Update on our Speckles- not eating hay?

[hiskatey93]

Okay so an update.

For those of you who didn’t know we have a new addition. A female ((mutt)), Speckles, who was abandoned in some vile conditions. We got her on Monday from the people who found her.

Took a trip to the vet today. 100% healthy. The vet is positive she is a she, and that she is a young girl. Her dewlap isn’t pronounced at all, and the vet says from the fur growth, actions, and some other physical traits she is positive we have a young girl, not even old enough to hit puberty yet. Makes sense. Both my boyfriend and I assumed she was a baby. Dunno why, just that feeling.

She is underweight, and needs some help with nutrition. Her claws are a bit deformed from nutrition prior.

We worried about ear mites, due to a single bald patch on her ear, and some dry skin around the edges but nope. Vet said it’s just some dry skin and to soothe it with some lotion or cream. She suggested neosporin. So yay no mites! And we officially have a 100% healthy little girl, who is bouncing back, and quite a little brave girl. 

Thank the gods. We shall be getting her spayed in a few months, so we know she is old enough, and getting her, and our Flemish male, Cash, chipped when he comes back home. ((He is currently residing at my best friend’s in Wisconsin until August. We moved to Ohio.))

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NOT EATING HAY PART

Okay so we established she had nutrition issues from the prior owners with the vet. She saw some signs, but cause she is young, it wont harm her too much in the future.

The major issue is hay. Speckles seems to have no idea what hay is. She shows zero interest in it. I have timothy, oat hay, alfalfa, and orchard grass hay. None of it. Nothing. She doesn’t seem to recognize it as food at all. Fresh grass though? Loves it. Pellets? Gobbles them up. Fresh veggies? Absolutely bonkers for it.

I can’t seem to figure out how to get her to eat hay. Any ideas?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Can you get some of those dried flowers for adding to hay? Mine go nuts for it I love the variety you are offering, give her time and ‘freshen’ the hay several times a day (you can remove and add more or just move it around to a different location, fluff it up, top with flowers). You could make her eat her pellets in the hay by sprinkling them on top. Don’t give up! They’ll often snub new food several times or for several weeks.

[JackRabbit]

Have you tried hand-feeding her hay? My bunnies think that anything hand-fed is special. Maybe try hand-feeding a little of each type.

[hiskatey93]

K&K- I haven’t even heard of adding dried flowers to hay. I’ll look into that! I’ve been moving it about and having little piles everywhere lol. My apartment is covered in small hay piles everywhere.

And JackRabbit I’ve tried hand feeding her it, and she jsut wanders away from it. Fresh veggies hand fed are accepted. It’s like she doesn’t even know hay is food.

Update. I just got home from work, and boyfriend was able to get her to eat some hay!!!!!!!!!!! ((I’m convinced that she loves him already since she went directly into his arms when the vet came into the room to examine her!)) Luckily he had some better luck than I did!

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