nap91
Mama Doe
I've got an appointment with John on Thursday so if you've not got an answer beforehand I'll add it to my list of questions to ask him :lol:
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my foraging diary
- Thread starter willow and squiggles
- Start date
I've got an appointment with John on Thursday so if you've not got an answer beforehand I'll add it to my list of questions to ask him :lol:
loobers25
Warren Veteran
Thank you Phillip! I have emailed John today but maybe you could bring it up just in case I don't hear anything for a while
We needs to know can Toby and Phillip eats hawthorn!!Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
Thank you Phillip! I have emailed John today but maybe you could bring it up just in case I don't hear anything for a while
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Did you include Willow and Hazel as well in your request for advice?
What did you put on your list? So is he saying that the only one which could affect the heart meds would be Willow and he would have to eat loads of it? And that everything else is OK as far as heart meds are concerned, but not to feed too much?
So is Toby now enjoying a variety of tree leaves?
I think next time you see John it might be useful to get some indication of how much of each type of plant you should be feeding i.e. what does John consider as an excessive amount. It might mean that the overall quantity that you should feed is the same as he was having previously and the same as for Maple and Dennis, but the variety needs to be greater i.e. instead of 6 twigs of Hawthorn, you feed 2 of Hawthorn, 2 of Willow and 2 of Hazel. It would also be useful to ask whether he would give the same advice if the plant was dried.
nap91
Mama Doe
So I had Phillip’s check up today with John. I asked him what he considers an excessive amount and he said “oh you contacted me via email the other day didn’t you!” I said no that was someone else I’ve been talking to on a rabbit forum! [emoji16]
Anyway I asked if he’d consider a daily small handful of say, hawthorn, excessive. John said he wouldn’t recommend that as it would be too much - rather a small sprinkling of the hawthorn a few times a week, alternated with other forage so they’re not having the same thing every day.
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Crikey :shock: I must admit I'm surprised.
This is too important not to get right, but I'm not sure how to go about this. Whilst my rabbits have a variety of forage, including tree leaves and sticks, by the very nature that it's seasonal, it will be the case that they have the same food each day for a few days. I wonder what his view is on say a handful of Parsley or Mint or Coriander. Even whilst mine have a variety each day, I know that each item cannot be thought of as a "sprinkling". They'd look at me in horror I think :lol:
We really need to find somewhere or someone who whilst having a knowledge of rabbit medication and conditions, also has a deep understanding of plants and their properties.
We really need to find somewhere or someone who whilst having a knowledge of rabbit medication and conditions, also has a deep understanding of plants and their properties.
We certainly do.
nap91
Mama Doe
It did make me have a bit of a panic that I'm overfeeding my rabbits! I just assumed as forage was natural it was okay to feed not excessive amounts, but a decent amount to supplement the hay every day. Given the context I was asking in though, I think he meant particularly with the forage that has supposed medicinal properties for the heart, that you shouldn't feed large amounts for heart bunnies, rather than just forage in general. So the ones I mentioned; willow, hawthorn, etc, should be fed in moderation but other forage, while you need to be sensible with it, doesn't need to be fed in such small amounts. That's the impression I got anyway.
I mean mine have quite a large amount of plantain throughout the week as it's their favourite, but since that doesn't have medicinal properties I guess that doesn't matter if they have it each day. But then he did say that a rabbit's diet should be mainly hay and grass, anything else is to go alongside, as a wild rabbit wouldn't go and devour a hawthorn bush :lol:
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MightyMax
Banned
That's exactly how I understood it
All plants have medicinal properties (I've studied them!) but in the case of Willow and Hawthorn, they were relevant to Phillip's heart condition.
nap91
Mama Doe
That's exactly how I understood it
All plants have medicinal properties (I've studied them!) but in the case of Willow and Hawthorn, they were relevant to Phillip's heart condition.
I mean it's still made me think I overfeed mine :lol: and since all plants do have medicinal properties of some kind, whether you have a healthy bunny or one with a condition, I think it's still making sure you give sensible amounts of a variety of different forage, but I'm sure most people do that anyway and we don't need to worry too much
