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My rabbit has lost weight and keeps gettin a cold.

22 10:41:01

Question
I have a male 4 year old chinchilla rabbit. He has lost wieght recently this summer, i have been feeding him his normal diet of a bowl full of rabbit food and now and then i give him fresh fruit and veg, its worrying me as hes getting old now. Also twise this summer he has had a lot of discharge from his nose n breathes heavily. Please help!
Thanks, Jordan.

Answer
Dear Jordan,

At the age of four, your rabbit is by no means old.  Rabbits can live well into their teens if given proper care, and are given regular veterinary care by an experienced rabbit vet, whom you can find here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Runny eyes and runny nose can be related to dental problems, and this can also help explain why your rabbit might be losing weight:  molar spurs!  Please read:

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

and

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

for complete information on the connection between apparent upper respiratory infections and chronic dental problems.

Chronic weight loss also can be due to other disorders, such as kidney problems.  But first rule out dental problems, as these are VERY common in rabbits, starting around your bunny's age.

Be SURE to find an experienced rabbit vet who knows about the importance of deep oral dental exams and filing molar spurs.  It might be a good idea to have bloodwork done, too, to be sure there are no other cryptic problems that need to be addressed.

I hope this helps.

Dana