Hey everyone! My two bunnies, Athena and Teddy, and I have enjoyed a couple years of their good health, thankfully. But now Teddy (a neutered Jersey Wooly/Lionhead mix who’s almost 7) is acting kind of funny, and I’m worried.
I’m writing on a Saturday evening. On Tuesday night, Teddy ate his supper of greens but then didn’t want his treat & hay at bedtime, but he was back to normal by morning. The next few days he seemed like his happy self, doing races and flops, and pouncing on his supper. But then suddenly last night, he didn’t want his supper or anything after that, and I haven’t seen him eat anything (other than half a clover flower) in the last 20 hours — which is a big worry. (He did poop this afternoon, small poops.) He’s had GI stasis before, and I’m concerned of course that that will start again if he doesn’t eat soon — but for now, his symptoms seem different. He doesn’t appear to be in GI discomfort — he doesn’t hunch up and his tummy doesn’t feel tight.
But his movements are a bit weird. He sometimes stretches out his back legs but then gets up again right away, like he’s uncomfortable or something, and once when I approached with treats this evening he took a couple steps backward, low to the ground, which I’ve never seen him do. Another time this evening he took a couple of hops but then stopped and seemed to press his pelvis to the floor for a second or two, as though he were about to lie down, before taking a few more hops. Then I saw that he had peed a little just before the spot where he’d stopped. (The pee seemed normal.) He also sits kind of curled around more — like in Sphynx posture but with his head facing to a corner instead of straight ahead. He changes positions more than usual. This seems so out of the blue! Poor little guy.
He doesn’t seem to be in great distress — he groomed Athena a minute ago, and she seems unconcerned (whereas when he had stasis before she wouldn’t leave his side). I’m wary of rushing him to the vet because a) we’re in a new city and don’t have an established one yet and b) these bunnies are extra extra scared of the crate/car/vet, and the last time Athena had just stopped eating and I brought them right in, it freaked them both out so much and then *both* bunnies got really bad stasis for a while immediately after that. So if I can possibly do home care, I feel safer with that for now. (I have an oral syringe, Critical Care, and simethicone, which I’ll probably have to start him on tonight if he still doesn’t eat.)
But I’m really worried and completely puzzled by his odd movements. Both bunnies are from shelters, but neither has been on the ground outside ever, so I’m hoping it’s not E. Cuniculi. :/
Any advice would be very, very appreciated!! Thank you so much for reading.