- Dr. Bianca Zaffarano
- Jun 17
- 7 min read
Your beloved little bunny is hopping around, munching adorably, and doing binkies and zoomies. Then one day out of the blue, your rabbit stops eating. What’s the deal? Does he need to see a vet?
Showing little to no interest in food is always a red flag, so if your rabbit won’t eat, don’t wait. Call VEG ER for Pets and speak to a vet right away. If left untreated, this can become a life-threatening issue. Let’s explore why your rabbit is not eating and when it’s time to seek emergency care at VEG ER for Pets.
Why isn't my rabbit eating?
There are a few reasons rabbits may stop eating suddenly. We'll explore what the reason may be that your little bun stopped eating. Whenever something is off with your rabbit, like not eating, recognize that it could be serious and require immediate vet care.
GI stasis in rabbits
This is a term used to describe when the passage of food through a rabbit’s GI tract slows down and/or stops. Rabbit GI stasis can be primary or secondary, meaning it can have a number of underlying causes. Here are a few of the possibilities:
Diet - A large percentage of GI stasis in rabbits is caused (or at least predisposed) by a diet that is not high enough in indigestible fiber or is too high in carbohydrates. A balanced rabbit diet consists of 70–75% hay, some fresh veggies, very small amounts of pellets, and minimal carb-heavy treats such as fruits. A sudden change in food can also cause dysbiosis, upsetting your bunny’s delicate digestion.
Dental problems - Rabbits’ teeth grow continuously. Without enough fiber, their teeth can overgrow, making chewing painful and leading to a rabbit not eating.
Stress - Environmental changes (moves, new pets in the household, loud noises) can cause a rabbit to stop eating.
Pain - Any source of discomfort—arthritis, injury, urinary stones—can lead to loss of appetite in rabbits and trigger secondary GI issues. See our blog on how to tell if your bunny is in pain.
GI obstruction in rabbits
Rabbits uncommonly can develop a blockage, usually a mix of hair and synthetic fibers. This blockage (also called an obstruction) commonly forms at the exit point of the stomach called the “pylorus” or in the first part of the intestines where they connect to the stomach in an area called the “duodenum.”
Any blockage is a serious matter. Rabbits with a GI obstruction usually become very sick, very fast. If your bunny stopped eating a few hours ago and is lethargic or in pain, get them to a VEG animal hospital immediately — it’s a true emergency.
Rabbit may have liver lobe torsion
This is a very serious, sometimes life threatening condition that is seen more commonly in some areas of the U.S. (like the western part) and is much less common in other areas of the U.S. (like the northeast and mid-atlantic areas).
About liver lobe torsion in rabbits
One section of a rabbit’s liver is called the caudate lobe. For reasons not yet understood, that little lobe will spontaneously twist on itself. If the lobe does not spontaneously untwist, the rabbit will be in pain, and a cascade of serious events happen one after another in the rabbit’s belly. These changes include:
a drop in the rabbit’s blood pressure,
the blockage of blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to the liver,
a blockage of blood toxins away from the liver, then blood starts to leak into the belly.
The pain, the loss of blood, and the drop in the blood pressure, and other abnormal physiologic changes make the liver lobe torsion condition one of the most dangerous emergency conditions a rabbit can have.
Rabbits that have a liver lobe torsion typically:
won’t eat
are very cold to the touch
appear to be greatly uncomfortable no matter which position they sit in
At VEG, our teams can diagnose a liver lobe torsion within minutes of arriving by using our in-house diagnostics. The difference between an immediate diagnosis of this condition and treatment for it vs. waiting until the next day to get a diagnosis can be the difference between life and death.
Rabbit cancers
As bunnies age, like all animals, they have a greater risk of developing both benign and malignant cancers. Some cancers are obvious—like those that cause a lump to grow on the top of a foot. But most rabbit cancers are very hard to find and continue to grow until they cause your rabbit to show signs of not feeling well. And the number one sign of not feeling well in rabbits is not eating.
