Romy said:bunnylove said:[quote="Romy
Don't worry Toby, I've now received pm messages from someone on this thread telling me (nicely) that they think I'm wrong to have Bridget on a diet as she should be 16lbs not a stone! :shock: I'll hopefully find out which is right soon!! :roll: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Keeping Bridget on hay only for a while is not putting her on a DIET as such in the sense to LOOSE weight. Hay is the right diet for bunnies and we have large French Lops here who gained weight and body bulk on hay over time. 16 pounds is teh average weight for a French Lop but every bunny is different, and we have one here that is a healthy 13 pounds and another around 14 pounds.
Bridget has had problems so her guts need to be kept moving and the best way of doing this is by hay, hay and more hay. As time goes on, you can add things like good quality dried food, and veggies, but hay in the short term should not make her loose body weight.
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My Rabbit Junkie
- Thread starter Toby
- Start date
Adele said:
This certainly rings true with me. My buns treats now come in the same form as Bluebunnys - new toys, veg, herbs. Fruit if they have been really good :wink:
I don't think that being a bunny owner means you automatically know what is best for them - I am happy to hold my hands up and admit that I obviously didn't know the best 'diet' for Rob. I thought I was being kind by giving him little treats when all I was doing was upsetting his digestive system. You live and learn, however for me, that means making sure I do everything possible to ensure he has no chance of getting his little jaws near any 'people' food.
Toby please do not get upset................the only thing I would like to say that yes I agree that new bunny owner should not get the impression that it is ok to feed bunnies chocolate and human treats etc BUT Toby is 13 years old for god's sake, now if Emma has been giving him the ODD treat then let her carry on as Toby is a magnificant age so his personal diet has obviously suited him - Emma please do not be annoyed as sometimes people seem to be very hurtful and cruel but the thing that matters is that Toby goes on to be entered into the Guiness Book of Records for being the oldest bunny ever to have existed :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:
Yes I have read that stuff before and I am well aware of it. However it has happened - Toby has eaten Chocolate and he hasn't been ill or died. I don’t believe everything that is written, you don’t learn by “reading” you learn by “doing”. A lot of people feed their rabbits chocolate (even if it’s rabbit chocolate) and you cannot put your diet you have for your rabbits onto other people. None of us on here are crawl, we all know what is best for our “own” rabbits - and I am getting a bit fed up with people telling others what and what not to do. This is a forum board we should be able to speak out without the worry of other people. I know that chocolate can be bad for rabbits, however I do believe that there are a few rabbits out there that it does not effect in the same way! If Toby was being harmed by these chocolate drops I would stop feeding him them, however he enjoys them and makes him happy. He goes for reguler vert checks because of his age and he is very healthy. So it's not that people don't balieve that rabbits cannot digest these substances, its more to do with the fact that rabbits are not suffering from a few chocolate drops as much as made out in a "book".
Andi Boy of Destiny!
Warren Scout
Toby said:
No, it wasn't aimed at you. As I also said in that post, I completely understand that rabbits are pretty dim and will often get their noses into (and their teeth on) things that aren't good for them. What I have said is that it is wrong to say that chocolate isn't harmful to rabbits, because there is overwhelming evidence that it is.
I didn't at any point make any personal pops at you or say you were a bad bunny mum and I do resent the implication that I did. I'm sorry that you're insisting on taking my post as a personal attack.
Some rabbits, like some people, can get away with things, others can't. I've known a lot of dogs who've wolfed whole boxes of chocs to their owners crossness with no problems at all, I've also known two that died from it.
I read on a forum last month of a woman who came back from a Valentine night out to find three of her five beloved house rabbits dying or dead because they'd knocked off some chocolate from the top of the tv while she was out and eaten it. She was heartbroken.
I think the point is that unless you know your rabbit can tolerate certain things you're playing Russian Roulette with its life and I for one am not prepared to do that.
That's completely different from a rabbit getting at food or things they shouldn't, goodness knows we've all had rabbits who've done that :?
I'm not getting at anyone, I agree the books often say things that aren't true for a lot of rabbits, but the fact is rabbits evolved to eat hay, grass wild plants and herbs and anything else they can or can't get away with is pure chance and luck on the rabbit's part.
I read on a forum last month of a woman who came back from a Valentine night out to find three of her five beloved house rabbits dying or dead because they'd knocked off some chocolate from the top of the tv while she was out and eaten it. She was heartbroken.
I think the point is that unless you know your rabbit can tolerate certain things you're playing Russian Roulette with its life and I for one am not prepared to do that.
That's completely different from a rabbit getting at food or things they shouldn't, goodness knows we've all had rabbits who've done that :?
I'm not getting at anyone, I agree the books often say things that aren't true for a lot of rabbits, but the fact is rabbits evolved to eat hay, grass wild plants and herbs and anything else they can or can't get away with is pure chance and luck on the rabbit's part.
