How to get a rabbit to eat more hay

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Ok yeah I knew it was going to be a little more but dang $14 dollars in shipping and then that would be $25 in US dollars, but with driving around I might end up paying $25 in gas. I will just have to do some more math to see what is cheaper, either way, if my mom has to make a special trip I will have to pay her gas money. :eyeroll: I will see if they will let me get it myself.
 
Could I get some help please guys . My rabbit is eating veg hay and pellets but he doesn’t seem to be eating as much as normal . He ate hay grass and some dandelions this morning should I be worried ?
 
If he stops eating that's when you need to start worrying a lot. But don't let him go more than 12 hours without eating. How much less has he been eating? Is he acting normally? Belly pressing? Hiding?
 
Hi,

There are a few suggestions from my side. Don't know if it can be useful for you or not.

  1. Try a new type of Hay.
  2. Incorporate Hay into the foods they enjoy.
  3. Regulate the amount of other foods that you feed.
  4. Try a mix of Hays.
  5. Check how you buying and storing your hay. (Do Not Airtight It)

I hope these are helpful to you.
 
If he stops eating that's when you need to start worrying a lot. But don't let him go more than 12 hours without eating. How much less has he been eating? Is he acting normally? Belly pressing? Hiding?
He isn’t hiding he’s still hopping around the garden and greeting me when I go to see him taking treats and eating them fine . Just his pellets really still eating the same amount of veg
 
Musti wouldn't eat his hay either for quite some time, would dig and toss it around instead. I also wondered what to do, until i tried hanging handfuls of hay from his cage wall with wire. He's not much of a meyal chewer so he leaves the wire alone but hay js usually gone by morning and little mess is found afterwards.
 
I haven't read all of the posts here, so this may have been mentioned. If you have tried different types of hay and it isn't working please consider taking your bun to your vet to check the teeth (spurs can make it difficult to chew hay while they'll still eat other softer veg and pellets - until the tooth causes too much pain to eat at all.) My bun stopped eating hay. We discovered she had a spur that had been cutting into her tongue - vet filed it down. She started eating hay again for a few months and then stopped again, but will eat pellets and some veg. It's been 3 weeks without hay - and yes, this can cause a lot of problems but hasn't yet in my bun. I'm feeding her Sherwood Pet Health, a higher density hay pellet that claims it's for "optimum health" and for bunnies who don't eat a lot of hay. Because she's avoiding hay and with a weepy eye, I took her back to the vet and was told her eye is "bulging a bit" and '"It may be a slow growing tumor" causing her pain when she eats harder roughage like hay (teeth are fine). This is my case and doesn't mean it's the same for you. That said, if you've tried the good suggestions listed in a few of these posts, please consult your exotic vet, who might be able to get to the heart of it. It might be a simple overgrown tooth causing enough pain to make your bun avoid hay - easily rectified but with some expense. I'm giving my bun more of the Sherwood pellets to help supplement the loss of hay. This isn't the ideal diet, of course. Hay is a staple requirement. But in a case like ours, where we have resolved tooth issues and are likely looking at something more serious, we are seeking to provide comfort over a stressful and invasive surgery for this 5 year old mini lop. Best wishes.
 
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She has always avoided hay for the three years I have had her but I will defenitly get it checked out if nothing else works!
 
My doe was the same way when I got her. She just never wanted to eat hay.

I tried different brands and varieties, but she only showed interest in two types: oat hay (but only the oats, not the hay), and orchard hay with clover/alfalfa (she sniffed out the good stuff and left most of the orchard hay).

Since she has a history of molar spurs and other health issues, I went with the orchard treat hay just to keep her interested in *any* hay. She's probably a good pound overweight for a dutch (and I had to take her off pellets completely), but her teeth have looked great for the 3+ years I've had her, and she's healthy and active :)

I don't recommend doing what I did without talking to your vet, though, as stuff like dietary changes and obesity also carry health risks. I worked with my vet over time to determine the best overall course of action for my specific situation.
 
My boy is almost 9 and his eating habits have changed is this normal ?
He’s not eating any pellets but he’s happy to eat some hay, veg and treats , he’s not lost any weight either . He’s drinking and going toilet fine . Should I be concerned?should I take take him Vets or is this normal
 
My boy is almost 9 and his eating habits have changed is this normal ?
He’s not eating any pellets but he’s happy to eat some hay, veg and treats , he’s not lost any weight either . He’s drinking and going toilet fine . Should I be concerned?should I take take him Vets or is this normal

Changed eating habits are always good to check up at the vet. Often it can be an early signs of trouble :)
 

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