Papaya Tablets, other supplements

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erinmoveit

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Peanut is shedding a ton right now. She is young and doesn't sit long to be groomed. I've been seeing a few poos strung together every now and then. I hear that Papaya can help in aiding digestion? Is this something that I should consider? Are there any downsides to thins? Also, there are a ton of other supplements. In which cases should supplements be used?
 
the papaya tabs are crammed full of extra papaya and pineapple enzymes, which are supposed to be good for breaking up ingested fur. the only downside is that they do contain some sugar, so if you're giving a daily ration of fruit (1 tsp per 2 lbs body weight is allowed per day), I would cut back on the fruit on days where you give a papaya tablet.

as far as other supplements go, I don't know of anything that's really necessary/helpful unless your bunny has chronic health issues (joint problems, digestive issues, etc.)

the best way to deal with the poops, though, is to up her hay intake if you can and groom her as much as you can get away with. I love my furminator - I got the longhair furminator for cats under 10 lbs and it works wonders on my lionhead and holland lop in just a few minutes. it's WAY better than a brush (which I find pretty ineffective). the furminator comes with a money-back satisfaction guarantee, so there's nothing to lose by giving it a try.
 
I give Honey papaya bits while she's shedding, rather than tablets. They have a little more sugar than the tablets do, but that's the only sugary treat I give her. Benebac or other probiotic probably is a good idea & a must after antibiotic, but I don't think a rabbit needs any other supplement until it's older or has specific health issues.

About the papaya, it helps break down the hair, but good removal of hair still is a must.
 
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the reason I'd recommend papaya tablets over bits of papaya is the added enzymes in the tablets make them *much* more concentrated - to get the same amount of enzymes from regular papaya, the total sugar intake would be significantly higher.
 
Well, my rabbits rarely get sugary treats or fruit (because of the edible log we were talking about in the other posting - i think that has it's share of sugars!). Sounds like I don't really need the papaya even then. She is picky about hay (likes to pull it all out and find what she wants), but I can give them more hay filled toys to add some to their diet. Thanks!
 
you could also cut back on her pellets slightly to encourage more hay eating. the papaya tablets *do* seem to help, they're just no replacement for thorough grooming and hay does a good job of pushing things through the digestive system.
 
The papaya tablets help. Only 1 of my bunnies will eat them though and it is not the one that needs them. Also you could try to give them a small chunk of fresh pinapple or papaya. They will smell really good after eating the pinapple.
 

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