Bunny not eating much

[pablito]

My 3.5 month old Holland lop has decided to not eat much of his hay for the past day or so. He’s eating his pellets still, acting normal, and pooping the same amount. No changes in hay type or brand. Idk if I should take him to a vet or if I’m overreacting.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

It’s very good that you ask this question: rabbits are masters of hiding health issues, so it’s always important to note any sudden changes. I’d say: keep a close eye on his eating habits and output, and change the litterbox often so you can see the progress.

There are several reasons why rabbits eat less hay:

– They’re getting too much other food like pellets and snacks. Weigh your rabbit often (on kitchen scales for accuracy) and consult with your vet. Our bun Breintje accidentally got too much pellets and refused hay until we cut down on pellets.

– They have teeth troubles. (You notice any drooling / wet fur / dirty bottoms / changes in speed of chewing?) -> vet time!

– They can become fussy about how fresh the hay is. Breintje won’t eat hay that’s been in his hay rack for more than a day. If I mix it into the hay bag again it suddenly becomes tasty again, I guess he wants his hay to have a certain scent?

[GinandWhiskey]

My bun only ever eats hay for maximum of a day and then she refuses until its fresh again! She used to just stop altogether until I was a mean mum and cut down dramatically on everything else until she ate her hay (only took about 8 hours of nothing for her to realise hay was her only option!) she goes crazy for her pellets so she waits when it gets to night time as she knows it’s coming as her bedtime meal/treat.
Plus she is fussy where she likes her hay. She doesn’t it as much if it’s in the hay rack shes always been fussy. She likes it on the floor but then obviously we have to replace it more because she poos as she eats but if that’s what she wants then princess will get it haha!

[Author]

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