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Forum DIET & CARE Bunny Teeth

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    • kcomstoc
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         I don’t know much about bunny teeth except they keep growing >.> what else should I know? I check his teeth every other day or so, am I being overly cautious? He eats plenty of hay (he has free run of it and we always refill it when it gets empty) and he eats pellets that have these orange pieces in it *he doesn’t get one everytime they are widely sparsed in the food so he might get one this handfull (my hands are small) but not the next 2-3 handfulls* anyway he has lots of toys to chew on (sometimes he chooses toys sometimes he chews some other things he shouldn’t) lol. Anyway my point is should I be worried about them growing too much? How do I know how much growing is too much? This is my first bunny so I don’t know much except what I learn on the internet lol


      • Eucalyptus
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          Every other day is definitely overkill, in my opinion. No harm done, but I don’t think it’s necessary. I really just check if I happen to get the chance, or just when we’re clipping nails (so about once a month). I wouldn’t worry about dental issues unless your bun starts having a change in appetite. Not like GI where they stop eating and drinking completely, but for example, eating everything except hay, or veggies. Something a little more odd.

          As for those pellets, I would HIGHLY recommend that you toss them in the trash right now and get new ones. You want fresh timothy based pellets that have absolutely NO nuts or fruit, or any other added “things” in it. It should just be pellets. That’s like sprinkling candy into your salad – if you can call pellets a salad. You get the idea, though. Even if he’s hardly getting those “orange things,” those pellets are probably not the “healthiest” pellets in the first place if they have the junk in it.

          Back to the point, I wouldn’t be concerned about his teeth. As long as he’s munching on hay regularly, that alone should be wearing his teeth down. You can provide sticks to chew as well. These are healthy, entertaining, and good for his teeth.

          Hope this helps!


        • kcomstoc
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            For ratio of the orange pieces its like 98% pellets only and then these are just randomly in it too. There’s nothing like seeds or anything like that, the first ingredient is sun-cured timothy grass hay. It’s called Forti diet pro health from Kaytee. If it’s really that bad I’ll switch it, but I think it’s alright….what should I be looking for in food? Also I don’t know what vegetables to give him that are safe that was another question I have. My BF will give him a small piece of orange (I know that it’s a fruit and high in sugars, he doesn’t get it everyday or even every other day) I would say it’s maybe as big as my thumb nail….I have small hands.


          • Eucalyptus
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              Posted By kcomstoc on 05/21/2013 07:45 PM

              For ratio of the orange pieces its like 98% pellets only and then these are just randomly in it too. There’s nothing like seeds or anything like that, the first ingredient is sun-cured timothy grass hay. It’s called Forti diet pro health from Kaytee. If it’s really that bad I’ll switch it, but I think it’s alright….what should I be looking for in food? Also I don’t know what vegetables to give him that are safe that was another question I have. My BF will give him a small piece of orange (I know that it’s a fruit and high in sugars, he doesn’t get it everyday or even every other day) I would say it’s maybe as big as my thumb nail….I have small hands.

              When my bunny was actually getting pellets, I was feeding him Oxbow. I’ve heard of some negative things about Kaytee (but not horrible or anything), and most do recommend Oxbow.

              The orange is perfectly fine, as long as you don’t feed the seeds or the peel. As for vegetables, my biggest recommendation would be – the more the better! And as much of a variety as possible. Just remember that some veggies are high in oxalic acid content and should be fed sparingly, as well as rotating them now and then. Aside from that, the more the better!


            • kcomstoc
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                 I look around then for something better, would it be ok to finish off the bag…it would take a few months though. I thought it was ok because it was mostly pellets but I guess not which vegetables would you recommand I start with? I tried giving him lettuce one time but he didn’t want anything to do with it…? He LOVES oranges and it’s funny to watch him eat it too


              • Eucalyptus
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                  Is it just a head of lettuce? My bunny has a great appetite, so I was surprised when I encountered this problem. Turns out, he won’t have anything to do with lettuce if it’s not organic! We get a bin of organic baby lettuce – it’s a mix of romaine, red leaf, green and oak leaf, tango, and lollo rose. Right there you have a healthy mix!

                  I could list everything but it would be long … our bun is getting about 22-25 different greens daily. A good start would be the lettuce, if you can make that work. Then try cilantro or basil (or both) – one of those is usually a hit with most buns. If you can find dandelions, those are very good. Fennel greens and carrot tops are great, too. I could go on and on, hah.

                  As for the pellets, it’s all up to you.


                • kcomstoc
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                     I’ll finish off the bag, the food seems ok and I can take the orange pieces out (he doesn’t get them much anyway) then I’ll start a different food. I’ll see what I can get him to try, how slow should I go introducing the vegetables? He’s never had any that I know of except carrots and I know those are just for treat purposes.


                  • Eucalyptus
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                      How old is your bunny by the way? If he’s an adult, you definitely want to introduce vegetables.

