Eating -is this normal?

[Binkles]

Okay, ever since Little-Bit had her near-choking episode (or that’s that I think it was anyway) a few weeks ago, I’ve been hawk-eyeing her while she eats her pellets. No more choking episodes, but I have noticed something strange. Every once in a while, and not at every feeding, she’ll go to take another bite but then stop short and pause, chew some more, and spit out some half-chewed pellets, then goes back to eating. She doesn’t seem alarmed when this happens, and I’ve watched her close enough to know that she doesn’t stop breathing when this happens, but it does have me concerned -and holding my own breath!

So my question is, is this normal? Has anybody else noticed their bunnies pausing ocassionally and spitting out things only to eat them again? I’m hoping that it isn’t a molar issue or something else. I’ve felt all along her jawline and underneath and don’t feel any abnormalities, but I’m not a vet of coure.

[BinkyBunny]

This is not normal. It makes me think something is wrong with her teeth. If molars have spurs it can make it difficult to chew. I actually just recently heard of a bunny that had so many spurs on their teeth, and the way they were shaped didn’t allow the tongue to move in correctly which inhibited proper swallowing— which could cause choking.  I’m not saying this is what has happened to your bunny, but knowing that spurs can cause eating problems makes me consider that first. 

I’m sorry Binkiles, but I don’t remember if your bunny’s molars have been checked out.???

[Binkles]

Thanks for the prompt reply, BB. No they haven’t, at least not formally. I’ve only had the vet do spot checks in the past.

Well, I suppose a vet trip is in order then. Proper molar checks require full anesthesia, right?

[FluffyBunny]

My bunny does that all the time when he gobbles up too many pellets in one bite. Perhaps her near-choking episode was caused by eating too many pellets at once, and since then, she’s figured out she can spit out some when she picks up too many?

[Binkles]

Fluffy -does she spit them out as she is still chewing or does she seem like she is done and then spits them out?

Either way, I think I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’ve been planning on taking Little-Bit to the vet soon anyway to have a checkup and routine bloodwork done before I start trying to bond her. I just didn’t plan on factoring anesthesia into my visit. I know it’s nothing to fret over really, but…I’m frightened. I just don’t like anesthesia.

Molar spurs are a relatively common problem in bunnies, right? Are they pretty easy to manage (with vet visits) if it turns out to be a chronic thing?

[FluffyBunny]

Usually what my bunny does is he picks up pellets, chews a few times, pauses as if he’s done, makes a little choking noise, and then spits out half-chewed pellets and continues chewing.

Yeah, if you’re worried, it’s probably best to just get her checked out.

[MimzMum]

I was surprised when my vet was at least able to see into Mimzy’s mouth and take stock of his molars recently just by using the otoscope. (He was being SUCH a good bunny.) She could see there were spurs on them and that determined that they’d have to go in and file them down, which must be done with anesthesia. (Don’t let them just clip them, you can wind up with broken teeth that way and that’s an extraction next.)

And yes, if they want to take xrays, to get the best films possible, they’ll have to give her a little sleepy-sleep medicine. Sometimes it’s intravenous, sometimes just a little gas. Mimzy’s had it twice within months this year, and he’s doing fine.

Definitely better to get it sussed than let it pass. And maybe she won’t have any more trouble with swallowing if they find out what’s causing her to spit.

It’s an odd mental picture, really. I can’t imagine any of my bunnies letting go of anything once they’ve got it in their mouths. ^_^

[Binkles]

Fluffy -huh, that’s really close to what Little-Bit does. The only thing that’s different is that it looks like she thinks she’s done with a mouthful before realizing there’s something else in there. Have you ever had his teeth checked?

Mimz -Lol! It is a little odd, but you’d never notice it if you weren’t paying SUPER close attention. There’s a lot of tongue-work involved and she moves her mouth a lot when she’s getting something out.

