Drinking and hay problems of a newly adopted bunny

[MMmm]

I recently adopted a 4 month old neutered boy. He is a lion head mixed named Zimba. Zimba drinks a lot of water. About 500ml a day. Because he’s still a baby so I now let him have 1/4 alfalfa pellets a day. And I’ve noticed that when he’s on more pellets he drinks even more water. Maybe 700 ml. Of course he owes A LOT too. His urine is pretty clear. Is it normal? I will take him to the vet once his insurance is approved. Upon adoption, the rescue showed me his vet exam which was nice and healthy.

Now here’s my second problem. I was told Zimba was a good hay eater but found out myself that he isn’t. The hay at the rescue was pretty soft. At home he only eats the soft leaves. Every day he puts on an effort to pick out every bit of leaves and leaves all the stems. So far I’ve tried 1st cut Timothy and oat hay. He is pretty stubborn and resistant. Oh I’ve given him some orchard grass sample and he liked it. Orchard grass to me seems very soft and has almost no stems. My previous rabbit had dental problem later in her life and I do not want this to happen to Zimba. My previous rabbit enjoyed 1st cutting and all the stems yet still developed Spurs. My question is: can orchard grass be Zimba’s staple? I know people do use orchard grass. But will its softness cause dental or digestive issues later?

thanks a lot in advance

 

[Bam]

Orchard isn’t soft. Meaning, it feels soft because its pliable and leafy -but the leaves themselves actually have a sandpaper-like texture. Orchard hay is in no respect a less good choice than other grass hays. Hay consumption doesn’t guarantee no dental issues, but it’s our best bet -as you know.

500 ml is a lot for a young bun. Normal water consumption is 100 ml per kilo body weight and day, for a bun that eats only dry food. Increasing pellets will increase the need for water, so that is normal.

[MMmm]

Thank you. Looks like it’s time to place another order. I’ve already have 3 bales coming their way. Going to be showering him with all kinds of hay.

[Bam]

Lucky bun ☺ It is often possible to eventually find a type of hay that His/Her Royal Bunniness approves of -but it can take quite some tries.

Serve hay in smallish wads, often. New hay is always more attractive than hay that’s been sitting out 15 minutes or more 🤣. You can even recycle hay by removing what hasn’t been eaten and reintroducing that same hay a day or so later (provided the bun hasn’t peed on it -peed-on hay should, obviously, be discarded).

 

[MMmm]

Yes, I like to serve hay in small wads and replenish several times a day. I find this makes them eat more and saves most hay. The rescue however always advocates huge litter boxes with a mountain of hay in them and told me to put more and more hay in the box when they saw the picture I took. At least with the bunnies I’ve had, they lose interest very quickly if the hay sits there for some time (15 min like you said).

[Bam]

Some hay in the litterbox is good -rabbits do like to munch when they go. But I’d rather replenish it often in the litterbox (as well as in the rabbit area) than put in a huge pile at once. I’m currently fostering a young bun who comes hopping to munch the second I sprinkle some new hay on top of her “old” hay.

[DanaNM]

That is a lot of water. I would definitely mention it to the rescue, they may not have noticed it while he was there (and it’s something a vet wouldn’t know just from a check up if no one told them).

Drinking a lot can be an indication of dental pain (which might also explain the hay-selectivity), or kidney issues, among other things.

. . . 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.  

[MMmm]

I reached out to them yesterday. They vaguely answered the drinking question by saying that people are often surprised by how much a small bunny can drink. And they focused a lot on how much bigger and how much more hay I should provide him. I think his teeth should be fine as I finally got him to eat 2nd cutting Timothy from rabbit hole hay and oat hay from KMS hayloft. He doesn’t like any 1st cutting that I’ve offered. He drinks a bit less today. But I definitely plan on taking him to the vet to check on kidney function.

[MMmm]

this is him eating a thin stalk and him flopping

[DanaNM]

hahah awwww good job Zimba!

He’s so cute!

. . . 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.  

[Bam]

He’s gorgeous! Love his hair do!

[MMmm]

Haha thanks. His lion head gene isn’t very strong though. Tried some sample Timothy hay from local feed store today and guessed it didn’t not meet his approval. Going to put my bets on the orchard grass from rabbit hole hay that will arrive tomorrow.

[Wick & Fable]

Make sure to give each hay a fair chance, in terms of keeping it out for several days. Until a rabbit is willingly trying it and then is able to make an educated decision, I try not to swap things out too rapidly. I want my rabbit to try the food before telling me it’s nasty, haha.

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.

[MMmm]

Ok I will leave the new hay out for the few days. He eats the leaves out of any kinds of hay. It’s the stalking stems that causes the problem

[Wick & Fable]

Stalk and stems tend to be the least favorite of rabbits, which is why orchard hay tends to be very popular. It is more green and leafy, instead of stem-y. A rabbit is not going to eat all of its hay ever, since they are selective foragers and only go for the best, so regardless of the hay type, stems and stalks will likely make the majority of whatever is left behind. Regardless though, we want to find a hay that your rabbit will eat a lot of, so hopefully he’ll get an appetite for a hay soon!

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.

[MMmm]

Got ahold of Zimba’s foster mom. He was solely on alfalfa when he was with her and drank a lot of water. Explains why he’s so picky on non alfalfa hay.

[DanaNM]

Ahh, yes, being fed only alfalfa will definitely make a picky bunny!

Maybe after some time being on orchard he will branch out to other hays as well. Second cut timothy tends to be leafier than first cut.

. . . 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.  

[MMmm]

No he decided to not like orchard grass after I bought a box of it. He’s more toward 2nd cut Timothy now. I’m ordering a box now as the sample Timothy is running low. I hope he’s not going to change again after the bale arrives.

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