Diet HELP

[Taylor Bright]

So I’m throwing a Hail Mary out to see if any fellow bunny owners can help me out – my rabbit Hazel has not eaten his pellets in about 13 days. I have been feeding him critical care three times a day. He has been to the vet multiple times – the first was to remove an impacted tooth and the times after have been to give him subcutaneous injections to keep him hydrated. I’ve been giving him hay and papaya juice and fresh greens, but nothing seems to be working. As a poor Master’s student, I can’t afford to keep taking him to the vet when they are not offering up any explanations why (I’ve heard everything from GI stasis to his mouth healing). Does anyone have any at home tips for something that could jump start his eating? Thanks!

[Azerane]

What did the vet do when they checked his teeth? Did they take x-rays of the jaw and check the molars with an otoscope? Molar spurs are a common cause of stopping eating hard foods, x-rays check for the overgrowth of tooth roots which can also cause eating problems.

Is he eating the hay and veggies well? Or do you have to encourage him to eat? Rabbits don’t technically need pellets and can be very healthy with a diet of hay and a variety of greens, however the fact that he has stopped eating pellets when he ate them before is concerning. Perhaps he isn’t eating the pellets because he is being filled up with the critical care instead?

It sounds to me that there might still be an underlying issue that your vet hasn’t picked up on, because you are right that he should have gone back to eating and you can’t just keep returning to the vet for sub-q injections.

[Taylor Bright]

So when I took him in last week, they removed a tooth that was impacted and growing at an angle into his jaw. It was actually really interesting to see the tooth and how curved it was. After the surgery, the vet checked in to see if he was eating and that’s when I took him back in for a catheter of IV fluids and the subcutaneous injection. They took x rays of both his mouth and stomach and saw some potential blockages, but hoped he would pass them and kind of chalked it up to the fact that he did have the tooth removed and could be in some pain.

I have since moved to a different vet, and this vet took mouth and stomach x rays as well this past week. He also got another subcutaneous injection. Hazel is currently on a few medicines for infection from the tooth removal so perhaps that could be causing the lack of eating as well?

He is eating some greens on his own, but what concerns me is the lack of drinking (minus a papaya/water mix I’ve made for him). I’m tempted to kind of do a test to see if he will eat on his own by not feeding him the critical care, but I don’t want to starve him nor do I want him to go without drinking something all day. We’re having a heatwave in California so he has his trusty frozen water bottle with him.

I’ve also ordered a new type of food for him – he was eating Selective Science and absolutely loved it and I got him the Sherwood Adult with some Natural Science digestive supplement. Maybe changing up the food will help? I just don’t get why he liked it before and now he won’t touch it.

Should I wean him off of the Critical Care?

[tobyluv]

Has he been given any kind of motility drugs, such as Reglan? You said that the first vet took x-rays which showed potential blockages. When rabbits are in GI stasis, they are usually given a motility drug.

If he is on a pain reliever for the tooth surgery, such as Metacam, that can suppress appetite. And antibiotics can cause GI upset. It’s often a good idea to give a probiotic when a rabbit is on antibiotics. Bene-Bac is a common probiotic to give.

I’m not sure if cutting back or stopping the Critical Care would get him eating on his own or not. If you are getting large quantities of it in him, that may be filling him up so that he doesn’t feel the need for more food. Maybe try skipping one feeding and see if that has any affect. Have a good variety of greens and hay on hand to tempt him. Wetting the greens before feeding them to him will give him some extra fluid.

I hope that he’s better soon.

[Wick & Fable]

Wick abstained from drinking for a while following his neutering, but I felt okay about it because he was still peeing, meaning he was still getting hydration through the vegetables. I gave him half a syringe of water once just to soothe my paranoia as well. Is Hazel urinating normally? If so, he may not be in the mood to drink more, as some rabbits drink out of contentment or boredom, rather than thirst.

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.

[Taylor Bright]

tobyluv – he was given the metoclopramide and I actually have some of it left and could start that again for gut motility, but it does seem like he was pooping. Today, I’ve held off with the critical care and he doesn’t seem interested in the cilantro either, so maybe a probiotic could be a good way to go.

Wick – he’s urinating a little bit, but nothing like I’ve seen. He normally can drink half a water bottle over night.

Thank you all for the ideas and keep them coming!

[Taylor Bright]

tobyluv – he was given the metoclopramide and I actually have some of it left and could start that again for gut motility, but it does seem like he was pooping. Today, I’ve held off with the critical care and he doesn’t seem interested in the cilantro either, so maybe a probiotic could be a good way to go.

Wick – he’s urinating a little bit, but nothing like I’ve seen. He normally can drink half a water bottle over night.

Thank you all for the ideas and keep them coming!

[tobyluv]

You should consult with your vet before starting with the motility drug again. Is the vet certain that he doesn’t have any more teeth issues? Sometimes after teeth filing or mouth surgery, a rabbit is hesitant to start eating. You may want to give him some syringes of water to make sure he is getting enough fluids.

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