Hey, I'm new

Hola,

I am Chocoteddy0, 13 years old, female. More about my rabbit and my rabbit problem.

I have just got a bunny (literally, an hour ago). I live in Asia, and my city isn't exactly animal-friendly. So I bought my bunny off the streets from some random guy, because thats the only place you CAN buy them and I figured that they would live a better life with me than with that evil guy who kept them in cages smaller than my hand and picked them up by the ears (yes, LITERALLY). My bunny is white with brown patches, and I named him Sugar. I THINK he's one month old, and I have no idea what the breed is. There is no vet where I live (well, within a 20 mile radius there is possibly a very crappy vet where rabbits come out looking worse than when they went in), so I guess I'm gonna have to skip thevaccines andspaying stuff (I can do that, right?).

I have bought treats, food, a cage, a toy and a wooly mat thing. Do I need hay or can I use grass (normal green garden grass)? And also, I have these really concentrated, condensed pellet things and they are half the size of my pinky nail and i'm supposed to give my rabbit 3 of these tiny things a day! But my rabbit refuses to eat, because there are only 3 of these specks of dust he can't find it, so I have to hand feed him to make sure he eats them but he refuses, the stubborn bugger! Help??

Also, would you reccomend keeping him in my room?

Hi! Welcome to you and Sugar!

I'm not sure on all of the specifics, but I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my ability. We have a forum member who lives in China (ChinaBun), and she had a very hard time getting vet care for her bunny as well. I think there are a few other members across Asia, too, so they might be able to help. There are some bunny-friendly vets listed in the Library section, and your city or a nearby one may have some listed there. Although there aren't a lot of vaccines (none in the US, and only a few others available only in Europe), it's good to know of a vet that you can take your rabbit to in an emergency. Rabbits can get sick and go downhill fast!

You will not need to neuter your bunny if you can stand some of the behavioral issues that intact males have, such as spraying urine to mark their territory, running in circles around you, and trying to mate with your feet/stuffed animals/anything his size! My bf has an intact male right now and he's not so bad to deal with (fingers crossed, and he's getting neuetered next week), but some male bunnies can be really agressive and hump everything in sight. If Sugar turns out to be a she, as many bunnies have unexpected sex changes because babies are hard to determine the sex of, a spay will dramatically increase her lifespan and prevent uterine cancer, which has a very high prevalence in older unspayed female buns. Both spayed and neutered bunnies will be easier to litterbox train. So basically, if Sugar stays a he, neutering is more about behavior, and if he becomes a she, spaying will help behavior and make her healthier.

I'm not sure about the grass/hay thing, since it would depend on the type of grass you're feeding him. Bunnies need it to eat all the time to keep their guts moving. I know some people feed grass and even dry it themselves to be able to store it over the winter as hay.

This food thing you're supposed to be feeding him completely confuses me. If your bunny is indeed 1mo old, he needs as many alfalfa pellets as he will eat, and you can probably start introducing greens to him in a few weeks. My adult bunnies (each weighs about 4-5 lbs) eat 1/8c timothy pellets and 2c greens per day. My bf's youg bunny (a tiny ~1kilo dwarf, older than Sugar) doesn't eat much because he's scared, so he gets as many alfalfa pellets as he likes (prob eats 1/8-1/4c a day) and as many greens as he will eat (prob 1/2c a day). You need to try to get him to eat something, since bunnies need to keep eating and pooping constantly so that their sensitive digestive systems are working.

You can keep him in your bedroom of course! It sounds like you're very excited to have this rabbit and it's wonderful that you have decided to improve his life. I'm glad you've come here for advice and I wish you lots of luck!!

:bunnydance:

Welcome!:group:

The feeding thing sounds weird to me too. You couldn't get a picture of the packet or find them online? Although, i just realised i wouldn't be able to read it anyway.. maybe you would have to translate!

I'd say if you can get hold of normal pellets thats the best thing to do.

My rabbit gets more grass than hay. Because he is outdoors most of the day he shows little interest in hay (apart from in the winter). You can give him nice handfuls of fresh grass if its easy for you, or just buy a bale of hay.

Have fun! We need pictures!

Welcome to RO! So glad you found Sugar and are asking all the right questions - so good for you! I'd defintly hunt down some alfafa pellets and timothy hay and start w/that. Buns need alot of water so make sure thats always available. And again, buns have to have food in their system 24/7 - so always make sure there is hay around in their pen/area.. He/She being so young - some others on here will be able to give you more definitive advice on the proper food..

Hope you can get some pictures up so that everyone can have a go at guessing what breed Sugar is.

Really glad you found us - hope we can help figure things out for you - so feel free to ask any and all questions that you have!

Thanks, everybody! My rabbit is eating now...but, er do they really have to eat ALL the time? I don't want an obese bunny! And how many treats can I give him? Cos thats all he eats, treats and apple slices. And, my god, this rabbit takes A LONG TIME to eat!


BTW yeah, the back of the packet is in Chinese so I have no idea what it says but my driver said it means three of the tiny, smaller-than-half-a-pea pellets per day. (I was like, "WHAAAT?".)


My lazy little rabbit just sleeps all the time! I am having trouble engaging Sugar in games with the little ball with a bell in. Also, in the last 24 hours since I got him..HE HASN'T POOED!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY BUNNY???