Little-Bit is scheduled for an appointment next Tues at 9:00am. Dr. Hall said that she could try to look in with just the otoscope or she could anesthetize her. I just went ahead and reccomended to have her give the anesthetic since she’ll have to anyway if she has spurs, and because Little-Bit is such a spaz. (And you all know about me and my phobia of jumpy bunnies. )

Regardless of whether or not she finds anything I’m tempted to ask for an x-ray as well. How much do those usually cost when it comes to bunny head x-rays?

[MimzMum]

I think it depends on how many angles they take, and also the kind of equipment they use. Mine was high, but we’d had to go from a couple of different sides (and the chest to be sure there was no fluid), I’d also had her file Mimzy’s teeth and clean out what had looked like a pus pocket at the time, and they just had gotten this new radiograph machine that took detailed pix that connected to their computer for easy emailing references (i.e. they’ve got to pay it off), so all told, about $500.
Remember, Mimzy had been languishing with this condition for awhile, so they had to take a lot of time on him. The films were about $120 worth of that bill…then came the adjunct meds and the surgical stuff and how many assistants, etc. I think for Little Bit you should see a much lower fee altogether, but I always set a little extra aside in case there’s any complications or extra work to be done.
Also, if you feel the need for relaxants for her, you should probably go with that. How many times has she been to this vet? Is she familiar with the folks there? And how is her disposition in general? Is she really that skittish?
When she comes home, you’ll have to limit her heights in her condo of course…she shouldn’t go up or down any levels in case she should fall. It takes a day or so for them to get back to rights after anesthetic.

[Binkles]

Oh snap! Good point about the condo! I didn’t even think of that.

Little-Bit…how should I put it…leads a very ‘sheltered’ life. (AKA, I don’t subject her to much stress at all. >< ) She's fine and dandy and relaxed as long as she's in my (her) room, but when she's taken out she becomes skittish. And she HATES being picked up like nothing else.

[BinkyBunny]

Sorry for my late reply. If a bunny is very skittish then it can prevent a vet from looking with with a scope. Rucy was good and never had to be put under anesthesia to just look, however, of course, during trimmings that was necessary.

Fluffy – if this is happening to your bunny too, I also would recommend a check as that is not normal if your bunny continues to do it. : ( If it was just a one time thing and she learned from it —not eating so fast then that is something different, but for the most part, spitting food back out or near-choking is not the norm and cause for concern. Has Fluffy’s teeth ever been checked out or was that a one time thing?

Binkles- let us know how the vet visit goes.

[Binkles]

Will do!

As nervous as I am about anesthesia, I’m more comfortable with that than having the vet try to examine her sedative-free. :{

Generally, if a bunny does well under anesthesia once (and is still young and healthy) can it pretty much be counted on that they’ll do well again? Is it mostly bunnies who’ve never been anesthetized or are old/ have health problems who don’t do well?

Oh! Also, is there a different kind of anesthesia they give them for this particular proceedure? :s I just don’t understand how they can have her under isoflourine gas and still get into her mouth..

[Binkles]

Well, it happened again tonight. Not a full-on choke, but a um….gosh I don’t even know what to call it anymore. Again, she wasn’t alarmed but you could tell that she knew something wasn’t quite right. She hesitated eating a few times and then spat out a pellet, chewed some more, stopped, and hopped off a few feet just kind of like she had to take care of something. (Though I don’t know what. She didn’t spit anything else out.) Then she went back and finished her pellets. I kind of had high hopes because she’d gone about 4-5 days without incident. Oh well.

