Old-ish Bun, diet help?

[Dylan]

Clover is my first ever rescue bun. I rescued her a couple years ago, and she is thought to be about seven now. Her immune system is crappy (which fits right in with her immunosuppressed bonded mate). Last year we started seeing teeth problems with her, and we have been seeing them frequently since then. Clover got sick around a year and a half ago with bordatella, which came back twice followed by a nasty ear infection. By the time we cleared all of this up, she was pretty thin and frail. She never really gained back the weight she lost, and she keeps getting spurs (she does eat her hay) and stops eating from them. She goes in and gets her spurs clipped and filed and then leaves, but she isn’t putting on weight. 

They eat second cut timothy hay, so I am thinking about getting her some alfalfa to mix in with the timothy, but I just don’t want her bonded partner to get a hold of it. I ordered some third cut hay that should get here tomorrow and I want to see if that is easier for her to eat. My worst fear right now is that if she gets sick again, she isn’t going to be strong enough to fight it. She has a huge appetite for greens, but she eats slowly, and doesn’t eat a ton of hay (she lived with none for three years before I got her -.-) AND only eats a small amount of her pellets. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do here?

[DanaNM]

Does she like critical care? Mine love it and will lick it off a plate.

You can try offering that as a supplement to get some weight back on her.

. . . 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.  

[Deb]

Several months back I took in an old bunny, who just turned 10 this month. He was quite thin when he arrived and his mouth was a mess. My vet did what she could for his teeth, but he’s missing too many to eat regular hay. So, I’ve had to get creative. I second the Critical Care suggestion. Marshmallow loves the apple/banana flavored kind. But to get more straight hay (and thus, fiber) into him I started mixing it with softened timothy hay pellets (Standlee Timothy Grass Pellets, meant for horses). At first I mixed in just a little of the softened pellets, then gradually increased to about 2part softened hay pellets to 1part Critical Care.

Below is the recipe I use. I make up enough of the softened hay pellets to last a couple of days and keep it in the frig. Then I make up the Critical Care fresh each meal, mix in the softened pellets, and feed. He gobbles it down so typically there is no leftover, but I’d discard uneaten portions after a couple of hours. He gets his mush three times per day and always has broken up hay cubes and FibaFirst sticks available to pick at, since he can usually manage the short pieces of hay that result when these are crumbled up. He’s picked up some weight, is far brighter and more active than when he first came to live with me, and his poops are amazing in both quantity and quality. A win-win-win.

If your girl is having trouble chewing regular hay and pellets, this might help on both fronts — the Critical Care for the nutrients and the softened timothy pellets for fiber.

*****
Marshmallow’s Mush

Critical Care (apple/banana flavor)
• Mix 2tsp Critical Care with 4tsp *warm* water
• Let stand until it thickens to consistency of apple sauce (add a few drops more water if needed)

Hay Pellets (Standlee Timothy Grass)
• Cover 1 part pellets with 2 parts water
• Microwave until water is absorbed and there are no hard pieces (approx. 15 seconds per TBS of pellets)
• Let stand until cooled
• Refrigerate unused portion between feedings

MIX Critical Care with 1.5-2x as much softened hay pellets (consistency of cookie dough)
Serve a little warm (makes it smell more enticing … if I’m using softened pellets that have been in the refrigerator rather than freshly made, I zap it for about 5 seconds in the microwave to take the chill off

[LittlePuffyTail]

I give my 10 year old several TBSP of Critical Care per day. He loves the apple/banana too.

[Author]

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