My rabbit won't eat after her partner died. Is she sick or grieving?

Question

My 3 year old Netherland Dwarf rabbit's bonded partner died unexpectedly a few days ago. The remaining bunny is of course not her usual self, but I am worried about her health mainly. She has to be coerced to eat hay, and does not touch her greens or pellets. She also has to be coerced to drink. She does eat hay aggressively to stop me from making her to eat other foods. Should I be worried about this, or is it normal after a partner's death. Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Female | spayed | 3 years and 4 months old

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry that you lost your other bunny. I can understand that this is hard for you and for Sugar as well. It is normal for one pet to grieve when another has passed away. This can be a very stressful time for your rabbit. The biggest concern is that she’s not eating well. A rabbit that stops eating is at risk for developing gastric stasis which can be very painful and possible life-threatening condition. Continue doing your best to encourage her to eat and drink. Offer her her favorite snacks and treats if that is all she will take for now. Try to interact with her and pay more attention to her than you usually do to help comfort her. If she continues to not want to eat you may want to look into getting a critical care diet for herbivores such as Oxbow Critical Care to help supplement her eating. If she goes for more than 24 hours without eating then you should take her to the vet to help prevent gastric stasis from occurring. Again, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

My rabbit won't eat after her partner died. Is she sick or grieving?

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