Questions about my bunny

If you own a rabbit or you have owned one in the past, please help me answer these questions.

Ok first, my bunny , Gus, licks my g=fingers, legs, or arm, what does it mean when she licks me?
Also she is not playing alot like she use to, when I open her cage she goes to a corner and ducks down. She hasn't done this in awhile, and I haven't hurt her or anyone else. What could be wrong? Could she be sick? Cause she's not drinking as much. How can you tell if a bunny is sick? Other than taking them to the vet?

Lol maybe she licks you cuz you taste good? Belly loves licking ppl. Anwyay, I heard that when rabbits hear loud noises they either freak out or get all quiet and scared but thats pretty much all I know about rabbits!

Oh ok hahaha Thanks BLg
I don't know I need Saje or someone like her too answer. Thanks anyways BLG

the bunny licks you for affection... however if she isnt eating it could be due to summer... however drinking is a problem i would have looked at by a vet... i dont think it is anything serious but still i would have it checked.

Ok thanks. i thought when she licked me she was showing affection but i wasn't sure. Ok I'll talk to someone about her not drinking. I mean she's drinking but not much, maybe b/c winter is on the way??? I don't know. Or she gets to full of eating hay.

Well there are two thoughts about licking. Licking is sort of the strongest sign of affection and adoration you can get from your rabbit. BUT if she is licking you all the time she could just like the salt on your skin or something else. It's probably a combination. Are you feeding a well balanced diet?

Not drinking as much water is very serious. And if she's less active I'd take her to the vet. When bunnies get sick it's usually serious. Is she getting lots of hay? Has she lost any weight? When you feel her stomach does it feel normal or is it hard? Are her teeth too long. There are so many possibilies. Do you have a vet that is good with rabbits? Most aren't.

Sorry I just saw that she is eating hay. That's really weird that she's still eating hay and not drinking as much. You'd think she'd get thirsty. I'd definitely at least call the vet.

Aren't rabbits supposed to have salt licks? I tried calling Old Dog, who bred rabbits for many years, but they are out galivanting around somewhere, lol.

It's not mandatory Manchesters. they can have them. Mine did but they didn't use it. Their pellets have a good electrolyte balance and I always gave them apple branches or other things to chew on.

Yes she gets a well balanced diet. She eats hay but not alot, she hasn't lost any weight, her stomach isn't hard its normal, her teeth aren't long, and there should be a vet good with bunnies around here somewhere.

Manchester oddly enough my rabbit DOES NOT like salt wheels. She is very picky! She only eats 1 kind of rabbit brand food, and she only eats 1 kind of hay brand food. She doesn't chew on anything but towelette paper rolls and hay, and she USE to chew on her cage bars but she quit doing that over the summer.

She doesn't lick me all the time just when she is happy.

You can give her fresh apple branches to chew on. Most buns LOVE that. Do you know of anyone with an apple tree? Don't give her other kinds of branches as most are poisonous. She probably chewed on her bars because she's bored and wants out of jail lol.

As for the water if you are really worried about her you can get Pedialyte which is electrolytes for babies. They have apple flavoured and I add just a bit to my buns water when they are sick. They really like it.

This is a good article on finding a good rabbit vet. http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html I'd follow it as I've had experiences with vets who think they know a lot about rabbits but really don't.

My licks me when we sit together and my vet said sign of affection. Maybe she is slowing down because she is getting older, maybe the weather is affecting her. Does she drink at least some water? Are there still pee spots in her cage? If not take her to the vet. If yes then don't worry so much. Not losing weight, still showing affection are signs of good health. I really do not know a whole lot about bunnies but mine goes through stages where when it is really hot she drinks two dishes of water a day. Now that the weather has cooled off some she barely drinks 1/2 of 1 dish, she is still healthy though.

Well when winter comes she don't as much, but yea during the summer she runs up the water bill, LOL

Ok i want worry so much, she's healthy cause she is doing what Yucka said, she's eating right and showing signs of affection. Maybe she is ok. But I'll still most likely end up taking her to the vet. thanks everyone

I'd still call. Rabbit's are very good at hiding when they are sick. They are very very good at it and by the time you notice it might be too late. They aren't like dogs and cats and horses that way. If she is in pain you MAY notice a faint grinding of the teeth. Read that link I gave you and then call several vets and just talk to them. Get their opinion. At the very least you'll have a better idea of what vet you will want to use if you need one.

One year we went on holidays and left our bunny with friends who also had a bunny. Both females. When we came home Lucky just didn't seem herself, she was quite nasty, as a matter of fact. She would hop up onto my lap and bite me! I was grooming her a few days later and noticed lumps on her belly, got her right into the vet's. I was thinking the worst, cancer. Duuuuh, would you believe she thought she was pregnant and her milk had come in? Good grief. We counted that as a Well Bunny Vet Visit.

I agree with the others, take her in to the Vet's. It's instictual for a rabbit to hide weaknesses such as illness, it's a prey thing. Things go from so-so to very bad with them quickly.

About those apple branches. If they're fresh, shoot them into your oven for a bit at low heat. Kills off any hitchhikers.

Ok I'll call the vet Saje. Thanks

Well Now.....

To my way of thinking, you did the right thing.....better they have salt and mineral licks available and NOT use them, than to possibly suffer from a lack of something because they weren't given the choice! You was a good bunny momma, rofl.

Old Dog used to breed dwarf rabbits and she said most of hers didn't have lickers, but then too she fed them the highest quality food she could get.

Hay is the most important thing they need. They get GI stasis very easily if they don't have enough fiber and it's really hard to save a rabbit from that. I fed hay, a variety of safe veggies and pellets more as supplements than a meal. They always need soemthing to chew on like those hamster sticks or apple branches because their teeth are always growing. None of mine used the salt/mineral stone but at 99¢ each why not have it in there!

I agree and guess what I am out of hay and she has finished her first salt lick, she is 8 months old we think. I need to buy both on pay day.

Well my bunny loves her hay.
I think she isn't drinking much is because its been cold in the house, and like most humans when its cold we don't drink alot of water.