HELP_ time for vet?

[Bunny Mommy]

i am worried about my elvira.  she has lost a lot of weight in the last few months.

right now this is her diet:

timothy pellets with "junk food" pellets mixed in

fresh veggies every night, which she doesnt eat (spring mix, dandelions, mint, etc.)

and she never really liked hay….

she always used to love treats and she never really eats them any more either!  her poops are small but regular, she never really had big poops

i am concerned that maybe she might have a blockage.  i am going to switch her to the "junk food" she likes so she can gain a little weight.  she was eating the that vinyl flooring stuff before, but i changed her cage so she can’t eat it anymore…. i am worried that this is the cause.

i bought some Peter’s BUNNY LAX.  should i try to give her some tonight to see if its a blockage?

Gina

[Sarita]

Do not give her bunny lax that will not help anything. If you suspect a blockage you must get her to a rabbit experienced vet.

You should try feeding her different types of grass hays to find one she likes. I’m not sure what you mean by “junk food” but that doesn’t sound like something you should be feeding her (seeds, nuts, etc…). Have you tried enticing her with other kinds of greens – don’t give up on this either, keep offering them to her as well as the hay. Her diet needs some working on – make sure you tell the vet what you are telling us about her diet too – the vet needs to know (they’ll most likely ask anyway).

What do you mean by alot of weight too? Weight loss doesn’t always mean blockage either and if she’s still pooping it doesn’t truly sound like blockage – could be a ton of other things and that’s why a vet visit is the best advice for you to make sure it’s not something else.

[Gravehearted]

I would take her to your vet if she’s been losing weight recently. It sometimes is an indication of other health issues. Your vet should be able to advise if she’s underweight and what to do if she needs to gain weight.

By junk pellets do you mean alfalfa? I’d be more inclined to add in some alfalfa hay rather than pellets, since then you’ll have to wean her from the junk pellets back onto the healthy ones.

As Sarita mentioned – one key to a healthy bunny GI tract and those healthy, big poops is HAY. If she’s not eating timothy – try other hays, like oat, bunny brome, orchard grass. My kids love binky bunny’s bunny blend of hays. It important to offer fresh hay EVERY day, since yesterday’s hay is stupid according to my rabbits. Also, if the bag’s been sitting around for several months, it may not be very tasty anymore.

I find some bunnies who snub hay and veggies do so because they fill up on pellets. How many does she get daily?

A blockage would mean she’s not pooping at all, so I wouldn’t give the lax. My guess is her digestive issues would be greatly helped if she were eating more hay.

[skunklionshow]

Thanks to this website….I completely revamped my bunnies’s diets.  Initially I was giving them too many pellets and they weren’t eating veggies or their hay.  I now serve pellets for breakfast (no more than 1/2 cup) and hay throughout the day.  I switched from Timothy to a blend of orchard grass and botanical blend.  I’m going to try some of the binky blends when I start to get lower on my hay supply.  They get huge bunny salads for dinner.  I had to do many veggie trials to find their favorites.  Herbs tend to be a huge hit w/ them, specifically parsley (curly & flat) and cilantro. 

When I was doing veggie trials I put together huge plates of all different greens and lettuces (not iceberg).  By morning it would give me a good idea of what was a big hit.  I now have a pretty tried and try group of veggies to choose from.  Also one of the reasons Leo was slow to the veggies is because his teeth were a mess.  His all fixed and his become a bunny piggie.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Gina, I agree with Gravehearted, it would really be best to take your bun to a rabbit-savvy vet to figure out what is going on. With bunnies you do not really want to experiment with a “cure” as it can makes things worse and some things only a bunny vet can really diagnose. Like what was already mentioned here, there are a lot of possibilities for what may ail your bunny. I too would not advise administering the bunny lax. By feeding more “junk” you likely will not be helping, though I know you mean well. That “junk” may actually be the cause of an impaction if that is the problem. Anything that is high in starch like seeds & nuts will cause it to happen. I don’t think the vinyl helped but it sounds like that is not the soul contributor of the ailment that is afflicting your rabbit and there could be something medically wrong or a combination of things. Hay is a huge part of the diet and I would advise feeding it in unlimited quantities and kale. Kale tends to help “move” things along too but do not rely on it as a supplement for hay once you get your bun back from the vet. I have a question, how much water does your rabbit drink?

