Rabbit or small mammal not eating

Rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas eat almost constantly. A missed meal is not a mood. Their guts slow down when fiber stops coming in, gas builds, and the animal gets painful and colder. That spiral, often called gastrointestinal stasis, is a same-day emergency.

The clock

If a rabbit or guinea pig has refused hay and pellets for about 8 to 12 hours, or the overnight droppings are tiny, dry, or missing, call a clinic that sees exotics today. Go to an emergency hospital if the pet is hunched, grinding teeth, bloated, cold, or unwilling to move. Tooth grinding in these species is pain, not contentment. A ballooned belly with no stool is not a "wait until Monday" problem.

Rats and hamsters also need a prompt visit if they stop eating, though the classic gas crisis is most famous in rabbits and guinea pigs. A hamster who is wobbly or cold is an emergency. Sugar gliders and ferrets who skip food can become hypoglycemic. Offer a small familiar meal on the way only if the animal is alert and swallowing.

What you can do on the way

Keep the carrier warm and quiet. A rabbit's normal body temperature is higher than a human's comfort, and a painful rabbit drops that temperature. Do not put a heating pad on high or leave the animal on it unattended. Offer a small pile of the usual hay. Do not feed yogurt drops, bread, or a new salad mix as a bribe.

Syringe feeding a recovery formula can be lifesaving after a veterinarian doses pain medicine and shows you the technique. It is dangerous in a bloated, unconscious, or struggling animal because the formula can enter the lungs. If you have not been taught, do not improvise with a baby bottle on the way to the clinic.

After the crisis

Dental spurs are a leading reason these pets stop eating. The molars are hard to see at home. A pet who dribbles, prefers soft food, or drops hay may need the teeth examined under proper lighting, sometimes with sedation. Guinea pigs need a dietary source of vitamin C every day. Both species should have unlimited grass hay. Pellets are a side dish.

Find a clinic before you need one. Not every emergency hospital stocks the pain drugs and formulas these species require, so ask "do you treat rabbits tonight?" when you call. The checker treats "not eating" in a rabbit or guinea pig as urgent. More small-mammal profiles are on the small animal directory.

Sources

• VCA Hospitals pet health library
• Merck Veterinary Manual
• ASPCA pet care

Clinic decisions belong to the veterinarian who can examine the animal. This page is background reading.

Small mammal appetite questions

How fast is GI stasis an emergency?

A rabbit or guinea pig who has not eaten for about 8 to 12 hours, or who has no droppings, should be seen the same day. Overnight waits are how these cases get critical.

Can I syringe feed at home?

Only if a veterinarian has shown you how and the animal is still swallowing. Force-feeding a weak or bloated pet can cause aspiration.

Is a guinea pig the same as a rabbit?

Both need constant hay and both crash when they stop eating. Guinea pigs also need vitamin C. Neither species should be fasted before a routine visit.