My rabbit is underweight despite eating. What could be the cause?

You are doing all the right thing it seems, this means he must be suffering from a medical condition. i would recommend to take him to the vet in order to get him dewormed. he might also be suffering from a gastrointestinal infection that is causing this. upper respiratory infections are also know n=to cause weight loss. the vet will check him and treat him accordingly.

It definitely sounds like something serious is going on with Bun Bun. If his appetite is still good and his stools are normal but he is losing weight I would be concerned with either intestinal parasites or cancer causing him to get a lack of nutrients. This would explain the hairloss as well. I would recommend taking Bun Bun to your veterinarian to be examined. Your vetnwill most likely want to run some blood work and possibly do X-rays as well. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like they could have a parasite or an infection causing the problem. It is very concerning that they both lost weight rapidly and one died. It would be best to have her examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. Your vet can run some lab-work, if needed, and prescribe medications to treat. She may need some fluids for dehydration, antibiotics, de-wormer, etc. Besides trying to get her to eat and drink, there isn't much more you can do without veterinary care. Hope she gets better soon!

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/

You should not be able to feel the whole spine so it sounds to me like the bunny is underweight. She should be on a diet of mainly hay and some rabbit pellets. Occasional fresh fruits and veggies are good too. If she is eating well but still underweight I would recommend having her checked out at the vet. She may have an intestinal parasite or something else causing her to lose weight.

Thanks for reaching out about Cookie. A fecal examination for parasites and blood work to rule in/out metabolic or infectious concerns is recommended. A condition such as inflammatory bowel disease has been found in rabbits, preventing them from absorbing nutrients well. You should see your veterinarian again. Good luck.

With the discharge from her nose I would suspect that she has some sort of respiratory issue going on. Rabbits are very prone to pasteurella infection and this can cause weight loss over time and make them generally unwell. With any disease rabbits will be under stress which puts them at risk of gut stasis. Running bloods could help to establish if their is an active infection and if any other organs are involved.