Decreased appetite?

[Jess]

When should I worry about loss of appetite? I’m a new bunny owner and I’m not sure if I’m overreacting. I adopted Benny (~1 year old dwarf mix, 3.8lb) from a shelter a few months ago and his behavior is completely normal and he’s become very comfortable with me and in his new living space. Yesterday I took him to the vet for a general check up and she said he was completely healthy. However being outside and the commute to the vets office definitely freaked him out and I noticed last night he was less excited about the treats I was offering him. Today I continued to notice a lack of excitement towards his food. (His typical diet is 1/4 cup pellets in the morning, unlimited hay, 1 cup greens in the evening and baby carrot, apple or banana as a treat) For example he normally runs in circles when I am first giving him his pellets in the morning and starts eating them right away. Today he didn’t seem to care and when I came home from work there was still a quarter of the pellets left in his bowl. He has pooped last night and today and ate some of his hay. Other than being less excited about his food his behavior seems to have gone back to normal. Could there stress of the trip to the vet caused his lesser appetite? Or could his teeth be sensitive from having them checked yesterday?

[Bam]

The stress from the vet visit could have upset his tummy. You can try giving him 1 ml baby gas drops (simethicone), that sometimes helps relieve minor tummy issues. His mouth could perhaps be sore from a dental exam with an otoscope. It shouldn’t be, but things can happen during an exam, like the bun moving unexpectedly. Poop and hay eating is great. You could try soaking a little bit of pellets for him and serve them as a mash.

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