Bunny Prefers Timothy to Alfalfa..??

[Binkles]

So I’m, doing this veerrrry gradual change from Alfalfa to Timothy witn Little-Bit, who is now 7 months old. But the strangest thing is happening…

Yes, over the past week, it has become increasingly apparent.

Little-Bit actually PREFERS Timothy to Alfalfa!

Have you ever even heard of such a thing?!

Now I don’t want to say she boycotts the Alfalfa exactly. But whenever I come to replenish her hay, the small portion of Timothy that I put on top is completely gone, and there’s a LOT of Alfalfa left -as if it were substandard; inferior to the Timothy. She may eat a little of it, but not a lot.

…okay, great! That’s great, right? That’s her adult hay, and she LIKES it.

Problem is, I don’t want to just suddenly give her loads of Timothy and shock her digestive system. But she’s…leaving so much of the Alfalfa, I’m afraid she’s not getting enough fiber.

What should I do?

Yes, let it be known; Little-Bit DISSAPROVES of Alfalfa!

[BinkyBunny]

Wowza!  That is unusual, but YES, that is good!   This transition certainly will be going much easier than most.  Whew!   

It is true though that even when switching from something that is higher in calories and fat to something  ultimately healthier, you still have to be careful as I have read (I think from the Oxbow website) that there are particular bacteria that digests those higher calorie foods, and when that food is no longer given, the bacteria that digests that particular food dies off and emits a gas which can cause digestive upset.   However, switching from a legume hay to a grass hay is not as drastic as switching from carrots and oats to Timothy,  or switching pellet brands.   And they always say make sure your bunny is digesting plenty of hay during diet transitions, so it’s they HAY that can actually help with digestive upsets too.

So in this case,  I think it would be perfectly fine to continue to add more Timothy. 

UPDATE:

It was from Oxbow where I read those bacteria -gas facts!  Here’s the link http://www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp?page=academy_article&id=40689

(down where it says “Consistency in the Rabbits Diet”)

I have also emailed Oxbow regarding this to get their thoughts on a quicker hay switcheroo.  They are excellent about answering questions like these in a timely manner.

I’ll keep you updated. 

 

 

 

[Binkles]

Okay then. In that case I will speed up the transition process. Thanks for the info, BB!

Edit: Would it be a good idea to give her a couple of doses of simethicone a day during this process just in case? It’s interesting about the gas bubbles being created by a bacteria switcharoo -I never thought of that before. Do you know how long it generally takes the bacteria in the gut to adjust?

[BinkyBunny]

Well, I know the simethicone doesn’t hurt, so it’s not harmful to use it as a “just in case”  EDITED TO ADD:  I’m pretty sure you should not to use this for long-term use though.

Oh, and by the way, I just added an UPDATE to the previous post…probably while you were posting a reply.

I don’t know how long it generally takes the bacteria to adjust. Good question! I know that with pellets they recommend a month of weaning, but with veggies, they say only one added per week, so that would mean no more than a week…. but it’s something I don’t have the facts on for sure. I definitely am interested in finding the answer – interesting. And I’ll keep you informed about what I find out!

[Binkles]

Hey, thanks so much for all the help, BB! And thanks for emailing Oxbow too. I didn’t know that they are that accessible.

[BinkyBunny]

Oh, didn’t address for how long to use simethicone. I wouldn’t use it for the whole transition period as I remember somewhere (thinking hard…really hard) I have been told, or read that you shouldn’t use it long term. I will remember where I got that info….(brain hurting)….Actually on that particular subject of simethicone, I would ask your vet too about how long is okay. 

Okay, off to research this and your other question about bacteria adjustment time.

 

[JK]

Ooooh is this true of switching back and forth from orchard to timothy to meadow mix to orchard to timothy?????? Or is it just alfalfa because of the higher calories?  I thought it was actually good to give a variety???? I always used timothy exclusively until I had to change to orchard for the bunny sitter because of her allergies to timothy. Now I’m trying to go back to timothy but that rabbit of mine sure adores the orchard! 

[Beka27]

hmmm. lots to think about on this subject. i never did alfalfa with Meadow, we just dove right into timothy everything.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

*blushes* I do buy alfalfa on occasion to mix with their hay as a treat. I’m giving chuck a little extra since he’s most likely senior (at least six years old) and I read babies and seniors can have alfalfa…what do you guys think?

