bunny health concerns

Question
Dear Ms. Samantha,

I have an American Fuzzy Lop I got as a gift from a friend in US. I live in Europe and in this part of Europe vets are totally inexperienced when it comes to bunnies.

What concerns me is this. I feed my bunny high quality pellets (Canadian brand Genesis), hay and some parsley every day. i do have to say he is somewhat reluctant to eat as much hay as he should. but he eats parsley. the problem is that a lot of times before he is about to produce stool, he goes into his litter box and just sits there uncomfortably and to me it looks like he is in pain. His ears are back, eyes closed and his body is tense and it looks like he's expriencing cramps/spasms.

why is this happening. how can i help him because when this happens it looks like he is in a lot of pain and I hate to see that. I know bunnies are fragile and are known to die overnight and I don't want to lose him.

one more question. i noticed my bunny had worms so he was given Ivermec on August 21st and then September 20th. when he was given Ivermec, everything was fine. his stool was not soft. but when Ivermec was beginning to wear off, it got soft again. does that mean he still has worms? the vet said I could give him some kind of ampullas (don't know the right English word for it) instead of Ivermec. IS that ok or is Ivermec a better way?

If Ivermec is better, when should he be given it again. how many months in between?

thank you so much

Ana & Little Boy  

Answer
Sometimes shipping causes them stress. Not sure of how long you have had him. High quality pellets should have at least 16% protein, any less and your bunny will lose weight and not function properly.
I am not sure that when he sits in his litter box that he is acutally using it. some rabbits like to go and sit in them. This may be why he is squinting. You should see a fair amount of stool in his cage/litterbox daily. Only be concerned if he stops producing it or little at all. Ivermec is good. I use a stronger wormer for swine and chickens for mine. It is called Wazine- It is an american product, so not sure if it is available to you or not. It comes in a liquid form, so i measure out about 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons per gallon of water to be given. I worm them 3 days in a row, and then generally they are good for 1 year, but if i  happen to notice worms or get in any new bunnies that I suspect to have worms everyone gets worming again if it has been at least 5 months since the last worming. Feed him oats to firm his droppings. Cut back on the parsley until he picks up on his hay/pellet consumption. If he is younger than 6 months, then he shouldn't get any parsley or any treats. They have very sensitive digestive systems too. A sprig or two of parsley a day is plenty. Two large handfuls of hay and about 2/3 cup of pellets is a very good diet for him. Since he is a dwarf breed rabbit, no more than one cup of pellets or you will get an overweight unhealthy bunny. I would stick with the Ivermec, wormer i know it is safe for rabbits. Worm him about every 6-8 months and he should stay 100% worm free. I wouldn't give it again until at least January.
Samantha