# Symptoms of GI Stasis? Rabbit Eating Pellets More Than Hay



## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 2, 2016)

Hey everyone 

I'm new to this rabbit forum. I own a two year old holland dwarf lop. I feed him his pellets and unlimited oaten hay. I also feed him a variety of vegetables and herbs and fruits. I also provide him water in his drinking bottle. Everyday I provide him with fresh food and water. 

Three weeks ago I noticed that he was sneezing and making grunting like sounds. I took him to the vet and was told he was a minor upper respiratory infection. The doctor told me to give him oral medicine for 7 days. After the 7 days, he was still sneezing a little and I was told to continue the medicine for another 7 days. It's been two weeks now and I noticed that he still sneezes a bit and so I took him to the vet again. A different doctor examined him and I was told he was fine, no signs of sickness. She told me he had no nose discharge and even though he has a little bit of a dribble under his chin, that he had no dental problems. She told me he seems healthy and has healthy fur coat. Also, after the medicine, his poo have become smaller. Some are small and some are normal sized. 

A few days ago I noticed that he seems to be eating his vegetables and pellets more than his hay. I also noticed that he's been drinking a lot of water. For two days he was drinking a lot of water and on some occasions, he would sit there underneath the drinking bottle all hunched with his eyes half closed. I thought he had a stomach upset and so I managed to massage his tummy, I think this did help as he doesn't do this hunched up posture anymore. 

Today I heard him grind his teeth. I'm not sure why? I felt him everywhere because I thought he may have injured himself when running in our backyard but everything is in place. I told the vet about this and she told me sometimes it may not be pain, but anger or discomfort. Because I don't let him run on hot days outside, he may not like to be confined in his cage. 

Apart from this, everything is fine. I'm just worried that he isn't eating his hay as much. And the tooth grinding that happens here and there. How do I get my rabbit to eat more of his hay? I give him fresh hay 2-3 times a day to encourage him to eat. 

By the way, his name is Wilson  

Any ideas on how to make him eat his hay again? And be a happy bunny?


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 2, 2016)

Hey everyone  

I own a two year old holland dwarf lop named Wilson. I noticed today that he isn't pooping as much? I got him checked out by a vet TWICE (in the last two weeks) for any dental problems, nose or eye discharge etc. I was told by both the doctors that he is fine and not showing any signs of anything major. I noticed that because of his medicine that he took before due to a minor URI, that his poop became smaller and some are egg shaped. Last week, his poop went back to normal and today, I noticed that his poop are small and he's not producing A LOT? He ate today, but he normally sleeps during the day and doesn't eat as much during the day compared to night. 

Should I take him back again for a third time? I don't want him to have any gut issues. I'm scared of the whole GI Stasis etc. unless he has gas pain? Should I rub his tummy? I know rabbits are meant to poop all the time but today in his cage, I noticed that there isn't as much poo


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## Azerane (Feb 2, 2016)

Is he still sneezing? It's possible that the sneezing is an allergy to the type of hay your feeding or possibly the litter in his tray if you're using wood shavings. Some rabbits are allergic to timothy hay but not to orchard grass or meadow hay for example. You can also encourage more hay eating by offering different types, as some bunnies are fussy with their hay.

It does sound like something may be a little off, but it's so tough to tell just from what you're telling us. Perhaps try offering a bowl of water in addition to the bottle in case for some reason he's having trouble drinking from the bottle all of a sudden.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 2, 2016)

I have never introduced anything new to him for the past three years. Can rabbits all of a sudden develop an allergy to something they've been eating for that long? I don't have any wood shavings in his cage, and I don't have any bedding hay either. I lay newspaper in his cage and then his hay. 

I will try your suggestion of offering different hay  thank you!


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## Azerane (Feb 2, 2016)

Sorry I misread about how long you have had him. In that case it's very unlikely it's an allergy, although different batches of hay can certainly be more dusty than others if you have bought new hay recently.

