Pellet free diet for rabbit allergic to timothy hay

[krittakat]

Hi everyone. My rabbit Walter is 10 years old and is allergic to timothy hay Recently I stopped feeding him pellets because his skin is very itchy and I could feel small scabs on his neck (it’s not mites or fleas, don’t worry). This has been going on for years but I never thought to take away the pellets because I didn’t think rabbits could go without them but I’ve read into pellet-free diets lately and wanted to give it a try so I’ve just been feeding him unlimited orchard grass and oat hay plus about 2 cups of leafy greens a day. It’s been a few weeks now and his skin is much better already and he seems happier and more energetic but now the problem is that he is losing weight. I can feel his spine when petting him and he always seems hungry (He’s always been about 4 pounds, probably a little less now). Does anyone know of a rabbit pellet that does not contain timothy hay or have any suggestions to give him extra calories?? He’s had GI stasis a couple times in the past and he’s a senior rabbit so I definitely don’t want to give him any sugar or starchy veggies… I tried giving him some oats yesterday but he didn’t eat them so I just don’t know what to do. Any suggestions help, thanks so much!!

[Asriel and Bombur]

It could be worth it to just give him 2 tablespoons of alfalfa based pellets instead, but I’m not sure if they contain timothy as well. You could probably give some alfalfa hay as well.

[A Happy Herd of Hares]

Alfalfa is way to rich and in an old rabbit he may easily get kidney stones from it. I would shake the hay out really well, and then mist it lightly to kill the dust down. See if that helps him!

[Asriel and Bombur]

There have been bunnies on here with old age that are given alfalfa pellets to maintain their weight. It’s far better than adding oats. A small amount of alfalfa per day is not going to give kidney issues. If he excessively eats alfalfa, yes, but not given 2 tbsp a day to eat pellets to keep his weight up

[Asriel and Bombur]

“Senior rabbits, over 6 years of age, can be fed the same diet as mature adults if their weight is being maintained sufficiently. You may need to increase pellet intake if your pet is unable to maintain his weight. Alfalfa can also be given to underweight rabbits, but only if calcium levels are normal (determined by a blood workup). If calcium levels are high, then alfalfa is not a good idea.”

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=776 This is a very reliable bunny source I’ve used numerous times for things and it has not failed me once.

[Wick & Fable]

HRS has a small snippet regarding pellet-focused diets: http://rabbit.org/pellet-free-diet/

Pellets are usually recommended because they provide all the needed nutrients, in lieu of the rabbit foraging on dozens of different plants out in the wilderness.

I think you may need to offset the pellets with a larger variety of vegetables so you can “check all the boxes” per say.

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.

[krittakat]

Has anyone tried these pellets before?:
https://www.petco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&productId=91181&mr:referralID=4531b736-ec21-11e8-8116-0050569451e5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8tat2_7g3gIVLiCtBh1HGgjpEAQYASABEgKO__D_BwE&utm_campaign=PTC_P_SUP_PLA-GG_FY17_SCShopping-Win&utm_source=google

I tried giving them to my rabbit before but they gave him diarrhea. Maybe I could try again and give him very little at a time. Here’s the ingredient list, does this seem okay for an older rabbit?

Ingredients
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Soybean Hulls, Whole Wheat, Wheat Middlings, Flaked Peas, Flaxseed, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Meal, Soybean Oil, Monocalcium Phosphate, Salt, Ground Limestone, L-Lysine, Dl- Methionine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Cholecalciferol (Source Of Vitamin D3), Manganese Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Source Of Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement (Source Of Vitamin B2), Copper Sulfate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source Of Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Besides the ingredients, its important to looks at the nutritional analysis. And to be honest, those aren’t very good. I’d recommend something like Oxbow young rabbit or Small Pets Select.

Oxbow:
Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein (min) 15.00%
Crude Fat (min) 2.50%
Crude Fiber (min) 22.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 25.00%
Moisture (max) 10.00%
Calcium (min) 0.60%
Calcium (max) 1.10%
Phosphorus (min) 0.25%
Vitamin A (min) 10,000 IU/kg
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg

Petco Pellets
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude protein (min) 12.0%, crude fat (min) 2.5%, crude fiber (min) 21.0%, crude fiber (max) 26%, moisture (max) 11%, calcium (min) 0.6%, calcium (max)

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