New bunny not eating much?

[Danbao]

Hi All,

I’ve got a new baby lop (10weeks old). He has been home for three days, but he doesn’t seem to be doing quite well.

He doesn’t eat or move around much. At first I thought it’s because of new environment, and it appeared to be better yesterday when I gave him a paper box to play and hide in. He was running through the box, and started to eating and drinking. He had some smaller and softer poops and returned to regular poops after getting the box–until this morning. For the past 7 hrs, he’s been eating a little bit of pellets, some hay, but no drinking or pooping. 

I have a vet appointment for him in a couple of days, for regular check-up, but I’m not sure how serious he is right now. I don’t want to stress him more with car ride (it’s a hour to the vet, and he was scared during the ride back home so I figured he really doesn’t like it), but he’s been hiding in the box and not moving for a while…

Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

[Bunny House]

Hi, anytime a bun doesn’t eat or poop for 8-12 hours is an emergency. You didn’t say if you’re a first time bun parent but I suggest you take him to a ER if you have one so he can get fluids and force fed as this is very serious in babies.

You can give him some baby gas drops, softly massage his belly and see if anything works, but he really needs to see a rabbit savvy vet or rabbit savvy vet ER right away

[Asriel and Bombur]

Also what time was this at? If it was mid-day it’s not super concerning. Bunnies are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at night and will do the majority of their activities at night. My boys hardly move, poop, or eat between noon-6pm. Like they’ll adjust their position and nibble here and there, but typically they’re snoozing away.

[Danbao]

Thank you!

I have had bunnies before, but that was a few years ago and I didn’t recall something similar happened to my previous ones, so I was a bit worried.

He has never been really “not eating or pooping” for 8 hrs, he’s just not eating much. He didn’t eat much during the day, but towards dawn everything seems fine again. I just woke up and I saw he finished his pellets and hay last night. I’m not sure if this is his pattern, but I will keep watching him.

Thank you!

[Danbao]

Yes this is a issue during the day. He didn’t eat much before 5pm, but everything seemed better after 5pm. This morning when I woke up I saw him finished his food last night, so I’m a bit relieved.

Thank you! 

[Yilina]

Hi Danbao, welcome!

Is your bunny pooping? No pooping (even if he’s eating) is a sing of GI stasis, a well-known and very dangerous illness in bunnies. When bunnies are under stress, their gut system could stop working, and this can lead to death if left untreated.

Please, keep us updated

[Danbao]

Thank you, Yilina!

From what I can see last night, yes he’s pooping alright. I’ve also examined his poops, and they look healthy. He’s just having a little bit cecotropes, so I gave him more fresh hay and a little less pellets (his current pellets are a mixture of breeder’s pellets and oxbow alfalfa based pellets). I’m also thinking about switching to timothy based pellets.

Thanks again!

[Muj Mom N Bun]

Also, it is a good idea to clean his litter very often so you can monitor his poop output. Keep us all posted on your little guy

[Author]

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