When they checked for dental problems did they do an x-ray? Rabbit teeth can't be properly checked without one because the molars can't be seen 100% and you also can't see the root growth. Rabbit teeth can overgrow in the roots as well as from the top. An issue with teeth explains drooling and could be effecting sinuses too. Another way to check for discharge is to check the inside of the front legs, as that's where rabbits wipe their nose


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 2, 2016)

That's okay  no the doctors didn't do an x-Ray scan. they just looked inside his mouth, they opened it wide open. He's eating all the 'hard' foods such as the stalks of parsley, corn, his pellets and some hay. Doesn't this mean that he CAN chew and that his teeth have no problem? What do the discharge look like? What can I look for under his paws? I'm just very worried  the vet clinic recommended me to see a rabbit specialist if I was that concerned because they can narrow it down for me. I did contact a nearest specialist and they gave me a quote including the prices for a consultation, blood test and x Ray (minus sedation) and altogether it is $412. It is expensive but I don't want to leave my rabbit in any pain. I just thought I would post my concerns here to get feedback from other rabbit owners before I go in to see a specialist.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 2, 2016)

Hey everyone  

I noticed that my rabbit would do some tooth grinding even though he is eating and drinking fine. I had him checked out twice by two different doctors at a vet clinic/hospital and one of them told me he has a minor upper respiratory infection and I was told to give him medicine, orally. I did that for 14 days and noticed that he still sneezed here and there. The second doctor (I went in a few days ago) examined him and told me he is fine. He wasn't showing any signs of dental problems (despite a bit of dribble under his chin) and no nose discharge. I'm really worried  he doesn't seem to be eating his hay as much?


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 2, 2016)

Hey everyone  

I noticed the last few days that my rabbit isn't eating his hay as much. He's a holland dwarf lop and he is two years old. I've been feeding him oaten hay and have not changed it to any other hay. I lately found that he only nibbles on a few and then leaves it. I provide him with fresh hay 2-3 times a day. I also notice that he sneezes when he's in his cage near his hay as well. I had him checked out by a vet and was told he has a minor upper respiratory infection and was told to give him oral medicine for 14 days. This was three weeks ago and till this day, he sneezes here and there. He doesn't sneeze when he's away from his hay. 

I know hay makes up 85% of a rabbits diet and so I need him to eat his hay to be sure he has all the fibre. How do I encourage his hay intake again?


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 2, 2016)

Hey everyone  

I have a 2 year old holland dwarf lop named Wilson. I feed him oaten hay, pellets, and a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits. I provide him fresh food and water daily. 

Three weeks ago I noticed that he started sneezing, but had no eye and nose discharge. I took him to the vet and was told he had a minor upper respiratory infection and I then had to give him oral medicine for two weeks. A few days ago, I noticed a bit of dribble under his chin and so I took him to the vet again. A different doctor examined him and told me he was showing no signs of dental problems, even though she didn't do an x-Ray. Two days ago, I noticed that he would sit in a hunched position, eyes half closed, under his drinking bottle (he does this behaviour some times). He refuses to eat his hay. He only nibbles some and then leaves it. He's eating his pellets and some vegetables and fruits, and he is also drinking a lot of water. I also noticed that he isn't producing a lot of poop either. I'm really scared that he is presenting with GI Stasis!! He also does some tooth grinding.

I'm taking him to the vet again on Friday for a dental check up. In the mean time, how do I relax him? I hate to see him in pain. I have no idea how he developed GI Stasis, if this is what he has.


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## stevesmum (Feb 2, 2016)

Could be a bad batch. I would inspect it closely then go out and buy a couple different kinds of Timothy hay to see if he likes any others better. Rabbits can be very picky about their hay. Maybe this batch is also a dusty one making him sneeze. We always joke that our rabbits will only eat hay that's been hand cut by virgins by the light of a full moon.


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## stevesmum (Feb 2, 2016)

He developed it by not eating enough hay. If in pain he needs pain medication, simethicone drops, warmth and a lot of love. He should probably have a full dental checkup which actually involves sedation. Without sedation there's no way they can see those teeth well enough.


