new rabbit only eats junk food pellets– no veggies, no hay!

[Jessica3]

I recently adopted a very obese 3-year old mini-lop female (Daisy) who is incredibly picky.  I am told that since she was a baby she was given unlimited walmart pellets, some timothy hay, and the occasional carrot.

So far, Daisy will eat:

*Half/Half Bunny Basics and junkfood walmart brand pellets (slowly but surely — it takes her a few hours to finish it off — 1/4 cup morning and evening)
*her morning and nighttime baby carrot
*she is drinking her water

She won’t eat:
*Any other veggies
*Very much hay at all (i’ve given her both timothy and bermuda, but she must be eating it incredibly slowly because there’s still a lot left)

Any tips on getting her to eat more hay or veggies?  I don’t want to cut down the pellets too much since she had unlimited pellets before. Would it help to give her some probios horse treats for digestion support? It’s almost like she needs to detox and get all that junk food out of her system.

I’m really worried that she’s not getting enough fiber. Her poop shows it too:  they’re dark, not-that-dry, and the size of rat poop!  I take it I can’t mix Fibersure into her drinking water, lol?

She’s still active and flopping constantly so I know she’s not sick or in pain, and she eats her pellets so I would think that her teeth aren’t the cause— how long is too long?

Any advice would be helpful!

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[JK]

Oh my. You definitely need to get some hay in her system. Maybe stuff some in a tube or a bag to make it more interesting. maybe try Binky Bunny’s Bunny Blend sold here on this site or one of the others. I would definitely switch to all timothy based pellets like Oxbox and cut them down to 1/4 cup a day maximum. Definitely needs veggies – try romaine lettuce and parsley to start off with and check the link to Diet under Bunny Info above. You should only give her a sliver of carrot a few times a week. If you haven’t already done so, I would make an appointment with a rabbit savvy vet for a complete check over and have them check those teeth as well. Good luck! Welcome to this site. We have so many experts here so feel free to ask any questions but do read over all the great info above.

[Deleted User]

When I got my guy Shadow, he was not eating any veggies and was being fed this banana flavored junk mix. Since he was 2-3 months old I got the oxbow timothy and mixed it in with the stuff he was eating and gradually phased out the junk..but it took a few weeks. He would pick out all the junk and throw the pellets around. After a while he would break down and eat the pellets, but took all day to to it. Now he inhales his 2 tablespoons of oxbow bunny basic.

Hay was a whole nother issue and after six months it still can be. He was eating alfalfa hay and I started mixing in timothy and other low calorie hay. Of course he picked out the alfalfa and threw the rest around. It would sometimes look like a barn exploded. I got oat hay and the blend from binky bunny. He would not touch the oat hay until one day I put it in a basket and put it in another part of the house. The little bugger acted like he never had eaten! Another trick I use is, I had stored the hay in a plastic bin, I had left the lid off and he jumped in and chowed down like no tomorrow. So now I have hay in baskets around the house, in his litter box, in a hay rack, in his cardboard castle cause I never know what mood he will be in to eat it or where. He has free run of a room all day, but at night I put him in his condo with just a mix of hay. I found that if he has nothing else to do all night he has a tendency to eat hay.

Greens are trial and error. Offer parsley or cilantro, or mint. Smelly herbs mixed with some romaine or frissee. That might get her attention. Basically if her teeth are not an issue, you are dealing with a spoiled bun who wants to keep eating the junk food. It takes patience and nerves of steel to combat bunny junk food addicts. You have to cut down on things to force them to eat the right foods. It is so hard to be “the mean parent”.

Welcome to Binky Bunny and good luck. She is a cutie.

[Beka27]

welcome here!  what a lucky bun that you’ve adopted her and you’re trying to get her back in shape.  that’s good that she’s now eating half and half.  you can now try reducing the junk even more to a 3/4 good and 1/4 junk mixture.   after a couple weeks of that, try putting even less of the junk, just a small bit.  in the meantime, i would pick out any of the rainbow pieces that you can.  often i think it’s the junk pellets that they get accustomed to, not the junk rainbow/cereal pieces. 

are you giving her any veggies at all?  i would completely do away with the baby carrot.  she does not need it.  get some parlsey or cilantro and give her some every single day for a week to see if she starts eating it.  it might take awhile and you’re gonna toss a lot of veggies, but once she is eating that, introduce another veggie like a dark green lettuce.  she should be getting at least 2 cups per day of veggies.  as she starts eating veggies, i’d discuss with your vet about possibly limiting her pellets (all good pellets by this point) to just a 1/3 or 1/4 cup.

good luck.  keep us posted.

