• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Not eating hay after spay :-(

SisterMoonbeam

Mama Doe
As some of you may know little fidget was spayed on wednesday. She seems to have recovered really well and was eating by wednesday evening and behaviour and usual gusto for her food returned to normal by thursday evening. The vet saw her for her post op check on saturday and was very pleased. Only thing is, she won't eat her hay. She has eaten her hay cookie but not her actual hay. I only had one hay cookie left so don't have any more to give her but this shouldn't have been a problem as she usually hoovers hay up. Doesn't stay in her cage for long and have to replenish it at least every day. I'm worried now. Hay is SO important and i don't like the idea of her not eating it. Especially now i thought everything was on track as i FINALLY managed to get frankie to eat hay :(:(:(
 
That's normal for the 1st 2 days. It's a major operation. They gain their diet on treats, veggies first, hay last. Just tempt your bun w/ her favorite treats for the next 2 days.

Make sure your bun does not have any higher ground to jump to, as it can pull that wound
 
That's normal for the 1st 2 days. It's a major operation. They gain their diet on treats, veggies first, hay last. Just tempt your bun w/ her favorite treats for the next 2 days.

Make sure your bun does not have any higher ground to jump to, as it can pull that wound

But its been 5 days now :(

Maybe i'm just being a bit ambitious cause she is recovering so well in every other respect
 
Are you putting fresh hay in.... (as opposed to leaving whats there fore her to eat first) Usually if it's been sitting there a while they won't want it. Do you have access to farm baled hay....I find that fussier hay eaters much prefer it to shop bought stuff! None of mine will eat pre-packed hay. It does take some bunny's about a week or so to get back to eating normally. Can you pick her some grass......
 
In that case, it's a behaviour problem. Is she still in pain? Was she given metacam for 4 days total? The behaviour problem can be cause by pain.

I would wait till the wound is fully healed. It may be bothering her to some extent, is she trying to lick the stitches?
 
Oggie wasnt sure on hay at all, but thankfully has just started loving it.
It took him awhile to get back into nibbling though, as said above I would put just fresh hay in there everyday.

Have you tried different types of hay too?
 
I think it may be the hay, i am refreshing it everyday but no interest. I usually have farm hay but had to buy some from the pet shop being at home in manchester. This isn't usually a problem as she has had this hay before and yummed it up. She is showing no interest in her stitches and the wound seems to be healing well. She is eating grass i have picked and like i said she is eating the hay cookie. maybe i should go to pets at home and get more cookies? I hope its just that she is recovering from her operation cause she is usually a little hay monster no matter what hay it is.
 
supposedly, for any rabbit, once a type of food is change, it takes a while for the bun's stomach to get use to that new kind of food. But in your case, he did had it before. Although it depends on how long ago that was.

but w/ hay, it shouldn't make that much of a difference. I would keep giving hay cookies, wait till the wound is fully healed, then see if there is any changes. I would also go back to the other hay, the 1 you were using before.

I buy 1 big bale of hay, so I never run out here. And it's only $8 for 65 lb. of hay (1 bale)
 
supposedly, for any rabbit, once a type of food is change, it takes a while for the bun's stomach to get use to that new kind of food. But in your case, he did had it before. Although it depends on how long ago that was.

but w/ hay, it shouldn't make that much of a difference. I would keep giving hay cookies, wait till the wound is fully healed, then see if there is any changes. I would also go back to the other hay, the 1 you were using before.

I buy 1 big bale of hay, so I never run out here. And it's only $8 for 65 lb. of hay (1 bale)

Problem is, i don't know any suppliers in this area (city) i live in the countryside when at uni and get hay from my lecturer who has her own farm lol
 
This happened when Barley was speyed in January. She'd always been a great hay eater, then just turned her nose up at it. I mentioned it to the vet when she went back at her 5 day check up, because like you, I wanted her eating hay more than anything. He said he had known the op to affect a bun's food preferences before, but couldn't really explain why it should ( other than the fact it is a major op). In Barley's case he did say he had rooted around in her a fair bit, because she had such tiny organs ( she turned out to be hermaphrodite when they opened her up). He suggested a tasty hay ( like Ox Bow Alfalfa or Timothy) to get her tempted and then re-introduce her back to her normal hay. Have to say, although it did take a few more days, she was eating grass and bits from the garden and did get back to the hay eventually.

Hope she's back to good health soon.:D
 
Back
Top