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FORUM DIET & CARE Lionhead Manes

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    • Kailaeve1271
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        My adopted male lionhead rabbit just went through a moly. When I first adopted him he had practically no mane (I believed it was from genetics but now a year later I believe it was improper feeding). I switched his diet over the time that I’ve had him to a proper healthier diet and I’ve noticed that after this molt his name on his neck has grown back so thick, and long. It’s not like what I see from my other lionheads. His seems to always stay perfectly groomed and so silky feeling. His fur seems to be growing longer by the day. Is there any way I can help him achieve the full length his mane should be? I don’t know his age other than he’s at least 2 years old. I don’t know if he is mixed breed and I’m unsure of what his original diet was. He will not eat a lot of foods especially not broccoli, cauliflower, or banana. At the moment he seems to be a strict give me Lettuce, basil, kale, cabbage and maybe a carrot piece for lunch ONLY. He doesn’t really like hay so far but he still has it for when he needs it. (Or when he decides to stop being so hard headed haha).


      • Asriel and Bombur
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          Every lionhead mane is different. There’s no magic number that the length is supposed to be. It just grows until it doesn’t.

          As for diet, I’d encourage you to space out non-hay feedings every 12 hours so it forces him and encourages him to eat hay. He absolutely needs it, it’s not a when kind of thing, it’s a he definitely needs it. Give 2 tbsp of pellets in the am and then a standard handful of greens 12 hours later. Make hay always available and in his litter box for easy munching. Cabbage and kale have been known to give some bunnies gas, so don’t feed these often, probably every 2-3 days. Carrots are also high in sugar, and more resemble a fruit to their diet, so again this should be a 2-3 days a week item. Stick with leafy greens like spinach, red lettuce, green lettuce, romaine, arugula, and fresh herbs.


        • Kailaeve1271
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            I give non hay feedings as stated, about 1 tbsp in the morning about 4 and veggies just before dark around 7. He has hay and I do see him eat a small piece occasionally but he never eats more than a handful per day. To be fair my handfuls are about the size of him, but my other two rabbits and my guinea pigs eat so much more than him that it does raise red flags. He has been to a vet and they said he is healthy and that there isn’t much for me to do, but if anyone on here has any advice PLEASE let me know it does concern me a lot. Especially since he refuses to eat all of his veggies everyday either. He will eat red and green lettuce and romaine as well as the herbs. He will not eat: spinach, radicchio, baby lettuce, arugula, bok choy or mustard greens. And I’ve tried for months with some of these and he turns his nose up like he’s too good. He has a good weight for his size. I give fresh grass daily too to help with the no hay problem, I figure any fiber in his system is helpful and he will gulp that down after he rubs himself all over it. Carrots are given in small amounts one slice per day and they are sliced on a mandoline so it’s not like I’m giving him much. It’s the equivalent of giving him a quarter of a grape daily. Does this still draw a concern for others? Cabbage and Kale is given in small amounts, like 1/2 a leaf per day, but I’m worried giving him only lettuce and a little bit of carrot will give him a nutrient deficiency and he won’t eat anything else. Does anyone have advice on this?


          • Asriel and Bombur
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              What he eats in terms of greens is just fine. Not every bunny will like a wide variety of leafy greens. My boys only get parsley once a weeks, and then different boxed greens from Olivia’s Organics the other 6 days. So variety isn’t super important. My boys only eat like 4 different types of lettuce and then parsley and dill. They don’t like spinach or any of the other you mentioned. A bunny diet should be 80% hay, 10% greens, 5% pellets, and 5% treats, As long as you’re doing that and supplementing hay intake with grass his diet is fine. A bunny should be eating his size in hay everyday. Have you tried other brands and other types of hay?


            • Kailaeve1271
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                I’ve tried all oxbow hay with an exception of alfalfa, a Tractor Supply bale, a bale from KMS Hayloft, and several bales from various local farmers. He has reacted exactly the same to all of them. He does, however binky when I bring him oat hay, he just doesn’t eat much of it and it’s hard for me to get where I live unless I order it, but I do it for him. I am at the moment just rotating Tractor Suppy Burmuda Grass, KMS Timothy and Oxbow Oat hay. He also gets an occasional handful of Oxbow Orchard Grass from my guinea pig’s hay supply too, but he doesn’t particularly care for that much either. My two girls, on the other hand, chow down on anything and everything I give them like it’s a competition.


              • Asriel and Bombur
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                  You can try Readigrass too it’s a popular hay supplement people with picky buns give their buns. You said he’s a rescue? I”m willing to bet he was hardly getting any hay before you which why he won’t touch it now.


                • Bunny House
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                    Has the rabbit savvy vet checked his molars?


                  • Kailaeve1271
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                      I’ll have to look into Readigrass! I’m sure that may help. He was a breeder bunny before I took him in (as were one of my females and the other female is their daughter. I took in the whole family lol all other babies have found good homes). So yes I agree he probably didn’t. I only knew he was getting Dumor Complete pellets and no veggies. I didn’t ask about the hay because I figured as nice as the family was, they probably gave him some. Apparently not.

                      Yes I, a vet in training (just starting out. I’m in high school so I’m interning at a local vet clinic and just starting college at the same time), have checked his molars and incisors as well as a small animal vet that is nearby. Both of us agree that they are not overgrown or rotten, but I feel he needs to chew something other than the applewood sticks he’s addicted to because they are a pushing average.


                    • Asriel and Bombur
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                        He should be fine getting the Readigrass and some oat hay then. You could also attempt to sprinkle his hay with dried forage. Things like lavender and dried herbs and flowers. It might really entice him to start eating it more. Just more suggestions. You can never have to many with bunnies hahaha

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                    FORUM DIET & CARE Lionhead Manes