Turkey Boi Eats and Drinks SOOO MUCH but still seems to lose weight on and off?

[Meghan]

My bunny boy Turkey is a rescue mini rex that I’ve had for about a year. He gets 1/5 a cup of science selective grain free pellets, unlimited Timothy hay, fresh herbs or romaine (I mix it up throughout the week). All my others bunnies seem to have more of an issue with keeping weight off, not putting it on. He has always had quite a pudgy tummy, while also having rather prominent hip bones. If I increase his pellets he just gets cecos stuck all over his butt and tail… The man is also a piss MACHINE and seems to enjoy drinking water and peeing everywhere. My vet hasn’t seemed too concerned, saying that it might just be his body type, but I don’t know… Anyone have any insight?

[Bam]

Drinking a lot and peeing all over the place is not normal. Together with difficulty keeping weight on I’d say there’s something going on. You need a vet to figure out what. Polydipsia and polyuria (drinking and peeing lots) can be  symptoms of many different things. E cuniculi can affect the kidneys (e cuniculi is more known as the cause of head tilt, but it can affect any organ system that has a high blood flow). Any type of infection or tissue inflammation can make an animal drink and pee excessively. Dental disease is common in rabbits.

How old is Turkey?

[Meghan]

They really didn’t have much of a clue at the rescue I got him from. If I had to guess, he is maybe 4ish? I remember asking my vet if he could possibly have diabetes, due to how much water he can drink (he legit drinks more than my 8 and 5 lb buns together). He’s been this way for as long as I’ve known him, so again almost a year. I think I’ve just gotten used to how “normal” his abnormal is. I’ll have to make another appointment with my vet, since I took his bonded girl in for a hay scratch in the eye last week 🙄.

[Bam]

4 years is of course not ancient, but its around the time when many buns get dental problems.

Diabetes seems to be very, very rare in rabbits, they seem to metabolize carbs differently from us, cats and dogs, but you are of course right in that diabetes often first manifests as huge thirst and ample urination plus weightloss.

It is often difficult for vets to diagnose rabbits correctly. Rabbit savvy vets are few and far apart.

EC, other kidney/urinary system disorders or dental problems would be my top three guesses, because those ailments are common in rabbits. Some vets will treat EC on suspicion/clinical signs. The gold standard treatment still consists of Panacur (fenbendazole) and antiinflammatory meds (meloxicam), plus sometimes other meds to help with the symptoms.

[DanaNM]

I agree with Bam that there is something medical going on, and I also think EC and/or dental problems should be investigated. You may want to find another vet if possible.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[bunnygal]

Is he with a mustache like in your photo?

then highly likely it’s megacolon. One of mine has that also has trouble keeping weight on. It’s a genetic thing with that breed – the “Charlie’s” with the mistake or Rex with the black around the eyes.

best place to get info is on the Facebook group “Charlie rabbits with megacolon or cowpile syndrome”

 

also how are his poops? Wet ? Normal? Large or small?

 

[LBJ10]

I agree that there is definitely something medically wrong. The things you are describing are not normal. It sounds like either something going on with the kidneys (EC) or a dental problem. You didn’t really mention much about his poop, but bunnygal made a good suggestion too based on the markings of the bunny in your photo.

[Em]

You’ve described my past frenchie to a T.

he always ate and drank a ton but couldn’t keep weight on him. He was 5kg for years, and then dropped to 3.8kg. It was horrible. He was diagnosed with EC which I’m sure absolutely wrecked havoc on his kidneys, because he also was incontinent. He never made it to his recheck to see how much his kidneys were actually impacted by it, but it was evident by his symptoms (excess thirst, hunger, inability to gain weight) that it had done something. He was like that for close to a year.

Not to concern you, but I’d definitely run a blood test. If it’s not EC, I agree with the other suggestion of it also possibly being megacolon – that “pot belly” appearance you’ve described (skinny on top but with a pudgy tummy) is a symptom of rabbits with megacolon. I wouldn’t let your vet shrug you off! I’d discuss these options with them and go from there. But based on what you’ve described, I’d say there is definitely something going on with your bun that is not normal.

also for what it’s worth: my rabbits have always gone to the vet annually for check ups. Both of them had mouth exams recently and vet saw nothing wrong. Then when they both had CT scans, we discovered they both actually had dental disease – so wouldn’t rule out possible dental issue either, though I do think megacolon is your most likely culprit here

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