Bunny lost sense of smell, maybe?

[Frodo and Lux]

I need help! My bun just today started refusing to eat anything, including her favorite treats. The weird thing though is she still gets excited and runs to me when I shake the treat bag, and she jumps on me until I take the treat out and offer it to her, and she literally gets it in her mouth, then pauses, drops it on the ground, sniffs it, and tries to ask me for another one. She was just eating these same treats yesterday, so I don’t know what’s going on. She’s also sitting in weird places in the house she doesn’t normally sit in, and sniffing everything (wood, walls, cardboard) and chewing on those, but she won’t accept treats, hay, or pellets (or carrots/fruit). For background, she and her bro get unlimited hay, 1/4 cup of oxbow pellets a day, and 2 oxbow treats a day, one in the morning and one at night. Also normally kale or spinach or broccoli or whatever greens I have on hand at night with dinner.

I’m really confused! I’ve seen her with GI stasis before, and she’s not acting like that besides refusing food. She’s still hopping around all over the house, she’s very active, she’s just going to weird corners that she’s not normally in, and she’s chewing on everything. I really don’t wanna try to go in to the vet cause I live in Brooklyn and my vet is really far away in the upper east side and I’m scared to take public transportation what with the whole pandemic thing. I will though, if I have to, but I’m interested in y’all’s thoughts?

[jerseygirl]

Hello

What age are they? Are they desexed at all? I know it seems odd question, just looking for some background information.

Will she eat the treat if broken into smaller pieces or still no interest?

Have you seen her poop today? When do you think was the last time she ate?

When they look like they want to eat but drop food it can sometimes indicate some dental discomfort or tummy troubles – more so the cecum.

Is she molting at all?

[DanaNM]

Frodo and Lux, how are your bunnies doing now?

. . . 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.  

[Frodo and Lux]

Hi y’all!

Sorry I didn’t update you right away, she started eating the next day like nothing had happened! I coulda sworn she said “gotcha” when I offered her a treat in the morning. To answer all the questions, she’s 8 years old, spayed, and just finished molting, I think. It’s hard for me to tell when she poops or if it was her brother/husband Frodo, but thankfully she’s been eating normally since! I was just so confused by that one day because it seemed like she did want to eat, but got confused when I gave her the treats/food and didn’t eat them.

Thankfully all is well now, thank you for checking in!

[DanaNM]

Glad she perked up! Could have been a “gas attack”. Sometimes they can get a gas bubble that is hurting them, but passes quickly. I had a bun that would get extra crazy about trying to dig the carpet or chew cardboard when he got gassy but wouldn’t want to eat. If it happens again you can try a tummy rub and simethicone as a first course of action to see if that helps (usually it helps within a couple hours if gas is the culprit).

Based of the veggies you mentioned, gas might have been the culprit. Broccoli is known for causing gas in bunnies, so that could have been the main cause. Kale can too in some bunnies, but many tolerate it fine. Spinach is safe in small amounts, but is high in oxalates so shouldn’t be a staple. You might check out this list of veggies to make sure you are feeding a good balance of veggies (typically you want mostly low oxalates and low calcium): https://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

Some good staples that are usually tolerated well by gassy bunnies are romaine lettuce, cilantro, and dandelion if you can get it.

. . . 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.  

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