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## JBun (Feb 2, 2016)

Drooling, excessive drinking, eye squinting, sneezing/nasal discharge, tooth grinding, selective eating/not eating certain foods, can all point to a possible dental problem. A rabbit with dental problems can sometimes still eat other foods when they can't eat their hay, as hay requires a different grinding action to eat, so it may be more painful to eat hay as opposed to the pellets, and soft foods will be even easier on the mouth to eat. 

There is a slight possibility it could be a problem with the hay instead. So you could try a different type of hay, but if that doesn't work you should get his teeth looked at as most of the symptoms point to dental issues as the likely cause. I don't know that I would start off with all those expensive tests as some of them may not be necessary for the vet to accurately diagnose the problem, though it would be best to have him seen by the specialist as an experienced rabbit vet makes a big difference when trying to get an accurate diagnosis and the proper treatment. I would start off with having them do a conscious dental exam first. They may be able to see what the problem is just in a conscious exam even though your other vet couldn't, and if so that could save you a lot if the other tests aren't needed. If they don't find anything during a conscious exam, then they may need to do an exam under sedation to get a better look at the back teeth, and it may be a good idea to have xrays done at the same time to check if there are any tooth root issues or infection. But I would start with the conscious exam and go from there. 
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/D_problems1.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/AcquiredMolarAbnRabbits.htm

In the meantime, I would be cutting any fruit, corn, or sugary/starchy foods out of his diet, especially while he's not eating hay, as the sugars will just contribute to a slowdown of his digestion(small poop) and could lead to an imbalance in gut flora, especially without the extra fiber he would normally be getting from eating hay. One thing you can try until you get this mystery sorted, is if you have plain grass hay pellets available to buy, get some of those and see if he will eat them. I'm not sure what you have there, but here in the US they make them to give to large livestock like horses. They are just plain pellets made from only hay, with nothing else added. You can even soften them in warm water if needed.


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## Blue eyes (Feb 2, 2016)

amandaaaa_xxo said:


> He's eating all the 'hard' foods such as the stalks of parsley,* corn*, his pellets and some hay .


 
Rabbits should not be fed corn. Here is a quote from http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html


*"Some types of seeds (especially things like "Canadian peas" and corn kernels) have hulls that are indigestible to a rabbit, and can cause life-threatening intestinal impactions/blockages.*
_Corn, fresh or dried, is NOT safe for rabbits. The hull of corn kernels is composed of a complex polysaccharide (not cellulose and pectin, of which plant cell walls are more commonly composed, and which a rabbit can digest) which rabbits cannot digest. We know of more than one rabbit who suffered intestinal impactions because of the indigestible corn hulls. After emergency medical treatment, when the poor rabbits finally passed the corn, their fecal pellets were nearly solid corn hulls! Those rabbits were lucky_."


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## Blue eyes (Feb 2, 2016)

Wait. On another post you mentioned that your rabbit is outside in the backyard roaming all day long. If so, then is there grass and other plants out there that bunny is eating?

How are you refreshing hay 2-3 times per day in his cage if he is outside all day? Could you clarify the situation please?


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## Azerane (Feb 2, 2016)

Especially if he's drooling you should get an x-ray done on his teeth, as teeth overgrow at the root as well as on top. Rabbits will stop eating or eat less when they are in pain which can certainly lead to stasis. It's likely he's leaving the hay because it's more painful to eat. Hay has to be ground down thoroughly before being swallowed and it's probably painful for him to do that which is why he's still eating soft veggies and his pellets, even though the pellets are hard they don't take a lot of grinding.


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## Azerane (Feb 2, 2016)

We are trying to answer your question and help you but you have multiple threads about the same topic, will be merging them into one to make it easier for people to have the full picture and better help your rabbit


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 3, 2016)

That does make sense. That could be why he isn't eating his hay and eating his other food. Hay does require a different motion of chewing etc. I booked an appointment for tomorrow at a rabbit specialist clinic and will start off with a standard check up. The receptionist told me based on what they find, they'll determine whether to have x-Rays done or not. 

