Rabbits are designed in such a way that they constantly need to chew something. During the day, these animals eat more than ten times (and they eat better at night) and therefore it is necessary to ensure that they always have a feeder with food. But, there are situations when the rabbit doesn't eat anything for several hours is a reason to think about the reasons for this behavior and take appropriate measures without delay. And there may be several reasons:

-poor nutrition

For normal life, a rabbit requires both food and food. If an animal is constantly given only one type of food, then after a while it will definitely develop an eating disorder and stop eating. With the arrival of spring, many rabbit breeders begin to give their pets exclusively only and vegetables, considering that succulent food they eat more readily. And they forget about hay until late autumn, but due to a lack of certain microelements, the rabbit will begin to eat its wool. So, review the animal’s diet and make it more balanced.

- wool in the stomach

Often, rabbits refuse to eat due to the accumulation of fur in the stomach. This happens because rabbits, when washing themselves, lick themselves and the fur, getting into the stomach, accumulates there. If the rabbit has stopped eating, look at its feces. The absence of them or their sticking together indicates the formation of a coma in the stomach. If you find this, take immediate action. Why do you need to pour it into the rabbit’s mouth? Vaseline oil using a syringe (without a needle, of course) 3-5 ml. every three hours, massaging the belly after each dose. If the rabbit does not get better, then you should seek help from a veterinarian. And remember that under no circumstances should the rabbit be allowed to starve for a long time. You must force-feed, armed with a syringe. Crushed food, in small portions it should be introduced slowly into the corner of the mouth so that the animal does not choke. The intervals between feedings should be no more than two hours. This feeding regimen should be followed until the rabbit develops a desire to eat on its own.

- dental problems

Rabbits' teeth grow constantly throughout their lives, which allows them to have an always-functioning dental apparatus that can compensate for wear due to chewing. But the teeth cannot always grow correctly, bringing a lot of trouble to their owner. If there are problems with the teeth, the rabbit refuses food. With malocclusion (malocclusion, malocclusion, poor closure of teeth), the rabbit is simply not able to eat food, since the gums, cheeks and tongue are damaged during chewing. In this case, it is necessary to show the rabbit to a veterinarian. Unfortunately, there is no way to return teeth subject to malocclusion to the correct position. After grinding, the hooks will appear again after a while. For a comfortable existence for the rabbit, you will have to regularly grind the teeth.

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Rabbit owners need to know that lack of appetite (this can be easily determined by the absence of bowel movements) is a potential problem for such an animal. dangerous condition.
A fluffy dog ​​that does not eat food needs comprehensive emergency care. Hospitalization and intensive treatment are often necessary.
There can be several reasons for rabbit anorexia. This can happen when abrupt change usual diet, injury to the tongue and cheeks due to overgrown teeth, damage to the roots and pulp of the teeth, accompanied by severe pain, blockage of the cecum, disruption of the liver. Also, the problem may be associated with stress (change of habitual place) or pain, physical inability to eat with disproportionately long incisors, jaw fracture, mucoid enteropathy, infectious diseases(myxomatosis, pasteurellosis, enterotoxemia, viral hemorrhagic disease), chronic renal failure.


But, as statistics show, most often the rabbit does not eat anything due to impaired gastrointestinal motility. intestinal tract, due to hair balls. Intestinal blockages may be secondary and are the consequences of stress, lack of fiber, eating foreign objects, as well as compression of the intestines by tumors, abscesses, and worm cysts.
Thorough clinical examination at the veterinarian ultrasound examination, x-rays and blood tests help determine accurate diagnosis and determine the method of treatment.
When a rabbit does not eat, he must be examined oral cavity to initially rule out all diseases associated with this area.
the rabbit doesn't eat the rabbit doesn't eat anything
Let's look at the most common reasons why a rabbit doesn't eat in more detail.
All furry animals shed, and rabbits are no exception. Animals lick themselves during molting, so the hair gets into the stomach with saliva and accumulates there. Heavy shedding, improper and insufficient feeding, and especially the lack of roughage, lead to the fact that the pet eats its fur in large quantities.
When a rodent is fed incorrectly, reducing the proportion of hay in the diet and focusing on fruits and vegetables, they are usually guided by the best intentions: hay is rough food, and you want to pamper your pet. This kind of care causes the rabbit great harm: For normal functioning digestive tract this animal must eat roughage and hay. Everything else is essentially an add-on.
After such violations in the diet, is it worth wondering why the rabbit does not eat? Digestive system becomes upset, and only a veterinarian can help the pet; he will make changes to the incorrect regime and help gradually restore the body’s functioning and restore appetite.
It also happens that a rabbit is fed correctly, but it suddenly refuses food. Then he is taken to the veterinary clinic, where, first of all, the correct bite of the teeth is checked.
In rabbits, it happens that growths (“spikes”, “hooks”) grow on the back molar teeth, due to which the pet is simply unable to grind food. That's why the appetite disappears. Such growths are removed, after which the problem disappears.
It also happens that refusal to eat is a consequence of a faulty drinking bowl, which is why the poor fellow cannot drink properly. It is vital for rabbits to have access to fresh water around the clock. Therefore, when the problem has just begun, it is best to immediately check the drinker and, if necessary, purchase a new one.

