excessive weight loss

Question
Hi, my rabbit has loss alot of weight in the last few weeks, we thought it might be the fact that it had long teeth but i just got them trimmed less than a week ago. I have tried everything but the rabbit wont eat. I have to be able to show him at the fair next month and i simply dont know what else to do. he is a holland lop buck. Pease help me if you can.  Thanks in advance, Danielle Gamble

Answer
Dear Danielle

If your bunny is not eating or drinking, his weight loss could also be due to dehydration, and his life could be in danger!  Please get him to a good rabbit vet ASAP for a full health check, including a deep molar exam.  If he's already known to have incisor malocclusion, it's not at all unlikely that he has molar problems (painful spurs) that are keeping him from eating *and* possibly eliciting ileus--a potentially life-threatening condition!

Please read these articles immediately:

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

and

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

It's essential that you get him to eat, even if you have to force feed him (as per the instructions in the ileus article).  You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps get you started.  Please get his molars checked right away!

Dana