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Veg and forage a big no no

Lisa1981

Mama Doe
My two girls have had issues with fresh veg ( stasis and gas) so I was going to try foraging. Thought to start slowly so my daughter picked some dandelions just outside the flat ( they have had plenty of dried dandilions with no problems ) and an hour after them eating them both had stoped eating and were producing smaller poops :( so off we start with the tempting with dried forage and the infacol with tummy rubs. Both are now eating and sploofing and have seen a flop from harlequin so I’m hoping Iv averted the stasis path yet again.

Has any one heard of any thing like this where rabbits can’t tollerate fresh but are fine with dried?
 
My two girls have had issues with fresh veg ( stasis and gas) so I was going to try foraging. Thought to start slowly so my daughter picked some dandelions just outside the flat ( they have had plenty of dried dandilions with no problems ) and an hour after them eating them both had stoped eating and were producing smaller poops :( so off we start with the tempting with dried forage and the infacol with tummy rubs. Both are now eating and sploofing and have seen a flop from harlequin so I’m hoping Iv averted the stasis path yet again.

Has any one heard of any thing like this where rabbits can’t tollerate fresh but are fine with dried?
I think it can just depend tbh.. But I'm pretty sure dandelion can cause tummy issues if given too much, I think it's best to give the tiniest bit, also I think fresh foods and dried ones can make them react differently. I wouldn't worry too much, you may have just found something that doesn't agree with them, which is fine you could avoid it in the future in fresh form. It's so hard to say though I think with digestive things, kinda trial and error tbh. Glad they're feeling better anyway :)
 
They only had a quarter of a leaf each. I didn’t want to give much because of the reactions with fresh veg. We did try a lot of veg and all of it was a no so we’ve given up on that completly. The only thing they can tollerate fresh is herbs but they not really intrested in much apart from coriander.

They’ve had no problems at all with any thing dried.

Will look for brambles next time we’re out as I know they are meant to be gental on the tummy and some roses as they’ve had no problems with those dried.

It’s just almost any thing I give fresh causes stasis. Have only just started sleeping a little more from the last bout and I’m getting a bit worn down with the lack of sleep and the emotional rollercoaster.
 
They only had a quarter of a leaf each. I didn’t want to give much because of the reactions with fresh veg. We did try a lot of veg and all of it was a no so we’ve given up on that completly. The only thing they can tollerate fresh is herbs but they not really intrested in much apart from coriander.

They’ve had no problems at all with any thing dried.

Will look for brambles next time we’re out as I know they are meant to be gental on the tummy and some roses as they’ve had no problems with those dried.

It’s just almost any thing I give fresh causes stasis. Have only just started sleeping a little more from the last bout and I’m getting a bit worn down with the lack of sleep and the emotional rollercoaster.
Yea it can be really tough :( it'll be a learning process I think, but once you know, you'll have it all figured :) all of mine have different likes, dislikes, things that upset them, things that don't, will only eat this thing fresh, or this thing dried.. I could write pages on it all [emoji38] you'll get there eventually :)
 
Hi Lisa.

I'm sorry your buns are off their food again. I think Nethies have a more sensitive tummy. Mine certainly do.

Archie wouldn't eat any veg I tried and Pip got gurgling tummy's and stasis.

As you know I'm testing the dried forage on my buns at the mo, because I think pip my be sensitive to something else.

My only advice is perhaps to give yourself a rest. Maybe do a few weeks of just hay, pellets and dried forage without any more introductions. Buns can be worrysome creatures and you need to look after yourself too.

Vibes to beauty and harlequin to get nice big poops.
 
Yea it can be really tough :( it'll be a learning process I think, but once you know, you'll have it all figured :) all of mine have different likes, dislikes, things that upset them, things that don't, will only eat this thing fresh, or this thing dried.. I could write pages on it all [emoji38] you'll get there eventually :)

I think people need a degree in rabbits befor they are allowed to own one and then at least they have the knowledge and are prepared.

I will persevere but give it a while as I can’t go on like this.

I have a book with all the things we have tried and under no in capital letters is all veg. The yes is all the dried forage and herbs.

Hi Lisa.

I'm sorry your buns are off their food again. I think Nethies have a more sensitive tummy. Mine certainly do.

Archie wouldn't eat any veg I tried and Pip got gurgling tummy's and stasis.

As you know I'm testing the dried forage on my buns at the mo, because I think pip my be sensitive to something else.

My only advice is perhaps to give yourself a rest. Maybe do a few weeks of just hay, pellets and dried forage without any more introductions. Buns can be worrysome creatures and you need to look after yourself too.

Vibes to beauty and harlequin to get nice big poops.

I think you are very right there.

They sound exactilly like Harlequin and Beauty. H tried virtually nothing and B always had the gas and stasis although now they both get the stasis.

Iv seen your thread about pip with the foridge. Is it some thing in a mixed bag that she reacts to? How’s it going?

I will do as it’s getting a bit on top of me at the moment and I think the girls could do with a break.

Thank you for the vibes.
 
I think people need a degree in rabbits befor they are allowed to own one and then at least they have the knowledge and are prepared.

I will persevere but give it a while as I can’t go on like this.

I have a book with all the things we have tried and under no in capital letters is all veg. The yes is all the dried forage and herbs.



I think you are very right there.

They sound exactilly like Harlequin and Beauty. H tried virtually nothing and B always had the gas and stasis although now they both get the stasis.

Iv seen your thread about pip with the foridge. Is it some thing in a mixed bag that she reacts to? How’s it going?

I will do as it’s getting a bit on top of me at the moment and I think the girls could do with a break.

