Not eating as much timothy hay.

[Wendy]

Hi, my rabbit hasn’t been into timothy hay lately. I usually feed him both timothy and oat hay. But I ran out of oat a week ago. I got my mom to order some for me, and it turned out she ordered timothy instead!

So I have to wait a few more days without oat hay. And I found my rabbit not eating as much. He’s still got a good appetite but he started leaving more and more of the timothy untouched (even fresh ones). He’d eat the flower heads and pick at the rest for a a few minutes, then stop eating it.

I was worried that he wasn’t getting enough fiber (plus he’s molting), and his poops have gotten a bit smaller. So I went ahead and bought a small bag of oat hay and bermuda grass from a local pet store to see if he’ll eat more.
He seemed to be interested and ate some. Now I’m waiting to see how his poop will come out.

 

Does anyone have an idea if he’s sick?  Or is he just sick of eating timothy hay?

 

I do remember that the vet told me he had overgrown back teeth and needed surgery last year. He took pictures of the teeth with a device, but he never showed me any pictures for comparison of what healthy teeth looked like. It was my fault for not asking for one I guess! But I was a little skeptical at the time, so I never took my in for the surgery. He has been fine all this time though… Until this week when my oat hay ran out.

[Bunny House]

Well if your vet said he needed a dental last year then he probably really needs one now. Teeth issues are the main reason why buns stop eating hay, then they go into stasis and it can be deadly if left alone, so you need to schedule a vet visit. You should also try and buy some botanical hay and even some bunny safe herbal hay toppers from small pet select to help encourage him to eat more hay. You can even try different brands of hay to see what peaks his interest

[Wendy]

Alright, I’ll be taking him tomorrow for a check up! Thank you for the advice!

[sarahthegemini]

If he’s eating the oat then I would assume he was just a bit bored of the timothy. Is he eating a good amount?

Having said that, it’s a little concerning that you were told last year that his teeth were overgrown and you didn’t take him back to have them dealt with. I would have thought he’d be showing signs of being in pain tho. It’s a bit odd!

Wick bunny has his teeth filed down regularly and I *think* Wick continues to eat when his teeth are playing up. I think his only ‘sign’ is getting more frustrated and peeing out of his litter box (correct me if I’m wrong Wick haha)

[Wick & Fable]

You are correct Sarah!

Wick gets his teeth done once a month. He does not stop eating when they begin to bother him, which is why I always mention dental problems regardless of whether the rabbit is eating food.

Is it possible he mainly just eats the oat hay and it hasn’t been noticeable because you mix it?

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.

[Bunny House]

Of course! And I agree with the others, he might be bored with the hay but try introducing other hay to see if he changes but a vet visit will be good!

[Wendy]

Hello, I just got back from the vet!

Before I’d always feed him timothy hay, I’ve tried all the different cuts too. He used to LOVE the leafy ones but eventually lost enthusiasm for it as well.
A few months ago he had a similar problem where he started eating a little less and his poop got smaller. So I tried giving him some oat hay and he went crazy for them.
So ever since I’ve fed him both timothy and oat. But yeah I do think he prefers oat over timothy. He had been having only timothy for hay for the past 2 weeks (until yesterday).

He ate a lot of the oat and bermuda grass I bought and his poops got really big!
Maybe the batch of timothy hay I’m giving him isn’t as fresh anymore? I live in a rather humid country and I’ve accidentally left the bag open a few times.
I’ll try a new bag and see if he’ll be more interested.

The vet checked his teeth and he said there were no problems (thankfully!). But it’s weird because he’s the same vet that examined my rabbit last year…
However, I haven’t brushed his fur thoroughly enough and the vet thinks he might have ingested too much fur. There was fur flying all over in the room, oops!
The vet also noticed a bit of gas in him as well. I got some meds to help with his digestion.

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