MY RABBIT WON'T EAT HAY...I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING....

[Nicola3]

Hi,

Tis me again. Am hoping you may be able to help me. As some of you may know I have a wild male bunny. He was found on Easter Sunday at the side of the road on my way to my mums house. He had obviously been knocked by something. I didn't know whether he was going to make it.

Where he was hit he has lost the sight in one eye, this doesn't stop him charging around the place!!!

The big big problem is that where he was hit it has misaligned his teeth which means his molars (back teeth) constantly grow. Which means constant trips to the vets to have his back teeth trimmed. Every time I take him I worry myself sick.

The problem is he refuses to eat hay and would rather not eat anything than eat hay. I have tried many different types of hay:

1)Oxbow timonthy hay, he won't even touch it.
2)Plain meadow hay-he will have a nibble on.
3)Alfalfa-won't touch.

I have tried taking away his burgess excel pellets but it seems he would rather go without than eat hay. Is there anything you can recommend to encourage my bunny to eat hay. I know it's vital to keep his teeth down but when I take his food away I really notice him losing weight.

Is there anything you can recommend to help keep Harveys teeth down? Any type of hay that he will find irresistible? I've spent a fortune on hay, especially on Oxbow timothy hay but he won't touch that. The only hay I have seem him touch is just plain meadow hay. Please help.

Nicola and Harvey.

 

[janice]

The only suggestion I can have is something which will be very hard for you to do which is cut the dried food down to the bare minimum and keep to it. Prior to doing this weigh the bun so you can keep an eye on what is happening to him. Eventually if you can stick to it, he will start to eat hay rather than let himself starve.

Have you tried the dried grass like Readigrass?

Janice

 

[Nicola3]

Hello,

I've never tried him on readigrass, where can I get that from?
The only hay he has touched so far is plain meadow hay. I've spent a fortune on Oxbow timothy hays and he won't touch the stuff.

Last time I took his pellets away he lost a lot of weight. Is there any other hay/grass that he will find irresistible? Anything else that may help to keep his back teeth down? Do you think that science selective would be better for him than Burgess excel?

Any other suggestions?

L of L,

Nicola and Harvey

 

[Becca]

My two are not all that keen on hay but they love timothy hay cakes.Have you tried your bun on them?

 

[Nicola3]

Hi Becca,

No, I haven't. Where can I get them from?

L of L,

Nic n Harvey

 

[Becca]

Hi Nicola
I get mine from bunnybasics.co.uk.
They are quite expensive but well worth it.

regards
rebecca

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Poor wee lad probably CANT eat hay rather than wont!! I have a bun with only 1 molar remaining :shock: due to advanced dental disease. She has not been able to eat hay for nearly 2 years!! :shock: :shock: She has muesli type dried mix ( she wont touch ANY pellets :roll: :roll: ). She also has the stalk end of spring greens(cant chew the leaves :roll: :roll: ) Apple (cant chew the skin :roll: :roll: ) and carrot. Basically a poor diet for a bun BUT she never gets a pooey bum and has maintained a steady weight throughout. As your bun has a misaligned jaw it will make little difference whether he eats hay, his molars wont wear down because he has malocclusion. If I were you I'd just let him stick to the diet he can manage. He will need to keep his weight up if he has to have regular GAs for his dental treatment.And if you withdraw the food he can it he will end up with guts that aren't moving aswell as a jaw thats all wonky!! When a bun has special needs due to a chronic condition you tend to throw the rule book re diet out of the window!! Jane and Bunsxx

 

[elve]

pets at home sell burgess forage, which is similar to readigrass - might be worth a try? Also long grass if you can get it, is the same as hay and just as good for him.

 

[Nicola3]

He's my lil man and I love him to bits. He is such a character and sooooo cute!!!

The vet has said that it is only one side of his mouth that his molars are affected. I think it's the left. It's the same side that he has lost the sight in.
The last time he had them trimmed she said they weren't quite as bad as last time so they may get better in time and he may need less visits.
So really I want to do everything possible to reduce his need for dentals.

