Are pure timothy hay pellets okay for rabbits?

[Donteattheapples2]

Henry (1.5 years) is very food motivated but unfortunately puts on weight really quickly because he’s so small. I’m working on bonding with him and getting him to play, but it’s almost impossible without food 😅. He even only lets people pet him while he’s eating.

His treats are mostly little pieces of fruit but I found these timothy hay pellets Greener Pasture, where hay is the only ingredient. I’m wondering if it’s okay/a good idea to substitute his treats for these because he loves them but I don’t know if they’re also something that needs to be fed in moderation. He’s still getting unlimited hay as well as greens twice a day.

He’s my first bunny so any advice would be great!

(Direct link to product removed by Bam. The product name is Greener Pasture and can be googled).

[Bam]

I havent tried this particular brand, but I did have a different brand of all timothy pellets. I’m sure they were very healthy, but unfortunately, my buns didnt consider them treats.

So I used them as maintenance food together with hay, and used normal pellets as treats. It is always difficult to find a treat that’s both yummy and not fattening!

There are some brands that have lower calorie rabbit pellets in their ranges. Some senior pellets are lower in fat and protein (which isnt always good for seniors, actually, since many senior buns need more protein, not less).

[DanaNM]

One thing you can do for training treats is to use the bun’s normal daily pellet ration as treats. Then you can have something like a tiny piece of fruit as a “high value” treat. I’ve seen some trainers cut a dried cranberry into 1/8ths. One thing I’ve learned from dog training is if the treat smells really good it doesn’t have to be large!

And yes pure timothy pellets would be fine too! But if bun is putting on weight it might be better to use some of the food he’s already getting for rewards rather than adding a new thing.

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

I think they are fine to give. However, like the others have said, I don’t really see the need. His regular pellets can be “treats” if you split up his daily ration and feed some of it to him by hand.

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