That’s cool, Adele. Basically what I meant was that Toby hasn't been harmed in the past - and because he has Chocolate on a “rare” occasion I don't feel that it will kill him. I know Toby is in good health and I no way want to change that, but I do feel in my heart that a small treat here and there will not harm him, know how he has and hasn’t reacted to it - if anything I think he deserves a treat. I do believe that there are rabbits out there that will be very ill from chocolate….in fact most rabbits could be harmed from chocolate so I would not recommend it. However there is 1 or 2 out there that can take it batter then others. Toby must have a gut of steal but even so, I would never feed him chocolate on weekly bases.
As I've said a lot get away with it But I've had a lot of animals in my time and looked after a lot more. And I promise you, some dogs do die from eating chocolate even though there are loads that don't.
All I'm saying here is that you can't know in advance which can and which can't. Great on your dog being such an impressive age too
But I've had a lot of animals in my time and looked after a lot more. And I promise you, some dogs do die from eating chocolate even though there are loads that don't.All I'm saying here is that you can't know in advance which can and which can't. Great on your dog being such an impressive age too
SOAD
Wise Old Thumper
We all know Chocolate is bad for rabbits, even Emma stated in her original post that started the thread that chocolate is bad.
I am unsure as to why the big debate started, at no point did anyone say chocolate was good for buns. So why has everyone jumped on the band wagon as if Emma was advocating chocolate for rabbits, she wasn't it was about a bunny stealing chocolate.
I am sure those of you with house bunnies at one time or another has had your bunny do something or get somewhere he/she shouldn't. I really don't think it deserved the response it got, sometimes board members can be quite rude and being on the receiving end of a thread that created controversy, I take no pleasure in reading this. All I am going to say on the matter is, Emma take no notice it will be someone else's turn tomorrow.
I am unsure as to why the big debate started, at no point did anyone say chocolate was good for buns. So why has everyone jumped on the band wagon as if Emma was advocating chocolate for rabbits, she wasn't it was about a bunny stealing chocolate.
I am sure those of you with house bunnies at one time or another has had your bunny do something or get somewhere he/she shouldn't. I really don't think it deserved the response it got, sometimes board members can be quite rude and being on the receiving end of a thread that created controversy, I take no pleasure in reading this. All I am going to say on the matter is, Emma take no notice it will be someone else's turn tomorrow.
As regulars on the forum we've debated the 'treats/chocolate' issues before, however, I think as Pam pointed out, that for new members/non members this might be the first/only thread they read. If we all just posted all the 'funny' tales of our buns stealing chocolate then people might not fully appreciate the potential harmful results.
I don't think anyone is being rude or intentionally making anyone feel bad
I don't think anyone is being rude or intentionally making anyone feel bad
Thanks Tree, I am glad some people understand.
What started me off was the post by "Andi, Boy of Destiny!" as I never once said I hand fed Toby chocolate from the start. Toby has the rabbit choc (yogurt drops) drops that you can buy from pet stores - but then he only has these now and again....in fact he hasn't had any in ages. He eats human chocolate when he nicks it! My bf will eat choc bikkies in the evening and leave the pack out near the sofa :roll: so when I let Toby out in the morning he makes a beeline for that packet and before I know it his munching away.
Maybe some people have taken a dislike to me - so it was any exscue to have ago :lol:
Andi Boy of Destiny!
Warren Scout
Toby said:
Seriously, where in my initial post did I direct a single comment at you? As i said, I'm sorry if you've mistakenly decided that my comments were specifically pointed at you; they weren't. If they had been aimed at you I'd have made it clear.
This is, what, the third time I've said that it wasn't directed at you?
and as I said in my post Toby WILL be ib the Guiness Book of Records for being the oldest bun ever! He is soooo healthy and happy and so loved but sooooo mischievious :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
you keep doin as your doin Toby you love your bun it is you that has had him for 13 years and watched him not anybody else so take no notice :wink:
you keep doin as your doin Toby you love your bun it is you that has had him for 13 years and watched him not anybody else so take no notice :wink:
kimbun's mum
Banned
Romy said:Don't worry Toby, I've now received pm messages from someone on this thread telling me (nicely) that they think I'm wrong to have Bridget on a diet as she should be 16lbs not a stone! :shock: I'll hopefully find out which is right soon!! :roll: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Can I just clear this up please - I most definitely did not say in my pm to you Romy that it was wrong for Bridget to be on a diet - I knew you were worried and I tried to explain that some French lops can be 16lbs (and over). You said Bridget was a stone - I was only informing you of other French lops weight as very often vets do not know the proper weight range for bunnies.
For those of you who are now wondering if I have lost my marbles here is the pm I sent.
Hi Romy
I suddenly thought that I hope you did not think I was being sarcastic about you giving Bridget veggies - I think it is good as a wee bit addition to just hay and water.
How much does she weigh - i know French lops can be about 16lbs.
Maybe Bridget just needs to be toned.
lol Pam
Next time I feel the need to be supportive I will lie down until the feeling passes :!: :wink:
Pam
