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Bunny seems to be really depressed over the last few days. She isn't her usual active self, she is not as excitted when it comes to food. I am trying to be with her as much as possible since Ebony's death.
She also gets out in the garden for exercise most days.
Poor Bunny
Poor Bunny! I'm sorry to hear that Heather. I don't know how to help, except to wish that she'll be back to her normal self soon!
Chear up dear Bunny !!
Maybe a new playmate would help , Heather ?? It is worth trying , as I think he hates to be alone now and misses Gem and Ebony !!
http://community.webshots.com/user/sydneybilliepets
Thanks Lut
She didn't like Gem so I kept gem from her as she would have probably killed her.
The only rabbit she really like was Ebony.
I let her in the garden yesterday with the 2 boys but she just chases them away, some furr goes flying too.
Is it particularly muggy or too hot? Maybe she's just not up to snuff 'cause it's summer ...
The weather is improving here but it doesn't really get overly hot in this country.Quote:
Originally posted by Karen
Is it particularly muggy or too hot? Maybe she's just not up to snuff 'cause it's summer ...
I thought she would enjoy the summer as at least they can get out and about in the garden, in the winter they hardly get outside at all.
I have just fed her a big bowl of veges and then she can go and play in the garden, hope she improves as i am going away at the weekend and I don't want to worry about her to much.
I can't think of anything to help her. At least when she was out with Cad and Twinks, she chased them around....that's a good sign. Maybe you could leavethe radio on for her if you think she's lonely...
Does she have a very favorite food that maybe you can give her.....like Mz. Sophie, mine adore parsley and can't get enough of it. I've also experimented with other herbs so they would get some variety and they liked those too, esp. dill. I'm sure she'll be fine while you are gone....she may even appreciate you more when you get back! :D
Good luck!
I know animals can get depressed but I think Karen hit on a good topic too. Sophie isn't as active in the summer as she is the winter. She absoluely LOVES little electric fans. She sits in front of the one in my kitchen and lets her ears blow back. (*Note to self: must get a picture of this and share with you guys!) She also loves to play with cold, wet washcloths.
Other than providing her comfort, there's not much else you can do. As we all know the grieving process takes its own time.
Good luck and please let us know how she is feeling!
Thanks Zippy. she is a little better, I have let her run around the garden with the 2 boys, she like that!
As I said in another thread, the weather isn't that great here, so I don't think she is finding it to hot or anything.
As you also said, maybe it is just taking her time to grieve etc.
The best thing you can do for Bunny is giving her as many hugs as possible and let her play the way she wants ; she will get over it , with your loving care !!
That bunny has such a sweet looking face, I love those ears too.
poor bunny!:( maybe you shouldget her another girl bunny to play with
Just to update you all. since writting the thread, Cadbury and Twinkle now live in the same hutch again, plus all three rabbits are friends again and play in the garden together, it is great progress. Just shows what a little time and patience can do. They also have cgaes right next to each other so she isn't so depressed anymore.
GOOD NEWS!
That's great news Heather! She apparently just needed time. I'm so glad things have worked out. Keep your chin up!
Hi Daisy, long time no see. Hope you are well and things are good with the famous five!!
Yes I am so happy, they even play together in the rabbit run out side in the garden.
Will have to take some pics soon of them all.
Hi Heather and Daisey. Long time no hear from. I am going to post a new discussion. My kids are fighting and I need help !! :)
This is an old post, so if your rabbit hasn't pulled out of its depressed state, I would smoke some "alfalfa" with it and give it gaterade. this works for a lot of animals. If I wasn't strictly a rodent psycologist, I would say you may be projecting your own depression on the rabbit and making it depressed. Lops, while always looking depressed with ears down and such, are often very content and just kicking back. My rootmate had a moody Lop that would become shy and wouldn't eat then be fine a week later.
Absolutely NO "alfalfa" or gaterade!!!! Bunnies systems are extremely delicate and one or the other or both would probably kill her! I know you know better than this Heather!
Alright, Alfalfa disagrees with my stomach and stinks if you burn it (';)') but the rabbits like it.
Its a little too high in protein to be a staple food but its blended into rabbit pellets and when mixed with fresh greens its healthy for them.