Do you think Science Selective would be better for his teeth than Burgess Excel?

Any other suggestions with regards to keeping his teeth down and keeping him healthy would be greatly appreciated. As I said in a previous post he absolutely adores peas but I've been told they are not good for him.

Anything else I can try him on that will help his teeth? Anything totally scrumptious???

Lof L,

Nic n Harvey

 

[cheekyMonkey]

There might be a problem with his teeth and he is UNABLE to eat hay. I have a rabbit that needs her teeth trimmed every 4 weeks and he doesnt eat hay. I thing she just can't. Tried starving her, don't do that, rabbit's will starve themselves if they are unable to eat hay! I got a telling off from my vet for starving Honey to make her eat hay.

 

[janice]

A lot of horse places sell readigrass and some pet shops do, a few of the on line shops also sell it.

Will your rabbit eat real grass? That is as good as hay ..... if you are in a flat you could grow it in pots or even find places where you can cut it, provided it is uncontaminated by dogs.

Janice

 

[Nicola3]

Ello,

Harvey does have teeth problems only on one side of his mouth due to his accident. He has his molars trimmed regularly and had them done again a couple of weeks ago.

My vet has said I really should encourage him to eat more hay as this could reduce the amount of times he has to have his teeth done. Last time he had his teeth trimmed the vet said they weren't so bad as last time.

He occassionally eats grass. We have a nice size garden and he has a 9ft run so he can have fun n frolicks.

I will also try n get hold of some readigrass or forage excel and possibly some timothy hay cakes. Anything else?

Nic n Harvey

 

[sparklefairy]

When my old bun wouldn't eat hay, or couldn't due to wonky teeth!, he used to love dried grass. I got it in little bags from the pet shop. It was easeir for him to eat I think, it's smaller and finer than hay and is suposed to have a higher nutritional value. You could always try him on this, anything's worth a try

 

[Nicola3]

Hi sparklefairy!

I shall get my lil man some dried grass... like burgess forgae n see what he thinks.

Thanks,

Nic n Harvey xxx

 

[sgprescue]

You could try Oxbow orchard grass, it has the same nutritional values as timothy hay but is softer so would be easier for him to eat. You can get it from www.sphsupplies.co.uk they also sell the hay cakes :thumb: Supreme science and allan and page natural rabbit pellets are both higher in fibre than excel. Lucy and Winston, my 2 house bunnies have both got dental problems as well as other problems and they eat very little normal hay but they will eat Oxbow orchard grass

Cheryl

 

[Nicola3]

Cheryl,

Thanks so much. That gives me several things to try him out on....excellent!

Thank you x

 

[Rallybunny]

Have you tried chopping the hay into smaller bits, so he doesn't have to pull the full strands into his mouth?

The hay Evo likes best, apart from the Oxbow, is the Bob Martin stuff you get at Sainsbury's. :roll: He also absolutely adored the oat hay from the Oxbow range.

 

[ah144]

i have a bunny that will not eat any other form of hay apart from the orchard grass from oxbrow, i purchase mine in big bales from sph supplies as it works out so much cheaper,but maybe better to try a small bag first to see if he likes!i also have a bunny that can't or won't eat hay of any sort or readygrass, she has had her front teeth removed so maybe its a case of can't eat rather than won't!!she never ate it even when she had teeth!!

 

[bunnyloopy]

Have you tried chopping the hay into smaller bits, so he doesn't have to pull the full strands into his mouth?

I followed this advice a few weeks ago and brought some timothy hay and for the first time ever (baby is 3) she has started to eat hay. Also swopped over to pellet food and reduced the amount (but didnt stop it as was worried she wouldnt eat a thing)! Also stuffed the hay into a willow ball. She doesnt eat tons of the stuff but she eats some everyday.

hay cakes sound great too - i will be buying those. Hope your perserverence pays off.

 

[touie]

I have a bunny that won't eat hay if I give it to him but will quite happily help himself to the bag if I leave it on the floor! :shock: :lol: