Since Buster has been free range in my bedroom he's been digging at the carpet in different areas. I've put litter trays, cardboard boxes and digging boxes over the top of these areas to try and discourage him. I've not actually seen him eating the carpet but his poos tell me he has been. Some of them are strung together. His poo has always been quite dark but generally big and soft! Definitely slightly smaller and harder. I cut his pellets last night, gave him a small amount if forage only to encourage him to eat lots of hay. Going to leave him in the cage today to encourage lots of hay eating and give him a little bit of pineapple later. Anything else anyone can suggest?
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Eating carpet?
- Thread starter sammywoo
- Start date
I wouldn't give pineapple because it's high in sugars & can make inbalance of the caecal microorganisms worse.
Smaller harder poops sound as if his gut is slowing down, & actually eating carpet = seeking a different form of fibre can often be a sign of this.
He needs to be encouraged to drink too.
Is he weeing as much as usual?
What do you use as forage? Most of it is very good to keep the gut moving. You can safely increase most forage but not dandelions unless you take the central vein out - the sap is diuretic & unless it's very fresh can dehydrate him.
I'd advise bramble leaves, they're still around in most overgrown places. Start with a handful & build it up. Any really thin, safe twigs will help too eg very thin apple/hawthorn, etc.
Keep a close eye on him for stasis - stops eating & pooing, it's an emergency.
Please let us know how he gets on.
BTW I can't stop my own bunny from digging carpet behind my back despite digging box etc.:roll: At least my disapproval has confined it to one room, & he doesn't eat it anymore with plenty of woody fibre.
Smaller harder poops sound as if his gut is slowing down, & actually eating carpet = seeking a different form of fibre can often be a sign of this.
He needs to be encouraged to drink too.
Is he weeing as much as usual?
What do you use as forage? Most of it is very good to keep the gut moving. You can safely increase most forage but not dandelions unless you take the central vein out - the sap is diuretic & unless it's very fresh can dehydrate him.
I'd advise bramble leaves, they're still around in most overgrown places. Start with a handful & build it up. Any really thin, safe twigs will help too eg very thin apple/hawthorn, etc.
Keep a close eye on him for stasis - stops eating & pooing, it's an emergency.
Please let us know how he gets on.
BTW I can't stop my own bunny from digging carpet behind my back despite digging box etc.:roll: At least my disapproval has confined it to one room, & he doesn't eat it anymore with plenty of woody fibre.
bethepoet
Mama Doe
My bonded pair are terrible for this one corner of the living room, I say "no" very firmly and simulate a stomp when they do it. They stop chewing, but it doesn't stop them going back when they think I'm not paying attention. Alfie dropped a nice bit of carpet thread at my feet last night to apologise.
Thankyou for the advice. Buster is a very busy boy and loves a project! He will dig and chew for hours, eating everything in sight including cardboard, paper, wood etc. basically anything left in his way! He is drinking and peeing lots, his fluid intake appears to have steadily increased recently and his wood litter is thoroughly saturated when it's time to change it. The forage is just a mixed bag from woodlands, I only tend to give a small amount as a treat now and again. Shall I increase the amount? Also, I'm currently reducing the amount of pellets I give as they are now 5 months. They currently get about 50g each per day, initially they were free-fed pellets. They have unlimited Timothy hay in a tidy feeder and meadow hay in the litter tray.
His poos are looking better this afternoon and he is very much his normal self so I'm not overly concerned, just need to keep an eye on him x
His poos are looking better this afternoon and he is very much his normal self so I'm not overly concerned, just need to keep an eye on him x
I'd certainly try to get some woody fibre into him & he'll probably stop eating cardboard paper etc but sadly will probly still dig. This old thread is about what we've been feeing stasis prone buns. There are all sorts of reasons why they are stasis prone & we touch on the subject of cardboard etc eating.
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...ried-given-your-stasis-prone-buns-tree-leaves
Jenova
Wise Old Thumper
I was told by a very knowledgeable person that rabbits eat carpet and things like that when their diet is wrong. If they're getting a diet that is too rich they fill up quickly and then they still feel like they need to chew (as it's natural for them to eat all day, but a low calorie food i.e. grass or hay) so they chew our stuff. Smoo has too many pellets as they're down for my other rabbit and she has been destroying my carpet. :?
I wonder if they have less pellets and more hay if the behaviour will stop. Please let me know if it does because I'm really interested in this. :wave:
I wonder if they have less pellets and more hay if the behaviour will stop. Please let me know if it does because I'm really interested in this. :wave:
There's a few people's experiences on the stasis buns eating tree leaves thread above, Jenova.
It also seems to be associated with poor caecal motility, for whatever reason, & is quite a common problem in stasis prone buns. Thumper just went for wood pulp - wall paper, hutch, the lot until the apple leaves fell, when he went crazy for them, & ate them before anything else. For me it was relief - "these leaves are a lot safer than anything he's he's eating & I know that wildies eat certain shrub leaves too." I put up the question about it on the thread, wondering how common a problem it was in this group of buns & was very surprised.
On the other hand there is a vet paper which concludes that lignin fibre has no effect on the caecal micro organisms of adult buns:?
Seems to me that it's markedly altering the behaviour of some of the buns in this group.
I'll never forget Donnamt's Alvin devouring 1/2 a cardboard box as he was coming out of stasis.:shock: Donnamt was convinced he was trying to commit suicide by blocking himself up again.
:lol:Benjie has had to go on leaves too - still digs the carpet & strips cardboard but leaves the mess now!!! I think that some of Benjie's problem is boredom.
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I do recall whem my buns where really young....they didnt want to stop eating carboard....this was before I foraged for wild foods....I introduced apple leaves, branches&twigs, hawthorn - leaves and twigs, bramble leaves, plantain, rosemary, strawberry leaves, rose leaves & petals, lemon balm, hollyhock leaves, sunflower leaves(not the flower or seeds), usual kitchen herbs, but it was the wild foraged fibre of the plants that got them off the cardboard..it was a craving for something missing in their diet (and sometimes just boredom) which soon got changed when presented with all the foraged foods....they need variety and things to chew on that taste yummy....I think it was the best move i ever made in regards to diet care for my buns....they constantly of course have their meadow hay - which I top up with the timothy/rye mix which they seem to enjoy as its quite stalky....but the wilder diet the better...and of course its all free growig onthe hedges or you can grow it in your garden!
