A dull coat?

[I_heart_Fraggles]

So I was giving Fraggles couch lovies and I noticed her coat is dull and kinda coarse. Usually she has a sleek shiny coat but its kinda drab now. I am concerned cause poor coat can mean a diet problem. She has been getting orchard grass hay the last week. The feed store did not have any timothy but as soon as this bag of orchard grass is gone she is going back to timothy. She is pellet free although I am thinking of putting her back on them even though she is chunky. She gets about a half cup of dark leaf veg everyday. Oh and craisons
This is our first summer with a adult bun so maybe its that time of year? Also Fraggles never goes outside cause she is afraid. She flattens herself and won't move an inch. Any advice. Sorry bout the lousy pic but you get the idea.

 

[Tweetiepy]

No clue, but I have a thought. could that be what happens before they moult? Is it possible that the fur looks "dead" before it falls out? My bunnies haven't yet had a full moult so I can't be sure. I know oats made my boys' fur nice & shiny

 

[fuzz16]

i dont member the coats getting dull, just thick and fluffier before a moult.

maybe just diet? she may not be getting all the minerals and vitamins needed.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Any suggestions on how to give her more vitamins without adding a lot to her diet? She is very fat

 

[fuzz16]

they can get fat off hay too if they are not getting enough excercise
orchard hay is rich and sweet from what i understand, going to timothy, or even brome which you could get cheap, would work.

try a larger array of veggies, not sure if she should have more than 1/2 cup or not. but cheerios are a good treat, too, instead of craisons-which are high in sugar

from everything ive read with varied veggies and varied hay('for wearing down teeth) she should be able to get everything.

i know there are a couple here who do a pellet free diet who might pipe in.

 

[pamnock]

fuzz16 wrote:

they can get fat off hay too if they are not getting enough excercise
orchard hay is rich and sweet from what i understand, going to timothy, or even

Hay contains very little fat. "Hay belly" (pot belly) is due to protein deficiency from feeding too much hay and too little nutrients (protein).

Cheerios are a very poor choice for a rabbit snack due to refined grains and low nutritional content. Processed grains should always be avoided.

Most people don't realize that greens are made up of tough, fibrous, material that wears the molars down. Hay is not necessary.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

She is only on the orchard grass until the bag runs out. She usually gets timothy. Is pellet free a OK way to go? I just want to make sure she is getting enough vitamins.

 

[golfdiva]

Before he starts a molt, Hershey's fur gets rougher and the black fur gets a kinda reddish hue to it. It could be that Fraggles is getting ready to molt.

 

[alias]

You really might consider changing her diet. I know there is a lot of controversy over how many veggies a bunny should get, but mine get around 2 cups or more per day, a mix of whatever is in season and growing in my garden. The veggies I give vary but may include romaine lettuce mostly for the hydration it provides, parsley or cilantro, mint, oregano occassionally, collard greens, curly endive, red or green leaf lettuce, etc. I give pellets for added vitimins, but really just 1/8 cup or so. Timothy hay is a must because it is so high in fiber. There may be other hay types that have high fiber, but I know some are more likely to cause them to gain weight. I compiled info after reading a lot about bunny nutrition, see it here: http://www.bun101.com/pages/nutrition.html

Also, a friend of mine had an overweight bunny (has the rabbit still, but she is not as overweight), and she gave only a few pellets, a mix of greens (probably only 1/2 cup), unlimited timothy hay, and stayed away from sugar completely (aside from the occassional 1/2 grape, maybe a few times a month). The way that rabbits digest refined sugar is much different than how they do sugars from carrots or fruit.

Also, when I adopted Quinn (my boy) he had a really dull coarse coat and actually was a little gross. Once I started giving him fresh veggies (I'm pretty sure that was not normal for him, it took him time to get used to a lot of the varieties I gave him), and the diet mentioned above, his coat started to get really shiny and soft.

Just some food for thought, my 2 cents for what it's worth!

 

[TerraBerry]

Most people don't realize that greens are made up of tough, fibrous, material that wears the molars down. Hay is not necessary.

The statement above is false! Im mortified to read that and terrified for the health of any bunny living by that rule. Hay is a grass and wild bunnies eat pretty much all grass with little to no access to fruits and vegetables, and definitely no pellets... please dont feed your bunny that kind of diet it is harmfull to them!

 

[Niomi]

How many craisins do you give her a day?