Concerned – 5 week old Lop help (pooping/eating)!

[Nerdzilla]

My wife and I got a Dwarf Holland Lop last Saturday night from a local breeder.  She says that the bunny is 5 weeks old and was eating normal pellet food and occasionally warm cow’s milk.  We are still waiting on her larger hutch to come later today, so we have her in a very large box at the moment.

For the first few days things were going well.  I was seeing plenty of poop and it appeared that she was eating (the pellets provided by the breeder).  By the 3rd day or so I began to grow concerned… much less poop, and it had changed consistency.  It was darker, and smaller.  Yesterday (Wednesday) my wife changed out her cage in the afternoon and we haven’t seen any poop since.  I’m concerned after researching that this may be a GI issue.  I’ve read most of the relevant material on the subject that says that I should take her to a vet.. but I’ve also read that stress, and a change in the rabbit’s surroundings can cause diet and digestive fluctuations. 

Additionally we have a 2 year old son that absolutely LOVES his new bunny.  He’s very gentle with her… but he’s still a 2 year old.  I’ve told my wife that Bun Bun (my son named her) needs a day off from people, since her condition can very likely be caused by stress.

I’m wondering a few things here:

1. Am I overreacting?  Has this happened to you..?  Is it something that could just be because of the change in the rabbit’s surroundings and as her stress drops it will get better?

2. Is there anything further I need to do?  I have read that the proper type of hay can encourage digestion in rabbits, but I’m cautious to introduce new foods since she’s ALREADY seemingly in distress.

If I get home from work today and I still don’t see any droppings, I’m going to take her to the vet. (that’ll be roughly 12 hours with no poop at that point.

Thanks for the help,

Ben

[Vincent]

You should definitely take her to the vet and usually of she has GU issues she may want to stop drinking so you guys should hand feed her water with a syringe or eye dropper, it may just be stress causing her not to eat properly and therefore not poop but water is important.

I don’t see a mention of hay? She should be on hay by now (afalfa hay is good at her age) to help with her stomach. Bunnies basically can’t digest without hay

[Muchelle]

IF the bun’s not been pooping for more than 12 hours quickly get her to an exotic pets clinic/veterinary to have her checked out not only for signs of GI stasis but also for parasites (coccidium), that can cause symptoms similar to GI stasis.

Surely the bun is very stressed because of the change of envoiroinment, so do make sure you leave her alone for 3-4 days (except for feeding/cleaning times) once she’s back home Be patient and she’ll do great!

[Floppy]

The breeder should not be selling rabbits until they are 8 weeks old! I hope your rabbit is okay.

[Nerdzilla]

Thank you for all the replies. We haven’t introduced hay yet, because I was worried that introducing hay might cause even more issues. We are not in a position to take her into the vet until this afternoon so I was going to try some remedies until then.

My wife (against my better judgment) gave Bun Bun some lettuce, which she devoured… so she definitely has an appetite, just isn’t eating her pellets, or pooping.

If she hasn’t pooped by 2 when I’m off work I’m going to see if one of the vet clinics will take her this afternoon.

[sarahthegemini]

She needs unlimited hay – hay will help keep her tummy moving but of course if it’s already stopped (if she’s not pooped then it has) then she needs a vet asap. 

Please tell your wife not to feed her lettuce! She’s too young for veggies anyway and introducing something new when a bun’s tum isn’t right is a recipe for disaster. It’s good that bun still has an appetite but she should only be fed appropriate foods regardless. 

I also don’t mean to be rude but please do not allow a 2 year old to handle her. 

[Nerdzilla]

Updates…

I got home and we’ve placed Bun Bun into a very open area – my thought is that if she can move and hop around a bit more, perhaps she’ll be able to wiggle out some poops.

I called our local vet, just for the visit would be $65, the recommend x-rays to see what’s wrong at $195, and then we’re into treatment. While I care very much for Bun Bun, I can’t afford this. The last thing I want is for Bun Bun to pass…

Her behavior is unchanged, if anything she’s far more energetic now than she has ever been. We bought and introduced hay which she is eating by the mouthful – but still no poop. I’ve looked up videos and attempted to massage her tummy, but I fear this may be some sort of blockage.

I’ve read that if she was in pain, she wouldn’t be eating, and that isn’t the case. She is eating and drinking quite well.

Is there anything I haven’t though of? I feel awful but I’m not sure there is anything else I can do.

[Boston's Mama]

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[Boston's Mama]

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[cinnybun2015]

Definitely feed hay. If she won’t eat Timothy, I’d even recommend alfalfa – rabbits tend to like it a lot since it has a nice taste. Older rabbits generally shouldn’t eat it but younger rabbits can. Hope everything will be okay.

[sarahthegemini]

First time Buttercup had a stasis episode she had stopped pooping but still ate. I’m sure she must have been in pain or at least very uncomfortable seeing as she was unable to poop so just because Bun Bun is eating doesn’t mean she isn’t uncomfortable or feeling pain.

If she is eating but not pooping, her tummy is just going to get more and more backed up. Bottom line is she needs a vet. She is a tiny baby, taken from her mother prematurely, has stopped pooping and hasn’t had appropriate food (no hay, no mothers milk, lettuce) 

Bunnies are expensive to care for. Bunnies need expensive treatments when they’re poorly. As a responsible owner, you need to find a way to provide her with proper veterinary treatment. Discuss payment plans – most vets are open to this. 

[Azerane]

How is your bunny now?

It’s great that she was eating hay, she may not have been pooping due to having stopped eating previously.

[sarahthegemini]

Yeah, how is she now? Has she pooped at all??

[Nerdzilla]

Thank you all for your replies. I consulted with a vet who suggested that I try infant gas drops (we already had some for our 3 month old) … we also introduced unlimited hay as suggested. Last night she had 3 small, very dry, very hard poops. We were very hopeful. This morning when I checked on her and gave her water, her cage was absolutely covered in poop!

If I had to guess – I’d assume that she was getting SOMETHING from the breeder (possibly the hay) that she wasn’t telling us about when we picked her up. She is really enjoying the hay, and we’ve reduced greatly the pellets we were previously providing her with.

She seems to be doing very well now… and this afternoon I will be able to build her hutch! I really appreciate all the replies and help with this!

I completely agree with everyone, she needed to see a vet – however I wasn’t prepared for the immediate need for a vet (4 days after getting her.)

[Nerdzilla]

Oops, double post.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Nerdzilla on 6/16/2017 7:33 AM

Thank you all for your replies. I consulted with a vet who suggested that I try infant gas drops (we already had some for our 3 month old) … we also introduced unlimited hay as suggested. Last night she had 3 small, very dry, very hard poops. We were very hopeful. This morning when I checked on her and gave her water, her cage was absolutely covered in poop!

If I had to guess – I’d assume that she was getting SOMETHING from the breeder (possibly the hay) that she wasn’t telling us about when we picked her up. She is really enjoying the hay, and we’ve reduced greatly the pellets we were previously providing her with.

She seems to be doing very well now… and this afternoon I will be able to build her hutch! I really appreciate all the replies and help with this!

I completely agree with everyone, she needed to see a vet – however I wasn’t prepared for the immediate need for a vet (4 days after getting her.)

Thank goodness! They sure do like giving us a scare sometimes. I’m so paranoid about my Buttercup (she’s been rushed to the emergency vets 3 x for stasis) that if she doesn’t poop at her usual times I panic! 

I’m sure now that she has unlimited hay, she’ll continue to be a pooping machine 

[Azerane]

That’s wonderful Hay is absolutely a necessity for buns. The indegestible fibre in it is what actually keeps the gut moving and poops moving on through.

[Author]

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