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Rabbit Diet

L

leti2pets

Young Bun
I have an american fuzzy that has recently decided she doesen't like the food I've been giving her since I got her almost a year ago. For the past week or so she has only been eating carrots, apples, pineaple, and a small amount of oatmeal. Since she doesn't want pellets, what should I add to/change in that combination to give her a more ballanced diet?
She also has alfalfa available to her.
 
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Hmm have you though about getting a vet to check her teeth, if she's has tooth problems she may be getting some pain while eating the harder pellets? I would try introducing some greens as Carrots and Apple might be a bit high in sugar as everyday foods? Is that her in your avatar? She's gorgous!
 
Yes, with a sudden change of eating habbits I'd get the vet to check her out. Does she eat much hay?

Tamsin
 
I've seen rabbits with bad teeth before, and her teeth don't look like that.
She has alfalfa and she does eat that. I can't give timothy because I am allergic.
The rabbit in my avatar is my lionhead, Pepper. I've had her for the longest amount of time. She's preaty, but everyone is scared of her because when she was younger she would growl and and leap at people.
 
It may be a problem with her back teeth that you can't see? I know several people on here have said they can tell when their bun need a dental as they go off certain foods.

Has the food changed recipie or supplier, a very popular food here changed the recipie and lots of buns wouldnt eat it :roll:
 
I don't know bout the back teeth. If I opened her mouth that wide I would get bit. I don't think the food changed or if it did, I don't think thats the reason. She stopped wanting it mid bag.
 
You wouldn't be able to see her back teeth without a special tool (can't remember what it's called, vets use it)

I would get her checked out and in the mean time get her to eat as much hay as possible :D
 
Rabbit's back teeth grow continually as well as the front teeth and if they don't wear quite right they can get sharp points called spurs. These then rub on the tounge/cheeks causing pain and eventually ulcers.

You won't be able to see this just by looking at her front teeth (which may look perfectly normal). The vet will use a scope (like the ones doctors use to look in your ears).

Sometimes the only indication a rabbit has spurs is a change in eating habits.

A rabbit that doesn't eat a lot of hay or grass is at higher risk because pellets and veg don't wear the teeth down the same way hay/grass does. They chew that with a different motion.

If you're allergic to hay you might find freeze-dried grass is better as it's less dusty.
 
Hello welcome to RU. :wave:

You could try putting some pellets in a bowl and then just covering them with warm water. Leave them till the water is dissolved and they have cooled down. If she its them then it probably is teeth problem but the moist pellets will help keep her weight up until you can get to the vets.
 
Alfalfa is a treat (it's too high in calcium to feed all of the time), but hay should be available constantly to your bunny.

If you are allergic to hay then you should try hay cubes. Oxbow make 100% Timothy cubes that rabbits love and it shouldn't affect your allergies.:D
 
I took Soqui in to the vet today to have her teeth checked and they were fine. The vet said she was perfectly healthy and that she has no idea why Soqui would have stopped eating her pellets. A few days ago she started eating them again after not eating them for two and a half weeks. All the vet said was that if that happened again to give her a wide varity of vegetables so she can get appropriate nutrients.
 
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