Snobing the new bag of Owbow pellets

[BettyandValentin]

Hi! 
As anyone experienced this situation? Do I have to buy another bag?

I bought a new bag of 10lbs of essential oxbow pellets and in a week they haven’t eaten one pellet. I am worried because normally they each eat their daily portion. Maybe there is something wrong with that bag. I tried to smell it but it smell like hay. I never saw them do that with any new bags. They have plenty of hay and vegetables, but my female really liked those pellets and now is snobbing them. 

Thanks.

[LBJ10]

Did you buy the pellets from a store? Some stores will guarantee foods and will allow you to swap out for a new bag.

[Deleted User]

My Henry wasn’t fussed on his new healthy Oxbow pellets when I first introduced them, but when he realised he wasn’t getting anything else he gave in within the day, maybe 2? For yours to not give in after a week, it makes me wonder, do they know something you don’t? Yer, maybe the are off? I’d definitely take them back and ask for a replacement bag. Otherwise, that’s ‘very’ strange? Cheers BettyandValentin.

[tanlover14]

Is this a new introduced food? If so, you usually have to slowly switch the food types.

Oxbow released a press release a few months back about recalling a batch. Maybe this batch is from that one? I would take it back and get it replaced.

[Beka27]

Do you still have the original bag? I would contact Oxbow directly and explain the situation and give them the batch number on the bag. Oxbow is really good with replacing products. If the store doesn’t take it back, they (Oxbow) should fix the problem for you.

[BlueMoods]

I would stop offering those pellets. It may be the recalled lot, or something you can’t see, but the rabbits can is wrong with that bag. Contact Oxbow and, the retailer you got it from and, get another bag, from a different lot.

In the meant time make sure your rabbits have plenty of hay and their normal ration of fresh vegies, they will be fine for a short time w/o pellets.

[BettyandValentin]

The pellets were not newly introduced, I they eat the oxbow essential adult rabbit. I will call my vet tomorrow to see if they accept returns. After a week, the two of them started eating it, but I will remove it for now. Thank you everyone

[LittlePuffyTail]

Having the same problem. Just opened a new bag and Olivia ate them but Bindi won’t touch them.

[Beka27]

You two are both in Canada, I wonder if you have the same batch numbers?

[LittlePuffyTail]

I just e-mailed Oxbow. Waiting for a reply. If they don’t reply by today I will have to buy another bag. Bindi was NOT happy there were no pellets with breakfast. I’m worried that it is part of that recalled batch but I can’t find any information on it. I don’t have the receipt so I can’t exchange it.

Most likely, it’s just a batch made with less than Bindi quality hay. I’ve been having some problems with the Timothy lately. The bags are mostly brown and my rabbits are not happy with it. The girl at the petstore said a lot of people are returning the hay because there rabbits won’t eat it.

[BettyandValentin]

For now, my rabbits don’t seem to miss the pellets, they really like hay and have at least 2 cups of veggies each. I don’t think they really need it. I will buy a smaller bag maybe, in case it’s still bad.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Still haven’t heard from Oxbow yet. Went out to a different store and bought a bag with a diff lot number. The weirdest thing, Olivia ate them, Bindi ate the dry ones I offered him but refused again to eat the wet pellets I gave him. I’ve been wetting his pellets for the last year or so because he eats too fast and chokes. Normally he devours his plate full of pellet mush but he won’t touch it from these last two bags.

[Eepster]

That happened with us once. I just assumed Porky could smell something wrong about them that we were unaware of, and started a new bag. Bunnies have a much better sense of smell than humans.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m just not sure what to do since he rejected both bags I bought. He’s eating them now, actually, just not as enthusiastically as usual. I’m worried about it, but I just spent $30.00 on pellets.

[boundingbunny]

I had the exact same issue my rabbit who loves all food turned his nose up to the new oxbow pellets. As soon as he realised that there were no more of the other pellets he started eating but has never quite lived out to the same reaction he had for the old pellets!

[Beka27]

LPT, is there a phone number on the bag that you can call? Or maybe send another email?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sorry, I forgot to update with the reply I got.

Thank you for contacting Oxbow Animal Health about the Adult Rabbit pellets. I know it is frustrating when your rabbit won’t eat the pellets when she usually loves them. I apologize for any inconveniences this has caused you. This is probably just an aroma and taste variation from the Timothy Hay used to make the pellet in that Lot. Sensitive rabbits can pick up the slight variations in the hay and not eat the pellet.

We are happy to state that the formula for our rabbit pellets has not changed. Mother Nature does change though and the hay used for the pellets will vary from crop to crop and field to field. These variances occur due to the amount of rain, heat, as well as the different soil types. Slight nuances, such as aroma from the different hay crops, can be just enough to cause a sensitive rabbit to not eat the pellets. This is why it is important to transition from each bag of food. Before you run out of the current bag, start mixing the new bag of pellets in with the current ration. Over a two week period gradually increasing the new pellets and decreasing the old pellets.

Thank you for being such a loyal Oxbow customer, and I hope this has helped.

I assumed this was the case, I just wanted to be sure it was not a recall issue. I’m going to start not waiting till the end of the bag to introduce a new bag, as she suggests.

[BettyandValentin]

I think it was what happened with my bunnies too, the last bag was finish and a day later I got the new one, so maybe they sensed the change and were too snob to take the pellets. I haven’t thrown out the bag so I gave them a bit and the two ate it like it was the normal pellets.

[Eepster]

Thanksfor the update LPT, that’s really useful information.

[Author]

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