Bunny not eating and not pooping – behavior changed

[Fiona27]

Hello everyone,

I have a nine month old lionhead rabbit named Snowy. He’s male and neutered. He was very active yesterday and binkying around the house in the morning. At 9:30 am yesterday, he went to his playpen and did not come out. He did not eat anything after 9:30 but we thought he was just sleeping even though he usually takes a nap late at 2pm. He didn’t come out to even eat his oxbow pellets or drink water or finish his bowl of green veggies like cilantro and kale. When he didn’t come out by 4 pm,  we were worried and took him to a vet to see what was going on.

 

The doctor did some physical tests while checking his pulse, ears and eyes for abnormalities. He also checked his stomach area and felt for any issues but there was nothing wrong or no infection that he could find. He said there doesn’t seem to be GI tract or statis issue. This same type of behavior happened less than 3 weeks ago with the same symptoms as now and he slept for 10 hours: loss of appetite, lethargic and sleeping the entire day.

 

After about 15 mins at the hospital, Snowy was exploring the room and he ate some Timothy hay we put on a pad for him to eat along with veggies. He seemed to be normal when he started eating slightly and he even peed in the corner, but the doctor said this might be slightly about his mind and some nervous system issue that’s causing him to go from being 100% active to zero instantly. He said this might have to do with some psychological aspect in his mind that’s causing this behavior.

 

Does anybody know anything about this type of bunny behavior? Please advise on this. Thank you!

[DanaNM]

Is your vet rabbit savvy?

Bunnies can sometimes have “gas attacks” that will cause them to be in pain, stop eating, etc., and then snap back to normal. That would be my guess, I’ve never heard of a “psychological” cause, other than fear or stress.

Certain veggies can cause gas, especially ones in the cabbage family like kale. Have you noticed a correlation with the veggies he 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.  

[LBJ10]

I agree with Dana. It could have been an episode of gas. Some bunnies will get a stomachache that will last for several hours and then they snap out of it on their own (or after a dose of simethicone).

[Fiona27]

Thank you everyone.  Yes it looks like gas formed. After x ray again at another vet, was able to find it. which one is the best gas drop reliefs and gut stimulant in case for future purposes ?

[Bam]

Any simethicone baby gasdrops will do. There are several brands varying in strength from 20 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml. Any of them will do, you can’t accidentally overdose on simethicone baby gas drops. Give 1-2 ml per hour for the first 3 hours, then once per 2 hours. You should see improvement within 20-30 mins if it is gas.

To help the gas get out, it’s good if you can get the bun to move around a bit, or at least lift up the bun,s butt a little bit to help gas escape. Rabbits can’t burp, so gas has only one way out which is at the other end.

Gut stimulants are not sth you want to give without a vet visit first, x-rays or abdominal palpation by a very rabbit savvy vet is needed to rule out an intestinal blockage before a stimulant is given. There are currently no good otc gut stimulants available, vets often prescribe metoclopramide (Reglan), which is very good.

[Fiona27]

Thank you everyone. After giving drops there seems to be an improvement in peeing and pooping. He is trying to eat on his own.

[Bam]

Great news!

[Author]

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