fussiest fat rabbit..

I have got one fussy and picky rabbit.

when I took my bun for her dental the other week I was told she was slightly over weight, 2.7kg she's a Dutch x lion head.

Vet asked me what I was feeding her which is fine no issue but the issue is exercise - she is so lazy! She is indoors and gets to go outside but she would honestly just be happiest bunny flopping on my sofa and in her run. Nothing gets this bun moving! She's happy and I try and stimulate her with toys and of an evening we often have a run around.

Now, because her teeth are so bad she needs dentals every 5-6 weeks my bet has advised to take her off of everything. Pellets &greens and leave her on hay and grass.

This is all well and good but she will only pick on grass she won't eat it and hay? She won't touch. I have bought so much! Timothy hay,fresh hay from the farms, forage hay with things in like dandelion etc. Botonical hay and readi grass.

What else can I do?? For a week she's been on starvation mode and funnily enough what kicked off a horrendous cystitis infection in which she is still having treatment but is much better. She has dropped weight which is good it's taken her to a healthy weight now, however I've had to give her a few excel pellets just because when she was so poorly she wasn't eating anything.

It's worth pointing out she loves apple twigs and leaves we have an apple tree so she gets them to.gnaw through.

Tried lots of other leaves like black currant leaves.

Help?! Any ideas would be great I need to get these dentals managed!!

Sometimes if I need to get my two to eat more hay, I'll sprinkle the dusty crumbs from the bottom of the pellet bag over the hay and kind of mix it in so they can smell pellets but don't actually get any and it usually encourages them to eat the hay. I haven't really had any experience with dental buns so not sure what else you could try :?

If she doesn't eat hay or grass, then it's most definitely her diet causing the problems with her weight and her teeth. Has the vet xrayed her skull to check that she is not in pain with tooth roots?

I would not have cut everything out so quickly. Bunnies need time to get their guts used to any kind of new diet, even if it's just a reduced amount of food. Have you tried readigrass?

The fact that she is "lazy" may be because she is in pain. This might be something to bring up with your vet. It also may be because she is overweight and so not very fit. What size is her accommodation and how much time does she spend in it?

Vegan_Bunny said:

If she doesn't eat hay or grass, then it's most definitely her diet causing the problems with her weight and her teeth. Has the vet xrayed her skull to check that she is not in pain with tooth roots?

I would not have cut everything out so quickly. Bunnies need time to get their guts used to any kind of new diet, even if it's just a reduced amount of food. Have you tried readigrass?

The fact that she is "lazy" may be because she is in pain. This might be something to bring up with your vet. It also may be because she is overweight and so not very fit. What size is her accommodation and how much time does she spend in it?

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I have tried readigrass - no luck!

She's had x rays etc it's a case of genetics with her her jaw is out of line and the molars do not match up on either side.

In terms of space it's limitless, she has free roam of my house all day and night and I put her outside in a massive homemade run when we are able to watch her (we've had run ins with foxes before! )

It's so difficult because I know the diet would help massively. Admittedly now I am giving her even less pellets she was on bare minimum but now she gets a small handful if that and i have noticed she's nibble the hay more. Maybe it will take.some time, I haven't tried readigrass in a while and my vet advised this would be best for her

Kim_perkins said:

I have tried readigrass - no luck!

She's had x rays etc it's a case of genetics with her her jaw is out of line and the molars do not match up on either side.

In terms of space it's limitless, she has free roam of my house all day and night and I put her outside in a massive homemade run when we are able to watch her (we've had run ins with foxes before! )

It's so difficult because I know the diet would help massively. Admittedly now I am giving her even less pellets she was on bare minimum but now she gets a small handful if that and i have noticed she's nibble the hay more. Maybe it will take.some time, I haven't tried readigrass in a while and my vet advised this would be best for her

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Keep switching her hay round, eventually she'll find something nice. I had a bun that refused to eat hay but eventually she started eating Ings from Hay For Pets. Try mixing forage into it and offering her lots of different forage. Forage is really good for wearing their teeth down.

Try dandelions, bramble leaves, sticky weed, grass, rose leaves and flowers, hawthorn, willow etc as well as the apple leaves. Giving her the apple sticks is a really good idea because the bark is good for wearing teeth down too. :thumb:

Thankfully I don't have a dental bun but I do have one with a sensitive tummy who point blank refuses hay - even the Hay-experts taster pack is going to be given away soon as yet another total waste of money

To be honest, I've had to find ways of upping the fibre and dried forage is the only way forwards that I have - I dry bramble, hawthorn, plantain, dandelion, sticky weed and apple leaves (with the occasional strawberry leaf too). I have all but given up on hay which, whilst many on here will castigate, is a total failure. Interestingly, he'll do some fresh Timothy grass which I grow especially. I do not give fresh forage as fresh hawthorn was responsible for stasis last week (as the only change). As a result, I've reduced and reduced pellets to the recommended amount for a rabbit 30% of his weight (although I can't remove them further as he loses weight). He gets a tiny bit of veg. He's a very healthy and lean weight.

Anyhow, the point of this is there's fibre; it can help with teeth; and it might just help you reduce the pellets in terms of weight.