Young bunny not eating hay or pellets

[Tbabs]

I got a young bunny (estimating he’s between 4 & 6 mo old) from a store 2 wks ago. The store didn’t have much info on him & as a first bunny owner, I wasn’t sure of what to ask. He’s about 1 lb & is a himalayan dwarf.

I began feeding him regular Timothy hay. I also gave him Timothy based pellets with the dried veggies & fruit mixed in. For a week I don’t think he touched the pellets at all. He also didn’t eat much of the hay, but would graze sparingly on it. The other thing I fed him was some romaine lettuce, started with a little at time, which he gobbled up. I also gave him little bits of apple as a treat, sparingly. I noticed he wasn’t really eating & he seemed like he was getting skinny. I called the store to find out that they were feeding him alfalfa hay plus alfalfa based pellets. I ran out & bought both, but the pellets weren’t the exact ones he was eating at the store, but still alfalfa based.

Day 1 on new hay & pellets was great. He ate his 1/8 cup of pellets & ate a decent amount of hay, but still not as much as I expected. I thought he should be eating a handful size pile of hay about equal to his body size. Yesterday & today was not as great. Hasn’t eaten much of the pellets. He’s eaten some hay, but again not as much as I feel he should be. His vet appt isn’t until Dec 1. He does graze throughout the day but I’m concerned because he seems skinny to me.

Not sure if I should try to get him to a vet sooner, let him get used to the alfalfa again, or (slowly) try something else. I’m concerned about trying too much especially since we already started him on something he was not eating initially.

Any suggestions?

[Wick & Fable]

How is his behavior? Does he seem nervous or scared? He has transitioned to a new environment, so it may take some time for him to feel safe enough to eat. Notably, I would recommend against pellets that have veggies and fruit mixed in — rabbits are selective foragers, so a rabbit will learn to only eat the “treat” bits in it and not the actual pellets, which have the nutrients they need.

How are you offering hay? You want to offer a lot of hay, and putting it in more places can help activate a rabbit to go around and forage for the best pieces. Hay isn’t like a “normal” food either, in that you inevitably need to throw some away regularly because a rabbit, based on its senses, will simply not eat some pieces, so don’t expect to only refill when there is no hay left. Recycling, mixing, and re-distributing hay is a good tactic (but remember to throw away any soiled (peed on) hay!).

Also, a rabbit will typically always eat pellets and veggies first before hay, and pellets are filling and more “treat” like, in comparison to hay. To encourage more hay, you want to limit how often the rabbit has access to non-hay foods, as many default to just eating pellets, which isn’t good. I recommend offering pellets in the morning and and night, but then for the remainder of the day, the rabbit only has access to hay.

If he is having an appetite to eat a small apple treat when offered, it’s a good sign that he has an appetite and energy. If he ever refuses a treat and doesn’t eat anything for 12 hours, that is an emergency and he needs to be taken to the vet.

Could you describe your set-up and routine for him? That can help.

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.

[DanaNM]

I’ll just add that young bunnies should be getting a larger amount of alfalfa pellets. You can allow him to free-feed (unlimited), especially because he’s so thin. Whether he is 4 or 6 months makes a difference, but many people recommend free-feeding till 1 year old.  It can take young bunnies a while to get used to eating timothy hay if they’ve only had alfalfa, but if he’s started eating some I’m guessing he will eat more as time goes on.

How are his poops?

 

. . . 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.  

[Tbabs]

His behavior actually tells me he’s comfortable. We leave his cage open most of time in my daughter’s room & he comes in & out, goes in & out of her barbie house, checks out all surroundings, & plops down on her floor for a nap. He’s already been coming up to us, licking  us, & even does the same to our dogs through the cage.

I’ve given him hay in the corner of his cage, in his litter box, outside his cage in 2-3 places. We also had a hanging ball for the hay but it seemed 2 be difficult for him to get to all the pieces he likes. He’s eating some of the new alfalfa hay but definitely leaving a lot, mostly stems. I even bought better quality alfalfa hay today & orchard grass. No go on either. He’s not filling up on pellets because other than 1 day, he hasn’t been eating those either. He basically only eats the little bit of greens that we give him, a little hay, & any treats which are limited.

I’m also remixing, adding new hay, & discarding old hay. I’m replacing his water daily, his pellets in the AM, & giving new hay twice a day.

He is peeing & pooping fine as far as I can tell. His poops are a little smaller now then when he first came home, but still same color & consistency. He’s also eating his good poops too.

I just ordered vitamin drops in hopes that it perks up his interest in eating & so that he gets the vitamins he needs even if we continue to have issues.

[DanaNM]

Hmm, well he must be eating something if his poops are looking OK? I would hold off on all treats for now, just in case they are affecting his appetite for his other food.

At this point it would probably good to take him to the vet to make sure he doesn’t have a dental issue or something going on with his gut. Rabbits really do need to be eating hay throughout the day to keep their gut functioning properly, so a just eating a small amount of greens and having smaller poops is concerning. The rabbit digestive tract relies on large amounts of fiber to function smoothly.

. . . 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.  

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