Roy's changed

[Alicia]

Roy is 5 and he has changed over the past few days. He used to be very loud and active, and he used to be the first to demand food. Also, when I gave the girls their food, I'd hold out a pellet for Roy and he'd eat it out of my hand, but now he won't eat it out of my hand, and when I put them in the bowl, he doesn't go straight for it like he used to, although he does still eat some. He just seems generally slower and very quiet. I was cleaning the girls out this afternoon so I let them out to run round the shed, and they ran past Roy's hutch, and normally he runs up and down his hutch trying to say hello to them but today he just lent against the bars of his hutch. Is this just a sign of him getting older?

 

[Wiebke]

No, loss of appetite and apathy are always a sign of illness! Please have Roy booked in at the vets tomorrow first thing.

Weigh him daily to monitor his food intake. Watch what he is eating and how he is eating. Is he picking up food, but not really chewing and letting it drop? Is he salivating? That could indicate tooth problems, mouth ulcers or a mechanical problem.

Or is he just not interested in food? In this case, you are looking rather for illness or gut problems. Have you checked his tummy whether he could be bloated? Check his poo - is it of normal consistency or not? There will be less of it around, considering that he is not eating well. How is his breathing? Is it laboured, are his sides heaving? Are his lungs clear? URI can cause apathy and weight loss as well.

Here is a list of possible causes for loss of appetite:
http://www.guinealynx.info/anorexia.html

 

[Alicia]

Sorry my post wasn't very clear, he's eating fine, he just doesn't seem to have the same energy he had before. He still eats the same amount as before, he just seems quite lazy and won't come over to me to take food from me, and when I let him out into the shed he doesn't run around as much as he used to.

His breathing seems fine. I'll have a look at the link, thank you