Rabbit refuses to eat any kind of hay/leafy greens. Dental problems, and currently won’t eat much – help!

[bunnydream]

My rabbit Dumbo (7 y/o) refuses to eat any kind of hay/leafy greens – have tried several kinds of hay. Has a history of eye tearing/watering b/c of dental problems. The eye-watering comes and goes – he’ll have it for 1-2 months then it will go away for many months or the entire year, then come back again.

I’m worried about affording vet costs – I last brought Dumbo for eye-tearing and GI stasis some years ago.

Dumbo didn’t eat hay even when he was young when we first got him. But the hay we offered him was low-quality Timothy hay from the pet store. Didn’t know proper rabbit diet back then… Have been trying for years to fix diet/prevent dental issues but no success.

He’s stopped eating pellets a few days ago, he’s only eaten a bit – will eat soft treats like apple/banana but is reluctant to eat hard treats like almonds. I know he’s ill/his teeth are the problem. Front teeth are 1/4 inch – 3/8 inch (6.35mm – 9.5 mm), but I can’t tell if they are an ok length or if they are too long. What do I do?

[Bunny House]

Hi!
He really should be brought to a vet for a dental and a general exam since you say he has dental issues. And I know costs are high for buns but he needs his front and back teeth to be trimmed and then start on the proper diet(almost like staring over). My lop has bad teeth and when she gets a microscopic points on her molars, she stops eating. She also, for years had ear infections that vets never caught(iknow) so she was always in pain and didn’t want to eat hay, so we are working to try and fix the pain in her ear and do dentals so she will eat hay more. She definitely doesn’t eat a 6th of what she should
, but it’s better than it was. So maybe he should be checked for an ear infection.also, maybe an X-ray to make sure there is no infection in his jaw causing him pain to not want to eat.

Has the rabbit savvy vet given you a proper diet for him? I don’t think nuts are safe for them but maybe some are.

There are places that sell safe bunny herbs and dried flowers to put I hay to make them want to eat it and then eat the hay in the process.

See if the vet can do a payment plan or get a pet credit card. And of course, you probably know the dangers of not eating leading to stasis.

Make sure he continues to drink water or he should be given subq fluids to make sure his organs continue to work properly and his gi tract doesn’t get dry and develop a blockage like mine did.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Agree with BH that you need to see a vet. Dental issues don’t just go away on their own. They’re extremely painful and can cause even more stress by the bunny going into stasis. As for diet, what else do you feed him? Nuts and seeds are not bunny safe treats. Stick to things like a small piece of fruit once or twice a week.

[Bunny House]

And until you can get him to a vet, no sugary food as it is bad for gut bacteria, he should be force fed critcal care to prevent hepatic liver.

[kurottabun]

Most of the time dental issues occur in the molars rather than the incisors. Examining the molars require a special scope that only vets have.

Since Dumbo has already stopped eating hay and pellets, it’s really important to take him in to a bunny savvy vet. Like Bunny House mentioned, I’d also recommend getting some Critical Care in the meantime. If he doesn’t eat that as well then you’ll have to syringe it so his guts don’t stop moving and go into stasis.

[Author]

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