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Advice Regarding Flopsy (Dental diet)

Jackaroonie

Mama Doe
Hi Everyone , I was not sure whether to post this in the diet section or the health. So I've posted it here hope that is okay.

As most of you know Flopsy is a dental bunny, he wont touch hay as other rabbits do and only occasionally has a strand or two every now and then but its not very often at all unfortunately. Recently I have been noticing he's been loosing weight and obviously because he does not eat hay his poo is not very good at all as his gut is not constantly on the go, I cant give him any more pellets as the amount they are getting at the moment is affecting Lily's hay eating as it is. I just give them an egg cup of pellets morning and night and obviously they do have unlimited hay if he does choose to eat it. The problem I am having is that because he's not eating hay as he should Like Pickle & Pixie his gut is not constantly moving so when he does need a GA it takes a long time to get him back to his usual self and he normally goes into stasis like he did after his dental in February

I just do not know what to do to improve his diet but at the moment its really affecting Lily's hay eating the amount of pellets they are getting, they only get an egg cup twice a day but that as it is, is far too much. I only give P&P a table spoon of pellets twice a day as the rest of their diet is 90% hay and they are the most fantastic hay eaters. Im just not sure what we can do for the best, I don't think separating flopsy and Lily so Flopsy could be given a higher calcium and fibre diet would be very fair but it could be a possibility.

Flopsy does like Alfalfa hay surprisingly but as you know its very high in calcium and obviously very expensive so I would not be able to provide a constant supply if Lily would just eat it. However I am happy to get it for Flopsy as long as it is for him only. I just don't know what we can give him to keep his gut constantly on the go?

I've ordered some Timothy and Rye and INGS hay the other day and it might possibly be here tomorrow or should be here early next week Im hoping one of them will take Flopsy's fancy but im not holding my hopes up. Is there any other things high in fibre to give Flopsy to help keep his gut healthy as it should be OR any other suggestions would be great. Im just so worried and I want what's best for my rabbit's and their dietary needs.

I will be trying to get an appointment to seen John next week regarding Flopsy's weight loss. I Just hope he does not need another dental, I just don't know how he would cope with another GA so soon especially as he went into stasis after his last dental back in february. Im wondering if there could be another problem going on with Flopsy as I have also noticed some wee's outside of the litter tray which is not like him. Im just really hoping he does not have heart problems.:cry:
 
How is he with fresh grass? It is easier to eat than hay, but still has the fibre. It has started growing now, so should be a readily available supply.

Other things that my dental bunnies liked: bramble / raspberry/ strawberry leaves, dandelion leaves (and flowers). Other things that will be available soon: willow / apple / pear leaves
 
My Pebbles is bonded to Poppy. As he doesn't eat hay, but Poppy does, I have to take Pebbles out 3 times a day to feed him enough pellets to keep his weight stable and to prolong the amount of time between dentals. By feeding him 20g of high fibre pellets three times a day, I was able to get his weight up, and he was going 9 months between dentals.

However, after a dental he would stop eating, so I would seperate him from Poppy and keep in him my bedroom so that I could feed him soaked pellets hourly (from 5am-11pm) until he started eating dry food again, then he would go back on to 3-4 meals a day.

With the last dental he was much slower to eat again, so I just gave him a bowl of pre-weighed food in my bedroom, and just left him to graze on his pellets over a few hours, and would return him to Poppy occasionally to give him some time with her to snuggle and snooze, then put him back in my bedroom as much as possible so he had constant access to his pellets day and night. (Both buns are indoors, Poppy is in the livingroom)

I got into a routine with him, and it never affected his bond with Poppy when he was fed seperately, or kept apart overnight on occasions.
 
You are lucky that your grass is coming in there, we're still under a few feet of snow here. :( Of course it's got to be given slowly at first and mine will inhale a stem as soon as look at it. They will go mad for dandelions as well and plantain.
Mimzy is also a terrible hay eater. He wasn't always this way, but he just does not fancy it anymore. He prefers a wild diet. I often keep him going with willow branches and leaves (he mostly likes the leaves) which I get dried from an online store in the states. Also they sell these specially made hay cupcakes that are filled with good timothy/oats/and sometimes spare amounts of fruit. Funny he won't eat stalky hay but he'll chew one of these hard treats or pellets. :?
He is also a solitary bun so I don't have to worry about what he has being eaten by another bun or mixing up their leavings when I have to determine how well he is eliminating. He is a dental bun and is due for a checkup in a week.

I hope a way forward for Flopsy can be found that will work for everyone. It's a real worry when they are fussy. ((((((((Nomming vibes for Flopsy))))))))) xx
 
Have you tried cereal hays like green oat? Will he eat forage such as bramble, plantain. Also you cold try him on pro fibre pellets. I'd want a vet to check him though if he is losing weight and urinating in unusual places.
 
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