Older rabbit and weight loss

[BlueBaby1023]

Hi again. I posted a while back about my rabbits Darwin and Emma and their sore hock issues. 

Unfortunately, I’ve run into a little more of a serious issue with Darwin. I noticed he was looking a bit on the skinny side, and discovered that he lost about 200 grams since his previous vet visit about 3 week prior. I took him back to the vet for a courtesy visit, and the vet seemed to think that the weight loss must be linked to cancer or renal failure because he’s still eating, drinking, and pooping/peeing like normal.  His normal weight ran around 1.45-1.5kg. Now he’s bouncing between 1.25 and 1.3kg. 

Since it stresses bunnies out a lot to have blood drawn, he didn’t want to do a renal panel unless he couldn’t gain weight on a mixed alfalfa/orchard grass diet, which seems to be working (he gained about 1.5 ounces since starting him on it last night, the highest he’s been in weeks at 2lbs 14.5 ounces). I’m giving him papaya tablets to help counteract the calcium in the alfalfa hay since they’re high in Vit C. 

His teeth are just a hair off in the front, but the vet didn’t seem too concerned about it since he is still eating like a champ. He’s also acting normal and just as inquisitive and playful as ever.  

I was just wondering if anyone else has had experiences with bunnies that are getting older (he’s at least 5 years old, but likely closer to 7-8), and just losing weight on a orchard hay/pellet diet. I’m really hoping it isn’t cancer/renal problems, simply because there aren’t a whole lot of good options for bunnies. 

[LittlePuffyTail]

Did your vet sedate him to take a look at his molars? My Bindi will lose weight when he has spurs that need taken care of.

I have experienced weight loss in a bunny due to cancer but there were other symptoms. You can’t just assume cancer because there is weight loss. Bloodwork is definitely a good idea. Maybe you could talk to your vet about sedating him while checking his teeth and taking blood?

[BlueBaby1023]

He didn’t look at his molars, and didn’t even mention taking a look for spurs. I’ll have to mention that the next time he’s in.

Do you mind if I ask what the other symptoms are? It’s hard to tell as far as pain goes because he had a foot that was previously broken and never set properly long before I adopted him, and I’m not sure what the other symptoms of bunny cancer are. He just mentioned cancer or renal issues as being probable because he seems, to me at least, to be eating the same amount of food so the vet believed there was an “energy sink” going on somewhere in his body.

He’s still holding steady at about 2lbs 13ounces when he should weigh about 8 ounces more, so bloodwork is probably going to be the next step so I’ll ask about having him sedated then and have them look at his molars. I think the vet was just suggesting a cheap course of action because people don’t tend to spend much on their animals around here… (I just moved from Oregon to Florida, and it’s definitely a whole other country in the south…)

[jerseygirl]

Definitely keep teeth in mind. Another sign is deteriorating coat condition. Rabbits with dental probs tend to not groom themselves as much.

Looking at your avatar, Darwin and Emma are a bonded pair? Just thinking how its trickier to gauge food intake when there’s more then one.
If together, keep an eye on her weight too if you’re not already. She might be gaining! :p

I have a 7yr old (going on 8) bunny and he’s lost a little weight. Nothing too concerning yet. I had thought rabbits do lose condition somewhat as they age. However, he’s my first reaching this age so I don’t have much experience.

Ive read mentioned a few times that Manna Pro feeds can be good for weight gain if you’re considering a diet change.

[LittlePuffyTail]

The other symptoms my bunny had was mushy poos. The vet did a fecal exam and there was blood in it. He had GI cancer. He also became much less active.

[BlueBaby1023]

jerseygirl: They are a bonded pair, and hate to be separated. She is much heavier than he is, but she always has been. She’s a plump bunny. I thought bunnies might be like cats or dogs that lose weight as they age just due to muscle mass loss because they aren’t as “fit” anymore (which for him has been exaggerated due to his poor foot and back).

But that’s also why I wanted to ask if older bunnies just lost a bit of weight sometimes or if they needed higher quality food as they age. As it is, he is getting Oxbow brand Orchard Grass, bunny pellets, and a veggie rotation. When he lost weight I also added in, under the vets suggestion, alfalfa and plain oats.

LittlePuffyTail: Darwin definitely has not had mushy poos or activity loss. The same perky, friendly bunny that he’s always been, which is why the weight loss concerned me to start with.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you see it, when at the follow up visit with the vet today he took a peek at Darwin’s teeth. His molars are in perfect condition, flat with no spurs at all. His incisors are off a bit but not terrible and he thought it was just Darwin favoring a side to chew on. He has gained weight back, and is up to 1.42kg or about 3lbs 2 ounces. His body condition looks a LOT better (funny how just a couple of ounces will do that). The vet still thinks that it’s either cancer or renal issues, but since there isn’t much to be done if it is, and since his teeth aren’t bad, he wasn’t real inclined to sedate him to draw blood and level the incisors.

[BlueBaby1023]

I’ve got some unfortunate news… It was cancer.

I noticed earlier today he was having some drooling/spitting out food going on and felt around his jaw. I felt a small lump so I thought it was just an abscess or something going on. Despite having his teeth looked at just a couple weeks ago and there being nothing wrong, a large tumor was spotted today. It was extremely vascular and bled when it was touched with a Q-tip… It was likely a metastasis from somewhere else due to how fast it sprung up.

I made the sad decision to euthanize poor Darwin.. It was quite large and obviously impeding his eating, and I didn’t feel it was fair to keep him in pain.

[litheandgraphic]

Oh, I’m so, so sorry for your loss. You did absolutely everything you could. Sending warm thoughts and vibes to you and Emma.

{{ Binky free Darwin }}

[Roberta]

I am sorry, you did the most loving thing you could for your baby. I had to make the same choice for my 14 yr old cat, Jebediah, back in February.. The same thing, a very large aggressive cancer in his mouth….
Binky Free Darwin

[jerseygirl]

So very sorry for your loss!
***Binky Free Darwin***
How is his little friend doing?

[BlueBaby1023]

Thank you guys.. It definitely was not an easy decision even though I know it was best for him..

Emma is doing okay. She’s quite obviously stressed because she can’t seem to relax and is even more aloof than usual, but she’s still eating and drinking okay. My boyfriend and I had the conversation a few weeks back when the vet first mentioned it could be cancer or renal issues that if he did pass soon, that we would get her another friend. I just hope she doesn’t become too despondent before we can arrange another friend through the local rabbit rescue.

[jerseygirl]

(((Emma)))

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