 months old (I’m looking into getting her spayed, but the closest vet who will do it is 3 hours away…)
  
  First thing this morning, she darted out to see me and circled my feet excitedly. I’ve never seen her do this before, and I believe it’s a mating behavior? However, after that, I noticed she hasn’t been eating or drinking much at all.. Her perfect litter box habits have dissolved, and I find poops all over my room. She is also grooming herself and scratching CONSTANTLY. For the most part of the day, she is laying under my bed (her favorite spot), completely avoiding her cage. This means she isn’t going in for food/water/litter box. If i shove her food dish or some hay under there, she lunges forward (doesn’t bite) and nibbles on the food. However, she’s not eating much, only a piece of hay at a time. She wouldn’t even take her salad! I kept at it and got her to eat a handful of hay, a few leaves and drink some water. But it seems she isn’t interested in doing it herself..
  
  I’ve groomed her extensively with the flea comb, checking for bugs that might be making her itch. It seems like patches of her fur are missing – she’s a lionhead, so it looks pretty obvious. I didn’t see anything though, not even flea dirt.. I’ve also checked her ears and teeth. She was just at the vet last week and she was declared perfectly healthy, so I don’t understand what it could be. Could it just be hormones be stressing her out? She lets me pet and groom her but seems irritated if I try to get under the bed. And the avoidance of the cage is very unusual for her. Yesterday she was excited and happy, binkying and running all over the place, so I don’t know what happened! Any ideas?
  
  Edit: When she comes out from under the bed, she makes these whiny noises and follows me around while circling me. This is all new as of today, I’ve never heard her make noise before.
- 10/13/2016 at 8:25 PM
  Dface
  Participant
  1084 posts
  Not eating is a worrying sign in a rabbit, if she’s not going toilet she will need to go to the vet to see what’s wrong. The fur loss might be moulting-which mine find itchy and uncomfortable-If it is moulting there could be a blockage.
  Alternatively she may have mites, which can be hard to see depending on species, but are often refferred to as walking dandruff(because they are white and if shaken onto black clothing can be seen moving)
  
  As for the circling and noises, that’s normally a hormone thing. As is the poop thing- which could also be why she’s lunging at you when you go to go near her spot under the bed-your bunny is a teen who is getting territorial.
  
  My buns will spend hours outside of their cage just slobbing in some favourite spot, and point blank refusing to go back in. Some rabbits have different habits. Sampras is hungry morning and evening but will eat very little during the day(Even when confined to his cage he’ll choose to snooze, but snacks happily at nigthtime), Yumi on the other hand eats consistently.
  But again, if she isnt eating even when in her cage or going toilet at all there is an issue that will require a vet.
- 10/13/2016 at 10:08 PM
  Azerane
  Moderator
  4691 posts
  Most of her behaviours sound hormonal to me, the circling, making whiny noises at you, hiding under the bed and lunging, pooping everywhere. I’m not surprised you’re seeing all of these things happen at once because all are hormonal.
  
  Not eating and the constant scratching however is not normal, sometimes when shedding they can be missing some patches of fur, but otherwise it might be worth getting her treated for mites. Usually the skin will be quite dry and flaky. Where is the fur missing from? Has she been pulling it off herself and piling it somewhere like under your bed?
  In regards to eating, keep on encouraging her to eat, it seems like she’s willing to, she’s just disinterested. Since she’s still pooping it’s a good thing and she’s still eating here and there. If she stops eating completely or pooping as mentioned she will need to see a vet quickly. However it could just be that with all the hormonal changes, that her body is adjusting and she just doesn’t feel particularly hungry today.
- 10/14/2016 at 10:39 AM
  novabun
  Participant
  16 posts
  Thank you guys for the advice. I guess the hormonal changes hit my poor bunny pretty hard!
  
  She’s nibbling hay from my hand but still refusing greens and pellets. Hay is probably the best thing for her though, and she’s still pooping everywhere so I’m not as worried.
  
  Does Advantage II treat mites in rabbits? I applied some to her at the beginning of last week and I’m finding conflicting information. I hope that the scratching and hair loss means she is just molting. I can’t find any evidence of her pulling the hair and “nesting”, although it is a bit hard to get under the bed and check properly without irritating her. :p
- 10/14/2016 at 11:55 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17031 posts
  Advantage II could have some effect against mites due to it’s content of pyriproxyfen. Imidaclopride (the other chemical in Advantage II) doesn’t kill rabbit mites. It’s good for fleas and lice though. I couldn’t find any study done specifically on Advantage II or only pyriproxyfen on rabbits, but I found this: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/pvb/v33n5/08.pdf
  
  It seems rabbits tolerate pyriproxyfen. Imidaclopride is considered bunny-safe. If she has mites, you should see some “dandruff” on the bald spots. If the skin is all smooth, it’s probably not mites, just molting.
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