Bunny having trouble eating

[Lightning235]

Hi. I have a four year old lionhead rabbit, About a month ago he stopped eating and drinking for 12 hours. We put him on Simethicone and that seemed to fix it. so we just figured his stomach was upset. But, a little while after that he started eating slower again and then a few days ago I forgot to feed him in the morning  . He stopped eating and drinking again. We put him back on the Simethicone and he’s eating and drinking again. But he still isn’t eating like normal. I trimmed his hair hoping that would help, He’s shedding right now. But we haven’t taken him to the vet because he’s never been. We do have a vet that was recommended to us by a friend if we need to take him. But anyways. Any idea what’s going on and how to fix it? Should I keep him on the Simethicone for a few days to see if that helps him eat regularly?

Thanks

[Bam]

He might need his teeth checked by a vet. Not just the incisors, but the molars. It’s common that rabbits develop dental spurs that make it hurt when the bun chews. The bun gets picky with food and avoid certain food, and/or doesn’t chew the food properly. This causes GI upset and gas, so that’s why the simethicone has been helping for now.Does he eat hay? Rabbits must eat grass hay to keep their teeth in good shape.

Many rabbits get gas when they are shedding, but because this started a whole month ago, I think he should be seen by a good vet who knows how to check bunny back teeth. Simethicone often helps with gas although there’s no real scientific proof of it’s effectiveness in rabbits, and it won’t hurt him, but if there’s an underlying dental issue, simethicone wont solve it.

[Lightning235]

Thanks for the help! We will try and get him to the vet soon. And he doesn’t eat much hay, and he never has. he will still eat some but he just doesn’t seem to care for it. Do you have any tips on how to get him to eat hay?

[sarahthegemini]

Does he have hay 24/7? You said you forgot to feed him one morning but I assume he still had hay?

Simethicone is okay but this cycle of not eating keeps repeating so you need to find the cause. I agree that a vet visit is in order.

[tobyluv]

Posted By Lightning235 on 10/24/2017 3:35 AM

Thanks for the help! We will try and get him to the vet soon. And he doesn’t eat much hay, and he never has. he will still eat some but he just doesn’t seem to care for it. Do you have any tips on how to get him to eat hay?

Have you tried different varieties of hay and different brands of hay?  Some rabbits like timothy, but others prefer orchard grass, oat hay, meadow hay, etc. Some brands are better/tastier than others. Most rabbits love alfalfa hay, but that should only be given in small amounts as an occasional treat for adult rabbits.  You could sprinkle a little alfalfa hay on top of the timothy or other grass hay.  Since alfalfa is so fragrant, the little bits may filter down into the timothy and make him want to eat all the hay.  Also, make sure that you aren’t giving him too many pellets.  You may have to cut back a little on the pellets to make sure that he eats hay.

It would be good to get him to a vet as soon as you can.  If he is having pain due to his teeth, that will only get worse, and sharp points on molars can cut into the gums/cheeks, and cause further problems.  You also don’t want  him to go into full blown GI stasis, since that can be very serious.

[Wick & Fable]

What’s your feeding schedule? The increments and time between feedings of non-hay items can really influence how much hay your rabbit eats.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Deleted User]

It does sound like your buns teeth could be the culprit. I would suggest a vet visit as well.
For the hay, you might need to try a few out. Both of my buns like a bit of a variety. They get unlimited timothy hay, but I have a bowl of oat hay for them to munch on while they are playing out of their cages. I know Oxbow has hay mixtures you could try. They have one that has orchard and timothy combined. You could give that ago and see what happens.
I also agree with Wick about the feeding increments. I feed my buns pellets at 6am and their greens around 6-7pm. They go 12 hours between their non-hay items, so they are encouraged to eat more hay. Now they love to hear the sound of the hay bag and even knock it over to get inside.

[joea64]

I always take care to refresh my buns’ hay when I give them other items (pellets in the morning, greens in the evening, given approximately 12 hours apart from day to day) so that they have hay available round the clock regardless of other foods. Furthermore, they get a blend of hays from local farms as opposed to just one type of hay. Consequently, I observe them eating their hay daily, and they regularly spend multiple lengthy increments of time in their litterbox eating hay – interestingly, they always retire to the litterbox for a helping of hay, for instance, after their evening salad. And they’re always happy to get their hay – in fact they often climb right into their litterbox in anticipation of a new load of hay, or right after it’s placed in the box.

[Lightning235]

Thanks for all the help! We’re going to take him to the vet within a week, hopefully that isn’t too long. And yes he still had hay when i forgot to feed him. And I haven’t really experimented with different types of hay, right now he just has timothy. I will try and get some different types of hay to see what he thinks. As for my schedule he has about 10-12 hours before he gets fed again. My whole houses schedules messed up so he gets fed breakfast around noon. Should i try feeding him earlier? He’s always been on this schedule so i don’t know if i should switch it.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Bunnies are made to be eating often. I suggest giving him smaller, more frequent meals. My buns get breakfast, supper and a bedtime snack with unlimited hay. A lot of bunnies, including my own, really love Orchard Hay. I use Oxbow brand. It’s nice and soft and sweeter than Timothy.

[Lightning235]

Thanks, I will definitely have to try Orchard Grass! And I will also try feeding him more frequently.

[Author]

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