Timothy pellets , not appitizing enough ?>

[Ralph]

Hi there ,

Thanks for all the constructive advice before,
This time around , I am in need of advice yeet again.
Our rabbit is about a year and a half old now, I recently purchased Genesis Timothy Pellets (not sure if you are familiar with the brand)
Before I had Oxbow’s Timothy pellets with the rabbits loved and well digested. However now he totally refuses to eat the Genesis pellets, after
haing to feed him Alfafa pellets for a while , it seems hard to switch back.

Please advise on how to go about making him love the new pellets , they are much healthier for him than what we have now..
I tried to hide the genesis pellets in a piece of dried kiwi , and whaddayaknow , he swallowed it. But we can;t go and be feeding him this
way.

Hope my story made sense,

Thank you

Kind Regards

Ralph

[Beka27]

it’s very good to keep with the same type and brand of pellets. subtle differences betw/ them can cause an upset tummy. many buns prefer the alfalfa, but they are not healthy for adult rabbits, plus they are too high in calcium. i would continue to offer the pellets each day in a limited amount. you can then reverse measure to see how much if any he is eating. keep feeding his normal timothy hay and greens during this time so even if he chooses not to eat pellets for awhile, he will not go hungry.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yes rabbits get used to what they’re eating and can reject new foods. Generally if you have to/want to switch you start mixing small amounts of the new in with the old-not possible if you run out first. Beka touched on how to keep him from going hungry and make the switch is excellent.

Another reason he may be rejecting them is, there are two types of pellet processes, one makes the long skinny pellets that are common, and one makes the round pellets (Called extruded). If one was extrudeded and one isn’t they may not like the change there as well!

[Ralph]

Do you think he will eventually eat them if I keep introducing them, and gradually reduce giing hum the other pellets? And the shape of the newer pellets are indeed different in shape and in smell.

[bunnytowne]

He is going to have to eventually eat them.   He won’t starve himself.  I am going through that with Cotton and HB too.  Ruby seems to eat the whole dish with the old and the new Oxbow Basic T. 

Now Cotton leaves pellets I think he pics out the alfalfa ones and leaves the rest.  He is eating more hay now.  I won’t put but very little food in Cotton’s dish if he hasn’t finished all his pellets just to make sure he eats the new ones too. Once they are all gone I measure out some more adn repeat.

HB  he gave up too and ate the whole bowl as well. He was doing like Cotton  It takes them a little time and they can be stubborn.  Just keep at it. and your bun WILL eat the new ones. The healthy ones.

[MooBunnay]

I have slowly been cutting down on my bunny’s pellets since I adopted them because in my vets opinion, the bunnies don’t even really need to have pellets. Hay and greens are much healthier than the pellets, and therefore, I wouldn’t be very concerned if your bunny isn’t showing a great amount of interest in the pellets.

Is your bun getting unlimited timothy or another grass hay? And some healthy veg every day? If so, I would just continue feeding small amounts of the pellets, and maybe one day he will be interested If not, well, you’ll still have a healthy bunny!

[Ralph]

The problem is (Thank for the feedback by the way) is that the supplier cannot get anymore Oxbow products in the country where I live. And out Bunny enjoyed eating the Oxbow timothy and pellets. Now we had to order new pellets and different timothy hay. He seems to have trouble with both new types. Extra question if you don’t mind.

1. Droplets have been getting smaller, after being fine for a long time.
2. Rabbit is having fur change , drastic patches fell off and new hair is emerging. Might it be because of the food change (stress) or is this normal for the coming winter?

thanks again

[Beka27]

do you have hay in his litterbox, that might encourage him to nibble more. also, make sure he has easy access to it. i have used hay holders before and it made it harder for my bunny to get to so she stopped eating it as much, it was too much work. can you purchase another type of grass hay (brome, orchard, oat, meadow) and mix it in with his timothy? the poops may be smaller if he is not eating as much hay recently, so it’s important he start eating it again. you can also try giving him a small handful a few times a day, sometimes when the hay is “fresh” they are more likely to eat some of it.

the fur change is probably due to a shed, it is very IMPORTANT that you brush him daily during his shedding, especially since he is not eating much hay. as he grooms his fur, it can become impacted in his tummy and that can also be causing smaller poops. this is dangerous and can lead to GI Stasis (slowdown of the digestive system) and if not treated by a vet, the outlook is bleak.

[bunnytowne]

i notice if you switch from timmy pellets to alfalfa pellets the poo gets smaller. Has that been the case where you are at? No timmy pellets available?

[Sarita]

How’s your bunny? Have you got him eating? I think that’s the most important thing here to keep him eating. You may need to hand feed him a pelleted slurry mix.

[MooBunnay]

I’m sorry to hear your Oxbow supply ran out! Did the supplier tell you why? Were they in contact with Oxbow directly? maybe you could help them get the lines of supply open again.

As Beka mentioned, it is very concerning if your bunny is not eating anything at all. I would expect a slight change in poops when you change both hay and pellets, but if the poops are getting much smaller and infrequent, that is a sign that something more serious is going on.

If you cannot get your bunny to eat at all, the best advice I can give you is to take him to a vet where he can get some motility drugs (helps to get the digestive system moving) and also a pain shot (since sometimes their tummy will be in a lot of pain if they are not eating). Then, you will have to force feed pellets mixed with water until your bun starts eating again.

Let us know how he is doing today!

[Beka27]

i don’t remember what country you are in, but i know Oxbow here in America has been going thru some website and supplier changes. it’s possible that the inability to get the oxbow is just temporary.

[Ralph]

Hi people,

Thanks for all the concern , and feedback.
He is eating however I am not 100% satisfied about it. He is eating the Alfafa pellets with little problems (not the newer pellets, i think I might as well throw them completely out). He eats his greens, and hay. droplets seems to becoming a little better.

[Beka27]

i wouldn’t throw out the tim pellets. keep offering them and everytime give a few pellets less of the alfalfa. eventually he is going to have to eat them.

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