[Bunny Mommy]

it looks like elvira might have lost about a pound… she still looks about the same size, but i can feel she is skinnier when i pet her

the junk food i am referring to is the kind of pellets with all the colorful bits mixed in.  elvira usually spills her water before she drinks it, but on a normal day her intake isnt much.  maybe a tablespoon or two.

i have tried a NUMBER of veggies in the past.  dandelion, bok choy, escarole, different lettuces, carrot tops, celery, basil, mint etc.  she eats them only sometimes

she hasnt had too much of a behavioral change other than the eating.  i checked last night, she IS still pooping, but not much, maybe like 20 poops a day.  (my other ones can do that in an hour!)

so yes, time for the vet, i guess ?   my vet is pretty far from us, so thats why i have been a little hesitant….

Gina

[poopy]

Omg I love that name….ELVIRA!!!

[Bunny Mommy]

update on my little elvira:

$398 later we find out she is OK.  they didnt see anything really in her x-rays or bloodwork.  so i have no idea why she lost her appetite and her love of raisins!!!!

well at least she is ok (and thank goodness i have pet insurance!)
Gina

[Sarita]

That’s frustrating isn’t it! I’m glad though that her x-ray and bloodwork came back okay. I hope you can find some foods that entice her. Have you tried for treats fresh herbs? Most of my rabbits like fresh mint (in small quantities of course) and fresh dill and basil and sage too.

As for water intake – alot of my rabbits drink very little water – I think being indoors and getting some fresh vegetables they don’t get as thirsty. Of course right now I have one rabbit that drinks ALOT of water, not sure what her deal is but she’s fine and healthy. Do you use a water bowl (it sounds like it) – I do find the water bowl to be more natural than the water bottles as far as drinking water too.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Wow Elvira, that little stinker.  I am very glad you have pet insurance too, at least you have the peace of mind that she is OK, (Thank you for taking her!) I do not blame you for holding off because the vet is so far, but without a history and there being so many things that could have been wrong, it’s best you did.

So, this could be a behavioral issue then and she is attempting to teach you what to only feed her (junk food). Do you leave the snubbed veggies in her cage or remove them promptly? Those colored bits, are they anything specific like molasses or sugar cane chunks? It sounds like you may have a junk food rabbit and it is going to take persistence to get her to eat the things that she should eat.  Which if she is only eating sugar and holding out for it and not eating much of anything else, she would not poo very much (lack of fiber). Here is a good article on the art of getting a bunny to eat veggies:

http://www.coloradohrs.com/articles/diet_misc_feeding.asp

 

[Gravehearted]

well I’m sure glad to hear there’s nothing serious going on. How much of the pellets is she getting daily? Sometimes buns will snub other healthier foods if there are pellets available. did you vet seem concerned or have any suggestions regarding her weight loss?

[Bunny Mommy]

thanks for the article it was hilarious!!!!!!

i dont the junk food mix has pure sugar in it, i think its just colored alfalfa bits.  i have to try to get her to eat more veggies….  the doctor didnt offer any suggestions why she is being like this.  if this is behavioral, she really takes it to an extreme!!!!

as for her diet, right now she is getting maybe 1/3 cup pellets and water, she isnt eating any treats or even fruit…. we’ll see…

Gina

[Sarita]

That was a good article – lots of good tips. Thank you for the link to that Scarlet Rose.

[Scarlet_Rose]

You’re welcome ladies! I’m glad you enjoyed it! My local HRS manager wrote that.  It is part of a "bunny info packet" she gives to each new adopter and they are now available online.  She’s got a great sense of humor too.  Here is a listing of all the articles in the info packet:

 http://www.coloradohrs.com/article_index.asp

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