Thank you for the vibes.
Yea take a break, your buns will be absolutely fine on loads of hay and their daily pellets :) maybe in a few months try something again, sending you loads of hugs xx
 
I think people need a degree in rabbits befor they are allowed to own one and then at least they have the knowledge and are prepared.

I will persevere but give it a while as I can’t go on like this.

I have a book with all the things we have tried and under no in capital letters is all veg. The yes is all the dried forage and herbs.



I think you are very right there.

They sound exactilly like Harlequin and Beauty. H tried virtually nothing and B always had the gas and stasis although now they both get the stasis.

Iv seen your thread about pip with the foridge. Is it some thing in a mixed bag that she reacts to? How’s it going?

I will do as it’s getting a bit on top of me at the moment and I think the girls could do with a break.

Thank you for the vibes.
Yeah to take a break. The buns will pick up on your stress and worry. Mine certainly do, so we try to stay calm now even during vet emergencies. It's really hard, but I've noticed the buns are calmer and quicker to recover.

The dried mixed forage is a box I make up of individual leaves etc.

Yesterday we started on the experiment.

They had dandelion root (their fav), I didn't notice any pulling with Pip, so have her a bit more tonight to double check.

Thanks for asking x
 
Graciee- I think I will do but add in a little of the dried forage as I don’t want them getting board.

Mervinius- I try to I’m just a bit of a worrier. It’s some thing I can work on more tho.

I’m glad her fav doesn’t seem to be causing the fur pulling. Harlequin and Beauty will do any thing for a bit of dandelion root. Hopfully you will find what’s causing it.

Harlequin has just found fun with sneakily eating her pellets from a paper cup but she tips it on her head then shakes to get it off befor chasing it
 
Yes, when I had stasis-prone bunnies, they couldn't tolerate anything other than hay and a pinch of dried forage. They couldn't tolerate veg, grass or anything fresh at all. Or pellets.
 
SarahP- mine can tollerate herbs, home grown wheat and oat grass, dried forage ( about 7g each), hay and pellets.

At what point do you stop trying? I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall right now with so much to try but so much they’ve tried and cant have.
 
I think I'd stop trying now, to be honest! I wished that I'd stopped all sorts of things earlier than I did with my two. They were so much better off with just hay and a pinch of forage a day. I used to feed about 5 different hays for variety.
 
I was asking because although I would like to find things they could have it could take the rest of their lives to find maybe just five or so. I don't want to stress them like that for so long and I'd rather not be at the vets constantly either. They currently have five different mixed bags of forage from natures own ( but have tried a few others from else where) 3 types of hay and I grow a new tray of wheat or oat grass every few days.
 
Not all bunnies can eat the same items, so I learned to not take chances. I currently have a bunny who cannot have pellets without having serious stasis/bloat; so he gets only hay and greens. This is the opposite of a bunny I had years ago who could only eat pelleted food and hay who lived over 13 years.

Some of my bunnies will overeat if allowed, so I feed them smaller amounts two or three times per day.

Perhaps you can try the greens from carrots which I have used to entice bunnies following surgeries and dental procedures. The only problem is I cannot eat the carrots as fast as they can eat the greens.
 
By over eating does that include hay?

We did try carrot greens but Beauty started to go into stasis so those were stoped. This was the pattern with all veg we had tried so they don’t get any now. They were completly disinterested in fruit and turn their noses up at most herbs which they can eat.
 
I was asking because although I would like to find things they could have it could take the rest of their lives to find maybe just five or so. I don't want to stress them like that for so long and I'd rather not be at the vets constantly either. They currently have five different mixed bags of forage from natures own ( but have tried a few others from else where) 3 types of hay and I grow a new tray of wheat or oat grass every few days.

I think I would stick with what you have found, it’s a good variety and they are very lucky bunnies :love: you could always try them carefully on some other things when they are much older and you have got over the stress of all the stasis!
 
I think I would stick with what you have found, it’s a good variety and they are very lucky bunnies :love: you could always try them carefully on some other things when they are much older and you have got over the stress of all the stasis!

Thank you for this. I was wondering if what they have is enough variety. I think we will keep trying new herbs as there tummies seem to accept them but the girls don’t seem to be terribly intrested so far but will leave every thing else now for a good while.


I’m lucky to have them :love: they bring so much to mine any my little girls day :D

We managed to not go down the road of full on stasis :D both are now munching like hay is going out of fashion :lol:

The next big herdal will be rebonding but I think they have started that them selves :think: or at least they are trying to sort domanance through the partition in the pen
 
I honestly don't think it's worth the risk. My view is that each attack potentially sensitises the digestive system further, so it is far better to stay within what is safe at the expense of variety, once you know what the bun can definitely tolerate. I don't think it's so unusual for bunnies to not be able to tolerate fresh food.
 
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Given your previous experience with veg, I'd not bother pursuing it further and stick to hay, they'll be better for it. Mine would go berserk if they were stuck with just hay, but they're fine with loads of things, have never showed any signs (except Lopsy developed stasis with sprouts about a month after we started him with them :roll:), and for us it's a cheap way of feeding them. But the OH tends to overfeed forage :lol:
 
By over eating does that include hay?

We did try carrot greens but Beauty started to go into stasis so those were stoped. This was the pattern with all veg we had tried so they don’t get any now. They were completly disinterested in fruit and turn their noses up at most herbs which they can eat.

Not usually. In the past I had a female who binged on everything, including hay; which was followed by bloating/gas. She became more overweight when she got unlimited hay too.

You have already tried a lot of different greens with Beauty without success. You may want to take a break from trying her on greens and see if she can be stasis free.
 
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