As apprehensive as I am about vet visits I sure will be relieved to get her in on Tues. I’m tired of preparing myself for a possible choke every night. D:

[BinkyBunny]

Oh boy, how scary! keep us updated on the vet visit. The way the vet checks the back teeth isn’t as scary or horrible as it sounds. Rucy would just chew on the scope and though she didn’t “like” it, it was far from an ordeal for her. (Here is a video put out by medirabbit and at 1:25 seconds it shows the scope being used to check out a rabbits teeth — this way you can see what they really do and what a rabbit that tolerates it does.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MediRab…3blMal0VXQ

  (again, scroll to 1 minute 25 seconds in to see the scope check)

You may want to look the other videos that medirabbit Youtube channel puts out as it is really informative about dental issues (though the surgery part is graphic soooo…if you get squimish, you may not want to watch the other videos)

Anyway, Rucy had to be checked every 3-4 months or so, and as she grew older, if I had to put her under every single time, it would be worrisome so I was thankful that she did well with it. Vivian also does fine with it, and Bailey did too when she was alive. The only one that doesn’t is Jack, as he refuses to open his mouth and throw a fit. Much too stressful, so he finally got his teeth checked when he had bladder stone surgery.

To answer your question about older/health problem bunnies being put under — normally there is more caution about using anesthesia in older bunnies, but it is more about “health” issues as older bunnies can have more health issues. Blood work is normally done before they put them under. So most vets, unless it’s an emergency, want to wait until a bunny is healthy before they do put them under.

Check out this video —- it’s kind of gross but it will give you an idea of how teeth are actually worked on while a bunny is under.

 

ETA-  I just remembered that when Rucy’s molar spurs would get a little long – sometimes she would “jump” up when she ate as if she bit her tongue— so IF your bunny has molar spurs, maybe what is happening is sometimes it hurts when she chews a certain way, but in general, for now she may be able to go back and work her mouth in a way that the spur doesn’t poke/hurt her cheek or tongue or whatever is happening.   Of course, we don’t even know if your bunny even has spurs yet.

 

[Binkles]

Ooh what a wonderful video resource, BB! Thank you! I’m squeemish to a degree, but not when it comes to medical videos like that. (I watched a video of a full spay the night before I had Little-Bit spayed. Lol. It put me at ease quite a bit, as I am the type of person that likes to know exactly what’s going on all the time.)

Honestly, I’m hoping it IS molar spurs. Or at least that they can identify what is causing her these episodes. My fear would be that they just don’t find anything at all.

Do bunnies that have molar spurs once pretty much usually wind up having them again? I know it can be a genetic thing or a diet thing, but could it just be a freak occurrence?

[Binkles]

Just a quick question before I take her tomorrow. Should I request an x-ray/ radiography be done?

[MimzMum]

I think your vet will let you know if a radiograph is necessary. Of course, any time a patient undergoes anesthesia it can be a risk, but Little Bit should be fine if she’s done well with it before.
Mimzy’s had it twice already this year, within weeks of each other, and he’s about to go through it again at week’s end. So I’m a bit apprehensive myself. When he came back from his tooth file he was so full of snot still it sounded like he couldn’t breathe, but he turned out fine. It was just mucous in his throat and nose.
I think the lops are the ones who have the most trouble with bad teeth. Something about their breeding. But it’s possible she can get these trimmed and she won’t need it done again for awhile, if at all.
Honestly, if she’s having this much trouble with pellets, I don’t see why she can’t live without them and substitute something like extra greens. (in addition to the vet visit I mean) That’s what I’ve had to do with mine.

[Binkles]

Yeah I agree, though it’s not the actual inability to eat the pellets that concerns me -it’s the reason BEHIND the inability. :p

I did some reading up, and tooth ROOTS usually only become a problem in older rabbits who’s bone density is suffering, (or injury) is this correct?

[MimzMum]

Not sure. We’re thinking Mimzy’s roots must be growing into his sinuses somewhere and he’s only 3.
I think it’s probably just that older buns tend to have more trouble with their roots as opposed to younger buns.

[Monkeybun]

I just have to say.. every time I see this thread title, I think to myself.. why yes, eating IS normal. Then I have to remind myself to read the thread, to know the context of it heh.

Had to tell you that, sorry

Okay, putting down the Pixy Stix now.

[Binkles]

HAHAHA! XD It’s all good Monkeybun.

Rounding Little-Bit up and taking her to the vet now.

