When a rabbit isn’t eating, it’s usually because they are very ill or stressed. Conditions such as GI stasis, dental disease, or chronic anxiety are likely culprits. Any of these can be serious problems for pet rabbits. If your rabbit ever stops eating for more than 10 hours at a time, they should be brought to a small animal veterinarian for emergency care.
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Loss of appetite is often an emergency situation
If your rabbit ever refuses to eat anything for more than a 10 hour period, you should treat this as an emergency. A rabbit’s health depends on the constant movement of their digestion. If they stop eating, their digestion comes to a halt and the rabbit will start to go into Gastrointestinal (GI) Stasis.
If left untreated, the condition can easily end up being fatal in rabbits. They need to go see a vet as soon as possible so that they can receive medication to help get their digestion moving again.
Causes of a rabbit’s refusal to eat
A loss of appetite can result from any number of illnesses in rabbits. Sometimes they will recover on their own and behave perfectly normal within a few hours. But many times you will need to get professional help to diagnose and treat the problem. Remember, if your rabbit hasn’t been eating for more than 10 hours, it’s important to get them emergency care.
- GI Stasis: GI Stasis is the name of the condition where a rabbit’s digestional tract slows down and eventually stops. This can be an illness in and of itself, or it can be a symptom of many other illnesses (learn more about GI Stasis in Rabbits)
- Dental problems: Overgrown teeth are another common problem in rabbits that can cause them to avoid eating. In many cases, rabbits with dental problems will only avoid eating certain types of food (for example, they won’t eat hay).
- Pain: If rabbits are in pain, they may refuse to eat. Whether the pain be from some underlying illness or a physical cut or scratch, it can cause a rabbit to lose their appetite. Pain that is not addressed can cause a rabbit to refuse to eat for long periods of time, subsequently causing them to go into GI Stasis.
- Stress: Stress is a common reason for temporary lack of appetite in rabbits. If you notice them stop eating for a short period of time, especially if there is a loud noise or scary smell in the area, then it might be because of stress.
- Diet change: A change in your rabbit’s diet can also cause them to lose their appetite. Sometimes rabbits won’t eat because they don’t trust the new food, but sometimes it’s because the new food is causing problems with their digestive system.
Steps to help your rabbit
If your rabbit has only been showing a lack of appetite for a short amount of time (only a couple of hours), then there are some steps you can take to try to help your rabbit before it becomes an emergency. While you take these steps, it’s also a good idea to check for other signs of rabbit illness. This way you’ll have a better idea of how sick your rabbit is and whether you should bring them to the vet sooner rather than later.
Some of the common symptoms of illness in rabbits include:
- A change in eating habits
- A change in pooping and urinating habits
- Low energy levels
- Sitting in a hunched position (what is a hunched position?)
- Lack of balance
- Snotty nose
- Unusually aggressive behavior
Check out the article How to Know if Your Rabbit is Sick for more detailed information.
The treat test
If I notice that my rabbits are acting unusual and refusing to eat their normal food, the first test I will try is the treat test. I will get a piece of my rabbit’s favorite food and see if she will eat it. If my bunny immediately gets up, grabs the treat, and starts acting like normal, than I know there is nothing to worry about.
If my rabbit hesitantly eats the treat, but not with her normal gusto, then I will continue to watch her over the next couple of hours to see if her appetite and behavior improve. I will also grab a handful of leafy greens to try to tempt my rabbit to eat.
If my rabbit completely refuses to eat the treat, then I will give them some baby gas drops (simethicone) and a handful of leafy greens to tempt them to eat. If their behavior doesn’t improve quickly, I will give my vet a call and schedule an emergency appointment.
Simethicone
Simethicone is baby gas drops. It does the same thing for rabbits as it does for babies, helps them pass gas. I use simethicone if my rabbit isn’t eating because the symptoms of GI Stasis are very similar to the symptoms of gas in rabbits.
If you believe your rabbit is not eating because they need to pass gas (you may see them pressing their belly against the ground), then syringe feed them 1mL of simethicone every hour for 3 hours. If their situation does not improve after this, then you should assume that it’s a more serious condition and your rabbit needs to see a qualified veterinarian.
Sources
- Krempels, Dana M. “Gastrointestinal Stasis: The Silent Killer.” House Rabbit Society. February 2013. https://rabbit.org/care/gi-stasis/
- Woodnutt, Joanna. “Why is My Rabbit Not Eating?” Vet Help Direct. June 2019. https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2019/06/21/why-is-my-rabbit-not-eating/
