# Bunny not drinking water..but still eating?



## JessieR

Hello all,

My mum is concerned that one of her bunnies has not drank anything - the water bottle level has not moved in the last 24hrs. She is still eating & acting normal though? 

I am thinking a check over at the vets to be safe tomorrow but is there anything we can do over night? 

I have thought giving her really wet leaves for extra hydration & i have tried to syringe feed her some water but shes not happy about that! (she is having fresh green leaves in a pack from the super market - could these be giving her the hydration she needs without drinking actual water?)

Anything advice would be helpful!

Thank you


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## Zeroshero

Try offering her water in a bowl. What is the temperature of the water? Too hot or too cold?


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## JessieR

The water is room temperature, she is outside in a shed. We have put a bowl with her for the last 30mins but she's not bothered with it. Were brining her in the kitchen to monitor for tonight so we can watch a bit closer...


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## Nancy McClelland

Some of ours drink a lot and most only a very little. Lilli gets most of hers from the herbs and veggies we give and only rarely drinks from her hutch bottle. As long as she's eating and acting normal I'd not give in to too much worry. Do however keep a close eye on her as bunnies are so darn good at hiding problems.


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## tonyshuman

Not all bunnies drink water. Many get their water from greens. However, if the bunny used to drink water and has now stopped, it could be an issue.


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## MamoSango

Hi JessieR, 
Just wondering if you found a solution to what's going on. Similarly, my mini lop stopped eating and drinking yesterday, his veterinarian isn't available until tomorrow morning. I suspect gas is the culprit for Mamo, he'll eat his treats, a little bit of apple, his greens but not his pellets and the water levels in his bowl haven't gone down. I've tried to get some water in his system via syringe, but he really doesn't like things being forced into his mouth and sometimes he just spits it out. I've read that when it's warm they get lethargic and stop drinking and eating, which might be a factor since I have the heater on all the time, but it's never effected him until yesterday. 

How can I help my bunny boy??


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## stevesmum

There is no mention of hay in your post, is he eating his hay? Offering hay (relentlessly) and wet leafy greens could help. Also read this: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html


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## MamoSango

Hi stevesmum, unfortunately he's not eating his hay either. We usually feed our bunnies Oxbow Timothy hay, which they adore, but he wasn't interested initso I bought orchard grass hay, which he still won't touch. He's been getting plenty of soaked romaine, and he's been a little bit more mobile as of last night, but still not drinking water or eating his pellets


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## JBun

MamoSango said:


> Hi JessieR,
> Just wondering if you found a solution to what's going on. Similarly, my mini lop stopped eating and drinking yesterday, his veterinarian isn't available until tomorrow morning. I suspect gas is the culprit for Mamo, he'll eat his treats, a little bit of apple, his greens but not his pellets and the water levels in his bowl haven't gone down. I've tried to get some water in his system via syringe, but he really doesn't like things being forced into his mouth and sometimes he just spits it out. I've read that when it's warm they get lethargic and stop drinking and eating, which might be a factor since I have the heater on all the time, but it's never effected him until yesterday.
> 
> How can I help my bunny boy??



Since your rabbit is selectively eating soft foods, I would suspect possible dental problems. If at all possible, try and get your bun seen today, but if you absolutely can't get into your vet until tomorrow, you will need to keep your rabbit eating enough that stasis doesn't set in. I would continue feeding the leafy greens, and you could also try soaking his pellets in warm water and making a mush out of it, and see if he will eat that on his own. If not then you will likely need to start syringe feeding, but only as long as he is still eating a little at least, and pooping so that you know he isn't suffering from an intestinal blockage(force feeding a rabbit with a complete blockage isn't safe). The pellet mush might work, but if not you can get Oxbow Critical Care syringe feeding mix from your vet. Would also be a good idea to just consult with them as to how to keep your bun doing alright until tomorrow and to make sure it is ok for you to syringe feed until then.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/D_problems1.htm


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## MamoSango

JBun said:


> Since your rabbit is selectively eating soft foods, I would suspect possible dental problems. If at all possible, try and get your bun seen today, but if you absolutely can't get into your vet until tomorrow, you will need to keep your rabbit eating enough that stasis doesn't set in. I would continue feeding the leafy greens, and you could also try soaking his pellets in warm water and making a mush out of it, and see if he will eat that on his own. If not then you will likely need to start syringe feeding, but only as long as he is still eating a little at least, and pooping so that you know he isn't suffering from an intestinal blockage(force feeding a rabbit with a complete blockage isn't safe). The pellet mush might work, but if not you can get Oxbow Critical Care syringe feeding mix from your vet. Would also be a good idea to just consult with them as to how to keep your bun doing alright until tomorrow and to make sure it is ok for you to syringe feed until then.
> 
> http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/D_problems1.htm



Thank you so much everyone for all the great advice, but Mamo is way better now! He is almost 100% back to normal, drinking his water and even ate a carrot today, along with hay and his pellets again! My guess is that he either had some 24hr flu type of situation, or just some bad gas that he was having issues with. I will continue to keep a close eye on him, however I am no longer as concerned about his health now that he's almost back to normal! Thanks again!!


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