Could my bun be sick?!?!

[BunFam]

Me and my boyfriend just bought bunnies about 2 weeks ago, this past weekend we went away and left a good friend in charge of coming into our home to feed them. They both seemed fine up until tonight when I got home from being at my parents for a couple hours. One of our buns (Spud) seems a little off he was distant, let us pet and touch him a lot, which is weird since he’s the more skiddish of the 2. He doesn’t have any gunk around his eyes, his nose and mouth seem normal, however he’s much more lethargic than before, and his ears are colder than the rest of his body. He’s not eating as normally as usual, he did take a treat, and is eating, but usually he’s a little piggy, right now he’s kind of picking away at his food. His pee and poop are normal, no diarrhea. I’m just worried he could be getting sick. We are first time bunny owners, any insight or advice is appreciated

[Sleepy]

If you don’t have critical care, you should consider bringing your bun in as soon as possible. If he’s not eating that can be fatal to bunnies, since they constantly need to keep their gut moving.

[tobyluv]

Your bunny could be going into GI stasis. If he still isn’t eating normally and is acting lethargic, you should take him to the vet. Sometimes a rabbit can have gas, which makes them not want to eat, but there are signs that you didn’t mention, so it probably isn’t that. If you see a rabbit pressing its stomach to the floor and/or twisting around trying to get comfortable, that means gas. Infant simethicone drops will help with that.

You didn’t say how old your bunnies are or if you are housing them together. Rabbits are often mis-sexed, which leads to unwanted litters, plus when a rabbit reaches puberty, starting around 3 months, their hormones can cause aggression and behavioral problems. Rabbits should be separated before they are 12 weeks old to prevent pregnancy and to prevent fighting, and serious injuries.

[BunFam]

Sorry about that! My buns are being caged together, they are both male we had them checked at the vet last week to make sure they were all good and that they were both male. They’re about 8.5 weeks now. He seems perkier this morning and my boyfriend says he’s been eating normally. I could just be paranoid.

[tobyluv]

I’m glad that your bunny is better. Sometimes they can have quiet spells. You just need to watch out for signs that might indicate an illness, and act on that right away.

Even vets have been known to be wrong regarding rabbit gender. Even though your rabbits are both male, they will need to be housed separately soon, with no physical contact, not even play and exercise time together. It doesn’t matter if they were litter mates or got along before. Once they reach puberty, starting around 12 weeks old, they can fight and seriously injure each other. They can also hold grudges if they fight, which could make future bonding difficult. They have a temporary baby bunny bond now, but they will need to be neutered, with about a month wait time after their surgeries, then you can go through the bonding process for a permanent bond.

Here are 2 good articles about bonding.

http://rabbit.org/faq-bonding-multiple-rabbits/

https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/9/PID/940/Default.aspx

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Welcome to the forum, and I see you’re already developing excellent bunny mom-instincts! You can never be careful enough with rabbits, especially young rabbits. They are delicate creatures with a very sensitive digestive system. Rabbits are a prey species and have the instinct to hide illness, as it makes them look like easy prey. Digestive system failure (GI-stasis) can quickly become life-threatening, so it’s good that you noticed that his behaviour changed.

It would be best to observe him for the next couple of days, and maintain a very basic diet of water, plenty of hay and high-fibre/low starch pellets. Never give a rabbit the “muesli mix”-type of food. It may look pleasing to the human eye but contains way too much starch than is healthy for a rabbit. Grains, starches and sugars can cause GI stasis or gas because they’re not natural foodstuffs for rabbits. If you can, try to house them in separate cages with separate litter boxes for a while, so you can monitor his “output”. Keep the vet’s number nearby in case of emergencies, and stock up on emergency rabbit supplies: the afore mentioned simethicone and a dropper to administer it.

I agree with tobyluv that it’s best to keep them mostly separated until they’re both neutered. If the hormones kick in and they start to fight, their bond may never go back to normal again, not even after the surgery.

[DanaNM]

You probably were not paranoid! It sounds like he could have had a bout of gas, which can cause a lot of pain, and can cause body temperature to fluctuate (hence the cold ears). If untreated, gas can lead to GI stasis (and vice versa). You can check to see if his tummy feels firm or is making loud gurgles if you suspect gas.

Others have posted great advice here. Certain foods can trigger gas (especially things in the cabbage family: kale, broccoli, cauliflower, arugula), and since he is so young, he probably shouldn’t be getting veggies at all. 

When you do start introducing veggies, start very slowly, with one type at a time (like romaine or carrot tops, for example). Keep track of any bad reactions. 

I’m assuming you will separate your buns as other’s have said, but i’m guessing with two it can be hard to tell who is pooping if they are the same size, so it’s important to clean the litter box A LOT if you suspect illness (the same is true when they are housed alone, but it’s a bit easier to keep track). 

. . . 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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