If care and feeding are not carried out correctly, fur may accumulate in the stomach of rabbits.
More often similar problems health problems arise due to improper nutrition of rabbits. Normally, his diet should consist of 80% dry food and hay, and only 20% succulent and wet food, which include all fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as green grass.
Plus, there are anatomical and physiological reasons, promoting the formation of wool pellets that cannot come out naturally from the stomach. Depending on the size of such pellets, the amount of food absorbed decreases, polydipsia begins, a state of prostration begins, the animal loses weight and may die of hunger if nothing is done about it.
Hairball formation causes major health problems. This is very dangerous! Therefore, you need to carefully monitor your pet's stool. If the polka dots have shrunk, become smaller than usual, or look like beads, this is all evidence that fur has accumulated in the stomach. If there is no feces at all, and the rabbit is not feeding, then the hairball has already formed and poses a mortal danger.
An accurate diagnosis in such cases is made using x-rays made with contrast agent. Treatment is surgical. Before surgery, exhausted and weakened rabbits are given a nutrient solution subcutaneously for several days, and glucocorticosteroids and antibiotics are also given 24 hours before surgery.
You can try to prevent the operation. The most important thing is to start acting on time. When “beads” are found in the rabbit’s tray, and the animal itself becomes lethargic and boring and stops eating, it needs to be given Vaseline oil. Using a syringe without a needle, pour in about 3 cubes three times a day. Along with this, the poor thing is given a suspension of Espumisan (also poured into the oral cavity using a syringe without a needle, the dose is taken with a measuring spoon from the medicine package), this will relieve the animal of stomach pain and improve general health, especially if he had colic. This suspension is given twice a day and a deep abdominal massage is performed (clockwise). If your pet refuses not only food, but also water, he needs to be given water from a syringe.
To prevent the problem of hairballs in the rabbit's stomach during molting, give one pitted prune berry twice a week. During this time, the pet must be thoroughly combed daily with special brushes and combs.
You need to remember that when a pet does not eat anything, this is often the only indicator of health problems. And since many ailments furry pets develop very rapidly and, unfortunately, often end in death, you should make it a rule not to delay and immediately contact a veterinarian!

Rabbit breeders know firsthand that their furry charges have a wonderful appetite. They can eat in literally all day. Therefore, when animals lose their appetite, you should worry. This is the first manifestation of some illness. What to do if a rabbit grinds its teeth and does not eat, why does this happen and how can I help the animal? Read about this in our article.

A common complaint from breeders is that the pet grinds its teeth. However, this is not always a cause for concern. If your pet's teeth grinding is moderate and occurs rarely, it may be a sign of pleasure. For example, when you stroke him. But when teeth grinding occurs along with a lack of appetite, this is already worth serious attention.

Teeth grinding in rabbits is not always a sign of illness. But a loud knock or continuous grinding indicates that the rodent is in pain!

There may be several reasons why a rabbit does not eat. Most often this is associated with some kind of illness, poor nutrition or due to problems in the gastrointestinal tract (blockage with fur, tumors, abscesses). Besides, special attention deserves a female rabbit after giving birth who also refuses to eat. Next we will take a closer look at each reason and possible options solving the problem.

Discomfort in the mouth

Pain in the gums, jaw dislocations, abscesses in the mouth, overgrown incisors are the first reasons that a rabbit has stopped eating. If your cheeks and tongue are injured long teeth, the animal will experience pain and discomfort. It is also a good idea to check the roots of the teeth and pulp for damage. Often these factors can also contribute to forced hunger in both the male and the female rabbit after giving birth.

