If your rabbit goes off feed, in other words they stop eating their pellets, you will need to get them eating quickly or it can and will bring on bloat quickly!

-try giving hay if not offered normally

-top off the feed dish with raw uncooked old fashioned oats or rolled oats

-offer BOSS, black oil sunflower seeds

-offer calf manna

If available, depending on what time of year it is, dandelions, plantain, comfrey, willow branches or apple tree branches are loved by all bunnies. Check out what’s growing in the yard but make sure no pesticides have been sprayed on it.

Romaine lettuce, parsley, and cilantro are my favorite things to grab at the grocery store and most bunnies love all three of these. You do not have to offer all but little bits of one at a time to see if this will entice the bunny to eat.

Something I have tried many times and it absolutely works is to put the bunny in a playpen in the yard and let the bunny graze. Leave the bunny to get comfortable and watch. Hopefully the bunny will start nibbling on blades of grass and clover. Watch for large birds of prey and keep the bunny protected. I have left bunnies out in the yard all day under a shade tree and put them in a hutch at night. Return bunny out to the yard again the following day and even when it rains! I use a tarp to cover a playpen if it is raining lightly and have had great luck with bunnies getting better and eating again.

Here is a treat you will find any rabbit hard pressed to pass up! Don’t forget to check our our Bun Shop to see where you can purchase special treats like this.

Emergencies will warrant force feeding if none of the above works. Critical Care is something you will want to keep in your medical kit for bunny emergencies.

If a rabbit does not eat, they are likely going to fill their gut with gas. Gas is not something that a rabbit can pass. They cannot vomit either and you will lose your rabbit if this does not get cleared up. Here are some emergency options to help treat for bloat.

I have never personally been able to save a rabbit or guinea pig from bloat but some people thing these things work:

Infant Gas Drops & Gripe Water

With the onset of bloat, anything necessary to get the bunny to eat and get their digestive system working properly is worth trying.

We share our experience but always recommend that you consult with your veterinarian for all medical advice and care for your English Angora rabbits and bunnies. We only document how we treat our problems in our own Rabbitry and are NOT veterinarians.