When I put my rabbit outside, the indoor house cage that he stays in when he's inside the house, I take that and place it outside as well, so he can run around and play and hop in his cage whenever he wants to eat or drink. That's how I refresh his hay 2-3 times daily, because I place his cage outside when he's outside, and bring it back inside when I catch him. 

I don't offer Corn everyday. I offer it in VERY SMALL quantities (uncooked) every 4 days or so. I won't provide him with the starchy foods for now until I go in tomorrow for the specialist to examine him. I have noticed that he isn't producing much poop as I mentioned earlier and this is a very worrying concern for me. He won't poop as much if he doesn't eat his hay.

It seems as though the medication the vet gave me to give to my rabbit orally (the medicine that was used to treat the minor URI) made him worse over the weeks. It was just last week where he stopped eating the hay out of no where. Randomly. I give him the oxbow oaten hay. Which other hay is good for rabbits? Maybe I can try switching up the hay as well, but I want to be careful because I don't want to upset his stomach or himself any further.


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## flemishwhite (Feb 3, 2016)

Of all the issues with your rabbit, I think I can only contribute with the sneezing issue. Bunny began sneezing maybe at her 9 year old age mark. Apparently bunnies have all their life, a bacteria in their respiratory system that will cause the sneezing. In their younger years, their immune system surpresses this bacteria. When they get older, their immune system degrades. Our bunny vet gave us an oral bacteriacide that targeted this bacteria. After the recommended dosage, her sneezing stopped.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 3, 2016)

Regarding the grass hay pellets, I have heard of them and from faint memory do recall seeing them on the shelves in the pet warehouse I normally go to, to purchase food for my rabbit. I will definitely ask for that and purcqhse it  thank you.

From now until tomorrow, is it safe for my rabbit to eat pellets and parsley? That's all he's eating from what I can see. He only nibbles on a few pieces of hay and then leaves it. Based on all your posts here, it could be a dental problem in which is causing his reluctance from eating hay. 

I really appreciate all your help


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 3, 2016)

flemishwhite said:


> Our bunny vet gave us an oral bacteriacide that targeted this bacteria. After the recommended dosage, her sneezing stopped.



That's good to hear!  unfortunately with my rabbit, the sneezing hasn't stopped and it's been one month now. The medicine that I was told to give orally to my rabbit, was only initially prescribed for 7 days. After those 7 days, he was still sneezing and the doctor then told me to continue for another 7 days. Basically after 14 days, he was still sneezing. Until now actually. But as I mentioned before, I'm going in tomorrow to a rabbit specialist clinic and hopefully they will determine the underlying causes for his sneezes, drool, excess drinking and teeth grinding.


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## Blue eyes (Feb 3, 2016)

amandaaaa_xxo said:


> When I put my rabbit outside, the indoor house cage that he stays in when he's inside the house, I take that and place it outside as well, so he can run around and play and hop in his cage whenever he wants to eat or drink. That's how I refresh his hay 2-3 times daily, because I place his cage outside when he's outside, and bring it back inside when I catch him.
> 
> I don't offer Corn everyday. I offer it in VERY SMALL quantities (uncooked) every 4 days or so. I won't provide him with the starchy foods for now until I go in tomorrow for the specialist to examine him.


 
I understand now with the cage and the hay. Thanks for clarifying. 

It's good that you will avoid all starchy foods until things are sorted out. But even when things go back to normal, there is no reason to ever feed the corn again. It has no benefit and only risks tummy issues. Just completely take it out of his diet from here on out.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 3, 2016)

You're welcome  

My rabbit is a very fussy eater  in the past, I have introduced SAFE herbs and vegetables for rabbits and he just doesn't show any interest in them. What do you feed your rabbit? Any common foods that all rabbits enjoy?


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## Azerane (Feb 3, 2016)

All rabbits are different, Bandit was a picky eater if I let him be one. Any time I introduced a new food to him he would refuse it, leafy greens/fruits etc. I would offer it fresh repeatedly for 3 or 4 days before he would try it. Then often he would try it and refuse to eat the rest. Then a few days later I'd offer it again and he would scoff it down. He was just fussy when it came to trying new things, it was a struggle to get him to try apple, and even after trying banana one time he refused to ever try it again. Sometimes you just have to be persistent though.