Problems with correct height and the development of dental tissue in rabbits are called malocclusion. It manifests itself in the asymmetrical arrangement of the jaws, therefore, the animal’s bite is formed incorrectly. The problem is solved by filing down teeth that injure the lower or upper gums.

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract

Stomach problems are common in rabbits. This happens by various reasons, for example, due to the accumulation of toxins from a poisonous plant or wool in the stomach cavity. A female rabbit may also experience this problem after giving birth. After all, throughout the entire period of preparation for childbirth, she pulls out shreds of her fur to build a nest. Additional factors for loss of appetite in a rabbit are ingestion of foreign objects, helminths, compression of the gastrointestinal tract by tumors or abscesses.

Wrong diet

Often the reason for teeth grinding or refusal of water and food is that the pet is not fed correctly. If your rabbit does not eat hay and eats mostly vegetables and fruits, this is very bad. Just like young animals weaned from their mother, females and males need to be given mainly hay and dried grass after giving birth. This is the basis of the diet, and vegetables and fruits are just a delicacy and an addition.

If the animal does not eat for more than a day, especially for rabbits after giving birth, immediately take it to the veterinary clinic.

Because of improper diet animals may experience renal failure, as well as blockage of the cecum and disturbances in the liver. And this also leads not only to a deterioration in appetite, but also to its complete loss.

Infections

A frequent component of food refusal is various infections. These include Enterotoxemia, Pasteurellosis, Myxomatosis and Hemorrhagic disease of rabbits. Usually, with such diseases, in addition to refusal of food and water, the animal also experiences various symptoms. To determine exactly what kind of infection a rabbit has, a special blood test is done.

Stress

A sudden change in habitat, change of farm owner, or wild animals can also affect a rabbit's appetite. However, these reasons discourage appetite for a maximum of a few hours, after which everything returns to normal. The main associated factors of refusal to eat and drink are still more related to the diet and state of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract.

The rabbit stopped eating

We figured out why a rabbit doesn’t eat or drink, but it often happens that a female rabbit stops eating after giving birth. Sometimes the same symptoms are characteristic of rabbits who have given birth: they refuse to eat, do not drink, grind their teeth, shake their heads. The animal simply does nothing, lies without getting up. This is very bad signs, which may be a sign of a serious infection. In addition, such a manifestation can become a real threat to children.

So, first, let’s figure out why the female rabbit shakes her head after giving birth. Perhaps this ear infection or tick. In such cases, drops or ointments prescribed by the doctor help. If the animal lies motionless and there is discharge from the mouth or nose, the animal must be immediately isolated. This is necessary to prevent cage neighbors or baby rabbits from becoming infected.

A rabbit may simply refuse to feed due to stress after giving birth. Usually, this condition goes away within a couple of hours. It is best not to do anything during this period, not to disturb the animal, give it time to rest and get hungry.

Solution methods

What to do if you notice any of the specified symptoms? Do not self-medicate, but contact a veterinarian - this is the most effective way solving the problem. Remember that if rabbits do not have a bowel movement for more than a day, the animals may die. Here are the most basic recommendations:

• for female rabbits after giving birth for the purpose of prevention various diseases needs to be organized good food and comfort;
• do not traumatize your pets mentally, exclude everything possible factors stress;
• feed animals according to recommendations;
• Get your vaccinations on time;
• Isolate sick individuals until the cause of the disease is determined. If the infection is dangerous and cannot be cured, the carcass of the deceased rabbit must be disposed of.

Video “Why did the rabbit stop drinking and eating?”

For rabbits, hay is the main component of their entire diet and their favorite treat. They love to sort through blades of grass in search of the most useful and tasty ones. Eating hay promotes the smooth functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of rodents. In addition, this food allows you to add some variety to their menu. The main thing you need to pay attention to when choosing hay for rabbits is its quality. Use bad product leads to various ailments and diseases in the animal.

But there are situations when fluffies refuse to eat hay. We will try to figure out why this happens and what needs to be done.

Reasons

If your rabbit refuses to eat hay, then first of all pay attention to how correctly its diet is composed. Nutritional imbalance is the most common cause of this problem. The standard rabbit diet should consist of 90% high-quality hay, the remaining 10% should be other succulent and dry food. If you constantly pamper your pet with treats, then it is no wonder that he begins to refuse the main food. And make sure that the rodent always has access to fresh fresh water. Lack of fluid in the best possible way affects the animal's appetite.