[Binkles]

The verdict is in! Just as we suspected -she had sharp points on both sets of molars. Vet trimmed and filed them down in about 15 minutes. Little-Bit is taking some time to trust me again, but she’s been coming out to nibble on some hay in the past few hours.

I’m so glad I even noticed something was wrong! If Little-Bit hadn’t choked that one time I don’t think I would’ve noticed at all. I mean she was just spitting out a pellet every once in a while, never showed any signs of pain or discomfort at all. It makes me wonder how many bunnies might be out there who have molar spurs and their parents don’t even know. Because I mean…gosh, I really would have never known anything was wrong!

[Binkles]

Tonight you can tell that she’s not feeling 100%, I guess from the general stress of the vet visit (and having her mouth worked on, ugh dentists..). She’s hiding a lot. But you can also tell that she’s just happy to be able to use her teeth correctly again! She’s been hopping around and picking up long-lost pieces of hay that she’d never had eaten otherwise. It really relieves me, because over the past couple of months she’s been getting pickier and pickier about her hay, generally preferring the softer thinner pieces over the harder more fibrous ones. Now I know why.

[lashkay]

That’s wonderful that your vet was able to trim and file down the sharp points on her molars. I’m sure Little-Bit’ll be able to eat without spitting out pellets again. Glad you took her to your vet and she was able to take care of it so smoothly. Binkies and good health to you and your bun!

[BinkyBunny]

I am so glad you noticed something was off too. It sounds like Lil Bit did fine with the tooth check—but did the vet trim them without any sedative? Did she give a pain medication? I know that just checking the teeth doesn’t need a sedative usually, but I have never had Rucy’s spurs trimmed without being put under. And normally, it made her mouth very sore, and so she was offered pain meds.

I might be just misunderstanding your post as after I heard she had her teeth trimmed in 15 minutes (which is about right for an actual simple trim under some sort of sedative) but it just sounded like she went ahead and trimmed them right there – lickety split.

Could you clarify?

NOTE: Even when Rucy had hers trimmed under a sedative, her mouth was sore for a few days, and so she didn’t eat as much and just needed some quiet time and rest. I would keep an eye on her to make sure she would at least eat a little, and poop, but other than I gave her time to recover from the stress and the post-pain.

Normally if spurs are present, it’s something you will have to keep track of with your bunny. They can come on later in life with a bunny who has never had any problems, or they can start early on. Either way, most likely they will need to be trimmed again. How often really depends on your own bunny. I would recommend a tooth check every few months unless you notice a problem sooner. (Some unlucky bunnies need trims done ever month or so) while others just a couple of times a year.

[Binkles]

BB -Oh no, she definitely gave her isoflourine. The WHOLE thing really took an hour so she was nice and under, it was the actual trim part that took about 15 min. She didn’t give her any intravieneous sedatives, just gas isoflourine, and would put the mask back over her mouth after a few seconds of trimming. (At least that’s how she explained it to me.)

It’s actually affirming to hear that your bun was sore for a few days after, BB, because Little-Bit has being a bit reclusive. Not EXTREMELY reclusive, but she’s definitely not at 100% yet. She is enjoying being able to eat normally though. She’s been scarfing down her hay. My vet doesn’t like to give pain meds because she thinks they can interfere with GI functionality. I did give Little-Bit some Rescue Remedy tonight though, and that seems to have cheered her up a bit. :p

Yes I will need to talk to my vet about the checks. She should be calling me with the results of her bloodwork in the next few days. (I had her bloodwork done, just because I want to establish where she is health-wise BEFORE I begin trying to bond her with another bun and moving to Orlando.) I’ll have to ask her how bad they were, and perhaps that will give me some idea of what to expect? I think I know vaguely when they started forming, or at least whe they started being an issue.

I wonder what on earth triggers tooth spurs like this? Little-Bit certainly isn’t at a lack of eating enough hay.

PS. We ate an ENTIRE 1/4 cup of pellets tonight with no problems whatsoever. (Though she was notably tired afterwards.)

