Help! Bunny not eating hey leading to dental problems

[Chantii]

I have a seven year old lion head bunny named Buttons. He has an ongoing dental problems. Buttons doesn't eat hey, we've tried everything we can think of to get him chewing but nothing. This is leading to dental problems. As you all probably know, rabbits teeth grow constantly and they need to be chewing constantly to help grind them down.

The first time we were made aware of this problem Buttons stopes eating. I took him to the vet and he had to undergo a procedure to have his teeth trimmed. He's gone through that procedure twice more since each time with a lot of stress for both of us.

This is not an ideal solution. He has to be put under anesthesia which is always risky and especially since he's getting older. Each time this has happened he's stopped eating and become very weak come so to lose him. And as you can guess, it is also very expensive. Luckily, up to now I've been in a position to cover the costs. But now I'm even more desperate. I've lost my job so, I can't afford his vet bills and my mom keeps threatening to have him put down.

I don't know what to do. I need to get him chewing and eating hey. We've tried all types of hey. We've tried taking away all his food and just leaving hey but he rather starve. I've tried bringing him some twigs and wood to chew on but he doesn't seem interested in it. He's a stubborn little thing, I don't know what to do. And I don't want to put him down. He's getting old but he still has few more years.

 

[whiskylollipop]

When the vet trimmed his teeth, is it just the front teeth? Did the vet do a full dental check for molar spurs further back in his mouth too? Molar spurs are harder to see but they cause rabbits a LOT of pain, which may be why he's stopped chewing on hay and twigs.

 

[napagirl]

whiskeylollipop is right. That exam to ck the back molars is not fun. My vet sits on the ground with her back against the wall, puts Dimi on her back (which she hates) in her lap and then has to somewhat struggle to get the scope into her mouth (it's like the one they look into your ears with). Dimi was not having it, and we almost had to resort to wrapping her up like a burrito to restrain her, but the vet was able to see. She had no spurs, but a very slight uneveness.

Do you feed Buttons other things besides hay? Assuming the back molars and oral exam are ok, then maybe Buttons is preferring his other food more so. Also, you could try changing up the type of hay. I love feeding Dimi Orchard Grass hay because it seems less allergenic than Timothy for me (I have grass allergies). But she HATES it. I have even tried combining it with Timothy and she picks it out! So she gets Timothy. It keeps her eating hay. You also could try contacting local rabbit rescue in your area. Many times, they have a source of yummy fresh hay that beats the store bought. Just make sure you buy via a recommendation from a knowledgeable rabbit person. Some hay sold in bulk can have mold or parasites.

 

[napagirl]

Ok, forget everything I just said about hay! LOL! (except for Whiskylollipop's input- it's spot on!)

I found this great article for you... I recommend you check it out

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-6/tusks.html

 

[Azerane]

I agree with making sure that all the teeth, and not just the front ones have been thoroughly checked. Sometimes it takes an x-ray.

Otherwise, I have heard of people misting hay with apple juice to try to tempt bunnies to start eating it. Then of course, you have to be sure that you're changing the hay frequently or it can go bad I would think.

What quantities of other foods are you feeding on a daily basis?

 

[Chantii]

He does have problems with miler spurs. That's actually his problem right now. I'm taking him in on Wednesday to get them fixed. I just need to find a way to prevent this from happening again and again.

He gets 1/4 cup pellets daily. And fresh fruit and vegetables. He's very picky on what he eats. Right now he enjoys bok choy or lettuce daily. With herbs like parsley and cilantro and green beans, apple, pear and banana on weekends when my mom cooks.

He won't eat anything else or he'll completely freak out on something new for a week then snub his nose to it.

Could I get him chewing on some wood? Would that help him?

 

[Chantii]

Buttons main problem is dental spurs usually with the molars.

 

[Ana_The_Dreamer]

My Holland Lop, Nessa is extremely picky about what she eats as well. Like Bec said about spritzing the hay, I ended up lightly misting some pineapple juice on Nessa's hay and then allowing it to dry. She seemed to enjoy the sweet taste and actually ate more of her hay. I've heard of some people using "hay toppers" for picky bunnies who won't eat their hay or just as a healthy treat. Here's a link for you, but I'm sure that you could find other brands if you looked around. http://www.bunnybunchboutique.com/store/products-page/treats/flower-power-treats-hay-topper/ Have you tried offering him some hard treats? Treats should be given in moderation, but maybe a few hard things he enjoys eating will help. Crunchy veggie puffs are a favorite with my bun. Have you tried harder veggies like carrots or radishes? On the wood question, I give Nessa some apple tree twigs with leaves attached to chew on. She seems to like them. You can also buy apple sticks for rodents/bunnies at many pet stores. Try getting him some wooden toys if he doesn't like the plain sticks.

 

[squidpop]

Some willow twigs and branches would be really good. I go out and get tons of willow branches to feed my rabbits all the time. I live near a big river and lots of willow grow in the park. I go and trim them sometimes, just keeping the park tidy, (hehe). When I give the thin branches to my rabbits they eat the whole thing, there's nothing left when they are done. If you want his teeth to have more of a workout you might want to take some of the leaves off.

 

[HototMama]

have you tried giving him dried banana chips? they are hard and crunchy but rabbits love them. it might help to ware his teeth down a bit.