In addition to the low quality of hay and balanced nutrition The reason a rabbit refuses his favorite treat may be an intestinal or dental disease.

To find out exactly why a rabbit turns up its nose at hay, you need to seek help from a veterinarian. It is necessary to find out whether the animal has any diseases of the intestinal tract. If the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment must be started immediately.

How to encourage a rabbit to eat hay?

1. Review your pet's menu. Perhaps some foods seem more attractive to the rodent than dried grass. It is important to adhere balanced diet and feed the animal not only tasty, but also healthy foods.

2. Different varieties of hay have different tastes. Experiment with different types hay to understand which of them your pet is more favorable to.

3. Hay good quality the rodent eats with greater pleasure than rotten and stale food.

4. Sometimes setting the right example is enough. If possible, place the animal in its cage with a fellow animal that happily eats hay. The manner of imitation will do its job.

5. In some cases, you can mix hay with vegetables, fresh grass and dry food.

Rabbits are good-natured animals, ornamental and agricultural breeds of which are popular. However, there are often cases when a rabbit does not eat, which can result in a dangerous condition for the animal. Lack of appetite is a very common problem. What is its cause, and how to avoid such a situation?

If a rabbit has no appetite, then it has problems with teeth growth.

The main reasons for lack of appetite in rabbits

If your rabbit does not pass bowel movements, it means he is not eating. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the disease as quickly as possible, since the animal cannot live long without food and water.

The cause of a pet's lack of appetite can be identified by specific symptoms. So, if a rabbit does not eat and grinds its teeth loudly, this means that something hurts. Unfortunately, such pets often have problems with dental growth. If they form incorrectly, it causes the animal a lot of trouble and severe pain.

Malocclusion is the formation of sharp hooks at the ends of the teeth.

A particularly common diagnosis is malocclusion - the formation of sharp hooks at the ends of the teeth. At the same time, the rabbit does not eat, since when it moves its jaws it damages the oral cavity. To prevent malocclusion, you need to contact a veterinarian, and then systematically grind the teeth.

Rabbits, like any other pets, need proper nutrition. For normal life, their diet must combine succulent (20%) and roughage (80%) food. If you feed an animal with one type of food, or the nature of its diet has changed dramatically, there is a high probability eating disorder. In addition, if the intake of certain components is insufficient, rabbits may eat their own fur or the stems of poisonous plants.

Fresh water plays a huge role in the life of a rabbit. Many owners do not pay enough attention to watering their pet, which is why it cannot drink water properly. Constant feeling thirst causes stress in the animal, which only enhances the effect of the lack of fluid in the body.

Another common reason for refusing to eat is the accumulation of hairballs in the stomach. Rabbits are constantly shedding and licking themselves, and if you notice the animal's feces sticking together, this indicates a furball has formed in the stomach. This is very dangerous, so if such a sign is present, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

Often the rabbit does not eat due to various kinds infections. If the animal is sick with myxomatosis, enerotoxisemia, pasteurellosis or hemorrhagic disease, he will certainly experience loss of appetite and other symptoms of infection.

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Diagnosis and treatment

Make an accurate diagnosis and choose the right way treatments allow following methods diagnostics:

To eliminate loss of appetite in rabbits, you need to contact a veterinarian.

• radiography;
• ultrasound examination;
• blood test;
• careful clinical examination of the whole body and especially the oral cavity.

Unfortunately, treating rabbits often requires surgical intervention. To “revive” the pet, a nutrient solution is injected subcutaneously before the operation, and antibiotics and glucocorticosteroids are given the day before the operation.

Sometimes you can do without surgery. As soon as you notice sticking of stool and loss of strength in your rabbit, give him Vaseline oil using a syringe without a needle, 3 cubes 3 times a day. In the same way, you can give the rabbit Espumisan suspension twice a day. In order for these drugs to be better absorbed, it is necessary to do a deep massage of the animal’s abdomen. If the rabbit does not want to drink, you can give it water from the same syringe.

To prevent hairballs from accumulating in your pet’s stomach, during shedding you should give him 1 pitted prune berry 2 times every 7 days. During this same period, it is advisable to comb the rabbit’s fur every day with combs and brushes.