A change of diet after first stasis episode

It's been a week, and Sonic has just started to eat his pellets again. He's pooing and eating relatively normally now, my parents say he's not quite completely fixed, but 95% there!

I'm guilty of surrendering to those big "I'm starving, feed me more eyes" when it comes to giving him pellets, but I really think that after this scare I should really cut down on them now. Mum text me this morning saying that he's eaten all his pellets and she felt guilty and wanted to give him more (I'm sure everyone can relate!), but am I right to say just a small handful a day? How much is too little? Is too little even a 'thing'? Should he have a few more to gain the weight he lost this week?

Obviously he has unlimited hay, but how long will it take for him to get the message that he's only getting a small amount of pellets?

Thanks for your help again! I just want to (obviously) prevent this from happening again in the best way possible. The vet said besides the stasis he's in perfect condition, he's never had any health problems in 7 years, so if we can keep his guts healthy then that's fab!

supersonic said:

It's been a week, and Sonic has just started to eat his pellets again. He's pooing and eating relatively normally now, my parents say he's not quite completely fixed, but 95% there!

I'm guilty of surrendering to those big "I'm starving, feed me more eyes" when it comes to giving him pellets, but I really think that after this scare I should really cut down on them now. Mum text me this morning saying that he's eaten all his pellets and she felt guilty and wanted to give him more (I'm sure everyone can relate!), but am I right to say just a small handful a day? How much is too little? Is too little even a 'thing'? Should he have a few more to gain the weight he lost this week?

Obviously he has unlimited hay, but how long will it take for him to get the message that he's only getting a small amount of pellets?

Thanks for your help again! I just want to (obviously) prevent this from happening again in the best way possible. The vet said besides the stasis he's in perfect condition, he's never had any health problems in 7 years, so if we can keep his guts healthy then that's fab!

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Never :lol: He will probably always tell you he wants, no needs more pellets. Mine do anyway. A handful is still quite a lot. My handful feeds all three, works out 8g each. If he lost weight during his stasis episode maybe you could hang fire on reducing until he is 100% back to normal. Maybe feed them in a treat ball so he can be distracted & therefore not notice he is being ripped off. I'm sure rabbits can count. What else does he have - any greens or forage?

Mine get an eggcup a day (approx 15g). They don't seem to bother asking me for more but they've had that amount their entire lives.

I agree with the treat ball idea. It'll take him longer to get them so will make him feel he's had more.

He'll soon get used to it and fill up on hay instead. Maybe you could up his forage a little bit until he's 100%

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joey&boo said:

Never :lol: He will probably always tell you he wants, no needs more pellets. Mine do anyway. A handful is still quite a lot. My handful feeds all three, works out 8g each. If he lost weight during his stasis episode maybe you could hang fire on reducing until he is 100% back to normal. Maybe feed them in a treat ball so he can be distracted & therefore not notice he is being ripped off. I'm sure rabbits can count. What else does he have - any greens or forage?

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We usually hide them in his hay so he has to dig for them. He has a fair bit of veg - I couldn't tell you exactly what at the moment as it's my sister who's taken on that duty! I do know she's done a lot of research and has written down how much of everything he should have. Forage is something I'm going to look into more when I get back home, he does get dandelions and stuff, but I doubt he gets enough. I have a solid week before my interview, so it's going to be some serious research!
I'm sure he does count them, he'll always know when he's being ripped off!

joey&boo said:

I'm sure rabbits can count.

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Yes, of course they can :lol:

I hand feed my three 6 pellets each every morning. I even make sure that the eldest doe (the skinniest) gets the largest pellets, the youngest buck (greedy, heavier and with a larger tummy) gets the smallest and the other buck (ideal weight) gets a size in between . Once they have had their six, they know they won't get any more, lose interest and walk away.

In the evening they get a handful between the three of them and I scatter feed these.

I think forage is a good idea. Mine get loads and although it never seems to fill them up, so that they would refuse pellets, I do think it is excellent for rabbits' tummies.

Omi said:

Yes, of course they can :lol:

I hand feed my three 6 pellets each every morning. I even make sure that the eldest doe (the skinniest) gets the largest pellets, the youngest buck (greedy, heavier and with a larger tummy) gets the smallest and the other buck (ideal weight) gets a size in between . Once they have had their six, they know they won't get any more, lose interest and walk away.

In the evening they get a handful between the three of them and I scatter feed these.

I think forage is a good idea. Mine get loads and although it never seems to fill them up, so that they would refuse pellets, I do think it is excellent for rabbits' tummies.

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Hand feeding them is a nice idea. I live very near the woods, so I'll get researching and collecting next week!

My parents gave into those big brown eyes of his this morning and gave him some more pellets, he was "absolutely ravenous" :lol: They're coming to pick me up this weekend, so my Grandma is on bunny and pig duty... she'll give into those feed me eyes too! She's popping round a few times a day to count poos and give cuddles. The pets always go round to theirs when we go on holiday and she spoils them rotten, so she's very much in Sonic's good books. She also went to the vet with dad last week to know what to do if he went downhill again, he's in very good hands.
I'm spending my last weekend in Cornwall, then I'll be back for bunny cuddles on Monday So excited!