Spurs diet

[Chrisrules334]

Hi all,

I took the rabbits in for their annual vaccinations a week or so ago and the vet noted some spurs on Bears teeth. Weirdly he had an operation to file them down earlier in 2022 so I was surprised to hear this...

Anyway, his diet is currently:
- Fresh stalky Timothy Hay - he eats loads of this, about one large handful a day
- Egg cup of pellets a day
- Mixed veg, romaine lettuce, celery - twice a day,
- Carrot/banana as treat
- One or two "treats" a day (e.g. Fenugreek crunchies)

Wondering if there are any foods I should stop / any foods I should start feeding them to reduce the issue of spurs?

Thanks!

 

[Omi]

Once a rabbit has developed spurs, it's not that surprising that they sometimes regrow. As you suggest though, the issue can be helped by diet, although Bear's diet is not bad.

The most beneficial food for Bear is his hay and lots of it. Both my bunnies actually eat quite a bit more than a large handful a day. I think the only way to encourage him to eat more, is to cut out the carrot and banana, plus the treats. I find it also helps to replenish, or pretend to replenish the hay very often. They always eat more hay when they think it's fresh. I also feed tree leaves.

 

[InspectorMorse]

Once a rabbit has developed spurs, it's not that surprising that they sometimes regrow. As you suggest though, the issue can be helped by diet, although Bear's diet is not bad.

The most beneficial food for Bear is his hay and lots of it. Both my bunnies actually eat quite a bit more than a large handful a day. I think the only way to encourage him to eat more, is to cut out the carrot and banana, plus the treats. I find it also helps to replenish, or pretend to replenish the hay very often. They always eat more hay when they think it's fresh. I also feed tree leaves.

I agree

Cutting back on all foods except grass and hay is the best way to keep a Rabbit’s teeth worn down and their GI tract motility healthy.

Carrots and Banana are full of sugar and not necessary at all. Mine never have either, but you could restrict feeding it to a once a week treat and just a tiny amount, no more than the size of a 50p piece. I have seen some people feed their Rabbits a whole banana :shock:

I never feed shop bought treats either, very few are of any dietary benefit and the more treats fed the less hay a Rabbit will eat.

There is a big variety of hays available these days, it can be trial and error to find the types of hay an individual Rabbit likes best. Some online Hay Supply Companies offer sample packs of different hays so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a hay only to find that your Rabbit won’t eat it

 

[Shimmer]

Totally agree. You need to feed things that will naturally grind the teeth down - so grass or hay, with maybe additions like bramble leaves, tree sticks & leaves (apple, willow, etc). He's not done badly to last so long between dentals, but they can change in frequency during the lifetime of a rabbit. It's worth keeping an eye on his weight as an indicator of dental issues getting worse. A slow decline in weight over 2 or 3 weeks (or more dramatic and sudden loss in a week) would indicate that he needs to get his teeth checked for possible spurs.

 

[*lily*]

I've started Bailey on pellets, hay, hay cakes, grass and a tiny amount of herbs per day.

He is proving to be a big hay lover so I'm going to encourage this.

 

[Chrisrules334]

Thanks all. Will keep this in mind!