Long term nutrition for a bun with lots of extractions

[~ILoveMyBunny~]

Hi all,
I posted some time back about my poor dental girl Snowflake. Her poor mouth is a mess and she's had an awful lot of teeth removed. She developed an infection after removal some months back but thankfully eventually fought it off and all seems to have settled dental wise for the moment (she's had ongoing eye ulcer issues which just won't heal, the vet is now considering a conjunctival flap but is hoping to avoid it due to her many anaesthetics lately and older age - nearly 7)

My concern at the moment is about keeping weight on her. She can eat and eats hay, veg and anything else with much enthusiasm but she's still on the slower side which seems to be contributing to her being quite thin. I can build her weight back up effectively by feeding a fairly large quantity (by my standards anyway!) of mashed pellets alongside normal food (I've used junior a couple of times to give her a bit of a boost when she's gone too thin - she is also an EC carrier) but I'm not sure if that's a sustainable long term option for her required dietary requirements.
My insinct on it is that its mechanical rather than pain related as she just doesn't have many teeth left to chew with so it takes her a long time. I watch her a lot and she doesn't appear to be in pain anymore from it.
But to be sure the vet has given her much stronger painkillers to see if it makes any difference.

Any ideas what I could do to make sure she's getting her required nutrition? Her vet came up with a great idea of mixing some vegetables in a blender so that she's getting some nutrition from it and suggested a bit of butternut squash in there. I'm guessing grass wouldn't be suitable as it would cause it to ferment like from a lawnmower? But I could try some other things perhaps? Any ideas on what would be good nutritionally and to keep her weight up aside from a bit of butternut squash?
I know some of you have unfortunately had dental buns so was hoping someone might have some ideas on the best nutrition for her in the longer term? She can absolutely eat some food and is very enthusiastic with it but I think just needs a little extra support if that makes sense?
Thank you so much xx

 

[Zoobec]

Hopefully someone with actual experience will answer, but as well as pellet mush, could you try her on fibre first sticks which you could crumble, also how about Readigrass?that might be easier for her to eat.

 

[Shimmer]

You can cut handsful of grass up with scissors - as much as she will eat in that day, in say 3-5mm lengths. It will ferment if left too long, but you can keep it in the fridge in a tub or bag for another day.
Other veg can be grated (apple, carrot) or chopped finely (cabbage, celery, herbs, etc). Some shapes will be easier for her to eat than others. They can be fed as they are or mixed in with mushy pellets. Junior pellets will be better at keeping weight on her.

She also needs to be able to physically get the food in her mouth, so consider options on that as well. A saucer may be better than a bowl, maybe not flat on the floor. Try different things to see what works for her. Mine used to eat better when it was fresh, leafy twigs (willow, apple, etc) hung up at just above eye level as they could pull them off, but they couldn't pick them up from the floor.

Syringe or saucer top up feeds of Critical Care type powders are also useful for keeping weight up. A couple of feeds a day can make a big difference, plus it is a complete food (ordinary pellets are not) and has the required fibre for gut health.

Baby food purees are useful to mix with other things (including Critical Care or mushy pellets) to make them more interesting or syringe better. I use the square tubs (4 pack) of apple or apple & pear puree. Some people use the pouches as you can feed straight from them instead of a syringe. Any veg ones will do, such as carrot or mixed veg (no meat or cheese). Keep opened ones in the fridge. You can also make your own. My rabbits won't voluntarily eat pumpkin or squash. I tried making my own purees and gave up. It was easier to get jars / tubs / pouches in so they were there when I needed them. Baby food ones don't have all the extra additives. Mashed banana is easy, though.

It's really good that she can still eat hay - look for which types she finds easiest (long / short, soft / spikey, etc). You can often get sample packs from specialist suppliers.

 

[joey&boo]

For my old girl Mouse my (savvy vets) were quite pro free feeding nuggets to try & help with weight gain - unfortunately her digestive system got too sensitive to manage many, same with other more "calorific" foods but I'd have fed more if it hadn't caused problems- would rather up pellets than add regular fruit I think. Its all really difficult isn't it, their digestive systems are all set to work with the foods that are really low calorie. I found it an impossible balancing act. I hope you find something that works for our girl

 

[~ILoveMyBunny~]

Thank you both so much, I really appreciate your time in answering xx

She was very happy with some grass I cut today so I might try adding in a bit slowly for her. I can pick that fresh daily so that should be okay.
I imagine fresh grass must be a little easier than hay so perhaps that would be a good thing for her to have more of over time.

For hay she gets stalky timothy hay and a little redigrass on occassion but I could try some different types to see how she gets on. Brilliant idea.

They mainly get herbs which I've been chopping smaller for her. Anything potentially stringy (celery, cavolo nero etc) I've been extra careful to cut so as to minimise choking risk. I usually give it to her on a plate which she seems okay with, though mashed pellets I use various bowls for and I've noticed some she doesn't get on with so that's another good thought to make sure it's fully accessible for her. Never thought that it might be easier to hang some foods for her so may try that also.

The dreadded critical care I may have a fight on :lol: I've yet to meet a rabbit that likes it-! The Supreme recovery food she was on for a long time after the dental etc and she loves that. I know they claim that to be complete, perhaps that could be a better option for her in place of the mashed pellets?
I know they used to do another flavour of CC (apple and banana I think?) but I've never seen it for sale. Does anyone know where I might be able to get that? I suspect it's the aniseed they don't like in regular CC (I don't blame them!)

I usually keep some Ellas Kitchen (fruit versions) around for them in case of emergency. Though there are no issues with her eating fresh fruit at the moment - especially banana! She also mobbed me for apple earlier too :roll: I was just careful with the skin.

Hmm... Some really good ideas there, thank you! I'll see what seems to work best for her. She loves her food but she's a little diva with getting bored with things quickly and moving on to a new favourite :lol:

 

[InspectorMorse]

Has she had a recent full blood profile to check her renal function in particular ? EC can effect the kidneys and this can mean keeping weight on is a big challenge. Corneal ulcers that will not heal are also a possible symptom of renal problems.If the Rabbit is in CRF then great Care is needed re analgesia choices and doses, dietary modifications are needed too along with fluid therapy.

As a supplementary feed I use Emeraid

https://emeraid.com/vet/emeraid-herbivore/

https://emeraid.com/vet/emeraid-herbivore-sustain/