Visiting Rabbit Not Eating

[ParsleyBun]

Hey everyone 🙂

I haven’t been on here in a very long time, but I am currently babysitting a friends rabbit for about 10 days. She is about 3 years old, and is a Holland Lop. I have kept her at  my house several times before, and I picked her up in her cage yesterday and brought her home. She has previously been really aggressive and will bite. Well, she has been very well behaved, ate normally last night, and when I fed her this morning, she ate some lettuce from my hand eagerly. After that, she refused to touch hay, banana, pellets, lettuce. That has been about nine hours…I left her with lettuce today, I don’t think she ate much or any. She’s not pooping currently, and I’m getting worried. I have gas meds, Critical-Care type force feeding stuff, and I can give that to her but it will be a stressful experience and she will fight me.

So do I need to try that at this point, and when do I need to really think about her life being in danger?  😥

Not sure what to do,

Parsley and Tina’s (and currently Amber’s) bunny mom

 

[LBJ10]

Have you informed her owner of the situation? Perhaps they have some tricks that would work? I think at the very least you should try some simethicone to see if that snaps her out of it.

[ParsleyBun]

No, I have not told them. I gave her simethicone and the critical care food.

[GlennTheLionhead]

Hey

After 9 hours I would definitely intervine. About 6-12 hours without food and pooping is considered a veterinary emergency for a bun.

I understand the aggression can be offputing for handling her but I would suggest that she has entered the ‘danger zone’ now and a vet trip is in order or minimally some at home treatment if you cannot reach a vet. The vet can best determine what the issue is I.e stasis (treated with gas meds and critical care) or if there is a possible blockage in which case different treatment is recommended.

Are you able to access a rabbit savy vet at the moment?

[LBJ10]

How is she doing this morning? I agree that if giving simethicone and CC hasn’t helped, then a trip to the vet is in order.

[Em]

You need to inform her owners. If my rabbit was poorly in someone’s care I would want to know and I would want them to bring her to the vet.

get her vet contact from her owner and bring her to the vet. Refusing food for 9 hours is definitely a vet visit in my eyes.

[ParsleyBun]

After being given two doses of gas medicine and some critical care food and being harassed around until she bit me, she started moving around and eating again at about midnight and has been fine ever since. She acts energetic, bored, hungry, and normal. We did contact her owner, and she said that Amber is bad to sometimes go into 12-24 hour slumps where she doesn’t do much moving or eating.

All seems well now…thanks everyone!

[ParsleyBun]

Anothernote:

She also dumped her pellet bowl and water bowl, 😛 and she she stands up on her hind legs like she used to.

[LBJ10]

I’m glad to hear she snapped out of it. 🙂

[DanaNM]

LOL glad she snapped out of it! I would have done the exact same thing (some critical care and simethicone), often that’s all that’s needed to snap them out of a little gassy episode.

. . . 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.  

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