vets on food (Excel) and more!

does anyone else have problems with vets going on and on about how your rabbits should be on Excel or Excel light in my case? Everytime I go there I get a lecture on it, loads of leaflets and samples which I've been sending off to rescues.

Today I refused the sample as I still haven't got round to sending the last one off and tried to explain why I don't want my rabbits on Excel because there are better alternatives. I got looked at like I was an alien :shock:

My rabbits are on SS and properfood4pets natural hifi at the moment so hardly on rubbish! Why oh why do vets have no idea about other good foods out there? :?

Then just to put the icing on the cake I asked if it would be ok for Splodge to come along with Sugarplum when she's spayed :lol: I was told no by the receptionist who looked at me like I was totally off my head when i explained that I had always done it in the past and it's less stressfull. Still she humoured me and asked the nurse who agreed that it would be ok

I've never been told by my vet to feed Excel, mine agree that A&P is probably the best stuff i could be feeding them! lol

My vets don't push it, but every vet I've ever been to has it in stock, and no other food. I took Holly (guinea pig) in last week for x rays, and took some of her food with me, as I knew they would try to get her to eat Excel after the anaesthetic, which she wouldn't touch!

I think I'm going to be prepared and print off the sheet on nutritional content from rabbit rehome next time!!!:lol:

Good idea - I wonder what their response will be! :lol:

I think the RCVS (whatever it's called, I think I just put together a random bunch of letters there :lol: ) has a sponsership deal with burgess as the packets say they're approved by them.

My vets never advise me on food, I feel a bit left out.

My vets always have Excel in stock (and no other brand), they always ask me what I feed them and are happy with SS (as it's a pellet). Got a lecture once for not giving my rabbits enough grass - I try and put them on the grass every day, but I can't always. But that's about it really - last time the vet said it was a nice to see rabbits that were fit and healthy and not overweight (I think from what she was saying that they see a lot of overweight bunnies). Err... like usual I've deviated from the point slightly!

Han

I'm just waiting to be advised on guinea pig food - I have tried every single healthy guinea pig food around (well, OK not me personally trying them, but you know what I mean! :lol: ), and my lot are as fussy as anything! In the end I have had to compromise with them!

My vets reccomend excel but dont try to push it on me.....they are just glad that mine eat pellets not muesli!

mine tell me he shouldn't have any pellets whatsoever even though sooty is a perfect weight...but what can i put in his treat ball that he loves

My vets reccomended excel but also have SS in stock so where happy they where still on a pellet food rather than the meusli.

Excels marketing is pretty impressive.

My vets were the ones that originally recommended SS to me a few years ago when my buns were on mix. They do have it in stock but I don't buy it from them cos two of my local pet shops stock it cheaper.

Tam

ecudc said:

mine tell me he shouldn't have any pellets whatsoever even though sooty is a perfect weight...but what can i put in his treat ball that he loves

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It's so bloomin confusing, I asked my vet about this, as I'd prefer to keep Bertie on absolute minimum pellets and more veg/hay/grass.
He told me that pellets & hay were all that he needed, and although he's a vet, and very bunny savvy with vets things, I don't agree with him; given a choice of veg or pellets, he'll eat the veg every time.
I find this contrasting advice frustrating, who do you believe? Thankfully RU is a huge help

my vets recommended excel when i first got Gus, but we moved him onto SS after seeing advice here. i started asking them to order it in for me and now they stock that too

My vet persuaded me to put mine on Excel as pellets are prefered and to help my previous rabbit Jake with his dental problems at 7years old. He was almost 14 when he died so it obviously helped!

I asked my vet about changing to a no pellet diet (as mine get to graze during the day, unlimited hay and a few veggies) but she said that owners can not possibly provide everything a rabbit needs in its diet and its risky cutting them out all together. She advised me to cut them down to next to nothing but not get rid of them all together..

My vets don't push Excel, but they have a large leaflet rack with loads of different info leaflets from different brands including Excel, so I've just tended to take the leaflets do some research and try and make an informed decision about what I can give my buns and what best suits their needs. I was offered a free sample a few weeks ago ( which I passed on to Southampton Rabbit Rescue) so I think there may have been a bit of a marketing push from the reps recently. The OxBow range of hay is what is sold at the surgery and the buns love the Western Timothy hay. As for the debate about how much they should and shouldn't have, I think that could run and run. All I know is that my buns are individuals and although there is a definite common thread with all their food, ( good 90% hay & veg and then some pellets ) I have as times gone on, modified the diets for two or three of them slightly and some will have one thing and not others. I guess it's no different for us, we all know what a good diet should consist of, but we can achieve it a variety of ways. As long as I have healthy happy buns, no dental issues, obesity or sticky bums, I think I'm doing ok. I can't stand broad beans, or swede but my o/h loves it! I could eat cauliflower or brocolli everyday instead though.

here is a funny thing I found out last week when suki went into the vets..

They sell Excel but use SS for buns that are Kept in But Suki being the fussy bum that she is will now only eat SS chinchilla.

Just curious - is Excel not considered as good as SS? Is SS higher in fibre?

Rosie is on Excel lite and loves it :? Are there 'better' alternatives?

Someone enlighten me please!

I'm changing mine onto 'adult' food now and my vet today recommended excel but I said 'actually I've been recommended SS as it is higher in fibre' (I think I read that on here), he just looked at me and said ok! However this was in the midst of about 100 questions, result in him drawing me diagrams of a rabbits digestive system in relation to it's urinary system. I don't think he was expecting an oral exam on rabbit anatomy today! :lol:

rosie_rabbit said:

Just curious - is Excel not considered as good as SS? Is SS higher in fibre?

Rosie is on Excel lite and loves it :? Are there 'better' alternatives?

Someone enlighten me please!

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this page is good, it had all the nutritional information of different brands http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/rabbitfood.asp