Is my bunny sick?

[RalphiesMomma]

I have a 1 1/2 year old male mini lop eared bun. When he was about a year old we had to have his front teeth removed from overgrowth. Since the surgery he’s been great until now. Lately his chin will sometimes be soaked in water or maybe drool? He eats very well, hes a little picky with greens and recently has been turning his hay down. I’ve been watching his poops and sometimes they are small and half the size of his normal round ones. He’s also been having Cecal passings from time to time. Right at the moment I can’t afford a vet, I’d just like some advice. Very confused and can’t find anything on the internet that fits the description. Hope somebody can help me ?

[jerseygirl]

A wet chin usually points to a dental issue. Did he have some molar spurs forming when he still had his incisors?

Regarding vet treatment, I can relate to how expensive it can be. Especially with a bunny with chronic issues like a dental condition. 

Have you ever checked out Pet Assure?  They are one of the few companies that cover rabbits, but this one also covers pre-existing conditions. 

CareCredit is also another option for when funds get tight. 

[RalphiesMomma]

They did keep his molars in after surgery. Are those companies like insurance for bunnies? And do dental issues cause the rest of the problems such as his poop and hay eating problem?

[tobyluv]

If a rabbit has molar spurs, he will likely only eat certain foods, because some foods will be difficult to eat, or may be more painful to eat. Tooth problems can cause drooling and the wet mouth can also be because the rabbit is submerging his mouth in the water to evidently ease some pain. Not eating hay or not eating much hay will likely cause the poops to be small.

I’m not familiar with Pet Assure, but I just looked it up.  Here is a link for it: https://www.petassure.com/

I do know what Care Credit is. Some vets participate in Care Credit. It is a program where you pay with a credit card and pay the bill back in installments, with no interest. I don’t know how long the application process is, and how soon a person would be approved for the program. You should call your vet and see if he or she participates in Care Credit. https://www.carecredit.com/

[Cassandra12345]

My bunny’s poops contain highly mobile white worms…lots of them…even hours after his defecation, the worms can be seen moving very fast about the litter box wall…not near the poops though…he is fed with cucumbers and carrots among other veggies…are these worms from my bunny or from rotten veggies in his litter box?

[RalphiesMomma]

Do you have any idea why his molar Spurs would be causing him pain? I can’t see inside his mouth and doesn’t like to be handled AT ALL. Should I change his pellets to something more soft for him or does this mean possible surgery? I will have enough money for his vet bill in two weeks, I’m not able to get a credit card due to having no credit in my name. But I will definitely look into it. Any advice on what to do in the meantime? I’d like to make him as happy and comfortable in the time being. Thanks for everyone who has replied. I really appreciate it.

[tobyluv]

If a rabbit has molar spurs, the sharp points can jab into his gums or his cheeks, so that would cause pain or tenderness.

Keep providing the veggies that he wants to eat the most. Maybe try some other varieties or brands of hay to see if those are more interesting to him. I assume that you are referring to his pellets when you say he is eating well. If he starts not wanting to eat his favorite veggies or not eating many pellets, you may have to mix up a slurry of pellets or get some Critical Care, to make sure he is getting enough nutrients until you can get him to the vet. Some rabbits will eat the slurry or Critical Care on their own, in a bowl or dish, or off of your fingers, so that you don’t have to force feed them. You can add a little canned pumpkin (plain pumpkin) or baby food to the pellet mash to make it more inviting.

[RalphiesMomma]

ive tried giving him tons of different veggies/fruits but he is very picky and only likes a few things(cilantro, grapes, celery, watermelon, banana, Apple mushed, parsley, carrots, romaine) I’ve tried spinach strawberries bell peppers tomatoes blueberries, Bok Choy, he wasn’t interested in any of those what so ever. I’m not sure what other veggies I should give him. Critical care is a supplement I’m guessing, I also had no idea you could give them baby food or pumpkin. Is critical care sold in most pet stores? You are being very helpful the one vet I took him to didn’t even help me this much with my questions. Also does it matter what brand or kind of baby food I buy? The hay I’ve been giving him is Timothy hay, what type of hay would you suggest? Again thank you very much.

[Bam]

Critical Care has all the nutrients and fiber that a bunny needs. It’s a powder and you mix it to a slurry or paste with water and/or sth yummy.
There’s no particular brand of baby pure that’s recommended, as long as it doesn’t have any added sugar. But baby pure probably never has added sugar because it’s for babies. I know of one bun who loves blueberry/pear baby purée but there are veg purées too of course.
Timothy hay is excellent for bunnies, but they often also like orchard. Orchard is soft and sweet. All types of grass hay are ok for buns, whether they will eat it or not is just a matter of their personal taste.
Fennel, esp the dill-like tops, is often appreciated by buns. Dill is another popular green.

[RalphiesMomma]

I’ll have to go buy some critical care and baby food for him then. He’s quite a picky eater but it doesn’t hurt to try. Thanks for all of the advice ?

[tobyluv]

Only add in a small amount of baby food to the pellet mash or Critical Care. Most of the varieties are going to have natural sugar in them, and you don’t want to add too much sugar to your rabbit’s diet. I chose jars of organic baby food when I needed to force feed or supplement one of my rabbits in the past.

I believe that you can only get Critical Care from a vet, or order it online, and not all vets will have it, only those that see a lot of rabbits or “exotics”. I may be wrong, and maybe you can get it from a pet store, but I have only found it at certain vets.  It comes in 2 flavors. I have always used the Apple/Banana flavor. If you can’t get Critical Care, you can mix your regular pellets with a little bit of water, to make a mash. It won’t have all the concentrated nutrients that Critical Care has, but it will certainly give your rabbit vitamins and nutrients.

Some other veggies/herbs you might try – kale, red or green leaf lettuce, baby lettuce mixes (no iceberg), carrot tops, arugula, watercress, beet tops, endive, radicchio, Swiss chard, mint leaves, lemon balm. Don’t overload him with any new veggies, but you could try one new one at a time.

[tobyluv]

Posted By Cassandra12345 on 9/16/2016 3:19 PM

My bunny’s poops contain highly mobile white worms…lots of them…even hours after his defecation, the worms can be seen moving very fast about the litter box wall…not near the poops though…he is fed with cucumbers and carrots among other veggies…are these worms from my bunny or from rotten veggies in his litter box?

If you are seeing worms in your rabbit’s poop, you need to take a fresh fecal sample to your vet and find out what kinds of worms they are and what treatment is needed.  There are different medicines for different worms.  One of my past bunnies was one that we found on the street.  She had tapeworms, probably from eating vegetation where other animals had used the bathroom.  She was given an injection of Droncit and the worms were gone. If the worms you are seeing are inside poop (if you pull one apart) then they are coming from the rabbit and he needs to be treated.  If the worms are just crawling on the poop and around the litter box, it sounds like they could be maggots, and those need to be gotten rid of.

Are you putting veggies in the litter box?  That’s not a good place for them, and your rabbit should only have fresh veggies and greens.  Any veggies that are starting to go bad at all should be removed from your rabbit’s cage or wherever you feed your rabbit. You need to keep the litter box clean.  You can put hay in it to encourage hay eating, but no other food. If the hay gets soiled, it should be removed and fresh hay put down.

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