Good alternative sources of fiber for greens-shy bun

[T-Bun]

 Hi, my older bun Vinnie doesn’t like greens, eats minimal hay, but is in otherwise good shape (drinks plenty of water, poops up a storm, very active) etc.  I’m looking for some good alternative sources of fiber to try that aren’t too sugary (the vet recommends fibery fruits like apples, but I don’t want to over do the sweet stuff).  I was thinking of trying some canned pumpkin…just looking for other ideas to get more fiber into him.   Thanks!

[bunnnnnnie!]

Can I ask what kind of greens you’ve tried? Zeus can occasionally get picky about what greens he’ll eat… but he ALWAYS loves kale, dandelion greens, and cilantro.

You can also offer timothy hay cubes (found as treats for small pets, or in 50 lb bags for horses at farm stores). Also timothy pellets (also found in 50lb bags at farm stores).

[Eucalyptus]

Veggies are extremely important, so I would recommend trying your best to encourage eating them. Try anything you can get – some bunnies are just very picky eaters. A lot of bunnies can’t resist cilantro, dandelion, or kale. Java’s favorites are dill, basil, and cilantro. And he’ll take some crisp kale anytime he can. Carrot tops are also a good one to try.

Vegetables offer essential nutrients and also hydrate your bunny, so do your best to try and spark up an appetite for them in your bun! Good luck!

[mocha200]

I would try hard to get him to eat more hay too. Rabbits can be picky on what type of hay they like. Try different types like: Timothy, Orchard Grass, Oat Hay, and other hay found here at BB store!

[mia]

I’d go through the bunny approved vege list and try each a few times to see what works. Everybun is different (both mine hate kale with a passion). Even different cuts of hay may matter to some buns.

[LBJ10]

Mine love their oat hay. What types of hay have you tried? Greens can be tricky since mine are SUPER picky. They like the baby lettuces found in the spring mix. Have you tried that at all?

[Bam]

Fresh mint is a favourite with Bam. I don ‘t know if apple-twigs count as greens, but they have lots of fibre. Bam eats a lot of those, the tiny twigs he eats whole, the rest he peels the bark off of. He’s not big on hay.

[jerseygirl]

I’m surprised your vet suggested apples and think you’re right in choosing not going with that option.

Have you had Vinnies molars thoroughly checked?

Sometimes things gathered from outside offer good fibre. Not so much nutrients though.
I’d look into what natural, rabbit safe forages you have available.

[T-Bun]

Hi all, thanks for the suggestions. I’ll load up on some different stuff from the above the next time I’m greens shopping. I’ve been giving them (there are three total) red and green leaf lettuce, romaine (those three form the core), plus spinach (rotated in and out every once in awhile), parsley, cilantro, carrot tops, and dandelion greens (these are more intermittent). The first month he was with me, he went for it all, but then started turning his nose up. I’ll just work through a bunch of stuff and see if I can find something he likes. I’ll try other types of hay (they mainly get Oxbow Timothy now) too.

Vinnie’s had his molars checked a few times. He’s been drooling a lot lately, so I’ve had him checked a few times…the vets (he’s seen a few) don’t see anything, and are taking a conservative approach rather than knocking him out for dental work. Oddly enough, he hasn’t been drooling lately, so hopefully that’s moving in the right direction. Thanks again.

[jerseygirl]

Drooling is a key sign that there is an issue. I really encourage you have him examined while sedated if the drooling returns.

[T-Bun]

Hi jerseygirl, yes, we’re keeping an eye on that (have been for a few months now)…it seems to wax and wane, with him not drooling as much if at all in the last week or two. I just got back from the vet today and we’re taking a slightly more aggressive tact at this point. At this visit, the vet did notice that his incisors were un-even and one was “pegged” so he was put under light sedation and those were filed down. The vet recognizes that he may need to go fully under for a thorough dental exam, but doesn’t want to do that quite yet. He mentioned the “snuffles” (told me NOT to google it, which I did anyway of course) and that we would continue with the antibiotics (septra..may be spelling that wrong) for 10 more days and then re-evaluate. His next step would be a stronger antibiotic (chloramphenicol), and then finally full sedation and the dental exam if all else fails. Again, the vets are very conservative about putting a senior bun under completely, so that’s why we’re doing things in this order.

I feel bad for the little guy…he’s got a shaved chin (skin irritation) and probably wonders why he always has to go to the vet and his sisters don’t!

 

[jerseygirl]

Aw! How old is Vinnie?

He mentioned the “snuffles” (told me NOT to google it, which I did anyway of course

Lol.
I think I understand his caution though. There is so much information and misinformation about “Snuffles”.

[T-Bun]

Vinnie is about 7 1/2 year’s old. ( I read one paragraph about the “snuffles” and stopped there!).

I feel bad for him, he’s about a week in to the septra, and has gotten to the point where he doesn’t want to take it anymore (the first few days are always easy until he starts to dislike the taste). I think it upsets his tummy too, as he doesn’t want to eat much.

[Sarita]

I have my 10 year old rabbits put under sedation quite frequently for molar trims – yes, it’s not ideal but sometimes you must do what you must do. I would recommend that you have blood work done before you do this.

In fact my one senior rabbit, Toffee, who is 10 really has bad teeth and it’s a huge problem so I must take her every other month for dental exams and trims if needed. She has had root tooth abscesses as well.

My other senior bun, Peppermint must be sedated frequently as well for dental trims.

My vet is has made comments that it is difficult to really do a thorough exam and see those molars in the back and the condition of the teeth unless they are sedated. Seems like both of my seniors have ridging which basically is that the molars are growing or wearing at different paces so they are uneven (not the actual tooth) but the growth/wear pattern.

It’s moreso a problem with Toffee because of her root tooth abscesses.

Has your vet done a head x-ray to see if there are any problems with the tooth roots? I would recommend this as well.

[T-Bun]

Hi again gang, unfortunately, the drooling and possible dental issues are the least of our problems. Vinnie hasn’t been eating and is showing signs of GI stasis. He spent yesterday at the vet’s office, home with me today since they’re not an emergency care facility. I’ve been feeding him Critical Care every 4 hours or per the vet’s recommendations, and he’s getting cisapride twice a day. He’s taking the CC okay (although he balks after the first few doses of each feeding, 18 ml total per feeding). I feel like I’m stuffing the poor little guy, but he refuses to eat on his own. He’s drinking plenty of water when prompted, passed a few pasty movements (but might have been runny cecotropes), but isn’t pooping normally yet. Hopefully he pulls through. He’ll go back to the vet tomorrow if necessary, but I’ll be home and prefer to keep him here unless they have other specialized care they would like to start.

[jerseygirl]

Oh no!
{{{{{Vinnie}}}}}
It’s good he’s passed something at least.

Has he had any pain meds?
If not, perhaps of the vet gives some tomorrow it might help improve things. Hopefully.

[Sarita]

Could be the stasis is caused by dental problems – that is definitely a cause of stasis…in fact it’s one of the main causes of stasis.

[jerseygirl]

Agreed!
The 2 major and frequent issues that arise in pet rabbits are Dental and GI. They are also often related.

How is Vinnie doing?

[T-Bun]

Vinnie’s on the mend. The vet and i both think it was the Septra that brought on the stasis. We stopped that when we started with the assisted feedings. He started coming around on Sunday night (finally showing some interest in real food), so I tapered off the Critical Care yesterday, and will do the same with the Cisapride over the next two days. Basically back to his normal self. He’s got a follow-up with the vet today.

[jerseygirl]

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