I honestly never really gave him hay very often because one of my best friends used to come around a lot and was very allergic.

Your friend being allergic to hay doesnt give you a pass to neglect your pet’s needs. A rabbit’s diet needs to be 80% to 85% hay. Without that hay, you are subjecting him to incredible health issues, some that will get worse as he ages, others yo may not even realize is a problem until its too late.

Hes gaining weight because of his unhealthy diet. Its very hard to get a rabbit to lose weight, and rabbits who reach obesity are prone to diabetes. Obesity and diabetes can kill a rabbit. You also see the rabbit become lethargic which can lead to stasis, which can kill a rabbit. He may also start developing stomach problems, which will cause him to eat less or more, and if not taken care of, can become fatal. All of which can be very stressful for a rabbit, which can also lead to death.

Panting is a sign of exhaustion.

A rabbit who refuses their favorite treats and food is in pain and not feeling well. If he refuses his favorite treats for more than 24 hours and is barely eating anything, youll need to see an emergency vet.

It sounds like your rabbit may be having teeth problems. The fact that it takes him so long to eat and that he doesn’t even want his treats, is not normal. He should be seen by a vet, and get a full teeth/mouth exam. The vet will probably have to anesthetize him for the procedure. He may be in pain and may be having a lot of frustration since he can’t eat well. Not having much hay will contribute to a rabbit’s teeth problems. Your rabbit comes first. If your friend is so allergic to the hay, you two should either meet at her house or any place other than your house. I hope that you can get your rabbit to the vet quickly, and get any problems he has corrected, plus get him on a good diet, mainly consisting of hay. If he doesn’t take to the hay that well, since it hasn’t usually been a part of his diet, try other varieties or brands. Many rabbits will like orchard grass instead of timothy hay, since it is a little sweeter.

I’m glad he’s eating hay. It really is the best thing for him. If you have an allergic friend, maybe you could hang out in a different room from where your bunny is.

It’s very scary for a bunny to get a harness on just like that – they should be harness trained quite slowly if at all. Being outside in a harness is very risky too, if the bunny startles, it can hurt itself badly on the harness.

The fact that you’ve come here to ask questions indicate that you are interested in learning about how to care for your bun in the best possible way. It’s not so super easy when it’s your first bun. But that’s why these forums exist, so we can ask questions and learn from each other and hopefully become better pet owners.

I’m hoping we’ll hear more from you!

I agree with the suggestion to get him seen by a rabbit knowledgeable vet. When a rabbit is acting different from the norm, sometimes that is the only clue we will get that something is not right. The vet can do a full body check and see if there is a health issue behind the behaviour.

Some vets have a modified otoscope to look in a rabbits mouth and can sometimes detect dental changes, soft tissue injury and usually be able to see if there is an increase in saliva. They might suggest sedating the bun to get a more thorough look and modify teeth at the time, if necessary.

It does sound as if some dietry changes are needed and it’s a good start that your rabbit is now eating some hay. Reducing the pellet feed can help them increase hay consumption, though this (reducing pellets) should be done gradually.

Goodluck at the vet. I hope they can find out what is going on.

Best of luck at the vet’s!

We’d be happy for updates, if you like.

What kind of hay are you feeding? A lot of people with allergies are not as bothered by Orchard Grass. It is also a nice soft, sweet hay that many buns (including mine) really enjoy. I feed Oxbow Orchard Grass.

Peanut and Buttercup absolutely love Oxbow Orchard!