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Old Age Getting the Best of Archie?

2671 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  David Sherwood, 
H
So i recently got home from staying with one of my friends for a few weeks. I had taken Archie with me and i had cared for him the same way i usually would at home-i just didn't see him or love on him as much as normal. that was becuz i had court, police, and other such things that were taking time away from the day... i still tried to run in and see him before i went to sleep so he seen me every day, but he seems kinda funny now.
i'm back at home with my rabbit now and everything is back to normal, but Archie still seems a little funny. he is not as active as he used to be... he has free-roam of the house almost all day but he just sits in his cage... if i take him out then he just hops back in. he's been sleeping an awful lot and i noticed he went from 4.4 pounds (when i got him) and now he's 3.4 pounds... he isn't drinking and eating quite as well as he used to and i've been offering small animal treats along with his food to help persuade him to eat a little. his bathroom habits seem pretty regular to me. whenever i used to put his veggies and fruits in his cage, he would attack it right away, but now he takes his sweet time eating them and doesn't even touch them right away.
he also has a little bald spot on his chest and it isn't pink like the rest of his body... it is a faded grey/gray color and it feels kind of scaly and rough-it is not painful, inflamed, or itchy, or anything like that tho. i heard Vaseline is good for things like that on rabbits, and when i rescued him, he had a spot exactly like it on his foot that i put Vaseline on twice a day, and that spot is now gone... i'm just wondering what it might be? i thought it was from the wire cage that he used to sit on all the time and i do noticed that he presses his chest up against the wire side of the cage (bottom of cage is old blankets and sheets)... could that be causing the problem?
i have been paying very close attention to him now... measuring how much he eats and drinks, exercise time, attitude, bathroom habits, weight, other... i just started all of that yesterday and i believe if i have to take him to the vet, it will be very helpful for them to see the record-keeping...
what do you guys think?
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J
I would definitely take him to the vet, it is pretty serious when a rabbit loses that much weight! 1 lb is a quarter of his body weight!

Rabbits are very good at hiding their illnesses, so the fact that you are seeing such a drastic change in his behavior is very worrisome, and I wouldn't attribute it to just being old. My rabbit is turning 9 this year, and he has a consistent weight, eats anything and everything without hesitation, and is very active.

Didn't Archie have molar spurs/teeth issues? Make sure to check that out if he does. If his teeth are hurting him, that could be why he is losing weight and being a hesitant eater.
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H
i think i will definitely get him a vet appointment... but i'm so confused as to how his weight is going up and down... yesterday i weighed him at 3.4 pounds... i weighed him again today and he was 4.2 pounds... i will still get him a vet appointment ASAP but maybe he was just readjusting to home? jesus idk... i'll never take him anywhere again if it gets him sick... AH! i feel like a bad mommy :'(
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J
Are you sure your scale isn't off? Because there is no way a bunny could gain or lose a pound in a day. Maybe you should try a different scale, or see what his weight is at the vets. Did they weigh him the first time you brought him in?
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S
How old is he? I'd definitely get him to a vet. Even if he is aging, there could easily be a treatable problem. My rabbit is over 11 years old :).
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H
maybe my scale was off... i haven't the slightest idea... ? :\ they didn't weigh him on his first vet visit either but little Archie has vet appointment done in tomorrow at 9:00 AM so hopefully they can clear some things up with him
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D
Good luck at the vets!
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D
Jess is right. Be sure to weigh him on the same scale every time. And avoid feeding treats that are high in carbohydrates because it will alter the type of bacteria that flourish in his caecum (where he ferments his food prior to re-ingestion). A change in the bacterial population can cause rapid changes in the amount of B-vitamins in his blood because they are water soluble and are quickly lost unless they are replaced by eating healthy caecotrophes.... which he won't do if he is eating too many treats loaded with carbohydrates.
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