# rabbit throwing up?



## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

I have an old rabbit who is in a cage. THey get watered twice a day in a bowl and fed alfalfa hay. This morning when I went out he still had water left, which is unusual. I looked at him closer and he has a wet chin. Finishd taking care of everybody else then went to check on him. He doesn't appear to have an injury and it looks as if he has vomited? Do rabbits vomit? It smells real bad. There doesn't appear to be an injury to him. Some children came to visit yesterday and I'm not sure if they picked something toxic and gave to him, but I don't think they did. It has been very hot here. What do you think is going on? I'm thinking of just putting him down. Anything I should try befor I do? He is an old boy.

Normally I feed pellets, but they got eaten by the goats and thought the alfalfa would be good for them so there has been a feed change in the last couple of days.


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## arachyd (Feb 1, 2009)

They need to have access to water at all times. A wet face is a sign of heat stroke but it could be possible he was fed something toxic. I don't think rabbits can vomit. In the recent heat all my rabbits have ice bottles to keep them from overheating. About the smell, have you checked his mouth? He could have something stuck in his mouth or a broken tooth.


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## Cuppycake (Jul 15, 2011)

Because of the physiology of a rabbit's digestive tract, they are not able to vomit. Just like a horse.


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

No rabbits cannot vomit, wet chin is a sign of heat exhaustion, get him into a cool area. Bad breath can be a sign of gut stasis. Check to see if his belly is distended or hard, that would be gut stasis, and see if his poop is abnormally small, strung together, or runny and soft. Let us know what you find. Either way you will have to ride it out, with gut stasis I take away pellets and push the fluids and greens and do belly massages, heatstroke I give sugar water, greens and keep them quiet and cool.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

With heat stroke I dunk in a bucket of not cold, not warm water. Usually in hot weather I leave a half full bucket of water to set, so if needed I top it off with COLD hose water and then it's about the right temp. Dunk 'em in being sure not to dunk the base of the ear, scrub them so their fur gets wet to the skin, and let them set for a few minutes. Most of them seem to appreciate it.


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

Well He is in a wire bottom cage and the chickens scratch under them allthe time looking for bugs so I can't see his droppings. He is drinking and eating his hay, just not drinking well. He has been hosed down but we were sure to avoid his head. He is the rabbit on the end cage and the sun could have been more of an issue for him.


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

Just went out there. He is gonna die  he was up and eating hay at dinner time and trying to drink, but tonight he only moves his eyes for me and has that floppy muscle tone.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

You need to hang some shade cloth or something like that if the cage is exposed to the sun. If a rabbit is showing signs of heat stress, something in their environment often needs attention. If he's still hanging in there, bring him inside and treat him where you can keep an eye on him and where he is protected from the sun.


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