My rabbit won't eat after her partner died. Is she sick or grieving?

Poor Rica! And I am sorry the loss of your two rabbits. This can be a little stressful for them if they are really attached to their partner. Most rabbits adjust normally and continue to eat and continue their routine. I would watch Rica closely to ensure she is continuing to eat and act like herself. Also give her some extra TLC if she likes to be handled by humans. As far as knowing when they are not feeling well can be difficult. Some of the main things to look for is appetite, and activity level. You can also look to see whether or not there is any eye or nose discharge, sneezing/coughing, rapid breathing or diarrhea. Also, make sure there is plenty of room for two rabbits on their habitats. Small quarters can cause more stress. I hope this helps!

Bunnies like very slow, quiet movements, it may take a few days for him to let you get close enough to touch him. Is your rabbit sick? Is this eating habit new? If so he should be seen right away. If this is normal for him then a diet change is needed. Rabbits need a very gradual change. Over several weeks decrease the amount of carrots and he will gradually eat more pellets. Are you also offering Timothy hay? About 80%of their diet should be the hay. I hope this helps. I’m sorry about the other bunny .

Based on what you are describing him I would be concerned about gastric stasis in your rabbit. This can be a common condition that occurs when a bunny stops eating. The stomach will fill with a lot of gas and the rabbit will be very painful and uncomfortable. If you are able to continue giving the critical care supplement I would recommend doing that. If Pepper stops eating that, continues to seem lethargic, or stops pooping, then you will need to take him into the vet to be examined because other medications will be needed to help restore GI motility. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

A rabbit that is not eating or drinking should be seen by an exotic species veterinarian as soon as possible. She is at risk of developing dehydration and GI stasis which can lead to death. Until your appointment, you can try offering fresh, dark, leafy greens (kale, collards, etc) and other palatable greens, like cilantro, parsley, carrot top greens, to encourage her to eat. You can also soak rabbit pellets in water to make a slurry and carefully feed that to your rabbit via a syringe (baby dosing syringes can be bought in drug stores and discount stores). Make sure fresh Timothy hay and water is available. Carefully syringe feeding an electrolye replacement solution, like Pedialyte, can help with dehydration. http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-health/gi-stasis-in-rabbits-a-deadly-condition/

A rabbit that is not eating normally should be considered a veterinary emergency. If the GI tract slows or stops, a dangerous buildup of bacteria and toxins could endanger Bun Bun's life. Given his age and weight loss, he needs to be seen by a veterinarian...any veterinarian. If necessary, a specialist can be contacted by phone or online by your vet. Veterinary reference labs may provide consultation services as well. For now, offer as much timothy hay as he will eat. Offer some Oxbow Critical Care for Herbivores as well. You may be able to find it in pet stores or in the local vet clinic. Keep Bun Bun warm and as stress free as possible. The link below leads to a list of veterinarians experienced in treating rabbits locate din Wisconsin. http://wisconsinhrs.org/local-vets/

Sunshine looks very, very sick from your pictures and I am incredibly concerned about him. He needs veterinary medical attention immediately. While I'm not sure what's going on with him, rabbits rarely lay on their sides with their eyes closed. As prey animals, they usually sleep crouched, ready to go at any moment and are easily rousable and alert. A rabbit that is not eating usually has something pretty serious that is making him sick. Rabbits eat continuously to keep their digestive tracts healthy and moving at all times - this is one of the reasons they poop so much! Dental disease is very common and can cause painful mouth sores that may stop a rabbit from eating, but we can also see kidney disease, bladder stones, and intestinal diseases that can be life-threatening and painful that will cause a rabbit to stop eating. Regardless, I am very worried about Sunshine and recommend you take him to your veterinarian immediately. He or she will likely recommend fluids to help with dehydration, especially if he hasn't been eating or drinking, and may suggest blood work and/or x-rays to evaluate his internal organ function and look for things like bladder stones or a bowel impaction. Please take Sunshine to see your veterinarian as soon as possible to give him the best possible chance.

I am sorry your rabbits are sick and passing away. I would try and locate an exotics vet somewhere around you. Even if you have to drive a little further. Unfortunately the picture and posture does not tell why they are sick. I get concerned about something contagious if you have had other rabbits die. I know it sounds sad but if a rabbit dies I would recommend taking it to the state lab for a necropsy (autopsy in people). This way they can take tissue samples and send it to the lab for hopefully a diagnosis. However we would prefer to keep the rabbits alive. Parasites like coccidia can cause death, infection, viruses, dental disease, toxins and maybe food source. The rabbits really need to have a fecal, blood work and maybe x-rays. You can try to force feed them at home with a product like critical care but they need to continue to eat or there intestines stop working which can cause fatality.