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## Blue eyes (Feb 3, 2016)

Some rabbits do need to be offered the same green numerous times before it seems familiar enough to venture a taste.

Easy greens most of my rabbits have liked include basil, romaine lettuce, red or green leaf lettuce, cilantro, mint, celery (sliced), green tops of carrots. Also favored (but shouldn't be every day because of high calcium or oxalates) are kale, spinach, parsley, mustard greens. 

Think mostly in terms of "greens" for daily feeding. Fruits should be treated as treats (carrots too since high in sugar). So fruit should be severely limited to just 1 tbsp. per day max. But avoid all treats/fruits when anything is going on with bunny tummy-wise or health-wise.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 3, 2016)

Hey everyone 

Thanks for your post of safe vegetables and herbs, and the recommended action taken when introducing new foods.

Just an update. I took my rabbit today to a rabbit doctor. She has 20 years experience with rabbits and owned them for 40 years! Without conducting a dental x-Ray, she immediately found the problem to the teeth grinding, drooling, hunched posture, squinted eyes, and limited eating. My rabbit has a pointy little teeth at the back of his jaw! And was causing tiny cuts on his tongue  she found the problem through a small scope. She gave him two injections and gave me some pain killers (meloxicam) to give to him in small doses until Monday. Monday is when my bunny goes into surgery to have his tooth filed !

Also, is it safe to feed rabbits grass from the garden? Straight out natural grass that you can cut by scissors to give to them? Sorry if this is a silly question! I'm just really worried from now till Monday on what to feed him. He won't touch his hay because it's painful to eat and so I want to give him foods that will be fine for him and his digestive system for now until Monday.


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## JBun (Feb 4, 2016)

I'm really glad you got in to see the specialist. Is this the vet that trained in England? This is why seeing an experienced rabbit vet is important. They know what to look for. I'm glad the vet was able to get to the bottom of your buns problem and that it will be fixed soon. The meloxicam should help until the teeth get filed down. 

Fresh grass is usually fine. After all hay is just dried grass. You do want to make sure to cut from an area that other animals don't frequent(or pee), and you want to try and cut a more mature growth of grass that is longer and thicker. The slender early growth can tend to be a bit rich and can sometimes cause digestive upset for some rabbits. So a nice long thick leaf blade is best if possible. And probably don't feed too much the first day. Just a bit and see how your bun does on it. Though if you already let him out and he is used to eating the fresh grass, then you are probably fine feeding him as much as he wants, since he's already used to it. You can also just increase any leafy greens that he is already used to eating and is still able eat despite his dental problems. If you can find hay pellets, you could try those too, though you may need to soften them in warm water first if he can't eat them dry.

I'm really glad this has worked out. Best of luck on Monday and let us know how he is doing after his dental.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 4, 2016)

Thank you  I am relieved. Yes. Her name is Dr. Gerry Skinner. She studied in the UK and then came to Australia. I'm very fortunate to have had her who examined my rabbit. 

I cut some fresh grass from my neighbours backyard with their consent of course because we still are implanting the roller grass in our backyard (renovating). Their grass is very fresh, green and very much alive basically. I gave a very small amount to my rabbit and he ate some, so, I put a little more and mixed it with the oaten hay. To answer your question, he's never eaten natural grass hay ever. Only the oaten hay. So perhaps later I can introduce the grass to him as another sort of hay together with his oaten hay. 

He's just not producing as much poop  and that really worries me. Until Monday, I'll give him some grass, some hay, and some herbs and/or vegetables. 
I wet the pellets to make it easier for him to eat. Can I also wet the oaten hay? I've read that people spray a little apple fruit juice on the hay to encourage them to eat it if they have dental problems. Can I do this too? 

Also, because he's not eating his hay now due to pain, after his surgery, will he go back to eating his hay? Slowly at first though. Or, will he never eat it?

