{"id":561,"date":"2023-08-06T04:43:52","date_gmt":"2023-08-06T04:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flipsideviber.net\/?p=561"},"modified":"2023-08-08T00:16:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T00:16:48","slug":"why-is-my-rabbit-not-eating-5-possible-reasons-vet-answer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/flipsideviber.net\/index.php\/2023\/08\/06\/why-is-my-rabbit-not-eating-5-possible-reasons-vet-answer\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is My Rabbit Not Eating? 5 Possible Reasons (Vet Answer)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rabbits stop eating for lots of reasons. But the most important thing to know about a bunny not eating is that it is an emergency. The fact that they are not eating is enough to bring a rabbit to the vet. Not eating can kill a rabbit.<\/p>\n

Any disease or health issue can cause a rabbit to feel poorly or cause enough pain to stop eating. The problem is when a bunny stops eating for whatever reason, and they quickly develop another health condition called gut stasis.<\/p>\n

Gut stasis can be a cause of not eating, and it can be a result of not eating. And it can be deadly. This listicle will discuss some of the more common causes of gut stasis, but first, let\u2019s explain it.<\/p>\n

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What Is Gut Stasis?<\/h2>\n

The gastrointestinal tract of rabbits is designed for grazing all day long. They do not eat discrete meals but nibble on grass all day. When they stop eating, for whatever reason, the GI tract slows down and becomes painful.<\/p>\n

Without grass moving through the GI tract, gas builds up inside. The microbiota that naturally live in the GI tract to help digest the tough fibers of grass emit gas as a normal part of breaking down cellulose. When digestion stops moving the gas along, it builds up, blowing the GI tract up like a balloon, which is very painful and further discourages the rabbit from eating.<\/p>\n

The ballooning GI tract can get so big it starts to press on the circulatory system and cause a cascade of critical problems that can quickly kill a rabbit.<\/p>\n

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Image Credit: Farhad Ibrahimzade, Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The 5 Causes of Gut Stasis and Why the Rabbit Is Not Eating<\/h2>\n

1.<\/span> Dehydration<\/h3>\n

Always make sure your rabbit has plenty of clean water that is easily accessible, especially when it is hot. There is this myth among some rabbit people that rabbits get all their water from the grass they eat. This is wildly false, especially since hay is dried-out grass. They need lots of water.<\/p>\n

A dehydrated GI tract does not function well and quickly develops gut stasis. And in turn, gut stasis quickly develops with dehydration, which is one of the reasons it\u2019s so deadly.<\/p>\n

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Image Credit: Inna Reznik, Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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2.<\/span> Dental Disease<\/h3>\n

Rabbit teeth are unique, or at least not like the teeth of people, dogs, and cats. Rabbit teeth grow continuously. Even when a rabbit is older, their teeth are still growing. The teeth are supposed to grind against each other, and the fibrous food they eat (stalks of grass\/hay) to wear down smooth and clean. This often goes wrong. Here are some of the reasons the rabbit can get a dental disease:<\/p>\n


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