# Rabbit eating everything but pellets!



## MPHF (May 17, 2009)

Harley has been less interested in his pellets for a couple of days now. He will eat a few if they are sprinkled on the ground or hand fed. Everything else he eats fine: hay, grass. treats etc. His poos are very small and have a lot of fur in them. I don't think it's gas attack because he gets that quite regulary and he doesn't feel bloated. Just wondered if anyone had any ideas? 
Harley is also eating alot of newspaper out of his hutch. could this be a problem?


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## okiron (May 17, 2009)

I would stop giving him treats till he eats his pellets 

Do you have access to papaya tablets?


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## MPHF (May 17, 2009)

He hasn't had that many treats. I've never heard of papaya tablets before? We are going to the pet shop today do you think they would do them there or are they from the vets?


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## okiron (May 17, 2009)

They wouldn't have them at the vets. I've never seen them sold at a pet shop around here but I don't know about over there. I hope someone closer to you could come here and help lol.


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## ra7751 (May 17, 2009)

Hi,

I don't think I would worry too much about not eating pellets....but you do have the signs of a potential problem. When you have a GI slowdown, thinks can go downhill quickly. Our first response is always hydration as the gut has to be properly hydrated in order to move things thru at the correct speed...called GI transit time. I suggest pushing hydration. If you have the capability of administering sub-q fluids.....do so. If not, wet leafy greens such as romaine lettuce is an excellent choice....but like all other things, don't overdo it with too much lettuce. Make sure your rabbit has hay avalable all the time. Since there is fur in the poops and he is eating newspaper, that is usually an indication of a diet that is too low in fiber. Keep him moving around as much as possible....movement will sometimes stimulate the gut to get moving. Papaya, and pineapple, is a somewhat controversial treatment. It is believed by some, including me, that the chemical makeup of papaya extract or fresh pineapple does aid in breaking up the mucus that binds ingesta in the GI tract. Lab tests have so far been inconclusive but we have had success with it.

Stasis is always a symptom of something else. I would keep your rabbit brushed as often as possible to limit the amount of ingested fur. Make sure you offer hay free choice at all times. Maintain hydration and supplement if needed. If you choose to use papaya, use the extract....many pharmacies or health food stores carry this as a human digestion supplement. If you use pineapple.....it has to come from a fresh fruit....no canned, bottle or processed pineapple. I hand squeeze the juice and feed it by syringe....most rabbits seem to like fresh pineapple. Keep him moving. Monitor his body temp as they sometimes become a little shocky and their body temps drops....and further diminishes GI action. Offer him supplemental heat if necessary. If you are offering commercially made (sugar laden) treats....toss them.

Randy


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## Maureen Las (May 17, 2009)

You can also get some pedialyte and give that by syringe if you don't have access to the equipment to do sq's 
add a little apple juice to a crock of water to entice your bun to drink 

benebac is also helpful

this has happened when my buns are in heavy sheds; a lot of fluids will help keep everything moist and passing through. 

Isee not eating pellets as a red flag ..but with intervention you can prevent stasis.


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## kirbyultra (May 17, 2009)

Kirby went through something like this in March. It was towards the end of a very long molt that lasted almost 3 months.

He usually would dive into his pellets but suddenly became uninterested in them nearing the end of his molt. He'd still eat them but very slowly. It was (in my opinion) a marked difference in eating habit for that bunny.

Kirby doesn't usually drink a lot and I started to feed him canned pumpkin to give him extra moisture. I gave him 2 papaya tablets a day, stopped ALL treats, and gave him extra wet greens. Kirby started tovisibly poop quite a bit offur within a couple days. He continued to poop out fur for severals days more. I think he was beginning stasis but early action with added moisture in his system got it going before it could worsen.


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## tonyshuman (May 18, 2009)

It could also be a sign of tooth issues. Bunnies will frequently stop eating one type of food if their teeth are bothering him. Definitely do what the others have mentioned in regard to keeping the GI going, but if he passes the fur/newspapers fine and doesn't want to eat pellets, have a vet check his teeth out.


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## MPHF (May 18, 2009)

thanks for all the replies, Harley ate a lot of his pellets this morning, still not as much as usual ,but more than yesterday. last night we syringed pineapple juice and water into him as he wouldn't drink it, we then gave him a tummy rub. he then had a run around the room with Floppy and done 20 poos!!! I am going to try and get him into see the vet to check his teeth and to make sure there is nothing sinister going on.


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## tonyshuman (May 18, 2009)

Whew, glad he's eating again. It could just be a stasis event since he's started eating pellets again. It's good that you're going to take him in anyway, since a vet check-up is a cheap way to get peace of mind, in my opinion. I hope nothing is wrong but the vet will be able to give you a definitive answer.


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## MPHF (May 24, 2009)

Just an update on how Harley is getting on. He went to the vets on Friday and had his teeth checked. They seemed fine but are growing inwards a bit. The vet weighed him and that was fine- hasn't changed dramaticlly. The vet said that if the problems persist, he will need a full dental under anesthetic. We tried feeding him seperatley to his partner, Floppy, because she is a bit excitable over food but he didn't like that either. Ever since Friday he has been eating his pellets fine. (with Floppy)


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## tonyshuman (May 24, 2009)

That's good to hear!


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