But usually when a rabbit looses its appitite, its has indigestion or constipation, whic is preferable to wet tail, but it needs hydration and fiber to get things moving again
If the problem happens again you should give it hay or little alpha grass is ok. Rabbits are pretty intollerant of changes in their diet, but are hopeless nibblers as well (as can be obseved in the this house's tomato garden) so there is no telling what made it lose its appitite, but easily remedied
Prblem is, it can be difficult to make a rabbit drink if it doesnt want to...Gatorade is a great rehydrater and appitite stimulator for virtually all mammals. It tastes better than water and it is the only softdrink besides water and sometimes fruit juice that any pets should drink. It has just enough mineral salts to stimulate eating and a low enough fructose and sucrose content to not inhibit the salt absorption. you can instead give a rabbit a little applejuice in the water to boost energy, but over 6% sugar may upset her digestion even more. You can also buy commercial rehydration formula made for human babies or primate babies (saline solution, you may not remember but you mother probably gave it to you when you got the flu as a baby) and it has less suger, but many zoos just use gatorade universally for any mammal
;)
I disagree completely.
In the last year or two it has been well documented by many different vets that alfalfa based pellets are bad for rabbits...it is way too high in calcium, protein and low in fiber. Rabbit breeders use it for show rabbits because it does give them a beautiful coat, but eventually some of the excess calcium is excreted in the urine, which forms a "white sludge" and the rest is kept in the body and forms painful bladder stones and can eventually kill the bunny. Many rabbit owners on POTD will concur.
Gatorade maybe low in sugar but water is the best hydrator there is.
Besides, Heather's Bunny wasn't off her food or water, she was laying around "depressed" because her daughter and cage mate had died. She is doing well now and paying with her sons again.
GO DAISEY !!!:D
Sure, Bulk feed it made a cheeply as possible and alfalfa to a rabbit is like red meat to people. if thats all you eat, its just too much protein.
Well, in any case, I am glad that what ever the problem was passed.
You may want to read the article at this link.
It goes in to detail about Rabbit digestion problems and the associated depression and debilitation.
http://www.therabbitcharity.freeserv...anorectic.html
Of course you can still disagree with the doctor and have happy rabbits and you are right Water is the the key, but animals who become ill get better substantually faster when fed Gatorade. and a whole lot of zoos use it because it works.
When a person goes into a hospitial dehydrated, they get an IV in the arm. That is a saline solution much like gatorade.
A mixture of electrolitic salts and carbohydrates in the water significantly increases the absorbtion rate of water into the body.
In the most severe cases it may save an animals life but
I know if I have a sick friend, I want to give it every advantage possible so it can make a quick recovery but I also know people who are naturalists and would never feed any comercial food or suppliment or medication to their pets and go so far as to buy only organic foods, and they keep healthy happy pets.
Lance,
Thanks for the add'l info. I see where you are coming from.
However I still believe Gatorade is a bad idea because of the sugar. Bunnies who get occasional treats made by pet food manufacturers, fruit or carrots...these products all have sugar in them. And a rabbit has a delicate digestive system which needs to be kept in balance.....digestive problems in rabbits can cause death within 24 hours if left untreated.
Every bunny is different when it comes to tolerating sugar. I have three bunnies (of five) that gets very soft stools and/or diahrea if they get too much sugar. This is only disconcerting because they don't get much of either to begin with. In fact recently, several bunny experts have revised their dietary recommendations and have either completely removed carrots from the list of approved food or now recommend 4 inches of carrot only a couple times/wk.
Add an illness on top of low sugar tolerance is asking for real digestive trouble by giving Gatorade. I'm sure the zoo care takers and vets have evaluated and tested Gatorade and determined appropriate dosage before recommending it. I have not heard of any such bunny vet/expert give this recommendation and would be extremely reluctant to administer it when quantity and dilution (if any) is not known.
At this point I think it's up to each pet owner to decide the merits of this method of treatment. Thanks for the interesting exchange of info.
Thats a very good point. If there is any uncertainty, it is best to ask a Vet, and even then you get different opinions. Most mammels are also just as likely to become dibetic as a human so there are lots of good reasons to just use water. Even though rabbits are more sensitive then many animals, in an emergency situation, I would still choose to use it and risk the side effects. I've lived in the desert about half my life and seen many creatures die of exposure and dehydration, but it is of course, a pet owners choice to do what they think is best for their pet.
Incidentally, I know Gatorade is 6% sucrose and or fructose and at 7% the sugar starts to have a negative effect on digestion or block mineral absorption. I have heard of giving rabbits fruit juice and this is generally much higher in sugar, but that is mainly to give them a vitamin C boost.
For your information Lance, bunny is perfectly fine now as Daisy mentioned. This post was posted some time ago!!!