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Ho wcan i get Patch to chew!!!

P

Phill

Wise Old Thumper
Hi Guys, Patch (who came to us on sunday) Has got long front teeth, my vet checked them on tuesday and said they should be fine if i can get him to chew stuff to ware them down a bit. I have so far tried, toiolet rolls stuffed with hay, Hay, big cardboard tubes, wicker rings, willow rings, nibble blocks and those ball things stuffed with hay from the chinchilla website. :? Nothing seems to temped him to chew!! does anyone know of anything else i can try??

Thanks Guys Your such a help :D
 
do you feed him rabbit mix as well as the hay? If so reduce his mix so that he has to munch on the hay. It took a while for my bunny to become a hay muncher but when he had nothing left to eat and was left with just hay he had no choice and now is always munching away! :D
 
He does'nt seem to eat a lot of anything carys!!! it may just be that he's moved house or that he's still a full male he defo doesn't seem to like hay, i've given him every kinda hay i can find and nothing my chinchilla eats more hay than he does!! :lol: :lol:
 
Yeh really high fibre or she gets icky sticky poos!!!!! not nice she can have dried fruit and veg but not much fresh so it's dead similar keeps me right as well!!!
 
Hiya, I suggest cutting the hay up into smaller pieces ,so its more like a chaff and adding a few pieces of finely chopped herbs, this should encourage Patch to start eating the hay better :)
It is the hay that will keep the teeth ground down in the long run, and we find making a chaff works quite well, just cut the hay up with some scissors into a bowl.
Hope this helps??
 
You could always try leaving exposed electrical wiring (unconnected), your favourite pair of shoes and an important letter from the bank on the floor - best way to encourage them to chew ;) :lol: !!

Actually I found with Zeus that cutting out the pellets completely was the only way to force him to eat more hay. When he was eating enough I gradually reintroduced the pellets and made sure I only feed them pellets and veggies in the evening. That way when he gets hungry during the day it is hay or nothing!

Caz
 
Caz said:
You could always try leaving exposed electrical wiring (unconnected), your favourite pair of shoes and an important letter from the bank on the floor - best way to encourage them to chew ;) :lol: !!

Caz
Click to expand...

Thats a good one but he has'nt even tried to chew a wire, nothing the rabbit just wont chew!!!!!! i left my fav pair of boots out the other night and not a sausage!!! i'll try cutting his hay up and mixing in some hebs as adele says! perhaps he doeasn't like the tatse?? Funny rabbit if he don't""
 
You can buy a cube of pumice at my local pet shop which is for bunnies to grind their teeth on. Has anyone tried this?
 
Yep, i've got a packet of pumice that i have for the chin, i did't think of trying to give him that. Do you think it would be ok?
 
I think as long as it's a big piece where there was no chance of him choking on it then it should be ok. The piece I saw in the pet shop was about 5cm square ish.
 
Well guys!! Patch munched Hay!!! yay yay. I chopped it up and stuffed it back into it's ball and when i checked him this morning he'd munched the lot!!!! plus half a bowl of mix yay yay yay!!!!!!

Many Thanks Guys
 
Phill said:
Well guys!! Patch munched Hay!!! yay yay. I chopped it up and stuffed it back into it's ball and when i checked him this morning he'd munched the lot!!!! plus half a bowl of mix yay yay yay!!!!!!

Many Thanks Guys
Click to expand...

Oh that is wonderful news, very well done Phill :D :D
 
Hi - I'm having a similar problem with my bunnies not eating hay! They occasionally chew on it but not often. They eat plenty of grass though - is that ok instead or does it have to be hay? I've tried chopping it up but that hasn't fooled them!
 
glad you got your rabbit to chew!! bunnys with no front teeth often suck the food through the gap and munch with their back teeth, do you have a hay rack? if you make sure hay is sticking out nice and far from the rack it makes it easier to suck up! and how about smoothies for beggies instead of solids?
 
Boo has slightly longer front teeth then average. My Vet said the same thing as yours. If you can get her to chew you may be able to avoid a dental at a later date.

At the moment she is doing great. She is a big hay eater anyway which is good and she will also sit and chew a cardboard box to pieces if you leave one in her cage. I feed her a 1/4 slice of rock hard wholemeal bread in the morning and she also gets a chunk of carrot to chew on.


Louise
 
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