[Sarita]

My rabbit Pepe gets molar trims about every 4 to 6 weeks and it takes him about 3 full days to get back to normal and I start reglan and pain meds immediately. I also start handing feeding him as well.

Also the behavior for a rabbit with molar spurs varies from rabbit to rabbit.

[Binkles]

Gosh, Little-Bit’s been a trooper then. She was up and at ’em this morning, happy and binkying for her hay. Of course, part of that could be the Rescue Remedy talking, but…

I sure hope she’ll turn out to only need her teeth trimmed a couple of times a year. I don’t want her to be in 2-3 days of pain very often. Does anybody know how bad the pain is? Like if it’s just mild discomfort or excrutiatiing? I’m wondering if she turns out to need her teeth trimmed often, would it be a better option to have them extracted? I sure don’t want to have to do that…she LOVES eating her hay and I sure would hate to have to take that away from her.

[Sarita]

No, I don’t think extraction is a better option, that would only cause more problems as it would totally change the environment of the mouth and cause more movement of the teeth. Extraction is often considered for incisors but not molars. Pepe has had some molars removed but only because they were pretty loose and the vet went to trim and instead it became an extraction, otherwise my vet does not want to do an extraction.

How does it feel? I think like anyone else we can only imagine that it is uncomfortable. Pepe gets very aggressive when his mouth hurts and starts behaving badly, that’s when I know it’s time for a molar trim.

I think at this point, since all rabbits are different, you should take her back in 6 weeks to have the vet see how her teeth look.

[Binkles]

Ah that makes sense, Sarita. Thanks.

Well I spoke with the vet again today since her bloodwork came back. (The bloodwork was good, btw. She had some highs and lows here and there but vet said that it’s nothing to worry about and is probably normal for her.) I asked her on a scale of 1-10 how bad her spurs were and she said that they weren’t bad at all, probably a 3. They were just a little sharp. So I’m glad to know that Little-Bit didn’t suffer TOO long before I noticed. She agreed that they do often grow back and suggested a checkup every 12-18 months. =s Although I don’t know, that seems a little long to me. I think that during this trial period I should have them checked sooner until I figure out how quickly they regrow?

Also, on a side note (this is really for my own record-keeping than anything xD) it was the first three or four bottom molars on each side.

Little-Bit’s at 100% now, functioning normally, happy and healthy, eating her hay and pellets and binkying.

[Binkles]

Anyone have input on the checkup?

[MimzMum]

This sounds like what Mimz went through today. I actually got to look in on the surgery (see my post in the Lounge if you’d like).
I’m glad you mentioned bloodwork, I should recheck that next week with the specialist. I don’t know if she did any testing, but I don’t think so. My primary vet found a slightly elevated white count when she tested him a few weeks ago, but nothing to indicate why.

Mimzy also had sharp points on the more forward molars. What cut of hay does LB eat again? My vet is leaning towards having me go back to a second or first cut instead of the third cut I’ve been using (because it’s so soft, Mimzy will eat it without complaint and I think eating is better than not eating, even if it doesn’t wear those toofies down like it should.)
While looking at his xrays on the computer after the procedure, my hub asked how wild bunnies keep their teeth ground down and the vet said it’s because they eat much rougher food than our (spoiled) buns eat. Of course, those that don’t eat hard tack and keep their teeth flat do not survive because there is no one to file their teeth for them, and the molars overgrow the tongue, making it impossible to chew food…so it pulls that fault out of the gene pool…natural selection and all. Sad, but necessary for buns in the wild. The strongest must survive.

So far I’ve done three trims on Mimzy this year to date. Since he’s a lop, he may need this done more often, but right now I’m putting the kibosh on it. He’s been through enough for the time being. The vet asked me if I’d ever seen inside his mouth and of course I’d said no, because he won’t let me. So I got a good look in there today…man their little mouths are complicated! You know how our palette is bumpy and ridged? Imagine that in quadruplicate. It looks like a washboard in there, but miniaturized, and SO narrow. Their tongues are also a lot longer than you’d think.
His teeth are now VERY short. I hope they won’t grow back up for awhile.

