• 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.

Rabbit sitting dilemma

Karly

Banned
I'm bunny-sitting a dwarf lop for the weekend, who's gorgeous and friendly and really spoilt - but that's the problem, she's rather overspoilt. A friend was meant to be looking after her, but couldn't, so I said I'd do it as I used to board quite a few bunnies and rodents. From first impressions, the owner dotes on her bunny and gives it rather too many treats - she said it wasn't keen on hay either.
Well, I had to work today so she dropped it off while my mum was here. However, when I got it I checked through the bag and there's no staple food. I did tell her I had my own hay, but she did say she'd bring it's veg, treats, etc. so I assumed she'd bring the food.
There's Ravioli treats, Harry Hamster sticks, yoghurt drops, sliced spring greens and a pack of baby carrots, and that's it. And according to my mum, that's all the owner feeds her :?
I wasn't particularly planning on giving her the treats, instead giving her a 'healthy spa' weekend, but now I don't know what to feed her other than hay and her greens and carrots. I don't want to upset her tum, but I don't want to give her just hay, especially if she's not a keen hay eater (though I have several kinds I could try her with)
The bun has a bit of a weepy eye. She's been to the vet, and apparently it's nothing, but now I'm wondering what state this poor bun's teeth are in if she's not eating hay or pellets, and is being given all these sugary treats.
I was also planning on perhaps having a word with the owner when she collects the bun about giving too many treats, and encouraging her to eat hay, but I don't want to be rude. Hopefully as someone working in a petshop, she'll see me as someone trying to give helpful advice, but I don't know whether it's worth printing off some stuff off the internet for her, or even directing her in the direction of this forum. I don't want to offend her, but at the end of the day this is a rabbit's quality of life and I don't want to just ignore it and let the owner carry on like this. I have no doubt she adores her rabbit, and it is such a spoilt bunny, but I imagine the lady has just never heard what she should and shouldn't be feeding it, and assumes anything that says it's safe for buns is OK, and that she can let it eat what it enjoys.
 
I used to give my first bunny 'chocolate drops', through ignorance, and was quite upset when I knew I'd not been doing my best by her. It's a difficult one, isn't it? But, maybe by pointing out to her that bunnies see greens, carrots, apple, veg as treats, this may help? Squidgy loves his pellets as treats. Takes all sorts...... :D
Hope you get it sorted out.
 
I would print off some info for her and just say that you think the rabbit needs a bit more fibre in her diet just to keep her guts moving and to keep her teeth healthy. I would direct her to this website, mentioning that its full of bunny mad people :shock: :lol: and she can chat. Maybe then she will pick up things from talking on here, and realise what's she's doing wrong. Whatever you do im sure you will do it right. It's all about the buns welfare :D :D :D
 
This is going to sound odd, but how are her droppings? If she's not eating her caecal pellets or producing sticky/loosely formed droppings use this to help the owner change her bunnies feeding plan. Say you are a little worried about bunny as her droppings show she has a slightly upset tummy and suggest hay, pellets, grass and greens. If the owner really loves her bunny she'll do what's best. Just a word of warning- make sure you don't introduce the rabbit to any food it is not use to suddenly.

Other thing, how much does she weigh? Dwarf Lops should weigh no more than 5lbs4oz and if she weighs more you could use this to help the owner see as well.

Hannah xxx :D
 
Well, I've given her some chopped hay/grass to munch on, which she seems keen on. Even my bun with a slightly sensitive tum is alright on this, but I'll keep an eye on her. Her owner did give her some greens and carrots when she dropped her off this morning, though some of the greens were still in there a minute ago. I haven't seen her touch any hay from the hayrack, so I moved it onto the floor.
She doesn't seem overweight, she looks healthy other than the weepy eye (not sure if it's been bathed, but it's sopping wet all around the eye)
Actually, I just went to check the poos and there's none in her cage at all :? Bit worried, but I don't want to syringe-feed her any mushy pellets as I don't know if she's even eaten them before.
 
It might just have been abit of mis communication and she thought you were providing or the staple diet and what she's given you are purely treats.

I think your right to stick to hay for now if possible as that's least likely to upset her tummy. A rabbit can happily eat just hay for a week - as long as they eat enough of it. You could give her a very small amount of pellets - egg cup size like you would to introduce a rabbit to a new food.