 

[rabbitsmba]

Other things to try: Take some hay, tear it up into small bits and sprinkle over her pellets – this way, when she goes to eat the pellets, she’ll get a bit of hay as well and get used to the smell and the taste.

You can also try spraying a bit of pure apple juice on the hay pile to entice her to eat some. Other than that, patience is key. She’ll pick up better eating habits eventually, with your guidance.

[babybunsmum]

i had my bunny – baby – on unlimited pellets until i realized it was unhealthy.  at that time she would only eat negligable amounts of hay and rarely liked any greens at all.  i noticed, with the greens, that she’d seem to turn her nose up at it a few times & then eventually she’d eat it.  so i’d keep trying on the greens.  but what changed her eating habits the most was limiting her pellets.  i went from unlimited pellets to giving her 1/4 per day only (she’s 5lbs) .  she was NOT happy about this and tossed her pelet hopper around loudly the first few days after she’d finished her daily ration.  but then she started eating hay!   am i right… you’re feeding your bun a 1/2 cup of pellets per day (1/4 twice a day)?  maybe you could cut that down a bit to encourage hay eating?  how much does you bun weigh?  good luck!  and thats a very cute bun you have

[Jessica3]

UPDATE! I was really scared last night because I thought Daisy might actually have a tooth problem. It looked like she had tried to chew her pellets and then had spit back out their mushy equivalent. I got her to eat a cooked carrot, so at least she got something in her stomach. But, things turned around today! She ate her half/half pellet mix, took a carrot with gusto, ate a little bit off of a timothy hay cube, and actually ate three pieces of green leaf lettuce! Breakthrough!

This afternoon I’m going to Petsmart to get some of the –spoiled rabbit– Peter’s Meadow Mix (it has Sun-cured Meadow Fescue Hay, Sun-cured Alaska Brome Hay, Sun-cured Perennial Rye Grass, Sun-cured Timothy Hay, Sun-cured Birdsfoot Trefoil Hay, Sun-cured Red Clover Hay, Sun-cured Bluegrass Hay, and Sun-cured White Clover Hay.) My other rabbit Duncan loves this stuff, so I’m hoping that it might entice her to eat it, too. I’m going to take your advice and try to put some in a box or tube so she can have fun with it. I’m also gonna go to the grocery store today to buy romaine, green leaf, parsley, and cilantro.

I’m gonna cut the carrots down to one a day for now, and then slowly back down to once every other day. I’ll cut her pellets down to 1/8 cup 2x a day pretty soon — once I see her eating other things, I’ll be more comfortable with cutting back on the pellets. I was terrified that she had molar spurs and would go into GI Stasis from no food. In the meantime I’ll start looking for a local vet who specializes in rabbit dental care in case she does have molar spurs. Does anybody know about how much it would cost for molar spur sanding?

[Gravehearted]

Welcome to Binky Bunny!!

If she is trying to eat pellets but is spitting them out, she is likely experiencing tooth issues. I am glad you’re already looking for a good bunny vet, since it would be a good idea to get it checked out to see what is going on.

Since she needs to lose weight, the pellets should be restricted to 1/8 to 1/4 cup per 6 pounds of body weight, or eliminated completely. Treats should be restricted to fresh herbs and vegetables. Grass hay should make up the bulk of an obese rabbit’s diet, so let’s hope she likes the special blend you just picked up. To add variety without extra calories, offer 2 to 3 cups of fresh greens per 6 pounds of body weight. Fruit and carrots should be fed in limited amounts, if at all, due to their high sugar content.

[BinkyBunny]

You’ve gotten some great advice. Rucy has to get her spurs sanded 2 – 3 times per year. It cost around $150 – $200 bucks because she has to be sedated.

[Beka27]

Posted By gravehearted on 03/30/2008 10:13 PM
Welcome to Binky Bunny!!

If she is trying to eat pellets but is spitting them out, she is likely experiencing tooth issues. I am glad you’re already looking for a good bunny vet, since it would be a good idea to get it checked out to see what is going on.

