Mate is bullying sick bunny who has now gone off his food.

Question
QUESTION: Our two bunnies have been bonded for about 3 months. Artemis, the female is the dominant of the pair but they are very affectionate and can usually be found stretched out together or grooming each other. The bonded easily and we have not had any trouble with them until now.

Apollo started to drastically lose weight over a period of a couple of weeks but his appetite was undiminished. Two days ago he was lethargic, had lidded eyes and hunched posture. We immediately took him to the Animal Emergency Centre where they could find nothing overtly wrong. They gave us some Critical Care and suggested regular feeding by syringe until we could get him to the rabbit specialist, which we did the next night as we had an appointment anyway. The rabbit clinic believe that he is simply a poor doer, not coping with the 90% hay diet and a reduction in greens due to onset of winter. We have upped his greens with loose leaves from the supermarket and started to supplement his diet with Critical Care and pellets. The problem we are now having is that his very healthy, energetic bond mate is not happy about the situation. She kept trying to get him to play but he doesn't have much energy so she then nips his backside and chases him around, he then retreats to a corner and flinches whenever she comes near. I have separated them but since she first had a go at him he has been off his food (about 24 hours now). I am regularly syringing critical care and he is eating some greens but not a lot and no hay at all. He is usually a big drinker but I have had to syringe fluids as well.
I guess my question is what is the best way to handle the situation with the bondmates? I tried sitting with the pair of them in the pen so I could supervise and prevent her from bullying him but he would not leave his corner when she was there. I have now left her to roam free outside the pen while he is confined but he still won't eat, I think because he is separated from her.
Any advice would be appreciated. We will take him back to the vet early if he doesn't start eating on his own but our real problem is the lack of support from his mate.

ANSWER: Dear Holly,

Some rabbits will instinctively bully or ignore a sick bunny.  This could be an adaptive behavior in the wild, where the presence of a sick rabbit could attract predators.  But it's certainly not nice right now in your home.  :(

You can't really change her behavior.  But I am not sure I am confident about the vet's diagnosis of "he's just not a good doer".  (WTH?)  There is something going on here that needs to be properly diagnosed and appropriately treated.  I would start here:

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

You can skip the treat part, since that's obvious.  But you need to take this boy's temperature to see if he is hypothermic or hyperthermic, and then take appropriate measures to rectify his temperature if it's abnormal.  

If his temperature is normal (as explained in the article), then he needs bloodwork to check his renal function (kidney disease can cause wasting, neurological signs and lethargy due to nausea and toxicity), liver function, etc.  If the bloodwork is normal, then the next obvious thing to check is his molars, which could have painful spurs eliciting ileus (GI tract loss of peristalsis).  Listen to his tummy.  If you hear very loud gurgles of gas or complete silence, then this is his main problem at the moment, though it is not his primary disorder.  Please read this immediately so you'll know what to do:

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

and share this with the vet, if you think his gut is shut down (the bunny's not the vet's):

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.pdf

A very common trigger of ileus in rabbits is pain/stress caused by dental problems, and especially molar spurs.  Please read this:

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

He is definitely sick, and there is more to this than him just not being a "good rabbit".  And if the "rabbit vet" you saw told you this, then I really don't think they know that much (or care that much) about rabbits.  Please use the list linked here to find a more experienced rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

For now, don't force the bunnies to be together, but *do* bring them both to the vet, since this will help keep her from unbonding to him completely.  Shared stress is helpful.

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have more questions, but first stop:  NEW VET.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response.

The vet did do a blood panel when we first brought him in. It was normal except for low RBC and a few liver enzymes both of which are explainable by his malnutrition. The vet agrees that there must be a reason behind it but is focused on the malnutrition itself. His appetite was good until his mate turned on him. The vet thinks that when we switched him from a pellet diet (which the animal shelter had him on) to 90% hay we did it too quickly and that his metabolism hasn't coped.

I mentioned what you said about the molar spurs. The vet wants to check it out also but wants to get his strength up before sedating him. He is actually doing better today now we have completely separated the buns, he has even put on a little weight. I am actually now a bit concerned about her. The car trip went OK but as soon as we got home she was back at him so of course we separated them. When she can see him she is grouchy with him and that is no good for him but when she can't she is fretting and she is getting a bit picky with her food (she usually eats hay like a trooper). I really don't want to have two ill bunnies on my hands and I know stress can lead to further problems. What is the best way to reassure her without exacerbating his problems? I know there is probably no easy solution but any ideas and tips would be hugely appreciated.

Answer
Dear Holly,

This is a tough situation.  I'd say that you need to keep the bunnies close enough together so they can see each other and visit across a barrier, but also need to protect the one feeling poorly from the rough attentions of his mate.  You can allow them short, supervised visits, but don't let her bully him.  If she starts, immediately separate them so she'll make the connection.  If you have good aim, you can use a squirt bottle to discourage her bullying behavior when you catch her in the act.

I really, really, really think you need to pursue the molar spur thing.  If the vet is not experienced enough to think of this on her own, then I would also really, really recommend finding a more experienced vet who can do this with ease.  An inexperienced vet might not recognize small spurs that might not look like much, but can cause misery, even if there are no open sores on the tongue or cheeks.  You really need an experienced vet here.

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope he's well soon!

Dana