As an owner of a very picky bun, I can say that variety is good, but it’s ok if he’ll only eat a few veggies. My bun will only eat lettuces, so I try to give him a variety of those (romaine, green leaf, red leaf, chicory, and escarole). Even if things look exactly the same, your bun can smell the difference! My bun will not eat herbs, peppers, or any greens (bok choy, mustard, spinach, etc). My vet said his diet is just fine but to keep trying to introduce new things every once and a while to see if he’ll eat them. I’ll feed a new veggie every day, twice a day, for a whole week until I cross it off of his list.

I do tend to feed a lot of veggies, because lettuces aren’t very high in nutrients compared to spinach or bok choy – they have a higher water content, so less vitamins and minerals. I probably feed 3-4 cups per day.

Also, quality pellets are designed to provide nutrients that veggies lack, so I feel comfortable that he’s getting what he needs because he has 1/4c pellets per day to make up any deficiencies. I would be much more concerned with feeding a variety of veggies with a no pellet or very low pellet diet.

My bun won’t eat carrots or fruit either, but I don’t worry because those are treats anyway. He likes dried papaya chunks, so those are his primary treat (though honestly, he loves getting pellets as hand fed treats – he doesn’t seem to realize they’re the same as his breakfast food 😉 ) As long as there’s one thing that you can give him occasionally as a treat, it doesn’t really matter if he won’t eat anything else.

Also, my bun hardly drinks water, but he’s eating his own volume in lettuce every day, so I don’t worry. With such high water volume foods, not much extra water is needed. Plus, I’m sure he’s taking a sip once in a while when I’m not looking. I do also leave the veggies fairly wet, so he’s getting even more water that way. If you’re really concerned, you can add a drop of apple juice or vanilla – both are supposed to make the water more appetizing.

Sorry this was so long! I hope it helps.

Elrowen’s advice is pretty much on target. If your bunny prefers a crock, and many do, that’s fine. that, with well washed veggies, is going to give him enough water. If he isn’t peeing, then it’s possible he isn’t getting enough, but it sounds fine to me.

Greens and a small amount of good pellets with unlimited hay (mine loves oat too) is just fine as well. The things you mentioned that he’s iffy about can be considered more of a treat so he is OK without many. Sammy has a pretty boring diet of greens daily with pellets and hay, but she eats it all and seems to be growing well and healthy. (Knock wood) Just make sure he isn’t avoiding carrots because they are hard to chew. If he eats the pellets without a problem, his teeth are probably in good shape.

Variety is good to introduce slowly, but knowing their preferences is important. If you have 3-6 kinds of greens you know he loves, his basic diet is covered. Also, tastes change over time, so you can introduce something new on occasion to see if he goes for it. But keeping a consistent diet is good for his digestive tract. He’ll let you know when he wants something else.

BTW, Elrowhen, 4 cups a day? I give Sammy a handful in the AM and one in the PM. I think it’s a total of 1-2 cups max. He may not be eating certain new foods because he’s full!

I find Buns to be like Human Toddlers….They have to be offerred something a couple of times before they deign to even taste it. Then they pretend like they have always LOVED it.

When I first offerred Jackson Mint, he sniffed it like it was poison. Same with Coco when we first got her. Now, they eat a very hearty salad daily with mint, cilantro, flat leaf parsely ( not so enthusiastic about the curly) , dandelion, romaine, dill, and usually one other herb or green I toss in to mix it up. The others fade in and out of the mix too, depending on what looks decent at the market. Oddly, I almost never give other veggies – a snow pea on the odd occasion…but never the others.

Really, I find as soon as they get it in their mouths they realize it is pretty tasty – they will just sniff around for their fave’s first.

And Coco was so blase about the papaya when I first got her….now she can burn a path when she hears the bottle shake.

And finally, my vet suggested I give them a small amount of pineapple juice ( I have two in Major coat blow right now). The first 2 tablespoons sat there for nearly a day. They wouldn’t even sniff it. Now they hop over each other to each get their little smidge of pineapple juice.

And water? It varies. Keep it fresh and available. I have seen them empty a bowl in 2 hours…then ignore another bowl for what seems like a day. As long as he is peeing normally – I think we forget how much water is in the veggies they are eating – especially those eating a bigger base of salad ( versus pellets) as their main diet.

