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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Encouraging hay consumption

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    • allegrabunny
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        James, my new bunny has been renamed Jun.  He is not very fond of hay.   He has timothy, oat, meadow grass, botanical and a tiny bit of alfala.  I’ve tried putting it on the floor, in his litter box, mixing cilantro, shredded carrots, and marigolds.  I think he just moves it around.  I’ve reduced the amount of pellets I give him.  I mixed all the types together.  It’s pretty fresh hay so I am not sure how to intice him to eat more.  I was told that they should eat their body size in hay, tail size in treats, head size in veggies, and ear size in pellets.  I even have timothy hay cubes that he is sooo uninterested in.  Has anyone tried sprinkling a little unsweetened fruit juice on the hay.  


      • Beka27
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          I would just keep offering it. You brought him home this week, right? Did he get hay in his previous home? Continue to give him fresh hay everyday. You can use your hands to mix it up and “fluff it” a couple times a day to make it “seem new”. Some rabbits are more into hay than others, but the important thing is that he has access to it.

          Is he a baby?


        • allegrabunny
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            He’s about 18 months. He was offered hay at his old home and he’s a big guy so I know he must have eaten something. I guess I’m just nervous. He is definitely pooping and peeing well. And he loves carrots and marigolds and dandelions so he’s eating. He has a little white discharge by one of his eyes, I am having the vet check that out on Thursday.

            My other babies, April and May are little hay piggies and can’t seem to get enough. I think they might eat through a bag of alfala by the end of the week!!


          • allegrabunny
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              June will still not eat his hay. He eats everything else, I even went so far as to pick out all the junk food treats from his old food and mix them in with the hay. His old house had junky bunny food that I have left him on it until after his neuter. His eye discharge has cleared up and the vet said it was ok. April and May have gone through four bags of alfala hay in about a week. Does anyone know if Oxbow sells alfala in bigger baggies?


            • Deleted User
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                Definitely have his teeth checked, something up with the eye plus not eating hay could point to dental trouble.


              • allegrabunny
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                  Will do that when he gets snipped on Tuesday. He’s nibbled on a few apple branches, but mostly prefers his junk food pellets. Would he need to have his teeth floated like a horse or do they clip them. Gosh I certainly hope he doesn’t have major dental problems.


                • Bumblebunny
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                    I have had my rabbit for a year and a half. He would always eat a little hay, but it was not his favorite thing. Some months ago I started experimenting with different hays from the BB store. I found that the wheat hay has changed his eating habits completely. He will often leave his pellets and greens alone if I bring him a mixture of wheat, oat and orchard hays. I use mostly wheat, but always mix in some of the others. It may just take some time to find the combination he likes.


                  • Elrohwen
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                      What quantity of pellets are you feeding him? He might be filling up on pellets so that he doesn’t feel the need to eat hay. Though eye discharge does seem suspiciously like teeth problems. It’s an easy procedure – they just use a slight amount of anesthesia, to keep them still, and clip the spurs on the teeth (similar to horses).

                      Oxbow sells 50lb boxes of the timothy hay – not sure if they sell larger quantities of alfalfa, but they probably do.


                    • angelicvampyre
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                        Ask your vet to make sure they have a really good check when he is under maybe even (if you can afford it) get his jaw xrayed. With Rufus we thought it was s simple molar spur then when they had a look while he was under they where not to sure and then I got them to xray him and found out that it was a mess. Not saying this is the case but better to know and be safe then sorry. Good luck and also see if you can find another bunny bites/hay pellets the timothy ones rufus does not touch but the ones my rabbit clinic sell he eats.


                      • allegrabunny
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                          June had his neuter today, poor little guy came home in a cone! At least him made me laugh today. He also had his molars floated. He should be much happier now.


                        • mocha200
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                            glade you found out what was wrong! poor boy!


                          • allegrabunny
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                              He is still super pissed at me.  But I don’t feel comfortable letting him be cone-free while I’m at work.   But he has been nibbling at his hay and eating his pellets and critical care/carrot soup mix.   Pooping and peeing just fine.  I think the most traumatic thing for him is the cone.  


                            • allegrabunny
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                                And of course losing his bits. 

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                            Forum DIET & CARE Encouraging hay consumption