Tam
 
Given her a small amount of pellets and she didn't seem to know what they were for at first! She had a munch, left them, went back for a bit more then had a nibble of hay.
Think I might print off some info and perhaps give the owner some hay and pellets to take home with her, perhaps say the bun seemed to enjoy them a lot, and maybe give her the info and just say that new research crops up so quickly with animals that the advice she was given when she got the bun may be totally different from the advice today, something casual and unaccusing like that.
 
I had a similar dilemna when a friend of mine got rabbits for her children.. you want to give advice without coming across as a know all. In your situation, I would tell the owner how wonderful this bunny is as she eats so much hay she is so clever to know thats the best thing for wearing down her teeth etc. etc. saving her (the owner) expensive future vets bills. You can guage the reaction and if positive, comment on how lovely it is to meet a fellow bunny lover and launch into an enthusiastic discussion on treats etc. Personally I wouldn't take any printed info (if I were her, that would probably get my back up) :roll: But if the chat goes well you can offer to give her info or point her in the right direction. Good luck :wink:
 
Luckily she's pooed this morning, but only for tiny little round poos. Less than half the size of my Netherland dwarf's! She's still left half the pellets too, but at least she ate something.
I think I'll just mention that she wasn't eating or pooing much, and I was a bit worried as my Netherland got like that when he had teeth problems, and mention the fact that weepy eyes can sometimes be a symptom of that too. And tie that in with some alternative 'treats' that are good for their teeth (carrot tops, curly kale etc)
 
That's a good idea Karly. Then it sounds like every bunny has problems sometimes and all of us have new things to learn all the time regarding our little furry friends!
 
yeah i think most people would be more than happy to hear advice on how to look after their buns better and no doubt if you mention something she will be grateful rather than offended! i'm sure like you say she really loves her bun and would rather do the best for it and i think she would like to hear the advice you have, i know i'm always thankful when i hear tips and advise on how to do things better :D good luck!
 
Hiya Karly - awwwww gal your doing a grand job with this little bunny -

I think this is probably a dilema a lot of bunny folks have, especially those of you that are involved with Boarding and Pet Sitting etc and it must be really difficult for you when you see a bunny like this who is not on the best of diets, espcially you just know it will eventually have a real bad effect on their health.

When I first took my Bunnies to Adele for boarding several years ago now and I didn't really know too much about good feeding - I'd just followed info given I'd picked up here and there - Like you Adele did a diet sheet for me and had a gentle chat :?: :lol: :lol: (grabbing me by the throat :!:) and explained all about bunny diet etc. And the've been following this pretty much ever since but with one or two adjustments for Buffy who is just trouble with a capital T.

I think it will be great of you to do the printed sheets for your bunnies owner and hopefully this will help her get on the right track and pointing her to us mad bunny lot on the Forum is brill too - I bet she'd love it.
 
We only learn by experience and what people tell us, Karly, and I have learned so much from my vet but now that has become my knowledge cos I know it has worked. HOWEVER, so as I don't come over as a know-it-all, I tend to prefix some of the things I pass on with "My vet says that....." or "I used to think that it was OK to give X but my vet has advised me not to" so it doesn't look like you are being an interfering busybody, in a way you are not the one giving the advice (although you know in your heart that yours is the right way! :wink: ), you are just passing on the benefit of what someone has told you and what you have learned from that! :D If she loves her bunny so much, I am sure she would be mortified to know that she is doing her more harm than good by feeding all this ****! :wink:
 
my vet gave me a really good booklet called Caring for your rabbit by Intervet. It says what you should feed your rabbit and that commercial treats are bad. Maybe you could get one of these for the owner or I could send you one if you can't get hold of one :D
 
It sounds like you're doing all the right things, and all this advice people have given you sounds spot on! :D I think everyone's right in saying the lady won't be offended if you offer help, she might well have lots of questions to ask but had no one to ask before she met you! Keep us updated on the little rabbit :D
 
I had a word with the owner when she came to collect her - asked if the vet had checked her teeth because her eye was so weepy, which can be a sign of teeth problems. Apparently the vet had told her to feed for hay and grass, but it sounded to me (when she called me to explain about the food etc) as if she didn't force the bun to eat hay :? I explained about my bun with teeth problems and the hays I use that mine prefer and that, and she wasn't offended or anything so hopefully she'll take it to heart. She's also asked if I'd look after her again in the future, so I didn't scare her away or anything!
 
Back
Top