Sludge Bun - oxbow bunny basics t or science sekectives

[nickybunny1]

As Oliver is a sludge bun I have had him on oxbow bunny basics T pellets, just a small amount but he really isn't keen on them and often leaves them. He had been loosing weight due to his bladder sludge which was flushed at the weekend and he is a lot brighter and eating better. I had lifted at the vets about a month ago the silence selective pellets which look like short little sticks. There is however alfalfa in them but their overall % of calcium is 0.6% but the oxbow bunny basics T are also 0.6%. Oliver prefers the science selective, he doesn't wolf them down but seems a lot keener on these are these still ok to give do u think ??

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I'd prefer to feed these rather than SS

http://www.viovet.co.uk/Supreme_Sci...5WgDnZ6NXc5mxFLcrCeY_GPAem3llDIveNBoCdSTw_wcB

 

[nickybunny1]

I have them as well Jane! Nope really not keen.

 

[Tamsin]

If he's not eating very many it's probably not going to have much impact.

What does he eat for the rest of his diet?

 

[MightyMax]

I have found the Oxbow bunny basics to be best for digestion and overall health.

Can you fatten him up with some low calcium veggies and water?

 

[nickybunny1]

He has 2 romaine leaves and two little gem leaves a small sprinkling of Corriander a bit of apple and a cherry tomato. He like his rosewood hay bales and he does eat a some hay - I gave him around 12g of oxbow pellets would he be ok with a bit more??- I have 3 types of hay. The other low calcium veg i tried that he didn't eat are cucumber, courgette, pepper, squash, . Any other ideas for fattening? ?!! He is 1.6kg. He was 1.8kg but his previous health issues may have lead to this loss but even with bladder flush, tooth bur and private part op on saturday pasti thought he would be eatting more hay. He is more of a grazer at the moment.

 

[nickybunny1]

Some days he has florette mixed lettuce instead and maybe a bit of celery. What volume of greens should he be getting ??

 

[Tamsin]

If he's eating 12g of pellets then he can have much more in the way of greens. Maybe have a look at some forage - dandelion, apple leaves, blackbery, willow leaves, thistle. Fresh grass might tempt him more than hay. It's getting later in the year so if you find things he likes then it would be worth drying some for feeding later too. Obviously build up quantity slowly but you may find the higher water content in fresh foods helps as well.

It's hard to describe quantity, here's a pic of Scamp (1.4kg) that's about two days worth so he'd eat the pile on the floor and I'd dry the bowl full for later.

If he's underweight then you could swap to the junior version of supreme, I think the calcium is the same but it has more calories per serving so should help weight gain

 

[MightyMax]

If he's eating 12g of pellets then he can have much more in the way of greens. Maybe have a look at some forage - dandelion, apple leaves, blackbery, willow leaves, thistle. Fresh grass might tempt him more than hay. It's getting later in the year so if you find things he likes then it would be worth drying some for feeding later too. Obviously build up quantity slowly but you may find the higher water content in fresh foods helps as well.

It's hard to describe quantity, here's a pic of Scamp (1.4kg) that's about two days worth so he'd eat the pile on the floor and I'd dry the bowl full for later.

If he's underweight then you could swap to the junior version of supreme, I think the calcium is the same but it has more calories per serving so should help weight gain

Did Scamp create all that havoc in the back of your photo Tamsin? :shock::lol:

 

[Tamsin]

Did Scamp create all that havoc in the back of your photo Tamsin? :shock::lol:

Yep! Just doesn't feel like home to him without a selection of half chewed sticks thrown around and a scattering of shredded paper :lol:

 

[nickybunny1]

Aw look at scamp! He's lovely Tasmin and so kindly demonstrating portion sizes!! That pic is very helpful. That's roughly how much I am giving Oliver at the moment but since ur post i decided to go out the road a bit near me and there are a lot of blackberry leaves so got quite a few of those and a big handful of dandelion leaves. Must get more but am feeling unwell at the moment so could only take a short time to get them. Tested one blackberry leafeach on Oliver and Cody and both enjoyed ! I picked off the wee spikes - is this necessary?? Washed them but are the leaves with the brown spots on them ok? Calcium levels in the leaves low? Mighty max think I will stick to the oxbow ones also as he has been eating a bit better at them today.

 

[MightyMax]

Yep! Just doesn't feel like home to him without a selection of half chewed sticks thrown around and a scattering of shredded paper :lol:

:lol::lol:

 

[nickybunny1]

Aw look at scamp! He's lovely Tasmin and so kindly demonstrating portion sizes!! That pic is very helpful. That's roughly how much I am giving Oliver at the moment but since ur post i decided to go out the road a bit near me and there are a lot of blackberry leaves so got quite a few of those and a big handful of dandelion leaves. Must get more but am feeling unwell at the moment so could only take a short time to get them. Tested one blackberry leafeach on Oliver and Cody and both enjoyed ! I picked off the wee spikes - is this necessary?? Washed them but are the leaves with the brown spots on them ok? Calcium levels in the leaves low? Mighty max think I will stick to the oxbow ones also as he has been eating a bit better at them today.

 

[Tamsin]

Generally most plants are lower calcium that pellets because a lot of the volume is water and they are higher fibre than a lot of human veggies. I think dandelion leaves are one of the higher of the range, but other than that most forage is medium-low.

Rabbits seem not to notice the thorns so you can leave them on - just don't accidentally tread on them It's best to avoid leaves with damage but if the leave looks otherwise ok, you can just chop of the damaged part. Sometimes they do start looking tatty as autumn starts in.