Casper is losing his appetite

Question
QUESTION: Hi I have a 4 year old New Zealand Casper and he is losing his appetite he lays around alot and mostly just eats timothy hay, he picks a little at his greens and maybe a small amount of carrots but his appetite has decreased significantly, I looked at his teeth and they were fine and he has a good fecal output, I am just concerned about him and he is not as energetic as he once was. I have had him for 19 months he was a rescue from an animal shelter and we have 10 other healthy rabbits.

ANSWER: Hi,

My first thoughts are either teeth/dental issue or intestinal parasites.  As far as the teeth, the six incisors are easy to see...but the molars are also open rooted and can overgrow and create what we call "molar spurs".  They are next to impossible to see on an alert rabbit.  This can be from a condition called malocclusion...which can have many causes.  Lack of sufficient hay will also cause spurs since hay is the primary way to keep the molars down.  Some symptoms you mention sound like he might be in some discomfort.  Rabbits are prone to dental abscesses and that might not be very visible...but sometimes the odor from the infection will be noticed.  Some rabbits will develop ulcers on their tongues.  

Intestinal parasites are also a possibility.  They usually eat, but lose weight and become lethargic.  You may also notice an increased odor from the fecals.  We generally treat for parasites rather than properly diagnose since the diagnosis is not always completely accurate and it's cheaper to treat...and a regular worming doesn't hurt.

I would suggest having a rabbit savvy vet take a look at the molars.  This might require sedation so if spurs are found, be prepared to trim them at that time.  An x-ray of the skull would be helpful to check for any soft tissue problems such as an abscess.  And as rabbits age, their teeth can move and become impacted which can result in a loss of appetite.  You might also ask the vet off give an injection of B Comp which is basically a vitamin stimulant.  

I feel strongly that Casper needs a physical exam by an experienced rabbit vet.

Randy

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

QUESTION: Thanks for you're help I did take Casper to a Rabbit savvy vet who does alot of work for the rabbit rescue here in town and he did a thorough exam of the teeth and an x-ray of caspers abdomen and found no problems with him, the vet said Casper might just be tired of the spring mix veggies and the pellets told me to give him some parsley and maybe some romaine lettuce. he also took a fecal sample and found no parasites. Said Casper might also be angry about the two new dutch bunnies we rescued and might be acting out. Casper is eating alot of hay but that is all he is eating. Thank you again for you're help.

David, and Casper

Answer
Hi David,

You might be right if strange buns are near him.  I might would deworm him regardless of the fecal.  I have found that fecals are less than perfect.  And honestly, it is much cheaper to give them a round of panacur that it is for the fecal.  I routinely treat for worms and coccidia on all incoming rescues.  And as long as he is eating high quality hay...I wouldn't sweat it at all.  We have several rabbits here that eat hay only (bunny weight watchers).  I would suggest, in addition to the parsley and romaine....some dandelion greens and kale.  Both of those are packed with nutrients.  I'm sure you know not to overdo it with the greens.  But you might be on to something if this happened after the new buns came in...we do have some rabbits that will pout if they don't get their way.

Randy