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Hay troubles - he won't eat it.

casu consulto

Mama Doe
I've tried loads and loads of types of hay with Jack. I've bought two sample packs from the Hay Experts, hoping he might like one. I've bought hay that smelt nice, containing herbs, rose petals, dandelion... I've bought cheap hay from super markets, I've bought expensive hay that came in tiny bags. I've bought meadow hay, timothy hay, orchard grass. I'm running out of hay to try with him. He ignores it, or else uses it to make himself a bed. The only thing he'll sort of pick at is Readigrass. It honestly looks as if he goes from 7pm, when he has a tiny handful of pellets - there's no more than about ten! - to morning when he has his breakfast without touching the stuff.

The thing is, he had his myxi jab yesterday and is developing spurs on his back teeth. The vet said to keep an eye on it, and that encouraging him to eat hay might help wear them down. I just can't make him eat hay. He'd honestly rather go hungry than eat the stuff.

I'm half tempted to start giving him Alfalfa just to get him wearing his teeth down, but I don't want the high calcium content to cause more problems. :?

He also won't touch grass. He's an indoor bunny, so doesn't go in the garden yet, but I've brought him grass from different parts of the garden - and my neighbour's garden. Brought him different types. He ignores it.

He's such a pesky boy!
 
you prbably may need to cut down his pellets & veg so he will eat it. what do you feed him and how much does he weigh?
I assume the vet gave a clean bill of health?
 
He's not yet a year old. Less than 9 months. Not sure specifically because we found him as a 'stray' - he was running free in some gardens on the edge of a park. He'd been eating flowers and hamster food people left out for him. I assumed he had been eating grass also. He was quite skinny when I brought him here.

He was more willing to try hay in the first few days he was here. His interest in it dropped there after. As I said - he gets perhaps ten pellets of an evening. His breakfast is a romain lettuce leaf or spring greens, occasionally some herbs. Throughout the day he us left with a stack of hay. I'm not sure I can cut down his pellets further without just not giving him any - he has a stubborn streak. He'd honestly rather not eat than eat hay.

He's healthy in every other way.
 
our bridge bun little lionhead bandit wouldnt eat hay...the rescue had given up!
after being in the company of bif n bertie scoffing hay...esp bif....he began to eat the hay.
with little merlin too...since bif moved in with her cage into nikkis bedroom near merlins cage.....hes eating hay after watching her.
its odd but true!
 
It may be that the spurs on his back teeth are actually enough to stop him being able to eat hay. A different jaw action is involved when eating hay than that used to eat pellets etc. So it may be uncomfortable for him to eat hay, less so to eat pellets. He may have been thin when you found him because the problem had been going on for some time.

I think a Dental may be necessary. Is he neutered yet ?
 
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