Since she needs to lose weight, the pellets should be restricted to 1/8 to 1/4 cup per 6 pounds of body weight, or eliminated completely. Treats should be restricted to fresh herbs and vegetables. Grass hay should make up the bulk of an obese rabbit’s diet, so let’s hope she likes the special blend you just picked up. To add variety without extra calories, offer 2 to 3 cups of fresh greens per 6 pounds of body weight. Fruit and carrots should be fed in limited amounts, if at all, due to their high sugar content.

i have a question about eliminating the pellets.  i wasn’t sure.  is it okay to eliminate the pellets before she starts eating veggies?  will the elimination of those “force” her to eat the veggies?  i’ve always been cautious about reducing Meadow’s pellets and i did it very slowly over a week or so.  but is it okay to just go from 1/2 to a 1/4 cup?  my vet has told me that she doesn’t even recommend pellets at all, just hay and veggies, but i’m a bit worried to do away with them completely.

[MooBunnay]

Hello ILoveMyLops – it is really great that you are getting your bun on a healthy diet! The phasing in of the new pellets is a good idea – try not to feel too bad when she gets angry about the “boring” pellets, she doesn’t understand that its for her own good I really think that with the gradual reduction of unhealthy pellets that she will be more and more interested in hay and vegetables. If she’s having any teeth problems it could be related to the fact that she’s not eating enough hay, so when she starts eating more that may help. A visit to the vet is also a good idea since maybe she’s not eating as much hay because of a tooth problem. Have to been able to check her front teeth or molars?

[thencamebun]

when i first brought iorek home he was more interested in pellets than anything else. after i cut his pellets back and offered him different types of greens is when he started eating better. he is very picky with greens but i found that i can always get him to eat when i offer him red leaf lettuce, parsley, and dandelion greens. he can’t resist those 3! he know only gets 1/4 cup pellets split between am and pm feedings, unlimited timoth hay and greens. i give fruits and a tiny baby carrot occasionally. he gets a blueberry every time he has to go back into his cage too.

[Jessica3]

UPDATE: Daisy loves parsley, and she will eat green leaf and romaine lettuce!! yay! The store was out of cilantro so I’m going to go there later this week to get some. As for her pellets, I’ve cut it down to 1/8 a cup 2x a day, and she usually eats the Walmart pellets first and then comes back to eat the Oxbow pellets later. She’s not spitting them out like she did that one night.

However, she’s still not eating a whole lot of hay. I’ve seen her eating a little of it, but she’s still not eating nearly enough. If she’s able to eat her pellets, carrots, and the soft part of lettuce (she leaves the thick parts) — but not hay, could she still have molar spurs? I’m really hoping she doesn’t because I’m a poor college student and $150-$200 is a lot to spend, although I would if it came down to it.

[babybunsmum]

i’m not an expert on the subject (hopefully some one with more experience / knowledge of molar spurs can chime in) but i would *think* that if she’s eating pellets then she’d be able to eat hay.  my thoughts are still that as long as she’s getting her tummy full with pellets that she won’t eat much hay.  that was my experience anyways.   my baby bun will leave eat teh greenest bits first & eventually chomp on the stems too sometimes.  she also spit out pellets when i substituted her usual ones with a diff brand once.  picky bunnies!!!  anyways… it may be a very gradual thing like mine was, but i still think if you slowly reduce her pellets she’ll eat more hay.  my fingers are crossed for you that she doesn’t have molar spurs!

[duncanator]

Hello,  I’m duncan/daisy’s other parent, so I thought I’d post a few pics of the little goobers

Daisy poking her head out of her new cage

 

 

Enjoying some water

 

Hiding in her litter box

 

Duncan enjoying some well-deserved R&R

 

Action shot!

 

The intellectual

 

sleepy time

[MarkBun]

If you can afford it (and it’s not that expensive) I’d suggest getting some of the 6 in 1 blended hay from here. Who knows, she might just enjoy some other type of hay other than timothy.

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=55&CategoryID=4&List=1&Level=1&ProductID=22

[duncanator]

I just filled a cardboard toilet paper roll up with just plain Bermuda hay and lo and behold as soon as i put it in front of her she went to town on it and emptied the whole thing out as quick as she could

[babybunsmum]

duncan & daisy are so adoreable!  so it’s a big thumbs (or paws) up for the bermuda hay… woo hoo!

[Beka27]

not sure if someone mentioned this or not yet, but i learned from someone else on here to give fresh bits of hay thruout the day.  hay can get “old” to the bun very quickly, so dropping an occasional handful in might peak their interest a little bit more.

those pics are so great!  she is such a pretty girl!  if not “curvy”. 

[Sage Cat]

What a couple of cutes! Love the action shot. Yep, I would say Daisy is curvy.

I have also noticed my Winston gets very excited when I bring out a “new” handful of hay. Sometimes He runs over and pulls it right out of my hand.

