Do rabbits “go off” food?

[Sidthebunny]

Hi everyone ! 🙂

I give my bunny sid fresh greens and spinach everyday and have been doing so for a couple months now. I give them to him quite frequently during the day. Today he’s been eating his hay, drinking a bit of water and went crazy when he smelt his pellets and a slice of apple I left him! But when I put some greens in his bowl, he ate a few then seemed to be uninterested. I fear I give them to him too much to the point where he’s bored of them?

I don’t think he’s ill, as he has binkied multiple times, ran around and even flopped as well. He has also been pooping normally. So is it just because I give him too much and he gets sick of it?? Or should I be worried?

[DanaNM]

Sometimes bunnies do get sick of certain veggies, or they may get used to having them (food security) so they will eat more slowly (my Myra is like this with romaine… she always eats it eventually but doesn’t eat it as fast as her favorites).

Not eating can also be a symptom of a problem (tummy problems or a dental issue), but if he is eating his hay and pellets and otherwise seems great then it could just be those veggies.

Spinach isn’t a great green to give every day because of the high oxalate content, and actually my buns have never liked spinach that much. So maybe he’s just tired of it or his body is telling him not to eat too much?

. . . 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.  

[Sidthebunny]

@DanaNM thanks for letting me know! Are spring greens ok to give to my bunny daily? I might just give him spring greens once a day and then spinach as an occasional treat from now on… I usually give him a small amount of spring greens 4 times a day but I think I might be giving him too much without realising, hence him taking a long time to eat them!!

When I first introduced him to the greens every night he would get excited and run to his bowl impatiently, but now he takes his time to eat the veggies in particular. He doesn’t finish them off whilst I’m there, but by the morning the bowl is always empty and he always begs for some more food, so I don’t fear he’s in any pain (which is a good sign!) thanks for the reply :)))

[DanaNM]

My buns got kind of sick of spring mix as well. I think the soft leaves are not as appealing to them as more robust crunchy leaves. I might be OK to give daily, depending on what is in it. Some spring mixes have a lot of spinach and baby chard/silver beet, which also has a lot of oxalate. But others are more of a variety of lettuces. You might try incorporating in some regular romaine to add some extra texture, fiber, and to ensure there is a low oxalate veg in there.

In general, variety is good, so even having a different veg you add to the spring mix and rotating it weekly would prob get your bun a bit more excited about his salad. Herbs like cilantro, parsley, mint, fennel, and dill can all be very exciting and help jazz up a bunny salad. 🙂

. . . 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]

Sometimes lettuce, especially “bagged” lettuce, is a bit off. Like it doesn’t smell very appetizing. Bunnies may snub lettuce if they think it smells funny. I’ve had that happen before.

Spring mix can be great. Just look at the ingredients. Keep in mind that even if it does contain items higher in oxalates, it will still be OK if they only make up a small percentage. If your bunny gets spring mix every day and there are a couple of leaves of spinach, for example, in there each time then it isn’t going to hurt anything.

[Sidthebunny]

Great!! I will definitely think about adding some more herbs in there, I’ve noticed that he’s quite fond of mint and cilantro…  so a salad type mix would probably sound like heaven to him ! Thanks for the help guys :))

[Sidthebunny]

update: I bring sid in the house every day to get exercise for around 3 hours or more (and usually 5+ hours during the weekend). I surprised him with a lovely salad including his normal spring greens, alongside some little gem lettuce and celery. I’m currently on the hunt for where I can get fresh herbs, but so far Sid went jumping for it! Thanks all for the help, you made a bunny very happy!

[Author]

Messages