My rabbit hasnt been eating

Question
My daughter's rabbit is an american polish dwarf rabbit he is about 10 months old and I have noticed that he has not eaten in about 3 days(I bought a different kind of food)but he has not even eaten the fresh vegies that we gave him and usually he will eat them all up.  I have also noticed that he has had very little to drink in that same time frame.  I am a bit concerned could you please give me some advice?

Concerned Rabbit owner ( mother of rabbit owner)

Kelley  

Answer
Dear Kelley,

Your bunny needs to get to a good rabbit vet ASAP for diagnosis of the problem that sounds as if it has resulted in ileus:

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

If he is not producing fecal pellets, the situation has progressed to a stage where you should consider it an emergency and seek immediate veterinary help from a rabbit-savvy vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

In small, short-faced breeds the ultimate problem is often dental disorders.  A good rabbit vet will check deep into the mouth for molar problems (spurs or other abnormalities) and know how to file/treat them.  Please read:

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

The most common cause of this problem is poor diet, too rich in starch and too low in crude fiber.  Please compare his diet with the one shown here:

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

to see if this could be a contributing factor.

But if bunny has not eaten for three days, the problem is serious, and needs immediate veterinary attention.  I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana