How many pellets is she getting? And how is her hay and veggie consumption? Do her poops look normal?

Usually a change in appetite is a signal something is wrong, but if she’s getting a large amount of pellets she could just be eating her fill and then not wanting more.

Yes, more information is needed. Is she still eating hay and veggies? Is she pooping OK? How many pellets is she getting and what type are they?

1/2 a cup is a lot of pellets. Even though some people feed unlimited up to a year, many people start reducing the pellet amount and transitioning to an adult diet around 6 months or so, unless it’s a giant breed.

Ingesting lots of fur can cause some digestive problems and molting in general can cause some bunnies to have some gi issues. I would give her a deep grooming, and reduce her pellets to 1/4 cup (or even less). Encouraging lots of hay consumption will help her pass the fur through and help with her digestion. Encouraging lots of water will also help her digestion.

If she doesn’t increase her hay intake right away to compensate for fewer pellets, then I think a vet visit is a good idea to rule out dental issues or early stasis.

It can be frustrating to convince people that rabbits are not like dogs or cats (where not eating for a day can just mean the animal is tired of its food). 🙁

I’ve found that many people are more aware of the fact that horses have sensitive stomachs and that GI issues in horses can become emergencies (many people are aware of “colic” in horses), so I will often explain that rabbits are like tiny horses (my vet has actually said that rabbit and horse medicine are almost identical!). They can’t throw up and must eat often to keep things running. I also often explain that because rabbits are prey animals in nature, they hide their symptoms very well, so it’s important to be vigilant and notice anything that seems like a change for your bunny, which you did!

I also think sometimes people think “well, what can a vet even do for a rabbit?”, which in the past may have been true. But rabbit medicine has come a long way, and giving a bun supportive care in the form of pain meds, fluids, and other medicines can save a bun’s life.

In general, a rabbit snubbing all food for more than a few hours is cause for alarm bells, especially if it’s during a time the bun is normally hungry. More subtle changes in appetite can be an early warning that a GI problem is brewing, an indicator of dental pain, or some other indicator of pain. It can also mean a bad batch of hay or pellets, like if you get a new bag of food and suddenly the bun doesn’t want it.

One of my bunnies, Myra, often gets kind of grumpy and weird when she first starts molting. I usually give her a tummy rub, some simethicone, and oral fluids if she doesn’t want to eat. So far she has always perked up within an hour, so I haven’t needed to rush her off to the vet for further treatment.

Hopefully with fewer pellets your bun will perk up and pass the fur more easily!

Yes, I think it’s probably time to start transitioning her to an adult ration of pellets. If she doesn’t become more interested in her hay and veggies, then I agree with Dana that it could be a sign that something is wrong. The beginning of GI stasis is probably suspect #1. She’s a bit young for dental problems, but you never know.