My rabbit won't chew his toys

I recently got a rabbit that a friend couldn't keep anymore and I've had him about a week now. I started to notice he won't gnaw on anything and I think he is starting to develop tooth problems. Right now he has willow branches, cardboard, a popcorn chew stick and hay with dried veggies, but nothing seems to be working. I really don't want it to come down to needing to have his teeth clipped down, is there anything I can do? What do your rabbits like chewing on the most?

My cords.

lol, now seriously, they like ANYTHING. newspapers, phonebooks, cardboard, willow especially, hay, and veggies.

i would diss the "popcorn chew stick". doesn't sound very healthy to me. and make sure you monitor the intake of the hay with the veggies so that he don't get too much.

I wouldn't normally get popcorn sticks, I just really want him to chew on SOMETHING. His old owner says he loves cardboard, but just won't chew on anything I give him. I understand the move may have been stressful for him, but I just want to make sure he stays healthy.

Honey likes to chew on the entrances of her cardboard hide box, but not on loose cardboard or sticks. The one loose thing she chews on sometimes in the big sheets of brown packing paper I give her. She usually tears it, but sometimes chews it.

is he eating his pellets ok? If so, his teeth probably aren't THAT bad, but it may be worth a vet visit once he's settled down another week or so.

here are a list of great chewing toys that i found at petsmart but any petstore most likely has them: (if your not sure what the names listed below mean just go to petsmart website and type in small animal chew toys)

apple wood sticks

nut knot nibbler

all living things rainbow chews

ware treat k-bob

all living things sport wood chew

Super Pet® Natural Lots 'O Loops Toss Toy for Small Animals
(ive heard that those clean their teeth)

Critter WARE® Barrel Roller Toy for Small Animals


most of these toys are good for trimmming down their teeth. my rabbit doesn't really chew on his toys either so i got timothy cubes (not alfalfa cubes). they are basically compressed timothy hay which is a natural part of their diet. so at the same time they are eating hay and since the cubes are hard, it will trim down their teeth

hope this helps!
-patches

Patches, I'd stay away from anything the petstore sells that isn't untreated wood.

Patches, I'd stay away from anything the petstore sells that isn't untreated wood.

I was fostering a neglected bunny once who had never received any type of medical care and had really bad teeth problems. He wouldn't chew on anything or eat anything but pellets. The vet told me that he was probably eating the pellets because they didn't hurt his teeth. As soon as he would put pressure on the pellet inside his mouth, it would break into tiny pieces.

The only thing that really keeps the teeth filed at the proper length is hay. It's the texture of the hay. It's rough and naturally files the teeth. As you know, rabbits should have unlimited amounts of hay, Orchard, Timothy, Oat, etc... If he's eating his hay, then his teeth are probably just fine. But, of course a vet visit wouldn't hurt to know for sure. Chewing on toys probably isn't going to do that much to help file them down anyway.

I'm sure this isn't the healthiest thing in the world to give a bunny. But, mine love the chew logs at pet stores called Snak Shak. They go crazy over them. I will give them one and within two days there is nothing remaining but some dust. lol!! They are made of compressed hay and honey. So, you for sure want to limit the amount they chew.

Hope that helps

Well I think the problem may be more serious than I thought. I noticed that he has also stopped going to the bathroom and isn't drinking water anymore (he's always been a thirsty bun and usually drinks every few minutes). I also offered him an apple slice and he was barely interested.

I think I may head off to the vet in the morning. But thanks for all the help!

Oh No. I'm so sorry. That could be serious.

You may already know this. But, you want to keep him warm and hydrated through the night until you can see your vet. You can also syringe feed him.

Please let us know how he's doing. I'll say a prayer for you.

Thank you. He is starting to get on the old side, and has been acting up over the last few months. I will keep my eye on him and hope that I will figure out how to make him better tomorrow.

Try some leafy greens like cilantro, parsley, or green leaf lettuce. If he won't eat anything then he may have gas and it's upsetting his stomach. You could try some simethicone(infant gas relief drops). Dosage is 1cc once an hour for 3 hours, then 1cc every 3-8 hours as needed. If gas is making him feel sick, then usually after the second dose you will start to see improvement. He could be developing GI stasis from either the stress of being in a new place or too many carbs and sugars in his diet. Sharp points on his teeth can also contribute to getting GI stasis. Try the leafy greens, the simethicone, you could also try syringing 100% plain canned pumpkin(not pie filling). If his condition worsens get him to the vet right away. If he's not eating and pooping by morning then you should take him into the vet then.

sugarbunnies said:

Patches, I'd stay away from anything the petstore sells that isn't untreated wood.

Click to expand...

what do you mean?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarbunnies
Patches, I'd stay away from anything the petstore sells that isn't untreated wood

patches2593 said:

what do you mean?

Click to expand...

I think she might just be referring to the fact that alot of the things that petstores sell for rabbits, aren't necessarily good for them.

With those snack shaks, I had heard they weren't good for rabbits. I'm not sure it's good for them to be having honey. With some buns, that much sugar could really cause digestive problems.