It sounds like LB is doing well, and the ‘down’ attitude is typical of the first few days after dentals for bunnies. Good to hear she is back to her happy self. How are YOU doing after it all?

[Binkles]

I’m doing better. I’m gradually, GRADUALLY getting over my fear of vets. (But staying waaayyy clear of the non-exotic ones and questioning every step of the way.) My mom has helped out a lot just by petting my back and telling me it’s okay and to trust the vet, coming with me to vet visits and just being there. Sometimes that’s all I need, you know? My fears spiral out of control sometimes. (LIKE A BUNNY!! Lord, give me some Rescue Remedy. ) But nothing will ever completely stop my being a nervous wreck about my bunnies I don’t think. xD

Usually I give her Oat Hay. I’m not sure what cut it is, but it’s the common Oxbow kind. Pretty much the coarsest hay you can find. However I had noted that over the past few months she had very gradually gone from eating it all to strongly preferring the more soft pieces and ignoring most of the harder ones.

Actually today Little-Bit has been a bugger and has been picking over her harder pieces again, trying to chew with her incisors instead of her molars some of the time. :\ I don’t know if it’s from discomfort or habit or what, but she’s not hiding anymore and seems chipper. I don’t know, she has been scratching at her jaw some though. I hope she doesn’t have something wrong from the procedure. What do you guys think? Whatever the case may be, mommy buckled and gave her some Oxbow Timothy. (MUCH softer.) Which I never like doing because it always results in decreased GI performance with her. At least she’s not shedding too bad.

How old is Mimzy, Mimzmum? When did his teeth problems start? It just baffles me why this would randomly start up after 2 1/2 years. She eats GOBS of hay. I’m kind of wondering if her skull shape might be contributing to hers as well. Everyone’s always said that when you push her ears down, the way everything is positioned she looks like she really is a lop. She’s got that round sort of face.

[MimzMum]

Odd…Bit’s face looks very long to me, like Pip’s or Fiver’s. Can you take a pic of her profile to post and show us what you mean?

Mimzy is about 3 years (we figured him at 3 months when we first saw him back in June 2007) and he’s had constant nasal discharge of light to heavier varieties for over a year now, plus in the last few months he’s had three dental procedure of varying degrees. He was enjoying his hay this morning though, with a gusto, so I am encouraged that if I can get him to eat something a bit rougher in texture we can get those molars in line. (This seemed to be what the specialist hinted at pretty strongly. Although she did mention pasturella once, but we’ve had him tested for it and it came up negative some time ago.)

Yes, most of his first year with me we had no problems to speak of. Then after he hit that 1 1/2 year mark, BOOM. I’ve been taking him to this or that vet ever since.
Don’t feel bad about your vet visit heebie-jeebies. The last two times I’ve packed Mimz in his carrier and had to hand him over to my hub for transport while I twiddled my thumbs at home -bad road conditions and I don’t drive those- and if you think I’m not tearing my hair out if he doesn’t call and give me a heads up upon arrival… 0_0
I know you have a different reason for worrying, and I sympathize. But yeah, I drive everyone around me crazy with my fears over the pets…which of course extend to my children in some situations and the college-age son is getting very tired of it. What can I say? I’M A MOM…it’s what I do. ^_^

Perhaps Little Bit has just gotten used to the softer pieces of hay and is (pardon me-but I think this of Mimzy too) getting a bit ‘lazy’ about her chewing. I don’t say that to be insulting, I think Mimzy could stand to eat some heavier roughage and he refuses and it takes me to my wit’s end. Bunnies ARE creatures of habit and comfort and when they gets things just the way they want them, well…it’s going to be hard for either of us to convince them otherwise.
Does she get any other treats (like willow/birch twigs or Oxbow cookies) that she could also use to grind those teeth down? I’ve recently been giving the buns those oat cakes and cookies they sell (for Easter) at Bunspace and not only do they love them, but the way they are made, they are so hard I can’t break them in half and you should see them working to chomp those into tiny bits! I realize she may not want to eat harder things, but to get Mimzy or Pip to tuck into a chew toy I just annoy them with it for a few minutes under their noses until they grab hold and start gnawing. You can do that with hay too.
Pip has gotten very good at attacking cardboard tubes this way. ^_^ Now that the dogs are gone, I’m thinking of training her to guard the front door…jk…. xD

[Binkles]

I’ll have to get a profile up. Her head isn’t ROUND round, but it’s rounder than Binkles’ was. It’s mainly the way that her ears are separated though. Very much like a lop.

