No one can answer my rabbit question. Help!

Question
We have a 5 month old mini rex. Male.  Lately we have noticed he is not gaining any weight.  Possibly (maybe losing some).  He is VERY skinny and his poop is super tiny like the size of a pin head.  His ears are always very cold lately too (we live in 104 degree weather right now).  No vets around here will do rabbits.  What could be wrong with him?
Thanks

Answer
Dear Dawn,

What are you feeding him?  Please check proper rabbit diet here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

At his age, he should be growing and gaining weight constantly.  Be sure he has free choice of a good quality pellet (with no colored bits in).  If he is very thin, this also can be a sign of dehydration, and the fact that his poops are very small is more evidence that he is not getting sufficient water.

Be sure to provide him with a heavy ceramic crock constantly filled with fresh, clean water.  Sipper bottles are not the best way to provide water, especially in hot weather/climates, and the bunny's head is in a more natural position if you provide a bowl.

If you are absolutely sure that he has enough food and water and is actually eating and drinking, then a good rabbit vet can be found here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who can draw blood and see if there is something going on with his major organ systems.

Another possibility is his teeth.  If a bunny has a severe dental malocclusion (misalignment), then he might *try* to eat and look as if he's eating, but not actually getting anything down.  Dental problems are not always obvious upon casual inspection; in some cases, the teeth curl backwards and into the mouth.  They cannot be easily seen to be causing a problem unless the vet opens the mouth and has a look, but they can cause a bunny to starve to death.

Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

for more information on this possibility.

If the teeth are the problem, they can be filed short every couple of weeks until you decide whether to make the investment of completely removing the crooked, problematic teeth.

You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

In any case, it sounds as if the bunny requires subcutaneous fluid therapy and oral hydration.  Do this NOW, but don't overload his system all at once.  Provide a big, clean bowl for drinking, and let him manage his own system.

I hope this helps.


Dana