Er, *ahem*. Anyways, say goodbye, Sugar.

Sugar: ...

Well, they don't have to eat constantly, just really often. They usually chew on some hay every hour or so. That won't make him fat! I'm not sure about how to feed a baby bunny, but you could try to see if he'll eat greens like dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce, parsley, or bok choy. You might try to find a more typical type of pellet too if you can. I generally say 2oz of fruit per 5lbs of bunny per day. He does look to be very young.

It's really important to make sure he poops. Check the library for articles on GI stasis/ileus if he still hasn't pooped. If you can listen to his tummy and it sounds gurgly, I'd give him some baby gas medicine (the active ingredient is called simethicone) like the library article talks about. You can also do tummy masages to see if you can feel any gas or a "hairball" in there. You also might want to post separately about this in the infirmary.

Good luck to you guys! Sugar is a real cutie!:bunnydance:

Thanks for the advice,I think maybe there is something wrong, but his stomach isn't gurgling, and there doesn't seem to be any gas or a furball. Poor likkle wabby!

I'll try and feed him some greens, but its like making a human toddler eat greens! Tres difficile! :?

Being SO young he/she may want to sleep all the time so again, So serior Mod's REALLY need to come in and weigh in on this!

I definetly keep the sugary treats down to a minimum and throw the Hay, timothy pellets, etc. at Him/her.. "Toddlers" will want the worst food and you have to make sure they get a "sampling" of all foods (some banan chips ontop of fresh spinach).

Good luck and keep updating on the progress!

Mods??? Eh?? Serior Mods??? :?

Yeah, Sugar is just sleeping like 24/7. I'll wake her up now, feed her a bit...

.............

YAAAAY! Sugar is feasting on a cabbage leaf! I just had to be persistant, I think he assumed they would taste bad and thats why he never tried them. I held her and wavered the cabbage in front of her mouth until she took a bite. Now she loves the stuff!

Now for the matter of LACK OF POO!

She meant to say senior mods. Good luck, i hope it goes well.

Thankies

Yes thanks Pinsalamander - Senior Moderators, people who watch this forum and know of what they speak - chime in when needed ( as it is needed for you now).

Tummy rubs, as best I've deciphered is torun your hand down under as best you can along side their "tummy area" and with a gently pushing motion - as if you were helping things move through the area - rub their tum to help food move through..

Again, you bun, should be seen by a Vet ASAP as she/he is so young and needs to be checked out..

Seriously hope someone can get on here soon and give you some "sound" advice- but being the time that it is - tomorrow or later tonight for you -you should start hearing something.. Good luck and will look to see how it all goes tomorrow.

Thanks, I'll try the tummy rubs. Yeah, I'd like to visit a vet but I haven't a clue where they are. Right now my rabbit is munching on grass.

I'd reccomend PM'ing the member ChinaBun. She is also in China and may be able to help you find a vet. Yay that he's eating!!

Welcome to the forum ! I am looking forward to seeing pictures of Sugar, sounds like he is a very handsome little guy. Sugar should thank his lucky rabbits foot for being picked up by you.

It sounds like the two of you have already had some adventures together.

Yaaay the rabbit eats!! LOL

Yeah, I PMed CHinaBUn. Awaiting a reply.

As for the poo front: N/A.

Thanks, WabbitDad!!!

Doesn't pineapple help with digestion? Or am i imagining that?

Chocoteddy0 wrote:

BTW yeah, the back of the packet is in Chinese so I have no idea what it says but my driver said it means three of the tiny, smaller-than-half-a-pea pellets per day. (I was like, "WHAAAT?".)

Click to expand...

Hi Chocoteddy0! :wave:

Are these pellets made for rabbits, and you got them from a pet shop? Does it list the ingredients? How large is the package of pellets? If you can, post a picture of the Chinese words, and maybe we can translate it.

Most of the greens (vegetables) that you eat should be OK for Sugar. Bok choy, Gai Lan,kale, spinach. Do you have dandelions growing in the yard?

Welcome! Your little bun is adorable!

Can I add my comment about the hay vs. grass thing? Your bun is tiny right now (not really even supposed to be away from his momma quite yet), but as it getsa little older, chewing becomes very important to keep his teeth worn down. It is also a big stress reliever for buns. Nethies tend to be very active, so chewing is great outlet for them. Hay tends to be much more fiberous and chewy than fresh grass, and I would say it is preferred for health's sake. It is available year round.( I'm not sure what your situation is, but I would assume that fresh grass might be more of a seasonal treat for your bun.) Since obesity is an issue with any pet bunny, the extra fiber in hay helps to fill them up without a lot of extra calories, meaning that they can eat as much as they want, all day long! Most rabbit savvy vets recommend free feeding hay. You can even put some on top of their litter material in the litter pan, cause buns like to eat and poo at the same time! (Just empty out the hay with the rest of the soiled litter.)And it helps keep the digestion moving so they CAN poo.

I hope this helps. (BTW, from our experience, the gentle tummy rubs do help get things "moving". MODERATORS: I wonder too, could being so young be a factor, ie, the little tummy is still trying to make the transition to digesting solid foods? Plus the fact that buns don't like change? Maybe the little guy is stressed.)

If this bunny is as young as Chocoteddy0 thinks, then aren't veggies a bad idea?