Health

[currya15]

I have a rabbit I just took to another vet on Friday for a check up. The doctor said he was healthy but his behavior had not changed,  in fact he’s doing stranger things then before.  He’s been very mellow the past week,  not running much or doing his normal jumps in the air.  He’s now excessively drinking water and staying in his cage instead of coming out.  He’s constantly in and out of his litter between drinks and is staying in there a pretty long time.  I would hate to torture him taking him again…is it just me over reacting or is there something wrong? The vet gave me oxbow hay and pellets to start feeding him because apparently All-small animals foods are bad. so now he is on just pellets and hay. I won’t give him any veggies anymore unless its at night for a snack. all advice is helpful as he is my first furry friend.

[Sarita]

It’s very hard to know just based on the behavior you describe. I guess my question at this point would be how long has this behavior been going on?

[currya15]

it’s been going on roughly about a week….first few days i brushed it off as a hey we may be over feeding him, he may be getting comfortable now, bit for him to not come out of his cage and just non=stop constant drinking of water and and his littler box getting filled pretty quick…..something in my gut is telling me somethings wrong. I called another vet to get him check that supposedly is a little more knowledgable on rabbits. the dr that saw him listened to his heart and checked if he was nuetered and said healthy….i don’t know if i agree with that.

[manic_muncher]

Less green leafy veggies would make him eat more hay, as he should, which would make him drink more water. Also with it being winter, you probably have your home on the warm side. Rabbits prefer temperatures closer to 60 degrees, I think most people keep their thermostats closer to 70 than to 60… so the extra warmth would also make them drink more water.

As buns mature, they do tend to mellow a bit. You thought you may be over-feeding him at first, how much pellets are you giving him a day? I think it should be around 1/8 a cup a day for a 4-5 pound rabbit, though someone might clarify that for me.

I know some days I worry if Bumpy isn’t feeling well, only for him to do something the next day that tells me he’s fine. Some days he spends a lot of time in his pen, sleeping or listening to the tv.. or whatever it is he does. And the litterbox? My husband and I often joke around when we see him go in there… “Maybe we should get him a magazine?”

When he’s sitting around calmly, what position is he laying in? Are his feet outstretched? Does he hide or sit stiffly refusing to move?

[currya15]

recommended yesterday from a friend who owns over a 100 bunnies for shows and breeding, I give him 1/4 cup of Oxbow pellets. The temperature in the house definitely makes sense as the apartment is set at 70. strangely its been at 70 since we got him. when he just lays around he sprawls out all stretched out and just relaxes. in his box he sits pretty still like a mini statue.

My fiance thinks he heard him cough a few times last night but I didn’t….as a first time pet owner, I just get nervous when something is off.

[manic_muncher]

I’ve had rabbits before, but really, it is more accurate to say I’m a new rabbit owner as well. I have learned so much here at BB and am so grateful for everyone’s help here. I hope you also find it a valuable resource and fun place to visit!

I know what you mean about the temp. We keep our house around 68 most of the time I am sitting around, but sometimes we let it go as far down as 62 when we are awake and into the low 50s when we are sleeping. Bumpy’s ears do their job, fluctuating in temperature as the house changes, but sometimes it can be 68 and he’s sitting in his pen on his little towel looking cold. Of course I may just be projecting, since I’m usually cold when I think he is.

I’ve heard Bumpy cough once or twice. It was just after drinking some water, so I think a little just went down the wrong way. He has also had a gurgle sound while drinking a couple of times, that worried me, but after reading on the forum about all the types of sounds everyone’s rabbits make, I’ve calmed down quite a bit with sounds. Rabbits are either a worrier’s perfect or the most illogical choice for a pet. I haven’t decided yet.

What kind of rabbit is he? Is he small or large? Bumpy is on the smaller breed size, he’s a holland lop. When I was first feeding him 1/4 cup a day, he hardly ate any hay. Then at about 6 months old, he just didn’t seem to be as active to me. Just kinda sat around. I thought maybe he was getting a little on the heavy side. Then I learned that hollands are prone to teeth issues, so those two made me cut back on his pellets to the 1/8 cup. His hay intake skyrocketed. He actually enjoys eating it, and runs around like a crazy man when he sees the fresh hay stock box coming out. He also started being much more active. Bouncing in and out of his pen, running up and down the hallway with the dogs, following us around the house.

We’ve had him since August 2, 2013. The roller coaster ride between him growing up, going through the neuter, and learning to trust us has been crazy. Never in my life did I ever worry about poop so much.

If I were in your shoes right now, I would keep an ear out for any wheezing or sniffling and anymore coughing. Your buns posture seems content, so I would try to keep mental notes on when he sits still. Rabbits sleep with their eyes open a lot of times, perhaps he is asleep when you see him sitting like a statue.

Also! If you haven’t seen this before, I just wanna give you a head’s up! The flop, especially when combined with a roll-over or feet wiggling in the air then flop and laying still is OK! First time I saw Bumpy do it I almost had a heart attack, I thought he was having a seizure. You may have already experienced that, but thought I would mention it just in case.

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