Doesn't want to eat hay

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amfa

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Hi, I bought my bunny new types of hay 2 days ago since the last one that I've been feeding her for year isn't available now. The problem is that she doesn't want to eat it. She eats very little, like only to have her stomach a little bit filled and survive but it's not 'eating eating'. She drinks a lot tho, like 250 ml per day since I bought this new hay, previously she drank maybe 100 ml per day? I was wondering if it can be also due to filling stomach.
I hope anything bad won't happen because she is very active and not hunched, she does binkies etc. The only problem is with eating very very little... How can I encourage her?

Klusia is 1.5 year old female mini lop, spayed.
 
What kind of hay? And were did you get It from?
 

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the hay looks alright. Do you know when the hay you usually get will be back in stock? for now, as she's eating enough to not get ill, I'd keep her on it until the usual hay is back. To encourage better eating, I recommend mixing some dried flowers and/or herbs into it, and topping it up more often than usual as she may only like certain pieces :)
 
I live in Poland so you probably don't know this hay :/ It is meadow and timothy hay, 32% of fibers in it
I give my rabbit Timothy hay also. Did you try putting a few treats in the hay?
 
the hay looks alright. Do you know when the hay you usually get will be back in stock? for now, as she's eating enough to not get ill, I'd keep her on it until the usual hay is back. To encourage better eating, I recommend mixing some dried flowers and/or herbs into it, and topping it up more often than usual as she may only like certain pieces :)

Thank you! Unfortunately it will be back in 2 months :( I also borrowed some hay from friend but she doesn't like it, seems I have a very picky eater :( I hope she will get used to new one in couple days, for now I'll mix it with herbs as you reccomend!
 
Here is something I found on google.......

Some rabbits turn up their noses at hay because the are fed too much pelleted food. Hay should be the main food item a rabbit eats, and you cannot overfeed him. ... Timothy is usually the hay of choice, but orchard grass, oat hay and meadow grass hayare also suitable for healthy adult bunnies.
 
Not saying that you feed your rabbit to much. What do you feed your rabbit? And how much?
 
Not saying that you feed your rabbit to much. What do you feed your rabbit? And how much?

My bunny doesn't eat pellets. She eats herbs daily but little because she's on diet and eats herbs recommended by vet like st mary thistle and raspberry leaves
 
I think you should take your rabbit to the vet before things get worse
 
I don't think a vet is necessary yet. She's eating but just doesn't like the hay? You could also try fresh grass if it's not got any pesticides and rabbit safe - not lawn clippings either.

Apollo wasn't a big fan of the orchard grass a few months ago, and we were in the same situation as the hay he liked wasn't available. He did get used to the hay eventually but he still doesn't love it (we have our usual hay on the way! Woohoo!!). As long as she's still eating enough and doesn't start showing signs of stasis, I think it should be safe to stick to this one - especially if it's the only option. If not, you can continue to try new types of hay until you find one she likes. The main priority is of course getting her to eat hay/grass, so you may need to play around with i a little
 
I don't think a vet is necessary yet. She's eating but just doesn't like the hay? You could also try fresh grass if it's not got any pesticides and rabbit safe - not lawn clippings either.

Apollo wasn't a big fan of the orchard grass a few months ago, and we were in the same situation as the hay he liked wasn't available. He did get used to the hay eventually but he still doesn't love it (we have our usual hay on the way! Woohoo!!). As long as she's still eating enough and doesn't start showing signs of stasis, I think it should be safe to stick to this one - especially if it's the only option. If not, you can continue to try new types of hay until you find one she likes. The main priority is of course getting her to eat hay/grass, so you may need to play around with i a little

yes she's eating treats, herbs etc, she just doesn't like new hay. Eats very little of it due to filling stomach a bit. she's definitely not in pain, she does binkies and sleeps on her side, not hunched. acts completely normal, poops are fine. Guess I really have a picky eater :( I just need to encourage her somehow
 
Your rabbit may not want to eat that hay because there's something wrong with it, like it has mold or maybe was sprayed with something in the field prior to harvest that is making it taste wrong to her. I would check the hay to make sure there are no white or black spots in it, that it's not damp at all, and that it doesn't smell sour or musty, which would be signs it has possible mold growth in it. If at all possible, maybe try and find a different batch of hay to give her.

