• 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.

  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Twinkle - what to do now? U/d p18

fluffiebunnie

fluffiebunnie

Warren Veteran
Twinkle has been on hay only diet for months now and it was going really well with no excess ceacs or messy bottom but over the last few days she is getting bad again. It is a new bale of hay which is not as yellow as rhe last few lots I have been getting, I assume even just hay is too rich for her if it is not course and yellow. Although saying that, the hay I have now is hardly lush looking.

So what do I do now if even hay is too rich for her tummy??
 
Last edited:
Have you tried any dried forage at all? I wonder if something like dried bramble or plantain in her diet, as they're high in fibre, would help at all. I don't know how their fibre compares to that of hay though. Or could you speak to your vet about her having some sort of probiotic to help her stomach?
 
I think it's the new cut hay. Ours has suddenly gone from very yellow to very green too. :( Poor Twinkle, I don't know what to suggest. :(
 
Poor Twinkle is so sensitive. :( Could you maybe try mixing several different hays together?
 
poor girl:(

i can't give eric really green hay - he gets a messy bum with all farm hay i've tried him on.

the stuff i find that he's ok on, i get from a garden centre - cheap as chips but its quite long, stalky and not very green.

do you want me to get some and send you? or find out the name of it for you to try and get some down there?
 
poppymoon said:
poor girl:(

i can't give eric really green hay - he gets a messy bum with all farm hay i've tried him on.

the stuff i find that he's ok on, i get from a garden centre - cheap as chips but its quite long, stalky and not very green.

do you want me to get some and send you? or find out the name of it for you to try and get some down there?
Click to expand...

Thanks - if you can find out the name or brand of hay? Or if anyone can recommend hay that is very dry, course and yellow??
 
fluffiebunnie said:
Thanks - if you can find out the name or brand of hay? Or if anyone can recommend hay that is very dry, course and yellow??
Click to expand...

Donna, don't panic :):wave: I'm certain it is the greener hay. Get some coarser yellow stuff and i'm sure she'll be fine again, but what a nightmare for you! I would as you know recommend the West Wales Willows stuff again, it is currently pretty yellow and coarse this year's boxes and I honestly would never feed my buns anything else. Most other hays can set Poppy off too if given too freely, this stuff NEVER does. Did you want to try another sample? I could potentially post you another little sample box :wave:

I'm sorry about the return of the messy bum but don't worry, we'll get her sorted again xx
 
prettylupin said:
Donna, don't panic :):wave: I'm certain it is the greener hay. Get some coarser yellow stuff and i'm sure she'll be fine again, but what a nightmare for you! I would as you know recommend the West Wales Willows stuff again, it is currently pretty yellow and coarse this year's boxes and I honestly would never feed my buns anything else. Most other hays can set Poppy off too if given too freely, this stuff NEVER does. Did you want to try another sample? I could potentially post you another little sample box :wave:

I'm sorry about the return of the messy bum but don't worry, we'll get her sorted again xx
Click to expand...

I would order some of this online direct, but with the shipping, it is sooooo expensive!!
 
hope it will be ok:)

as i said, i've never bought it online. occasionally i get a bag that's a bit yakky but usually, its pretty good - and stalky:)
 
fluffiebunnie said:
I would order some of this online direct, but with the shipping, it is sooooo expensive!!
Click to expand...

I know, but if it works might it save on vet bills and peace of mind!? ;) OR, maybe you could get 2 large boxes like I do - £40 with delivery and just mix it in with other cheaper hay? Kept correctly it will keep fresh in its box for up to a year. :) Now we just have Poppy, this is all she eats beside grass and dried herbs and wild stuff and 2 large boxes last months. :wave:
 
Could you ask Lillicos (it is there you get hay from?) to let you know when they have the yellower hay in stock? And then use WWW or the other one when it's green?
 
Schuette said:
Could you ask Lillicos (it is there you get hay from?) to let you know when they have the yellower hay in stock? And then use WWW or the other one when it's green?
Click to expand...

I can always use the farm hay for Pickle and Pootle and just use special hay for Twinkle so I suppose it will last a long time so maybe it won't be so bad.
 
prettylupin said:
I know, but if it works might it save on vet bills and peace of mind!? ;) OR, maybe you could get 2 large boxes like I do - £40 with delivery and just mix it in with other cheaper hay? Kept correctly it will keep fresh in its box for up to a year. :) Now we just have Poppy, this is all she eats beside grass and dried herbs and wild stuff and 2 large boxes last months. :wave:
Click to expand...

I might just do that. Will see what the hay I have just ordered is like and decide from there x
 
As PL says don't panic.
You'll get this back under control again.
I'm wondering what your vet thinks of doing an ultrasound of Twinkle's gut especially caecum.
Reason - we'd see how well her gut is moving, any gut wall thickening - all the things an XR shows & more. If it's slow, she might benefit from a course of prokinetics + biolapis to flush out the "wrong bacteria", & repopulate with the right ones.

Ultrasound doesn't need a GA - sometimes the tummy has to be shaved if fur is thick. Cost at a referral unit last year (A bit high) £60.
 
Update on Twinkle is that I have added probiotics to her drinking water and her tummy appears settled again. She is still on the baled farm hay but the probiotics must be helping. Not sure why but will continue with this for the time being
 
fluffiebunnie said:
Update on Twinkle is that I have added probiotics to her drinking water and her tummy appears settled again. She is still on the baled farm hay but the probiotics must be helping. Not sure why but will continue with this for the time being
Click to expand...

Phew! Which probiotic is this? Biolapis is apparently the most appropriate for specifically rabbits.
 
prettylupin said:
Phew! Which probiotic is this? Biolapis is apparently the most appropriate for specifically rabbits.
Click to expand...

I had some Avipro plus so I used that whilst waiting for my new hay to arrive. She drinks a lot so she must be getting something good from it as I haven't seen any messy patches in the run, and her bottom is looking cleaner again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Happy Hopping
my bun Fudgie is not eating enough timothy hay and is losing wt. thru out the years
4 5 6
Replies
104
Views
5K
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
P
Bunny still off food and hay, drooling and teeth chattering
2 3
Replies
49
Views
1K
twistedtiggerz69
twistedtiggerz69
Moonstone
Older mini lop going off food - probable lymphoma
3 4 5
Replies
83
Views
1K
Moonstone
Moonstone
Back
Top