Bunny Behavior HELP!

[samcake]

Pancake stays in a pretty large enclosed space. She has plenty of room to jump around a move around. She does get play time though when I’m home. Today I noticed that she was laying in her litter box (I think I have seen her do this a total of one time since I’ve had her for 2 years) I thought it was weird, but I had to finish up some work. I went to the fridge and noticed she didn’t come up to her cage to see if she was getting treats. Again, I noticed it but ignored it. I went to open up her cage to let her run around and she won’t come out. She’s just lying there in her litter box. I even tried to pick her up out of it and she didn’t freak out *WEIRD* she never lets me pick her up. She seems to be able to move / hop fine, but she just went back in the corner. After a few minutes she hopped back into her box (and FLOPPED….so I’m confused. Because I thought that meant they were happy/relaxed.) It seems like something is wrong with her. She won’t even come out when I shake a bag of treats. Nothing has changed in her diet, home, ect. HELP!  

[Mikey]

It sounds like her tummy might be bothering her. Some rabbits will flop if their tummy is uncomfortable to try and make it feel better. Is she bloated at all? Is she eating her treats you try to feed her?

[samcake]

That’s what I was thinking. She hasn’t moved from her box no she won’t eat the treats at all.

[tobyluv]

Has she been eating her hay and pooping? She may have gas. Do you have any infant simethicone drops? They can be very helpful. You can also do a light tummy massage. If she is not eating or pooping, she will need to see the vet. She may be going into GI stasis and will need fluids and a motility drug and Critical Care. But sometimes all it takes is a dose or two of simeticone. The brand that I have is Infant Mylicon. You give 1 -2 ml every hour for 3 hours. Also, try to make her move around, that can help to expel gas.

[samcake]

She just started eating a little while ago. Hopefully she will use the restroom soon. She’s moving around now. Thanks for the help. Going to keep an eye on her.

[Azerane]

Good observations Bandit only ever used to lay in his litterbox when he wasn’t feeling well either so it’s good that you picked up on that. I’m glad that she’s eating again, keep encouraging her to do so and also to move around. You can still give simethicone just in case it is gas, it won’t do any harm if it isn’t.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Have little light tummy massages every now and again (tum should be soft like your tummy when laying down and tummy muscles at rest) so she gets used to your hand being under her tummy, for when you need really to massage gently if her tum is hard.

[Bam]

And try to make her move around. It sounds like she might have had gas. It’s painful for a rabbit to have gas and it tends to make them lose their appetite.

[samcake]

She seems to be all better now! She started eating again last night. Guess poor little bun just wasn’t feeling well. (Do they get tummy aches by something they ate? Or does it just happen on occasion?)

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