 If your bunny is beginning to eat more greens then he will drink less water as he will be getting his fluids that way.  I also have always been a big portion greens giver as HRS guidelines do recommend a minimum of 2 cups per 6 lbs, and if you feed less pellets, then there should be no problem to increase that.  I am like Elrohwen in the fact I have always fed lots of greens to help keep the digestive track hydrated. You just want to make sure their hay intake is good too – at least eating  a couple of handfuls a day. 

My bunny Jack really likes bitter types of greens like Dandelion and chicory and so you may find through trial and error what your bunny favors.  Just be sure to give your bunny a chance to like something, so if he rejects a couple of times, don’t write it off just yet.  Just keep offering small amounts (so you don’t waste) each night for a week. Both Jack and Vivian tolerate cilantro, but it is the last to go, and they won’t have anything much to do with watercress.   But over time I have found some of their favorites – Dandelion, Italian parsley (or flat leaf parsley) mint, basil, chicory, baby dill are the first to go, then they munch down on arugula, cilantro next, leaving the rest of the greens for later, which they will finish up much later.  (NOTE: my bunnies have been on  on a greens only diet since last year due to calcium issues that Jack has so I have to feed an even larger variety and amount to make sure they are nutritionally balanced.)  

Pam, I don’t know exactly how much it is, but it’s a lot. I have a small salad spinner and I fill it up in the evening – I think hubby gives slightly less in the morning, but I’m guessing it’s at least 3 packed cups together. When I give new stuff, I’ll even replace about half the volume with the new veggie, to see if he’ll eat it out of hunger, but he always picks it out and leaves it scattered all over the cage, then eats twice as much hay (and he already eats a lot of hay). What a stinker.

It sounds like you’re both doing great so far! As you try new things, you’ll find new favorites. And you may also want to revisit things later on that he is snubbing his nose at now. Bunnies go thru phases where they won’t touch something, but then a year later it might be their favorite. If you polled 100 buns, you’ll get 100 different responses as to what the “fav” is…

The pineapple and papaya are to help with that. Also the hay gets the gut pushing it along, as well as a lot of water.
Keep up with the brushing because the more you get off for him, the less he ingests.

I agree with Pam that hay, lots of water (from veggies, water on veggies, and drinking), and brushing are your best weapons against hair causing a blockage.

I’ve read mixed reviews on papaya – some say it works and some say it’s ineffective. I give dried papaya as a treat because my bun likes it, but I don’t really expect it to help with digestion either, if that makes sense. I’m just covering my bases in case some research comes out saying it works wonders 😉 So I wouldn’t worry too much if he won’t eat the papaya tablets (have you tried freeze dried papaya?) or pineapple – the other methods mentioned above are far more effective.

That statement from your vet concerns me. What happens with rabbits since they cannot vomit… all the fur they swallow has to make its way thru the digestive track. If it does not pass successfully, this can cause blockages that must be addressed with a vet visit, and possibly in the worst cases, surgery to correct the problem. I would personally prefer vomiting over scary, life-threatening (and EXPENSIVE!) vet treatment.

Whether or not the papaya tablets help is not proven. The best course of action for helping that fur thru the system is going to be hay, hay, hay… water… and more hay.

Variety is good, but only if the bun wants it.

Gizmo has a sensitive tummy and is prone to poopy butt with certain foods and hay. So her everyday foods are Parsley, Alfalfa sprouts (She loves them, if you haven’t tried your bun on them they may love them, once they figure out how to eat it!) and some pellets.

I give a small handful (mine not my BF’s, obviously they are different) of pellets which i usually put on top of the veggies. Sometimes depending on how pathetic she looks at me, or how much she thumps for more food she’ll get a few more pellets!

I’ve tried oat hay, cilantro, alfalfa hay, carrot tops, spinach (very small amount), kale, and romaine and most result in icky bun bum. I later tried some of the foods again just to test them as her system can mature or they just don’t bother her sometimes.

Gizmo hated her papaya tablets, would not look at them and just pushed a few days worth in a pile. She had no interest in trying them at all until i started shaking the container like i would have for say.. raisins .. which she loves (we are cutting them out). So they tastes can change like people, sometimes i like things and a week later i hate them.

So don’t give up! keep trying them and eventually your bun will perhaps like a few more veggies.