If your rabbit stops eating, that does not mean your rabbit has cancer but one of the many serious diseases we think about when a rabbit stops eating is cancer. In older rabbits that come to VEG for not eating, cancer is one of those diseases that we worry about. So we’ll discuss with you some of the tests we can do to discover if those cancers are present.
GI stasis vs. GI obstruction in rabbits: why this matters
If your rabbit stopped eating, it’s important to understand the difference between these two serious conditions:
GI stasis in rabbits
Gut slows down or stops
Often treated medically (fluids, pain control, assisted feeding)
GI obstruction in rabbits (blockage)
Something is physically stuck in the GIT and the gut stops moving.
Can rapidly become life-threatening
Always requires emergency action, sometimes those actions result in surgery to remove the blockage.
If your rabbit is not eating and seems very sick, a blockage is a major concern and requires immediate veterinary care.
Subtle signs your rabbit may be getting sick
Before a rabbit completely stops eating, you may notice some early warning signs.
Signs rabbit is getting sick
Eating less or being picky with food
Smaller, fewer, or misshapen fecal balls (or pellets)
Hunched posture or hiding
Less interest in favorite treats
Lower energy or quieter behavior
These can be early signs of many different types of disease. The best thing you can do is to make an appointment with your rabbit's veterinarian when you see these subtle but early signs of disease before it becomes an emergency.
If you cannot make an appointment with your rabbit veterinarian, come to VEG, an emergency vet will help your rabbit feel better, reassure you about what could be causing these signs, and help you find a rabbit doctor if you do not have one yet.
When to bring your rabbit to the emergency vet
Rabbits are sensitive pets, and any health problem can lead them to stop eating. Because their digestive process is constant, a bunny should be munching most hours of the day and night. If they aren’t, there can be serious consequences. A full physical exam and diagnostics with your vet can help determine the underlying cause and the best treatment options.
These are a few of the areas your doctor will discuss with you to help determine the next best course of action for your bunny:
Chronicity
How long has your bunny been unwell? Rabbits that immediately stop eating everything are likely much sicker than the rabbit that gradually stops eating its full diet of greens, hays, and pellets. But the more chronic the poor appetite, the greater the chance your rabbit can develop a secondary condition called hepatic lipidosis which, by itself, can be life threatening. So trying to determine how long your rabbit has had a poor appetite is key to determining what could be wrong.
Energy level of your rabbit
If your bunny is acting like his normal self, performing zoomies and other cute rabbit antics, it’s not as concerning as hiding in a corner and acting hunched and uncomfortable.
Defecation
Changes in stool are a major warning sign:
Has stopped pooping (See our blog for more info on this)
Is pooping fewer or smaller/firmer pellets
Is having diarrhea (which can be fatal for rabbits)
A rabbit not eating and pooping is a medical emergency. Call VEG animal hospital immediately.
What NOT to do if your rabbit is not eating
If your bunny won't eat...
DO NOT:
Wait overnight to see if things improve
Force-feed without veterinary guidance
Give home remedies or random medications
Assume it’s “just gas”
Delaying care can make rabbit GI stasis or blockage much worse. Remember, VEG hospitals are open 24/7, even on holidays, so patients like sick rabbits that need immediate care to survive do not have to wait until Monday morning to be seen.
How will vet help my rabbit when it stops eating?
If your rabbit stopped eating, treatment depends on the underlying cause. For example, a bunny with a GI obstruction or a liver lobe torsion may require surgery for the best outcome, or a bunny with arthritis might need some outpatient care and pain relief and go home that same day.
An emergency doctor may need a variety of diagnostic tests (like x-rays or blood glucose) to help pin down exactly what is going on.
Treatment may also include:
Fluid therapy (to treat dehydration)
Pain management
Assisted feeding (only when safe)
Call VEG ER for Pets if your rabbit is not eating
VEG is open 24/7, even on holidays. Call or walk in; no appointments taken.
If your rabbit is not eating, contact your family veterinarian or your nearest VEG location (where you can speak to a vet right away). The sooner your bunny is treated, the better its chances of making a full recovery and getting back to what it does best: munching food and doing binkies.
