Hairy bunny diet

[Sabine]

My new lionhead is the shaggiest rabbit I've ever seen. I am trying to get her used to timothy pellets to clear out her system (she had an awful diet in her previous home) But I heard that long haired rabbits may need a higher intake of calories. Will the timothy pellets do in the long run or should I eventually give her the pellets for younger rabbits with more alfafa. She is a year old or so. Is there anything else she should have in her diet because of her long hair?

 

[Raspberry82]

Supply plenty of hay and making sure they're eating the hay and drinking their water seems to be the most important to make sure their gut can move out the fur. When they're shedding, I'd give her extra hay instead of extra pellets.. they can become a little hungrier during this time.

Also regular brushing or using sticky lint rollers to remove as much shedding/loose hair as possible is a good idea. Since she is 1 yr old, I personally would keep her on timothy pellets. The benefits of higher calcium from feeding alfalfa are mainly for growing strong bones when they're still developing and she is now full grown.

Since her diet was really awful in her previous home, I would contact your vet and request rabbit liquid vitamin drops to give her. This will help make sure her body is getting enough nutrients after being so deprived before you got her.


Hopefully another lionhead owner with more long hair experience will chime in!

 

[Luv-bunniz]

Sabine wrote:

My new lionhead is the shaggiest rabbit I've ever seen. I am trying to get her used to timothy pellets to clear out her system (she had an awful diet in her previous home) But I heard that long haired rabbits may need a higher intake of calories. Will the timothy pellets do in the long run or should I eventually give her the pellets for younger rabbits with more alfafa. She is a year old or so. Is there anything else she should have in her diet because of her long hair?

I've never heard such a thing! Why would they need a higher intake of calories? :? We have had *counts back* 6 lion head rabbits in all our time weve been keeping rabbits and they have all had the same, daily veggies, timothy pellets, a mix of hays and clean fresh water and never had a problem. Just daily brushing, plenty of different hays in the moult to keep fur pushing through the gut, as for the nutrients if she will eat veggies and salads that meet requirments then by all means keep her on them until she eats the pellets. Liquid vitamins wont do much unless given by syringe as they go off so quickly and make the water stale.

 

[kherrmann3]

Raspberry82 wrote:

Also regular brushing or using sticky lint rollers to remove as much shedding/loose hair as possible is a good idea.

I have heard that you're supposed to give angora buns more protein in their diet to maintain their coat. I have no idea if there is scientific proof to this, though. I've read it several places.

I recommend the "Shed-Ender" or the "Furminator" brushes for pets. They are mainly for cats/dogs, but they are great on bunnies. People here liked the Furminator better than the Shed-Ender. I've only tried the Shed-Ender, and it works wonders! The people who make the Shed-Ender also have a reusable lint brush. It doesn't have those sticky papers on it, you just push a button side-to-side and it traps the hair (or whatever) in a little compartment in the back for easy removal. That's more for the owner's piece-of-mind, though I will try and find links for all of them on eBay so you can see what I'm talking about... Be back soon!

 

[kherrmann3]

OK, back. Here are the links I just went onto eBay for the UK and found these links. There weren't many on "eBay Ireland"...

Shed Ender
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SHED-ENDER-PROFESSIONAL-PET-BRUSH-AS-SEEN-ON-TV-RRP-20_W0QQitemZ270309289033QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs?hash=item270309289033&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

The Furminator
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FURMINATOR-THE-NEXT-GENERATION-OF-GROOMING-TOOLS-CAT_W0QQitemZ290279668283QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Cats?hash=item290279668283&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Here is *kind of* the shedding lint brush I was talking about.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAGIC-BRUSH-TO-REMOVE-LINT-PET-HAIR-BNIP_W0QQitemZ250333203081QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_CLV_Cleaning_CA?hash=item250333203081&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

This lint brush has that "swivel head" and the one I am talking about, the swivel movement pushes the lint into a back compartment that you can empty the hair out of. I love it! (I'm not sure if this one has the back cleaning compartment, but it looks like the one I have).

 

[Raspberry82]

One of these days I am definitely buying a furminator or shed-ender. Thay both sound fantastic!

 

[Sabine]

I've groomed her every day since I got her but i found my ordinary rabbit brush sufficient so far. I'm wondering if the fur needs trimming at all. It's a shame I can't remember where I read this. I think the argument was that hair is made up of protein and therefore they need slightly more to keep up the hair growth

 

[kherrmann3]

Sabine wrote:

I think the argument was that hair is made up of protein and therefore they need slightly more to keep up the hair growth

That's what I remember reading, too. It was regarding angora buns, but any longer haired species should be the same. Hair/nails are made up of protein, and that extra protein makes the fur stronger and a bit softer, if I recall.

 

[Raspberry82]

I remeber reading that somewhere also.. but I could be wrong since i've not raised lionheads or angoras. You could try PMing TinysMom since she is so experienced with raising lionheads and she if she feeds extra or what she does diet wise when shedding season comes.

 

[Sabine]

Raspberry82 wrote:

I remeber reading that somewhere also.. but I could be wrong since i've not raised lionheads or angoras. You could try PMing TinysMom since she is so experienced with raising lionheads and she if she feeds extra or what she does diet wise when shedding season comes.

That's an idea. I wonder if i read that info in one of her posts. Thanks

 

[tonyshuman]

if the fur is really out of control and you're not planning on showing her or keeping her in the cold you can definitely cut (or shave) it. someone did that to their angora in the summer to keep him cool and i've seen a very funny pic of it. however, that was before i joined the forum so i don't remember who it was or what bunny etc.