Switching off Timothy Complete.. grr.

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 8sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 6 months ago by bunnyfriend.

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- 08/12/2011 at 5:02 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
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  1491 posts
  So the store I buy my Kaytee Timothy Complete from is now only selling “Timothy Complete Plus”, which costs the same but the bag is like half short-stemmed timothy hay and half pellets. It’s a good idea for uneducated bun owners who don’t feed hay, but Zeus won’t touch storebought hay, so it’d be a total waste, and I don’t feel like sifting through the entire bag to seperate the pellets he will eat from the hay he won’t. .
  
  So I guess I’m switching foods. I think the local pet store carries Oxbow, but I’m not sure what specific Oxbow products. Any other suggestions? Are there any other popular timothy-based pellets that can be found in many stores?
  
  Also, how long should I take to wean him from one pellet to another? When I got him I took about a month, but it was a big change.. crappy alfalfa pellet (not that all alf pellets are bad, but it was the generic Walmart brand..) to Timothy Complete. Should I take as long to switch from one tim pellet to another tim pellet? Can anyone speak for the palatability of Oxbow? Zeus is KING PICKY..
- 08/12/2011 at 5:04 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
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  1491 posts
  Oh and I forgot to add, I’d really prefer to NOT buy online if possible, so I don’t have to pay shipping.
- 08/12/2011 at 5:37 PM
  tobyluv
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  3312 posts
  Petsmart sells Oxbow. They have 3 different pellets–Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food (Timothy pellets), Essentials Young Rabbit Food (alfalfa pellets) and Organic Rabbit (grass hay pellets). Both Petsmart and Petco sell Zupreem Timothy pellets, which are also good. It shouldn’t take a month to switch to a new pellet I wouldn’t think. Start adding a spoonful of the new pellets to the old and gradually increase the new while decreasing the old pellets. It seems like the transition could be made in a couple of weeks.
- 08/12/2011 at 5:53 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By tobyluv on 08/12/2011 05:37 PM
  Petsmart sells Oxbow. They have 3 different pellets–Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Food (Timothy pellets), Essentials Young Rabbit Food (alfalfa pellets) and Organic Rabbit (grass hay pellets). Both Petsmart and Petco sell Zupreem Timothy pellets, which are also good. It shouldn’t take a month to switch to a new pellet I wouldn’t think. Start adding a spoonful of the new pellets to the old and gradually increase the new while decreasing the old pellets. It seems like the transition could be made in a couple of weeks.
  
  No Petsmart here, but there is a Petco. I’ll have to check out the Zupreem, never heard of it!
- 08/13/2011 at 4:07 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Well, I found some Oxbow at the local pet store. Bunny Basics T. It’s about $2 more than Timothy Complete, but that’s not too bad. I just hope he likes it, they only had 10lb bags in stock. .
  
  The store does have a “frequent buyer” card, buy 6 bags of food and your 7th is half off.. so that’s nice. .
  
  Keeping fingers crossed he’ll eat it! Picky bun!
- 08/13/2011 at 5:40 PM
  tobyluv
  Participant
  3312 posts
  I hope your picky rabbit likes the Oxbow too. I have never used Zupreem pellets, but they are one of the leading brands and I know that others here have posted that they use them. I do buy Zupreem Timothy hay, in addition to Oxbow hay, and the Zupreem hay is nice.
- 08/13/2011 at 5:44 PM
  Monkeybun
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  10479 posts
  All of my buns adore their Oxbow pellets
- 08/14/2011 at 6:18 PM
  FluffyBunny
  Participant
  1263 posts
  I switched my bunnies from Timothy Complete to Oxbow over the course of a week a few months ago, and they were just fine. Switching the pellets gradually is definitely necessary, though; when I first got my two bunnies and didn’t know what pellet the shelter fed them, both of them had bad excess cecals and mild gas for a few days.
  
  My female bunny is always a little picky with new foods, and she wouldn’t eat the new pellets at first, but she didn’t seem to notice the difference when I switched them over gradually. Both of my bunnies love the Oxbow pellets now, and my male is no longer overweight. Oxbow pellets are great!
- 08/14/2011 at 7:33 PM
  bunnyfriend
  Participant
  2368 posts
  Whatever you do, please don’t buy any Purina rabbit chow. I have found that many people including vets will recommend it, but all of Purina’s pellets are alfalfa. I use Oxbow (: I especially like how they are one of the only brands that recognizes that growing bunnies and adult bunnies have different nutritional needs.
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