hay advice for elderly, picky bunny?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 6sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by Starlightbunny.

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- 11/17/2020 at 8:27 AM
  frankie3000
  Participant
  6 posts
  Hi all. I have a 10 year old rabbit! This past summer he decided he doesn’t like to eat hay anymore. I’m not super worried about his diet as I have him on high fibre pellets. BUT he developed molar spurs, as his top teeth are now growing in on an angle unfortunately. Since putting him under anesthesia is super risky, I obviously don’t want him to need a molar trim ever again, which means I need to get him to eat hay to try to keep the malocclusion of his teeth in check.
  
  I’m looking for advice on how to encourage him to eat hay again… I have tried literally every kind of Oxbow hay, and he turns his nose up at all of them. I’ve tried spraying his hay with a diluted fruit juice, and he just licks the juice off lol. If I can’t find a hay solution… would feeding him fresh grasses encourage the same kind of teeth grinding that hay does?
  
  Thanks for any advice. 🙂
- 11/17/2020 at 8:58 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  If he already has spurs, he will need a trim. He won’t be able to grind them down with eating.
  
  What does the vet think about anesthesia? Has he had many trims before?
  
  In my mind, he is in enough pain that that he has stopped eating hay, which is very important to his diet. Chronic pain can cause all sorts of other problems as well.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
  - 11/17/2020 at 12:00 PM
    frankie3000
    Participant
    6 posts
    Sorry that my post was unclear. He’s already had a molar trim, what I mean is that I’m trying to avoid needing more molar trims in the future (as per my vet’s advice, who doesn’t want my rabbit under anesthesia any more than necessary.)
    
    So to clarify, he still isn’t eating hay AFTER having had his molar trim.
- 11/17/2020 at 6:57 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  Oh I understand! Thanks for clarifying. How long has it been since his trim? Sometimes they can be a bit sore afterward. How many pellets and greens does he get per day? Could he be filling up on pellets?
  
  Fresh grass is very healthy for the gut, but not quite a perfect substitute as it doesn’t grind the teeth the same way.
  
  Aside from trying different brands of hay, some bunnies respond to “hay toppers”, or with hiding pellets in the hay so they have to search for them (and might eat some hay in the process).
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 11/17/2020 at 7:48 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17027 posts
  Wow, even Oxbow’s botanical hay? That stuff is pretty fragrant. Dana suggested hay toppers… herbs, willow leaves, clover, alfalfa, etc. Would something like that be more enticing?
- 11/19/2020 at 8:09 AM
  tobyluv
  Participant
  3310 posts
  My bunnies’ favorite hay is American Pet Diner Timothy Gold. They also get a variety of Oxbow hays, but APD is their preferred one. It always seems fresh and fragrant and not as dry as some other hays seem to be. It is a second cutting hay, so it’s softer, and doesn’t have as much fiber, but it sounds like your bunny is getting a lot of fiber from his pellets. I’m not sure where you live, but this hay is available at Petco.
- 11/19/2020 at 8:15 AM
  Starlightbunny
  Participant
  93 posts
  I second the APD hay. It’s softer and smells lovely. My picky, spoiled lionhead loves APD timothy gold and the APD feedtastic one. Give it a try. 🙂
- 11/20/2020 at 4:10 PM
  Peapod026
  Participant
  47 posts
  I just ordered hay from an Etsy store; it’s fairly expensive but it’s really amazing quality. It’s called Fays Hay, I ordered the green supreme:
  
  The one I got is a soft, third cutting. But my picky bun loves it! He has an ear infection currently so I think it’s painful for him to eat/chew, but this hay is something he’s constantly eating (and he hardly touches anything else). maybe it would work for you elderbun!
  
  [post edited by moderator to remove shopping link]
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