                      Always do one veggie at a time – and maybe an inches worth. That might be too much, actually, but our bunny has a great appetite and stomach – he’s never had ANY type of reaction to anything we’ve given him. Just take it slow. If you’re questioning if it’s too much, just lessen it. Always better safe than sorry. If there’s any soft poop, give a little more the next time. If it hasn’t cleared up in 1-3 days, remove it and never feed it again. Some veggies just have bad reactions to certain buns. If there’s any really bad reactions, like your bunny is hunched over and seems uncomfortable or in pain, NEVER feed whatever it was again. Depending on how severe the stomach ache seems, you might want to take the bunny into the vet right away. This should really be a rare occurrence, and not something you’ll encounter unless your bunny is VERY sensitive.

                      Always remember one at a time because if multiple are introduced and there’s a reaction, you won’t know what veggie to remove. And having a bunch of new things enter the stomach can have negative effects. Bunnies’ stomachs have to literally be “trained” to digest each type of food. They form bacteria in the gut specifically for each thing, so a big load of new stuff would actually really hurt them.

                      Carrots are very starchy and are on the lower end of what should be fed. Not as fattening or sugary as fruits, but not as essential to the diet as leafy greens. Things like lettuce, cilantro, basil, mint, dandelion, and herbs, are all great leafy greens. Non-leafy greens are vegetables like broccoli and celery. Parsnip and carrots would fall into this category. They can be fed a little more often than fruit, so more like a healthier treat. Fruits should be very limited, so just a small piece for dessert or something.

                      Hope this information is helpful!

                      EDIT: Oh, and I forgot. I had already mentioned this but I’ll be a little more detailed. There are certain vegetables that are high in “oxalic acids.” Some examples would be spinach, mustard greens, and chard. These veggies (at least the example ones) are still excellent leafy greens to feed, but should be fed a bit more sparingly. So, maybe a leaf or two, depending on the size. I feed about 5 baby spinach leaves, which is hardly a fraction of our bunny’s salad. Also, you should try to limit to just one (at absolute most, two) of these types of veggies, and try to rotate them.

                      I didn’t do a lot of research, but I do know that feeding too much of these veggies results in odd effects like tingling muscles or something. I don’t know too much more than that, but I know not to feed a lot of it! But don’t be afraid to include one of them in the diet, they’re still VERY nutritious!

                      You can find out which veggies are high in oxalic acids on the BB safe fruit and veggie list. I believe those will be in bold along with a (I) next to them.


                    • kcomstoc
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                         He’s approx 9 months old, he was born in July, we got him when he was 4 months old. Is that considered to be an adult for a bunny? Thank you so much for the information I’ll start with some organic lettuce and put it in with his pellets (or should I get a separate bowl for this?)  


                      • Eucalyptus
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                          9 months is considered a “young” bunny. At this age, you want to slowly decrease his pellets to 1/2 cup per 6 lbs of body weight. So if he’s 6 lbs, feed 1/2 cup, and if he’s 12 lbs, feed 1 full cup. This can be all at once, or 1/4 of a cup twice a day, etc. You want to start introducing the veggies, one at a time. There’s no maximum on veggies, but not so much that he can start gaining weight.

                          The time of day for feeding is dependent on you. Most people feed pellets once a day, while feeding salads twice a day. But it’s all up to preference. Some feed everything in the morning and that’s all.


                        • kcomstoc
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                             I think he weighs like 3 pounds (this is an estimate I haven’t actually weighed him), I’ll start introducing him to veggies soon then thank you so much for all your help with my bunny.


                          • MoveDiagonally
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                              Just wanted to pop in and say the Kaytee pellets with those particular orange pieces have been discussed and they are alright. The orange pieces aren’t fruit or anything bad they’re just differently shaped pellets.

                              I would weigh him on a scale (bathroom scale would work) if you can but for 3 pounds the feeding recommendations would be:
                              1/8-1/4 cup pellets and at least 1 cup veggies a day.

                              I feed:
                              Pellets in the morning
                              Hay all the time
                              Veggies at night

                              But that’s really a preference/schedule thing. Here’s an forum thread where a lot of people describe they’re feeding schedule if you’re interested:
                              https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/124800/Default.aspx

                              My forum searching skills are getting work out today!


                            • kcomstoc
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                                 Oh ok so they are ok, I will finish out the food now and not feel bad about it and then switch to something better for him you are a HUGE help indeed, so is eucalyptus thank you both so much.

                                this just kind of gets me worried about where my bunny came from. I was concerned before I got Caleb because my BF has asthma like symptoms but doesn’t actually have asthma. He has an inhaler, but the thing we were worried about was the hay and I asked her if she knew anything that could help (we got a air cleaner thing that is on all the time which helps but he will give Caleb hay and hold Caleb with no problems. If Caleb licks him though he gets small red dots and I told him not to let him lick him then but he says he’s fine) and she’s like I don’t feed hay because it’s too messy……..yea I’m thinking I’m glad I got him though (it might have been from craigslist actually) anyway the lady seemed nice and the bunnies were in good health. 


                              • Deleted User
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                                  Re your pellets: (Just to echo Moving Diagonally.) I believe it was Sarita (a forum leader) who explained in a recent forum discussion that she’d used them for years and that although she no longer does it wasn’t because there is anything wrong with them.


