Lethargic Buck

[norcal]

I noticed my 1 yr old buck has been lethargic. Today I offered him some treats, & he took a couple nibbles of bread then nothing. So I offered him a carrot piece & nothing. Hubby says he's been eating his pellets. His eyes aren't open as wide.

No noticeable injuries.
No runny poop.
No runny nose/eyes.

I'm a novice, so basic instructions/ideas are appreciated.

 

[hoodat]

In cases like that it's hard to tell. You just have to keep an eye out for more symptoms. It may be just an upset tummy or the bunny equivalent of a cold. The good news is most times they just get over it. Giving treats is tempting but not the right thing to do. It may just upset his system more. If he's still eating pellets I wouldn't be too concerned. If more symptoms develop at least you'll have an idea what the problem is and you can take steps then. One thing you can do is check and make sure his water bottle is working properly. If he doesn't get water he won't eat. A dollop of natural apple cider vinegar in his water may also help and can't hurt.

 

[norcal]

I was offering treats to see if his behavior is normal - which it's not 'cause he's normally a piggy. And because hubby didn't believe me that he seemed weird/lethargic.

But, I understand that it probably isn't a good idea if he is sick.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[CrimsonRose]

where do you keep your rabbit? outside in a hutch or indoors? make sure he is not over heated that will make them very lethargic and even piggies won't eat... Rabbits are very susceptible to heatstroke so make sure he is in the shade has plenty of water.

 

[terri9630]

where do you keep your rabbit? outside in a hutch or indoors? make sure he is not over heated that will make them very lethargic and even piggies won't eat... Rabbits are very susceptible to heatstroke so make sure he is in the shade has plenty of water.

That's what I was going to say. Dring the heat of the day my rabbits won't eat even their favorite treats.

 

[norcal]

He is outside.

He seems better today, but we did have a little heat spell midweek, now it's back in the low 70's. I'm wondering if it's weather changes, as we've had lots of ups & downs. Lots of pollen outside right now also (tons).

I do have a cage question. ?? His hutch is 1/2 wood 1/2 wire. He can get out of the sun. Should I shade the wire part, or if he's hot will he move to the wood side??? He seemed to do fine last summer & it's hotter than heck here in the summer.

 

[CrimsonRose]

might not hurt to shade the wire side if it's in direct sunlight... but also make sure he can get plenty of ventilation and a breeze too. If it gets too hot I put a frozen water bottle in their cage to snuggle with... If you ever notice him really lethargic again wet down his ears to help cool him off... All my buns will loose a tad bit of weight in the summer as well due to the heat...

 

[terri9630]

My buck loves celery so I freeze it in chunks and give it to him on hot days. Sometimes he just lays on it but he chews on it and it's usually gone before it thaws.

 

[currycomb]

i do like you do, offer treats, to see if they are "normal". have caught several with pnumomia, no snot, just raspy breathing and off feed. several days of baytril (prescribed by my vet)usually does the trick

 

[norcal]

Thanks everybody, this place is a wealth of knowledge & ideas.