Thank you for your kind words! I'll definitely post here on how he goes after the surgery on Monday


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## JBun (Feb 4, 2016)

Yeah, I've read about her. She sounds quite good.

One thing you can try, if you have a coffee grinder, or a food processor might work, you can try grinding up some hay in it then soak in some water and see if he will eat that. You want don't want it too fine so that it's powdery, but is in small enough pieces that your bun might be able to eat it easily. You could also increase his pellet ration slightly. You can also get a powdered feeding mix from the vet that you can syringe feed to your bun if needed, until he gets his teeth done. Oxbow critical care is what we have, not sure if you have it there too. I wouldn't do the apple juice, just because it's adding sugar to the diet that I don't like to do, and I don't know that it would be that helpful.

If the vet gets the problem teeth taken care of, I've known rabbits that go back to eating hay the same day. Or it sometimes takes several days if they have sores in their mouth that need to heal. Just make sure you have pain meds to give after the dental work is done.


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## Azerane (Feb 4, 2016)

That's great that you got in to see such an experienced rabbit vet. Melbourne is very lucky to have that clinic 

In regards to eating hay, oaten hay is very course so I imagine painful to eat at this time, if you have some available near you I would recommend try to get a bag of meadow hay, it's often a little finer and softer than oaten so he may try eating that instead. He may not, but it's probably worth a shot just to get him eating hay since you've still got a few days before the surgery


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 4, 2016)

Hey everyone 

I feel more calm now knowing an experienced vet surgeon consulted my rabbit and will perform his operation. I can't wait to be honest because the poor little guy hasn't been eating well and is probably so hungry but cannot eat as much as he wants because of the pain 

I bought the Oxbow Oaten hay and it doesn't seem too bad. I mixed in some fresh grass as well. I also contacted the vet surgeon and she told me spraying a little apple juice will help soften the rough texture and make it easier for them to eat as well because rabbits (like humans) love sweet food (but I'm not doing this constantly, just for now to make it easier) and so we'll see how we go with that. I will definitely go with your option if I find that he isn't eating it so thank you for your suggestion


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## Azerane (Feb 4, 2016)

No problem at all. Worst case scenario if you have to mix his pellets into a mash and syringe feed in the side of the mouth you can do that, but at least he will still be getting food


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 5, 2016)

The surgeon told me it's not necessary to syringe feed him because it's not as though he COMPLETELY stopped eating. He's been eating a lot actually  since Thursday. The pain killer med is really helping him. He's just not eating his hay still. I'm trying to offer him foods that will cause him to gain weight because he lost 170-200grams in 2 and a half weeks, and that is not ideal for a rabbit. I don't want him to be border weight or underweight when he goes in for surgery so I'm just placing small amounts of bananas and apples to help him gain. 

Also! I placed some spinach leaves and kale yesterday. He ate the spinach leaves but hardly the kale. It's his first time eating those greens considering I've never fed those to him before. But I know the spinach and parsley are high in calcium? Something like that. There are loads of websites which lists a lot of vegetables that are safe to feed everyday but then again, a lot of those websites are very opinionated so I'm not quite sure what to feed him everyday and what kinds of vegetables I should feed him every few days to avoid health problems. 

Definitely after his surgery, I'm going to try my hardest to avoid giving him foods that will cause this problem from happening in the future.
Any suggestions would be helpful, thank you


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## majorv (Feb 5, 2016)

I'd be careful not to throw too much new food at him right now. You could add a small amount of rolled oats to his pellets. Rabbits typically like them and they will help with weight gain.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 6, 2016)

Oh really? Is it dangerous at this stage? When can I give him food he's never eaten then? The surgeon said to give him pellets and to not add anything to it, so I may skip your suggestion of the rolled oats. I'll just give him small slices of apples and small cut banana for now. Is it safe to feed him new food after the surgery?


