is my rabbit sick? what is its normal body temperature and how can you check the temperature? read details pls

Question

he is only 1 and a half years old and i cried for so many years to get a rabbit after my first one died. it would be horrible if he died because he means the world to me. i have had depression and as soon as i got him i started to be more alive and found out a side i didn't know before. i am really lucky to have him and nothing can ever replace him. i could go on and on about him and how good and smart he is but i would be able to fit it all!! he gets a healthy diet including hay, lettuce, carrots. he lives in a clean big enviroment and is out of his cage 15 hours a day. lately, he has been just staying in my bedroom and sitting a corner. i put some pellets out for him and he baraly ate them which is really weird for him. he is also being really lathargic which scares me because before my last rabbit died, he was lathargic. i am really scared that he is sick. anything like this ever happen to your rabbit. can i take his temperature?? thank you so much (sorry it is so long!)

we live in wisconsin and the temperature just changed hugely but my bedroom is still 65 degrees

Answer 1

When trying to figure out if your rabbit is sick, always remember rabbits are at the bottom of the food chain and in the wild the weakest are the first to be preyed upon. Thus, rabbits innately tend to hide their illnesses and injuries. This may be a good survival tactic in the wild, but for domestic rabbits, hiding their symptoms only misleads their caretakers and prevents prompt medical attention.

People who live with rabbits need to be particularly attentive to subtle changes. If your rabbit usually greets you with leaps and bounds and he is now lying in the back of the cage when you approach, perhaps hunched over, this could be a cause for concern. Couple this with no droppings in his litterbox and loads of hay still present from the previous night, and you could have a very sick rabbit.

What is "normal" behavior? Some rabbits jump up to greet you; some don't. Some rabbits are very active, running all over the house; some aren't. In general, rabbits mellow a bit as they age. A three-month-old bunny might seem hyperactive compared to a more sedate five-year-old rabbit. Both activity levels are normal, just different.

Be sure to find a good veterinarian before your rabbit gets sick. When Bunny is ill, you need help quickly and you won't have time to "shop" for a vet. If you are ever in question about your rabbit's health, call your vet.

Tooth grinding: Loud tooth grinding is a sign of pain. Note: This tooth grinding is different from the less-loud "tooth purring" you may hear when you snuggle and kiss Bun's face!

Body heat: Rabbits regulate body temperature by their ears. Very cold or hot ears could indicate a fever or a drop in body temperature. This, coupled with other warning signs, could warrant a trip to the vet.

Runny eyes or nose, labored breathing or chronic sneezing: These could indicate allergies, upper respiratory infection, a blocked tear duct or other problems. See your vet.

Wet chin or drooling: Usually a sign of tooth problems, or malocclusion. You may also notice a decrease in appetite and ability to eat hard foods such as whole carrot. See your vet. Left untreated, tooth problems can lead to infection of the jaw bone, which is very difficult to treat. Depending on the severity of the misalignment, your rabbit's teeth may need to be trimmed regularly. In severe cases, teeth can be pulled.

Loss of balance or a head tilt: This is often called wry neck (or wry-neck), typically an inner ear infection. This can come on suddenly. Although treatment can be lengthy, a head tilt can usually be cured if treatment is begun quickly.

In one end, out the other: Your rabbit's litterbox contains a wealth of information. A healthy digestive tract will produce large, round fecal pellets. Increasingly smaller, irregularly shaped droppings or droppings strung together with fur (or carpet) may indicate a problem. Proper grooming by you, especially during a molt, and plenty of fresh hay will help produce optimum digestive tract health, along with appealing to the rabbit's urge to chew.

Loss of appetite or lethargy: Even a rabbit can have a "bad hare day." But if your rabbit refuses his usual fresh food or any of his special treats for more than a day, and seems particularly lethargic, you should call the vet.

Answer 2

Sam and Frackles have given you good information. There are many reasons why a rabbit may not be eating and this article is one of the best to explain the reasons and what you can try before going to a vet. But if this persists get to a rabbit savvy vet immediately.
Please read: http://fig.cox.miami.edu/Faculty/Dana/ileus.html

If you don't know how to take a temperature, better to take your bunny to a vet who can take it and show you how to do it. Normal rabbit temperature is about 101o F to 103o F.
If you go to this site you'll get some tips on medical emergencies including how to take a temp, but I wouldn't do it without someone showing me how.
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-4/emergency-preparedness.html

Yes, one of our first rabbits went through episodes like this and he died even after getting him vet care, so it can be serious. Fortunately our other bunny is terrific and he is now bonded to a wonderful girl...both are neutered/spayed so no babies in this house.

Answer 3

First, you don't need to take it's temperature. That is normally done for birds and some other animals, but not usually for rabbits.

Second, quit feeding your rabbit lettuce and carrots. Those can give your rabbit diahrrea, especially if you give them in too large of an amount. Lettuce is more likely than carrots to give your rabbit diahrrea.

My two best guesses from what you stated would be either diahrrea or pneumonia. However, you never gave any symptoms other than your rabbit going off its feed and not moving.

Check underneath your rabbit under by its tail first and see if you see any poop stuck the the rabbits fur or if the rabbit is messy back there. Also check around its cage to see if you see any soft stool. If so, your rabbit has diahrrea. You probably need to take it off of its food for 24 hours and give it plenty of water to keep it from getting dehydrated if it has 24 hours. The bacteria that causes diahrrea feed off of the food in the stomach. By taking the rabbit off its feed for 24 hours you remove the food the bacteria feed off of and reproduce on. The 2nd day feed your rabbit half its normal portion of feed. Stick with just rabbit pellets and water. Neomycin can also help cure diahrrea by being placed in the rabbits water.

You also stated that you let your rabbit run outside of its cage 15 hours a day, but you never stated if you let your rabbit run outside. If you normally keep your rabbit inside and you let it run outside, with as cold as it is and the wind blowing there is a possibility that it could contract pneumonia. Rabbits can take the cold but not the wind. Look to see if your rabbit is breathing hard or deeply. These are signs of pneumonia. Pneumonia is rarely curable and normally kills a rabbit in 1-2 days.

You may also want to check to make sure your rabbit doesn't have a cold. Check it's nose for nasal discharge and check the inside of its front feet to see if they are matted. These are both signs of a cold.

It's probably a good idea to take your rabbit to a vet. Be careful of the vet you choose. Many know little about rabbits. So ask a local rabbit breeder for a good vet to work on rabbits around your area.

Finally be careful of taking advice from rabbit.org. I've found them to give some good advice and some bad to people. They actually recommend giving vegetables to rabbits when that can throw off their diet and cause diahrrea, just as one example.

Answer 4

Take him to the vet! If your rabbit has a significant change in behavior and eating habits, you need to do this. Better to spend $50 and find out he's okay, than to let him possibly be very sick but save your money.