The only things Little-Bit gets aside from hay and pellets are fresh veg and sometimes the pellets you sent me. (Which she loves, by the way.) I really want to think that her chewing laze is a temporary thing because she was just SO much into her oat hay up until about a few weeks ago. That oat hay is the best thing since sliced bread. It’s really the only thing that keeps her GI in check.

Alright. I gave in again. After a day of feeding her predominantly Timothy hay she’s begun to get sluggish and just wants to laze around instead of eating. Gave her a drop of Rescue Remedy, which as I expected, gave her the ‘munchies’, and she is back over there eating her oat hay with gusto right now. Mommy wins this one. >< I really do loathe resorting to alternative methods like that, because I feel like I'm treating the symptom and not the problem…but…

(By the way, for anyone who doesn’t know, Rescue Remedy = HUNGRY BUNNIES. On this end anyway, and I’ve heard other people say the same thing as well.)

[MimzMum]

Really? lol…In my house RR = suspicious bunny looking at you with stinkeye because you’ve ‘tainted’ his food. ^_^
Yeah I wouldn’t look at it as giving in…it’s just ‘enticing’…once you get their appetite up for a certain thing, it’s pretty easy to keep them interested, for awhile at least.

[jerseygirl]

Binkles, it’ll be interesting to see how long before she needs another spur trim if any. Hopefully that will be far, far away. I say interesting because you’ve said she is now a voracious hay eater. So I’m wondering if this’ll keep spurs in check. Didn’t you say she wasn’t always a great hay eater? If that’s the case, I’m wondering if spurs started to form in this time then the rate of there growth slowed once she was on the oat hay?

She may be a little tender and so going for softer hay. Hopefully, she’ll be back on the coarser stuff soon.

Oh, I meant to ask – is Little Bit part lionhead also?

[Binkles]

Lol the ‘tainted’ look too, Mimz. Rescue Remedy just makes bunnies more comfortable and improves their mood, and a good mood for Little-Bit means that she is eating hay.

Hmm, that could be so Jersey. Yes she’s always been an amazing hay eater for as long as I’ve had her on oat. Though as I mentioned she had begun to slowly choose the softer pieces in the last couple of months. She is part Lionhead…or so we think. That’s the only breed I could imagine would produce her…ehem…’mohawk’ and ‘boa’.

Does anyone think that giving Little-Bit a drop of RR for the sole purpose of getting her into the mood to eat more hay is…a bit exploitative? x/

[jerseygirl]

Does anyone think that giving Little-Bit a drop of RR for the sole purpose of getting her into the mood to eat more hay is…a bit exploitative? x/

Nope – I don’t. I think it’s akin to them eating wild herbage or flowers in their diet that have beneficial properties. The active ingredients are in a very dilute amount anyway. So if it enables her to do some as natural as eating hay – I don’t think that’s wrong in the least.

[Binkles]

Well I mean I know it’s safe, I’m just worried that I’m treating the symptom and not the cause. Though I suppose the cause is really probably just her being ‘lazy’ huh? Gah I’m just so paranoid about my bunnies.

Oh, I am a STRONG believer in RR now. Haven’t gotten to using it on myself yet, but it really really does work on Little-Bit. When she’s feeling sluggish like that it really does just brighten her night right up for her. And we tried it while trimming her nails too -for the first time we didn’t even have to Bun-Taco her! She was just…patient!

[Author]

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