Question: I have a 4-year-old mini-lop rabbit. She is very tame and lives inside and uses a litter box. I feed her rabbit pellets and carrots. For the last couple days she only ate a little. Today she doesn?t want to eat at all and isn?t moving around very much. She seems OK otherwise. What should I do? -Britney
Answer: Rabbits make great pets and are generally easy to care for. When a rabbit stops eating it is an emergency.
Rabbits have a different kind of digestive process and their food is digested in a part of their body called the cecum. It is like an appendix in a human but much larger and the bacteria inside help digest the food and make vitamins.
Pet rabbits that are not reproducing can live on hay and do very well. They need a very high fiber diet in order for their digestive system to function properly. Pet rabbits don?t need any pellets or seed at all. They do much better when you keep grass type hay available for them 24 hours a day. The constant chewing is great for their teeth and the lower carbohydrate diet helps keep their delicate digestive system working properly.
Feed only good quality grass hays like oat, brome, and bermuda grass hay. Do not feed alfalfa hay. Once your rabbit has converted to a diet of hay only, start introducing small amounts of green leafy fresh foods like turnip greens and collard greens.
Exercise is very important! Make sure your rabbit is getting plenty of exercise. Rabbits that stay caged all the time are more likely to have digestive problems. Most rabbits can be litter box trained and are well behaved when hopping around the house.
If your rabbit refuses the hay and greens he needs to go to the veterinarian for treatment. When they stop eating they get very dehydrated and the gut shuts down. If the problem is not corrected they will die. Your veterinarian may need to inject fluids and give medications to get the intestines moving again. It can take many days to get things going again.
Dr. Baker
Baker Veterinary Clinic
1801 S. Congress Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Read more articles by Dr. Baker | Ask her a question
Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2010/12/22/its-serious-when-rabbits-wont-eat/
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