Help -Rabbit losing weight - fast!

[countrybunny]

We're really hoping someone has some direction for us.  We raise Netherland Dwarf show rabbits, and in the last 3 weeks our champion doe started losing weight, with no apparent cause.  We first noticed that she had not eaten for 3 days, and when we weighed her, she had lost half a pound - significant on a rabbit that only weighs 2.2 lbs!.  We have taken her to two different veterinarians and have treated her for both hairball and worms.  Her teeth also check out fine.  Our next step seems to be extensive blood work and X-rays, all at a pretty high price.  (We're already in for about $250)  I am just hoping someone has seen this before and can suggest a cause that maybe we can investigate without the broad spectrum testing.  She will no longer eat rabbit food (pellets) but will eat some fresh greens, carrots, and timothy hay. We are also feeding her some kitten replacement formula, but she continues to lose weight almost daily.  We are now weighing her in grams to more accurately watch.  None of our other rabbits seem ill.  One other thing to note, we have seen her  sitting in an odd posture, with her head tilted slightly up and back - not normal.  Anything is appreciated.

[countrybunny]

Thanks for your help.  We ended up having to put our baby down.  We went to several vets, and the last one wanted to put her under anaesthesia to check her molars, which he ended up grinding down - said they were irritating her tongue.  Anyway, after that, she was no longer able to sit up or eat.  We tried force feedings for several days, but she was suffering.  It was a long, sad ordeal, and we ended up losing her anyway and never found out what was really wrong.

Sounds like someone sold you a rabbit that was too young to leave the mother!  We have babies right now that are 4 weeks old and just bigger than palm size.  Yours may have been only 3-4 weeks old.

[fariasgirl]

My dwarf died of coccidia. The day after i bought her. Yeah, i made the mistake of going to petland. But she was the size of my palm. TINY tiny rabbit. She ate, but not like normal bunnies do. Normal bunnies do the whole eat poop sleep repeat. She slept. pooped occasionally and ate very little. She died the next day after i rushed her to the vet. They sent her to pathology and to get an autopsy done and it came back as coccidia. If your dwarf has big enough veins (mine didnt) its worth having bloodwork done. I hope the bunny is okay now, i realize its been a while since your post, but i am new to the forums here...

Anyways, Good luck,
Erica-

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

I am sorry about your rabbit but you will really need those extra diagnostics to find out what is wrong.  Veterinarians don't have crystal balls any more than anyone else.  Sadly, rabbits can get cancers, and weight loss of unknown cause can be caused by cancer.