Hi guys, I have a rabbit named Buddy that I just got a month ago from a shelter. He is young, my guess is 6 months old at the most. He is normally extremely friendly and curious, especially when I’m in the room. However, last Saturday, he started laying down more than normal. He would still act normally when he wasn’t laying down, but he definitely seemed to be laying down more. Then on Sunday, I came home and found him with poop smeared around his butt. However, I’m slowly weaning him onto vegetables, and I gave him too many on Friday and Saturday, so i think it was excess cecotropes that got smeared, because it hasn’t happened since, and he didn’t have any diarrhea or abnormal poop.
I took him to the vet on Monday, to get him checked out and to get his butt cleaned, since he hates being picked up and therefore I could not do it myself. The vet advertises themselves as a rabbit vet, but they definitely did not come across that way, as the vet stayed in the room less than 5 minutes and seemed generally unconcerned. Buddy had to be restrained by the nurse the whole time, and got some kicks in even still, and I was so scared that he was going to break his back. The vet shaved the area where the poop was matted,and took his temperature. He said that he had a fever, and gave him a shot of antibiotics, and that was it. Buddy was very traumatized from that visit, and when we got home, I regretted taking him so much. When i let him out of the carrier, he ran and tried to hide behind a door. He then hid behind his litter box. I put some hay in front of him and stuck a piece up against his mouth and he took it, and then started eating. He had been eating well, basically the same as before, until today, when it seemed that he ate and drank less than usual, meaning that he pooped and peed less than usual – but still a reasonable amount for what he ate. He didn’t move much when I came in the room, but when i brought in the hay bag and opened his pen, he came right out and acted excited. He ran around the room full speed a couple times. However, when i put the hay in his cage, he ate for a few minutes, then went to lie down again. He actually just flopped on his side a couple times, which I had never seen him do before.
I don’t know whats wrong. His stomach isn’t hard or bloated, and he is still eating, drinking, and doing his business. He’s been doing all of that at a somewhat reduced rate since going to the vet, but still doing it more than my other rabbit, who is healthy. I dont know if he physically hurt himself, or what. He seems to be moving more gingerly arpund his cage, but that could be from low energy since he has run around full speed and binkeyed. Something is off but there is nothing obvious, i can’t find anything online, and the vet and car ride made things much worse. Any help or insight would really be appreciated.
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