[BinkyBunny]

Okay, so far Oxbow did get back to me (they are awesome) and they do not think it is a problem when switching hays. They still suggest mixing in to wean, but it’s not as important. I asked how fast can you switch and is it okay if it’s going faster than normal.

Here is a copy of the reply from their Animal Health Department:

Dear Jennifer

Thank you for contacting Oxbow with your questions. As long as her rabbit is healthy, still eating, drinking and pooping normally, I would not be concerned about her rabbit switching from Alfalfa Hay Timothy Hay. The time it takes a bunny to make a gradual change can vary from bunny to bunny. Some bunnies are more sensitive to change and take a little longer. Others don’t have any issues when changes are made. Sounds like her rabbit took the transition very well!

I would suggest that she keep a little alfalfa mixed in with the Timothy for a little longer, and just gradually reduce the amount that is mixed in.” 

I’ll let you know about the other questions. I have a call into my vet, as well as I posted your other questions to Dana Krempels, so we’ll see what the consensus ends up being.

Knowltons – as far as offering a variety of hay – that’s good!  It’s more about consistency. The article was very interesting and the part about consistency was very informative.   I think that when you are dealing with higher calorie, high fat or sugary foods like carrots, you have to be more careful as their would be plenty of bacteria developed to digest all of that, and then when it’s no longer given  – not weaned off, is when those larger numbers of bacteria die and cause a problem.  

[BinkyBunny]

Here’s an update on the info about the other questions:

My regular trusted rabbit savvy vet isn’t in until tomorrow so I will also ask her these questions too but here is the answer from Dana Krempels.

 

 1. Bacterial flora adjustment time will vary among individual rabbits, but usually it takes a couple of days.

2.  I would not use simethicone unless the rabbit shows signs of being gassy and in pain.

3.  Long-term use of simethicone can interfere with absorption of nutrients by the intestine, and can damage the intestinal villi.  Because the intestinal mucosa are completely replaced every three days or so, though, this isn’t a long-lasting effect.  Take away the simethicone, and bun should be back to completely normal in a week or so.

 

SO that is good information to learn from!

 

I’ll be back with confirmation from my own vet, but in the meantime, I wouldn’t use the simethicone.

 

 

[Binkles]

o-o Wow! Thanks BB! I learned a lot more from this post than I expected to! And am very glad I did! Thanks!!

[BinkyBunny]

Okay, so finally I was able to ask my vet this question. While I was firing off questions about Rucy, I was able to finalize with the most important question about switching from Alfalfa to Timothy. She said when a bunny is younger their system is still fragile as they create a sustainable bacteria balance and at 7 months to a year, it is stronger than it was even a two months earlier. So the younger they are the slower you should go. She said just keep doing what your doing and just keep mixing in the Timothy gradually, even if she refuses to eat the Alfalfa. Also, each bunnies system is different, so you just have to watch carefully during the whole transition time.

Which brings me to the next question – what’s the update? How is she doing so far with her transition – I know she was going faster by favoring the Timothy, and that seemed to be okay for her.

[Binkles]

Well, I went ahead and sped up the transition a little -okay, a lot. xD I’m now giving her mostly Timothy with about a handful of Alfalfa per serving. And she eats it like…a bunny! We’re eating, pooping, and drinking normally. So I think we’re doing pretty good over here.

[BinkyBunny]

The he good thing is, she did say that a bunny’s system is stronger. (I am guessing that is why HRS has that as the starting off point for switcharoos) So even though these last few days you have been adding more Timothy in, at least it’s not like an overnight thing, you still took it gradually before this, and it seems as if the transition is going well. And again, she also said, like the Oxbow Rep said, that each bunny is different.

Sounds like things are going well. So far how long has the whole transition period been? Just trying to figure out how much longer you should keep the alfalfa in.

[Binkles]

Hmm…I began adding small handfulls of Timothy in about…gosh…these past couple of weeks have been a blur. But I THINK it was pretty soon after Binkles passed. So maybe about 2 weeks? 1 1/2 at the very least.

[BinkyBunny]

So the whole process should take about a month. So about 2 more weeks.

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