Food Issue – May lead to rehoming Myrtle

[Deleted User]

Finn and Myrtle have just bonded and are now living together all of the time now. The bond between them is fine, with no issues.

However the food issue is becoming a problem, which myself and my vet are struggling to solve.

Finn isn’t a big hay eater, and even if i found a hay he likes he will always want his pellets over hay. Myrtle on the other hand eats normally and nibbles on pellets and hay throughout the day — where as Finn will gobble his pellets up in one sitting.

So when i feed them their pellets Finn eats it all and Myrtle isn’t getting a look in, meaning she’s hungry and is probably contributing in the reason she is so destructive….I can also feel that she has lost a little weight.

In the evening I can split them up by allowing Finn to free roam and leave Myrtle in the pen and feed them separately that way….but in the morning as I am on my way to work i cannot do this. Plus Myrtle dosen’t gobble up her food like Finn. 

So I do not know what to do…as neither of them are eating correctly. Finn is eating to many pellets and producing to many soft poops and Myrtle isn’t eating enough!

[Bunny House]

Hi
My lop wasn’t too much of any eater until I completely stopped the pellets for a couple of days. Doing that will teach Finn that he has to eat the hay and not pellets. Also stopping pellets for Myrtle will make her eat only the hay. Bunnies aren’t supposed to eat that many pellets as it is since it isn’t too healthy for them. I suggest stopping pellets for both for a couple of days and putting oats and other dried up flowers that are safe for them in their hay. This will get them interested in the hay and eat it. Then you can slowly incorporate pellets back into their diet.
This should help your situation, and make sure they are getting plenty of veggies too

[Deleted User]

Ah thank you for that….I will try that! Finn has no front teeth as he had them out when he was little so that might be the reason he prefers pellets as they are easy to grab. Myrtle is very good with her Hay.

I have never fed them dried flowers before….which would you recommend?

I know Hey Experts do these also. 

Thanks!

[Bunny House]

Oh yeah having no front teeth might cause him to like the pellets but stopping the pellets will force him to eat the hay, and only eating pellets will cause him to have points on his back teeth- which means dental trims!

So you should add different kinds of hay to their timothy hay such as botanical, coastal, oat and orchard grass but only a bit so they will want to dig and eat that hay. Also, sprinkling dried flowers and herbs in the hay.

You can find great hay options on Chewy since it is cheaper but buy Oxbow hay. Go to https://bunnyapproved.com/product-category/dried-herbs/ for the dried flowers for their hay.

I hope that helps

[Deleted User]

Thanks! I am in the UK so I would probably need to use a different site….I think Hey Experts is our equivalent.

[Bunny House]

No problem! Let us know how it goes!

[Wick & Fable]

Potentially use Finn’s no-teeth to Myrtle’s advantage. The pellet ball made out of toilet paper tubes, if made with about 5-6+ rings, requires the rabbit to have front teeth to grab and remove rings in order to set the pellets free, rather than just pushing it around. Do you think this may be something worth trying? It’d be almost impossible for Finn to get pellets out of it, but Myrtle probably could.

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.

[sarahthegemini]

Hi Emma, I recommend hayexperts, forhaymazing pets or hop to forage for dried flowers and leaves. Peanut and Buttercup really like blackcurrant leaves, echinacea, nettle, plantain, marigold, sunflower petals and mallow flowers.

For pellets, to ensure they are both getting the right amount, could you feed them a few at a time throughout the day as ‘treats’? Maybe Myrtle will eat them as quick as Finn if the amount is broken up throughout the day?

[Deleted User]

Not really as I am at work in the day, which is part of the issue. Hence why separating them during feeding times is pointless as they would be separated during the day. Plus Myrtle only eats when she wants to as she does eat Hay so isn’t desperate for the pellets like Finn. 

What Wick suggested might be a good idea as Myrtle likes to be entertained. Is this like a toy? Might be worth getting one and getting more hay and herbs from Hay Experts. 

[Wick & Fable]

It’s like this:

http://www.instagram.com/p/BiHosnDAwMo/?taken-by=wick_theboogeyman
http://www.instagram.com/p/BbkzkgClko_/?taken-by=wick_theboogeyman

http://www.instagram.com/p/BihisBflCN0/?taken-by=kurottabun
http://www.instagram.com/p/BicAesNlXPg/?taken-by=kurottabun

More rings you use, the harder it is.

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.

[sarahthegemini]

Ah okay, I just thought if she’s one that grazes on her pellets then perhaps she’ll munch on a few when offered as she wont have the full amount waiting for her. But if you’re at work all day, that probably isn’t feasible.

Maybe cut out pellets completely? What are they like with veggies? Obviously discuss with a vet but it might be an idea.

Do you ever have one on one time with each bun now that they’re bonded? If so, you could sneak a few oats to Myrtle to help her regain some weight.

[Deleted User]

Perhaps this is an issue with how well they are bonded. I can t speak for everyone but I know with my two I have one greedier bun. Trixie will wolf down all the pellets if she gets the chance, but now their relationship is firmly established Daryl knows he has the right to take his fair share and will force his way into the bowl, he doesn’t let her bully him. If that makes sense. Maybe the dynamics of the relationship haven’t fully worked out yet and Finn is using this to his advantage. I know this doesn’t solve the problem for right now if you feel Myrtle is losing weight. Maybe start a more structured feeding routine. Don’t allow Myrtle to have the choice to graze on her pellets throughout the day. Offer her them once in a morning before you leave for work and once at night when your home. If you say she is a good hay eater then she won’t be going hungry. Then they will both become accustomed to eating at a specific time and hopefully myrtle will be be enticed towards the pellets if they only come at certain times in a day, she may regard them as more of a luxury.

[Muj Mom N Bun]

Would you be willing to consider giving the pellets only at night or like Eddy said, in the morning before work, when you are home and can separate them or at least monitor?

[Muj Mom N Bun]

Oh, sorry, just read how in the morning this is a bit more challenging

[Author]

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