A rabbit that stops eating or drinking is a challenging situation. Naturally, rabbits love to eat; it is like they are constantly looking for things to get their teeth into. Rabbit owners usually ask, “why is my pet rabbit not eating or drinking? “when they notice a sudden drop in their pet’s appetite.
Rabbits need to eat regularly to keep their digestive system moving. And when they stop eating, they are at risk of life-threatening complications such as gut blockage and dehydration. Accordingly, this article explains what it means and what to do if your bunny refuses to eat. In this article, we will discuss:
- What Do You Do If Your Rabbit Won’t Eat?
- What Does It Mean When Your Rabbit Won’t Eat?
- How Long Can a Rabbit Go Without Eating?
- How Do I Know If My Rabbit Is Depressed?
- How Can I Tell If My Bunny Is In Pain?
What Do You Do If Your Rabbit Won’t Eat?
The best thing to do if your rabbit won’t eat is to contact your vet immediately. A prompt examination is necessary to prevent your rabbit from developing complications like gut stasis and dehydration. Nevertheless, you can do things to help your pet rabbit feel better as soon as you notice it is not eating.
Firstly, if you notice that you have made a change that might be stressful for your bunny, try to reverse the change and offer your rabbit a treat or its favorite food. If this does not work, you may try to force-feed your pet. Force-feeding will help to motivate its digestion to prevent bloating. You can force-feed by using a syringe. Afterward, massage the rabbit’s stomach to encourage the movement of the stomach muscles.
Secondly, ensure that your rabbit is hydrated by increasing the amount of water it consumes. You can use a syringe as well to give it water or an electrolyte solution. Better still, flavor its water with a bit of apple or strawberry juice. If the rabbit can still eat a bit, offer vegetables with high water content like lettuce. It is better to steer clear of giving your rabbit pellets.
It is important to note that these home remedies are at the outset a few hours after you observe that your rabbit is not eating. However, when a rabbit is not eating for almost 24hours, it is in a life-threatening situation and requires immediate medical attention. Do not hesitate; as you are trying home remedies, call your veterinarian for a phone consultation.
What Does It Mean When Your Rabbit Won’t Eat?
Rabbits love to eat. So when your bunny is not eating or drinking, it means there is a problem. Some of the conditions that may be responsible for this are explained below :
Pain
When a rabbit is in pain, it will stop eating and become very quiet and sluggish. The pain could be from an illness, injury, or joint pain.
Dental illness
Rabbits’ teeth do not stop growing, and chewing on grass keeps the growth in check. However, when a rabbit eats the wrong type of food, chew the wrong way, or is born with teeth deformity, it might have overgrown teeth. This results in ulcers in the mouth and hurts each time the rabbit tries to chew. You can nip teeth problems in the bud by taking your rabbit for a teeth check-up.
Gastrointestinal stasis (GI Stasis)
(also called ileus) is when the intestinal tract slows down or stops moving altogether. Intestinal stasis can cause loss of appetite; likewise, it can be caused by loss of appetite. Intestinal stasis is an emergency and can be fatal if left untreated.
Indigestion
Rabbits have a fascinating digestive system that converts grass into energy. Rabbits with abnormal digestion may also stop eating or become pickier about the food they eat. Rabbits’ digestive systems may become blocked if they eat things they should not eat. This is very serious and sometimes requires emergency surgery.
Stress
Stress is a common cause of loss of appetite in rabbits. It is usually set off by things that we consider to be trivial. Simple things like fireworks and or loud music can be distressing to your bunny. So pay special attention to your pets during the fireworks season. If you have a new pet, have a new member in your family, or your daily life has changed, please consider the stress of your pet rabbits and give it special attention.
Dietary changes
Changing your rabbit’s food suddenly is likely to put some degree of stress on them, resulting in your bunny not eating or drinking. It may also cause stomach upset or diarrhea. Therefore, if you need to change your rabbit’s food, be sure to do so gradually over a few weeks
How Long Can a Rabbit Go Without Eating?
The age, body size, and health status of a rabbit determine how long it can live without food. Typically, A healthy adult rabbit may live without eating for about 3 days before dying. On the other hand, a kit may manage to live up to 12 hours without eating before it dies, likewise an old skinny bunny.
Rabbits are herbivores that require constant feeding. If they have no food for even 12 hours, then they are likely to develop GI Stasis. With this in mind, if you find your bunny not eating or drinking, please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
When a rabbit does not eat for about 12hours, the pH value of its digestive tract will change. This will promote the growth of gas-producing bacteria. When this happens, the gas will cause the rabbit not to eat, eventually leading to organ failure and death.
In summary, to prevent gastrointestinal stasis, your pet should not go more than 12 hours without food.
How Do I Know If My Rabbit Is Depressed?
Basically, rabbits show their emotional state through their body language. The only way to know if your rabbit is depressed is by observing and noting changes in its disposition.
Each rabbit is unique; therefore, your bunny may show all the signs of depression or just a few of them. Symptoms to watch out for include:
- Hiding: Hiding is a sign that your rabbit is either scared or depressed. It may hide for hours in its cage or an isolated place. Bring out some interesting toys or their best-loved treat and try to lure it out.
- Flattened ears: If a rabbit holds its ears flat close to the body, it may indicate anxiety or stress unless it is a lop-eared rabbit.
- No nose twitches: If your rabbit looks curled up and quiet, and the nose is not twitching, this must be a sign that they are feeling unhappy or stressed.
- Thumping: If your rabbit is upset or feels threatened, it may hit the ground with its hind legs and make a loud noise
- Lethargy: Usually, a depressed rabbit lacks energy, is sluggish, and has little motivation to play.
- Unsociable: Rabbits usually like to interact with other rabbits and humans. Your rabbit may not be interested in social interaction because of depression.
- Poor appetite: Rabbits usually eat most of the day. Depressed rabbits may have a lesser desire for food and may not feel excited when it sees its favorite snacks.
- Biting: Rabbits like to chew and BITE to control their teeth that grow continuously. However, rabbits with depression often spend too much time obsessed with biting and chewing.
How Can I Tell If My Bunny Is In Pain?
Rabbits like to hide their pain. This is not surprising because, as prey animals, they instinctively hide their pain to not be vulnerable to predators. As a result, without careful observation, you may not know on time when your bunny is in pain and need of prompt medical attention. So lookout for the following signs of a rabbit in pain
- Changes in eating habits, for example, sudden drop in appetite or refusal to eat food, including favorite treats.
- Changes in the amount, size, and shape of stool or feces. For example, deformed, mushy, too few feces, or no feces at all could be a sign of a severe digestive problem.
- Sitting in a hunched and uncomfortable position while keeping the stomach off the floor
- A sudden drop in energy levels
- Loud teeth grating sound. That is different from the clicking sound it makes when purring.
- Drooling excessively from the mouth might indicate teeth pain or respiratory problems
- Changes in ear color. Ears turning red is a sign of heat stress, and pale color might indicate hypothermia.
- Consistent lack of balance with the rabbit’s head continuously tilted at an angle of 90 degrees.
- A runny nose with wet or matted fur could signify rabbit cold, a potentially deadly illness.
- Breathing from the mouth and panting. This is a sign of respiratory distress.
- A visibly enlarged stomach is a sign of bloating or gas-filled stomach. It’s an emergency
- A usually affectionate spayed or neutered rabbit that suddenly becomes aggressive might be in severe pain.
Conclusions
Conclusively, a bunny not eating or drinking is an emergency. Paying close attention to your pet rabbit’s eating habits will help you quickly notice when there is a problem. Your prompt response to your bunny’s subtle call for help can save its life.