My Holland Lop wont eat hay and she smells!

[LunaTheBunBun]

I recently adopted a holland lop just 3 days ago and I named her Mei Mei. I adopted her from a breeder and lets just say that the breeder did not took good care of her at all. According to the breeder, he only fed her pellets and carrots which lead to my lop looking a bit on the overweight side. She wasn't taken care of as well as I noticed her nails being awfully long to the point that I have to use a dog's nail cutter to trim her nails. I tried to give her hay and to no avail. She will however eat veggies like spinach, kale and cilantro. She only likes to eat pellets and veggies at the moment. I'm really worried about her because she kept refusing to eat her hay that I give her. I tried to also give her Oat Hay but she did not like that one at all. I also noticed that she will have her cecotropes on the floor and she wont eat it at all. She does poop and pee however. I talked to one of the employees at PetSmart and she recommended me to buy a product called All Things Living: Rabbit Forage Mix Salad. I still havent given it to her yet.

Mei Mei right now isnt spayed yet but I already made an appointment to get her fixed around May. My question is that how can I get my bunny to eat hay because I know how crucial it is for bunnies to eat hay. I really dont want to feed her pellets anymore because I feel like she will gain more weight and I dont think its good for her anymore. Mei Mei is 15 months old according to the breeder. Her temperament is very shy and she doesnt mind to be pet but she does freak out when she is being help. What can I also do to gain her trust on me?

I also noticed that she does smell of her cecotropes. I want to ask how can I take away the pungent smell on her especially on her bum area.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. This is my first time posting so my apologies if its long.

 

[JBun]

About how much does your bun weigh and what amount of pellets are you feeding per day? If she is getting too many pellets, that could be affecting her desire to eat hay, as the pellets will be filling her up.

I would first try some different varieties of hay like orchard grass or third cut timothy hay. Those seem to be favorites of picky rabbits. For one of my rabbits that was unused to eating hay, I had to first start him on a plain timothy/alfalfa hay pellet, then gradually switch to a plain timothy hay pellet, and eventually after that he started to gradually eat long stem hay on his own. So it's just trying different things until you find what works for your bun.

Mushy cecals are usually from too many sugars/starches in the diet(starchy veg, fruit, sugars, pellets) and not enough indigestible fiber. So if you can get her eating hay well, the mushy cecals may clear up on their own, which would also clear up the smell. If they don't clear up with her eating hay, then you may need to make some temporary diet adjustments. If she is really overweight, that could also be a factor in her eating her cecals as fat rabbits can have difficulty reaching down there to eat them, so some may remain left uneaten and get smooshed.

I wouldn't feed that salad mix, in fact I would return it if it is unopened. It has apple, carrot, wheat. All of which have lots of carbs and could further worsen the mushy cecotrope problem. Rarely do pet shop people really understand what is good for rabbits, so best not to ask for suggestions from them. Good quality grass hay is the best fix for mushy cecals. So getting her eating hay is a priority. The link below explains cecal dysbiosis(mushy cecotropes) and how to correct it, though first you have to get your bun eating hay. And just removing pellets and feeding hay isn't always a good idea as some rabbits will actually starve themselves first.
https://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/

Another consideration for her not wanting to eat hay is a possible dental issue. Because the chewing motion for hay is different than pellets, some rabbits that develop sharp points on their molars will be reluctant to eat hay because it causes mouth sores and hurts to chew the hay. So if you've tried everything and she still won't eat hay, a dental exam by an experienced rabbit vet would be a good idea. If she is getting spayed soon, that's a perfect time to ask the vet to do a thorough dental exam and fix any dental issues that are found.

Bonding with rabbits takes patience. The more nervous the rabbit, the more time it can take. Sitting with your bun in not too large of an area, not forcing anything, and allowing your bun to approach you on her terms is the best way to build a trusting relationship.
https://flashsplace.webs.com/bondingwithyourbunny.htm
http://language.rabbitspeak.com/