If you can't find any different hay that she will eat, she needs adequate amounts of food one way or the other, or her health will suffer. So if she's not currently eating enough to maintain a healthy weight and her fecal poop is getting too small because of the decreased food intake, she either will need a lot more foraged foods, or you may need to find a good quality rabbit food pellet or hay pellet to supplement her feeding until you can get the hay sorted out. Though if doing rabbit pellets, make sure they are a reliable good brand and that they are introduced into the diet gradually. If you aren't sure if she's eating enough or not, I would weigh her regularly as well as feel along her back to make sure she is maintaining a good weight and not experiencing unhealthy weight loss.

Another thing to consider when a rabbit stops eating a particular type of food, like won't eat hay but will eat all of their other food, is that they could have a dental problem like molar spurs, causing sores in their mouth to hurt when they eat that particular food. Increased water intake can also be a sign of a dental problem, because it hurts to eat so they will try and sooth their sore mouth, and fill their stomach up with drinking. So if you have access to a good rabbit vet, it might be a good idea to have a dental check up done.

http://www.mybunny.org/info/dental-problems-in-rabbits/
(link has medical related photos)
https://lbah.com/rabbit/rabbit-teeth-conditions/
 
Your rabbit may not want to eat that hay because there's something wrong with it, like it has mold or maybe was sprayed with something in the field prior to harvest that is making it taste wrong to her. I would check the hay to make sure there are no white or black spots in it, that it's not damp at all, and that it doesn't smell sour or musty, which would be signs it has possible mold growth in it. If at all possible, maybe try and find a different batch of hay to give her.

If you can't find any different hay that she will eat, she needs adequate amounts of food one way or the other, or her health will suffer. So if she's not currently eating enough to maintain a healthy weight and her fecal poop is getting too small because of the decreased food intake, she either will need a lot more foraged foods, or you may need to find a good quality rabbit food pellet or hay pellet to supplement her feeding until you can get the hay sorted out. Though if doing rabbit pellets, make sure they are a reliable good brand and that they are introduced into the diet gradually. If you aren't sure if she's eating enough or not, I would weigh her regularly as well as feel along her back to make sure she is maintaining a good weight and not experiencing unhealthy weight loss.

Another thing to consider when a rabbit stops eating a particular type of food, like won't eat hay but will eat all of their other food, is that they could have a dental problem like molar spurs, causing sores in their mouth to hurt when they eat that particular food. Increased water intake can also be a sign of a dental problem, because it hurts to eat so they will try and sooth their sore mouth, and fill their stomach up with drinking. So if you have access to a good rabbit vet, it might be a good idea to have a dental check up done.

http://www.mybunny.org/info/dental-problems-in-rabbits/
(link has medical related photos)
https://lbah.com/rabbit/rabbit-teeth-conditions/
Thanks for such a long reply! We went to exotic animals vet 2 months ago and her teeth were perfectly fine, not only incisors but also molars were checked and it is a really good vet. She enjoys eating branches like from apple or plum tree, treats like dried flowers, herbs etc and she ate them today, was able to chew on branch. Plus she was normally eating 2 days ago, problem started when I bought new hay so I really think it's not about teeth. My boyfriend's rabbit loves this hay and it is really good brand, I searched as you wrote but there were no black dots, hay is perfectly fine, I even attached a photo of it previously. Poops are really okay! And she ates her cecos, doesn't leave any.
I know a good brand of pellets, I'll buy some. Thanks for help. I really hope she will eat the hay sooner and it's just connected to being used to other brand
 
okay so few hours passed and here are her fecal poops - totally normal size for her and golden brown. She atea little bit more than yesterday tho! I really think she just doesn't like it and that's the only reason...
 

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I guess hay and rabbits are quite similiar to here, although I can't get (and wouldn't buy) hay with just one or two grasses, here it's whatever grows including weeds and whatever.

Those poops look absolutly fine, big, well formed, that's what bunny owners want to see. So, she is eating enough, and if her diet is ok I would say everything is fine.

My rabbits eat almost no hay during summer since I feed fresh forage, basicly the same just fresh and not dried.
 
Thank you all. I must admit I panicked a little at first because comparing to the old hay, she really eats less now and leaves a lot of uneaten hay, while with the old one she ate almost everything. Hope she'll get used to the new kind soon and like it more. Today I can see that she ate more than 2 days ago when I bought it
 

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