I also have a hay Ball that they think is a toy – Kay & Winston love it. Here is a photo of it (and Winston hiding in his litter box):

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[Gravehearted]

yes – i found the same thing as Beka. my bunnies eat a lot more hay if i give them several handsful a day, rather than leaving it sitting in there for a long time

ps – insanely cute cute cute bunnies, especially Duncan’s snoozing pic!

[BinkyBunny]

ILoveMyLops86 When Rucy’s spurs are bothering her, she will eat pellets and greens, but not hay.   Hay takes more “cutting” with incisors which causes her jaw to go back and forth, which in turn makes the spurs in the back of her mouth rub up against the inside of her mouth and cut her cheeks, sooo, she has an easier time just chomping on the little pellet pieces, as they quickly crunch down.

You will not be able to tell whether she has spurs or not – only a vet will be able to tell you. But if you have doubt, you do need to have a vet check because spurs can actually get sharp, cut the inside of the mouth, and cause an infection – and if you think it’s pricey now…. Many times a bunny’s eyes will water, there will be drool or a wet chin (not always, but usually in the later more painful stages)

[Jessica3]

I’ve cut Daisy’s pellet intake down to 1/8 cup a day and give her 2 cups of veggies a day (romaine, cilantro, parsley) — i still give one carrot a day, but it’s a tiny carrot stick — kinda like this: http://www.lutosa.be/files/produits/catalogue/assiettes/large/legumes/carrotsstickslr.jpg

She is eating some hay every day, but not near as much as Duncan. I’m hoping that by cutting down on pellets, she’ll want more hay. She likes the Bermuda Hay more than timothy or meadow mix, but Duncan is enjoying them instead. 🙂 I’m definitely going to look for a hay ball next time I go to PetSmart!

Because we’re trying to bond Duncan and Daisy, could the stress and newness of bonding be part of the cause for her to not eat as much? Even though she eats all the food I put out for her, she never gobbles it down like Duncan does– I swear, he acts like he’s starving! (He’s not though, I promise!!) I wonder if we’ll have problems when they do finally bond and they’re in the same cage… it seems like Duncan’s going to eat Daisy’s food before she even decides she wants to eat it!

[Hedi]

I have 4 buns and they all eat hay differently. Cooper, our minilop, eats it as fast as he can. The rest of them eat a decent amount thru out the day but not like Cooper.

The change in diet is probably enough to make Daisy not eat as much. She probably knows shes on a “diet” and acting accordingly.

We put all their hay in their potty boxes so they use the bathroom in the back of the litter box and munch on hay in the front of the box. We gave the ball away because it ended up just bring an aggrevation and they ate much more hay than what that ball held. Have you tried a hay basket if you dont like the idea of hay in litter boxes?

I think I missed it but did you change over her pellets to timothy pellets? I didnt know anything about buns when we got our first bun Carrera and she was horribly overweight from the junk pellets. The vet told me to change to timothy and I told him I couldnt because she wont eat anything else. I got the best advice ever- when she gets hungrry she WILL eat! And sure enough, she pouted but got over it and began eating timothy pellets w/out issue. She lost quite a bit of weight pretty quickly just front the pellet change.

[duncanator]

Well, we’ve had a relapse with Daisy today. For the past several days she was eating her veggies pretty quickly, eating her “healthy” pellets, and starting to eat a decent amount of hay. Her and Duncan got in a little scuffle last night in one of their bonding sessions, which lasted maybe one second total. However today she hasn’t eaten hardly anything. I’ve got caught her munching on a few pieces of bermuda hay, and I finally managed to get her to eat 4 or 5 sprigs of parsley out of my hand, but thats it. She is also acting very skittish and scared of me, which is totally different than how she has been acting. When I bring the food to her cage she runs to the back and hides her head under her litter box. It’s storming here today, so I’m not sure if that has something to do with how she’s acting, but I’m getting worried about the girl. We’ve only had her for a little over a week but I’ve already become really attached to her through helping her progress with her diet. Is there anything that would cause this sudden relapse and scaredness? She hasn’t even eaten the itty bitty bit of junk food pellets in her food bowl.

[duncanator]

Update: I got her to eat a little bit of lettuce. I sat with her on my bed and put her food bowl in front of her and petted her head and talked softly to her and she finally ate a good portion of lettuce, but it looked like she just chewed up her pellets and spat them back out.

[BinkyBunny]

How is she doing today? If she hasn’t eaten, you will need to take her to the vet.

[Author]

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