My rabbit ate a piece of gum. Is she okay? What should I do now?

It shouldn't kill her, but it may cause stomach upset. Make sure she continues to eat and drink over the next couple days. Offer as much timothy hay, oat hay or similar grasses as she will eat. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or loose droppings. If she stops eating, have her seen by your veterinarian right away. Discontinue any treats for the next few days.

I am sorry to hear about Sophie! Hopefully she chewed it up a bit before swallowing. If it was small and chewed it should not cause any harm and will pass through the digestive tract. Our main concern with an ingestion like this would be a blockage in the intestines. I would monitor her for the next few days to be sure she is eating normally and having normal bowel movements. If you notice her having any decreases in appetite/feces produced I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian.

The digestive system of rabbits moves food through it pretty quick, so if you haven't noticed anything wrong in the past 4 days then Buggy is likely fine. Of course, this cannot be confirmed 100% without a physical exam. Monitor for a decrease or loss of appetite, a decrease or absence of stool production and lethargy. These symptoms should be addressed immediately by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits. Increase the amount of timothy hay being offered as well as the amount of exercise. Both should help push any remnants of string out of his system.

This could cause a gastrointestinal obstruction which can be quite dangerous in rabbits. Close monitoring and a check up would be ideal to determine the size of the piece ingested and if the clay is going to pass.

Hello. It sounds like your rabbit may have signs of gastrointestinal stasis, which means the GI tract has slowed down, usually as a result of a rabbit that stops eating. Rabbits will stop eating for a number of reasons - their teeth may be overgrown, their tooth roots may be infected, they could also have any other systemic disease (respiratory, urinary, infection, etc). As you can see, the causes are many and its impossible to say what is the underlying cause for sure without an exam and testing (usually radiographs, blood work, etc). Regardless of the cause, GI stasis is potentially fatal if left untreated. Therefore, I would urge you to get veterinary care ASAP. In the meantime, syringe feed Hobie with a liquid hay diet, ideally Oxbow herbivore critical care if you can get some, or soak the hay pellets in warm water to make a slurry. The best thing to keep the GI tract healthy is fiber and hydration, so hay is the foundation of health. I see in the first picture a pellet mix with maybe some oats, corn, and/or seeds mixed with the pellets. This is not an appropriate diet for rabbits as they are selective feeders and usually pick out the concentrates. These pellet mixes significantly increase the incidence of dental disease and obesity. I recommend a 100% timothy hay pellet, ideally Oxbow brand. Feed 1/4 cup timothy hay pellets, free choice grass hay, and 2 cups fresh greens a day with fresh water available in a bowl and sipper.

A rabbit that will not eat should be considered a veterinary emergency. Anorexia in rabbits can slow down or stop the gut which can lead to a dangerous build-up of bacteria and gas. This can be deadly. It is critical to have Thumper examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating rabbits to get him eating as soon as possible and to diagnose the reason for his loss of appetite. Keep timothy hay and water available at all times. You can soak some pellets in an unflavored electrolyte replacement beverage to make a mash which may make eating easier also.

The biggest concern would be that she ate something she shouldn’t have thatcan’t be digested. If so, she may have a blockage or get gastric stasis. Keep a close eye on Mistie over the next day or two. If she stops eating, drinking or pooping, or if she becomes more lethargic than normal you will need to take her to see a vet.