                                • MoveDiagonally
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                                    Here’s the thread about the pellets (is it the same kind?)
                                    https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/124764/Default.aspx

                                    I think finishing out the bag before switching is fine. My advice would be to get a new pellet before you run out so that you can mix them for a week or so before switching completely to try and avoid any tummy upset.

                                    A lot of people have a negative opinion of Kaytee as an overall brand because they produce some stuff that’s really not bunny safe. However their “Timothy Complete” line is really close to Oxbow. Oxbow is considered “the standard” by most and I think it’s what the majority of the people on this forum feed.

                                    That makes me so sad! Hay is soooo important to a rabbit. It’s the majority of what they should be eating. Caleb is lucky that you brought him home and that you’re asking questions. We all started off in the same place and you really never stop learning about these furry critters This forum is really great and I have no doubt that it has made me a better bun mom.


                                  • Sarita
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                                      Here is the thing about teeth – I have had many rabbits with dental problems – you cannot see the back molars or the molars without an otoscope, that is what the vet uses and you have to know even then what you are looking at – my vet has shown me molar spurs and to be honest, I couldn’t tell a thing. So you really cannot check those important back teeth.

                                      You can look at the incisors (front teeth) to see how they are growing but that is about it for teeth.

                                      Those pellets are perfectly fine so don’t worry – in fact my feeling is that those orange pellets are probably better for teeth than the regular shaped pellets as they are harder and require more “chewing” than a regular pellet which is soft.

                                      But truly hay is the most important thing for teeth and digestive health.


                                    • kcomstoc
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                                        Posted By MoveDiagonally on 05/21/2013 11:02 PM
                                        Here’s the thread about the pellets (is it the same kind?)
                                        https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/124764/Default.aspx

                                        I think finishing out the bag before switching is fine. My advice would be to get a new pellet before you run out so that you can mix them for a week or so before switching completely to try and avoid any tummy upset.

                                        A lot of people have a negative opinion of Kaytee as an overall brand because they produce some stuff that’s really not bunny safe. However their “Timothy Complete” line is really close to Oxbow. Oxbow is considered “the standard” by most and I think it’s what the majority of the people on this forum feed.

                                        That makes me so sad! Hay is soooo important to a rabbit. It’s the majority of what they should be eating. Caleb is lucky that you brought him home and that you’re asking questions. We all started off in the same place and you really never stop learning about these furry critters This forum is really great and I have no doubt that it has made me a better bun mom.

                                        Yes those are exactly what I feed him, he really does like the orange pieces a lot lol he would def eat those instead of the pellets if he could (but I don’t let him, he gets them as treats and also timothy hay biscuts with carrot in them *are these ok?*) I saw the other food with the seeds and fruit and I was like no way am I getting that *I didn’t know much about the food then either except that it couldn’t be good for bunnies*. I’ll mix a little of each for sure thanks.

                                        I am learning so much from you guys and I wish I had learned more about bunnies before getting one, but he’s binkying on the floor right now so I must be doing something right lol. I’ll see what Oxford is about first. I didn’t know they had molars either gosh I really should’ve learned more

                                         


                                      • Sarita
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                                          Those orange bits are actually pellets they are just extruded in a different way than the other pellets. We are just accustomed to the “pelleted pellets”. But like I said those orange bits are better for the teeth than the other pellets which are much softer.


                                        • kcomstoc
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                                            Posted By Sarita on 05/22/2013 09:11 AM
                                            Those orange bits are actually pellets they are just extruded in a different way than the other pellets. We are just accustomed to the “pelleted pellets”. But like I said those orange bits are better for the teeth than the other pellets which are much softer.

                                            So they are just the same pellets just dyed orange? why does he like them so much if they are the same? If it’s the same quality I’ll just keep feeding him the same thing

                                             


                                          • Sarita
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                                              I can’t say why he likes them better.

                                              Kaytee makes what is called Exact Rainbow Pellets which are all extruded in these type shapes and they swear they are all the same formulation but another rabbit group I was on swore that the yellow colored pellets always got eaten first and Kaytee swore all the pellets were the same ingredients. So who knows – it’s just one of those rabbit things that cannot be answered.


                                            • kcomstoc
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                                                Posted By Sarita on 05/22/2013 09:54 AM
                                                I can’t say why he likes them better.

                                                Kaytee makes what is called Exact Rainbow Pellets which are all extruded in these type shapes and they swear they are all the same formulation but another rabbit group I was on swore that the yellow colored pellets always got eaten first and Kaytee swore all the pellets were the same ingredients. So who knows – it’s just one of those rabbit things that cannot be answered.

                                                LOL I guess he likes the color orange and other bunnies like the color yellow

                                                 


                                              • kcomstoc
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                                                   So I have a new question, my bunny has been biting his cage lately (I stop him from doing so by making a “pssst” sound and if he continues I go over and move him) and I’m getting worried that there is something wrong with his teeth. I look at them and I saw this white/pick squishy pocket on either side of his bottom teeth. Is this normal? Should I take him to the vet? He is eating normally (pellets, lettuce, hay) and he doesn’t seem to be in any pain. He is pooping/peeing normally and is very active….I just don’t know what to do.

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                                              Forum DIET & CARE Bunny Teeth