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## Azerane (Feb 6, 2016)

Rabbits can take a day or two to recover back to a normal eating pattern after surgery. I would probably wait until he is eating hay again after surgery before introducing new foods. The hay really helps keep things stable and moving through with all the fiber.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 6, 2016)

Oh okay  that seems really helpful and does make sense. Thank you  Should I wait a few days or one week after the surgery to introduce new food? I'm just concerned that he won't even eat his hay even after the surgery  I hope he does


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## Azerane (Feb 7, 2016)

It really depends how he recovers. I would give it about 3 days of good hay eating post-surgery before introducing new foods. If you feel he's not quite right still then wait longer. It's hard to give an exact time without actually knowing the bunny and how well they'll recover. Let us know how the surgery goes


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 7, 2016)

Okay  thank you for your insight! I'll definitely give him a week at most. He's having his surgery tomorrow in the morning, probably around 9:30am. Ahhhh!! So nervous, I've never been in this situation before and I can't wait till it's over!

I will post here following his surgery to let you all know how it went  I really appreciate all your support !


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 8, 2016)

Hey everyone!  

Just an update on my rabbit. Everything was a success with his dental surgery. The surgeon told me that he had 3 teeth that were pointy and created spikes and ulcers  one of the teeth was really bad though that it created quite a large ulcer to the side of his cheek. But nonetheless, she told me he is well and everything else was fine (health wise). We just got home and I cleaned his cage and provided fresh food and water for him. He seems so sleepy but is eating (not crazily though). 

I'm so happy it's over! However, she did tell me that these types of things need ongoing management and unfortunately will never be the same (i.e., this problem is likely to happen again in the future)  

Thanks for all your support


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 8, 2016)

I forgot to mention, because this is the first time I've experienced my rabbit having surgery, does anyone have tips for post surgery recovery?


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## Azerane (Feb 8, 2016)

The main thing my vet mentioned to me was to make sure that they eat, drink, poop and aren't kept outside in the cold as they can't regulate their temperature well for 24 hours post surgery. So it's great that he's eating. His poops may be a little slow to come at first given his system would have slowed down during the op. but you should definitely be seeing poops by now if you haven't already 

The spurs are likely to come back, however on occasion they don't either. Sometimes removing the spurs corrects the grinding surface enough that they don't develop again.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 8, 2016)

Thanks for getting back to me  

He was eating a little. He pooped some small pellets. Small amount as well. However, I donT think he he ate much during the night and I don't think he has been drinking despite placing a water bowl in his cage even though he drinks from a water bottle. 

I haven't taken him out of his cage since yesterday and I made sure by checking every few hours, that he's warm (checked his ears). 

I contacted the surgeon because of my concern for him not eating and she said I may have to syringe feed him  so we will see how we go.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 8, 2016)

How long will it take for him to eat his hay? I want him to maintain good health and healthy teeth so I know that means to provide him with unlimited hay (high fibre diet) but he's just not interested. I would refresh it multiple times a day, hovering it in front of his mouth (not forcing him to eat) and he just moves away. I don't want him entering the GI stasis post surgery. Any tips on how to encourage his hay intake? He just seems to be eating few vegetables and small bites from an apple (have to make him gain weight because he lost quite a bit)


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## Azerane (Feb 9, 2016)

His mouth might still be a little sore after the surgery. Did you say you had sprayed apple juice on the hay a little to encourage him before the surgery? Perhaps try that, or try offering only the really soft pieces of hay. If he hasn't eaten any hay or pellets by now I think you'll probably need to syringe feed. It's good that he's eating some greens that will be helping with his water intake, but he needs to start eating properly. He may even eat pellets if you just soften them up with a bit of water.


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## amandaaaa_xxo (Feb 9, 2016)

Yes I have tried spraying some hay with apple juice. I'll separate the softer hay from the course and see if he will eat the soft hay. I have put two bowls in the cage, both pellets but one bowl is the pellets with water (mushy pellets I should say). He hasn't touched that. I saw him eat some dry pellets though but not as much. The surgeon told me syringe feeding isn't necessary at this stage though so.. I don't know what to do? I'm trying to offer soft manageable foods to chew for now


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