New Bunny not eating!!

[Norton&Mcafee]

Hi all

Mcaffee isn't eating! She will nibble a carrot hear and therebut won't eat anything else. She seemed to be eating finewhen she first came to live with me but now she isn't? I don't knowwhat to do! She seems to be her normal playfull self and ispooping lots although they are very small hard poops!! maybe a vetcheck is in order! what do you guys think?

 

[Loz n Ebony]

Hmmmmmmmm. How long have you had her? How longhas she been like this? If not very long she might just be not hungry.Or it could be teeth problems?

 

[Carolyn]

Hi Norton&McAfee,

Do you give her a lot of treats? Is there a chance she'sholding out for treats and not eating her pellet food or that she's toofull to eat her pellet food?

If the poops are smaller, it could be an indication of a furball orbecoming dehydrated. Make sure she is drinking water and ifshe isn't, get a syringe and make her drink. You might trygiving her some dried papaya or fresh pineapple if it is ablockage.

-Carolyn

 

[Sarah]

How long have you had her? She might beadjusting. Could it be that she's a bit out of whack because she's in anew environment with new foods that taste good but aren't agreeing withher?

 

[Norton&Mcafee]

she was the bunny that my brother found on thedoorstep of his work. Someone had dropped her offthere. so its bin a week that I have had her. So It could bejust the adjustment. I hope that is all it is. Theonly treats they get are the fresh veggies( I just chop up afew)I give them everynight before I go to bed and she willonly eat a few pieces of carrots out of it.she havea constant supply of water and pellots all day. I still amnot sure if she is pregnant or not!!! but she has a nest box that shespends a lot of time in but she hasn't bin showing any signs that Ihave read about. I think I'm gonna try adding timothy hay andsee if she is more inclined to eat it. I just wish I knewmore about her!!

 

[BunnyMommy]

When Sherman first came to us he was a littledepressed from leaving his foster mother. He would barely eatand just lay in the corner of his cage looking sorrowful for a fewdays.

The more that I loved on him, cooed to him, pet him, and assured himthat everything was okay, the more he opened up and started to regainhis appetite.

I'm hoping that this same stress of adjustment is what's going on with McAfee. Please keep us updated.

P.S. It's a good sign though that she's still pooping.

 

[BunnyMommy]

P.P.S. Adding timothy hay to her dietis a good decision as she actually should have unlimited access to itall day. A good grass hay should be the basic staple of everybunny's diet.

 

[Norton&Mcafee]

I had started Norton on a constant hay diet andhe never ate it. He would use it forabathroom. So I just removed the hay and fed himmore pellets and greens. I use a Aspen bedding for them nowsince I learned Pine wasn't very good. Timothy hay for me ishard to come by in this city. I was paying about $5.00C for alittle bag about the size of a freezer bag. I have orderedsome square Hay bales from a horse ranch and will get them thisweekend. I just hope it is what she needs.

Mcafee is very loving and will jump up to greet me on the couch sheseems very scared of my kids and will be ONGAURD when they comenear. If my 5 year old pets her to much or try's to pick herup she pins her ears. she doesn't bite but looks veryupset. Maybe her past experience wasn't very good when itcomes to children?!

Is it normal for a girl bunnies nipples to be exposed?Mcafee's nipples are exposed and the hair around themis verythin.!?!?

 

[Buck Jones]

Hay, realistically, performs better whendispensed from a rack that can hang from the sides of the cage, or eventhe top. They can be purchased at most pet stores or feedstores, or are easily enough made with a small piece of fence wire,bent to shape. The hay is not meant to be the sole source ofnutrition and should be used in conjunction with a good rabbit pelletedfeed.

Although pet stores will permit rabbits to languish on a hard floorcovered with wood shavings, must rabbit fanciers prefer their rabbitsto be up on wire, therefore separated from the urine soaked and poopfilled material below.

I, myself, make a simple pine frame out of 1" x 3" that I suspend abovethe newspaper lined tray of the dog crate I use asa rabbit cage. The wooden frame is covered with 1/2" x 1/2"vinyl covered hardware cloth that allows the poops and urine to passthrough to the tray below.

In truth, though, our indoor house rabbits mostly use the corner litterbox I provide for them filled with a granulated pine material calledWoodyPet Professional Animal Bedding, which is quite safe and userfriendly.

Buck

 

[Sarah]

If hay is hard to come by you should check outthe links for mail order supplies on the House Rabbit Societywebsitehttp://rabbit.org/links/mail-order-resources.htmlYoumight even get a really good price.

Hay really is such an important part of their diet for so many reasons.You might want to think about giving the hay another shot.

 

[Norton&Mcafee]

I have ordered some Timothy hay for them I will get it this weekend.

Norton uses a litter box all of the time with the Aspen in it. I am training Mcafee as well.

The cage I have for norton does have a wire rack attachment but hewould jump into the top of it and use it for his bathroom. Iwill try to hang it some how this time.

Thanks for all the info!

 

[HankHanky]

I suggest that you try some Rolled Oats.

The Old Fashioned kind not Quick Oats. There is a goodly amount offiber provided by the Oats. Infact whole ots will do as well. Fiber isa most important part of every rabbits diet. Unfortunately the fiberprovided by the pelleted feed is most often ground too finely to be ofmuch benefit. I would use caution when feeding additives to yourrabbits diet. Carrots are loaded with sugar which makes them not thebest treat for your rabbit. [Too much Buggs Bunny!] Sugars in thebunnies diet are what often lead to GIstasis or even complete digestivesystem shutdown. Remember when feeding treats, moderation is the key.

Dennis,C.V.R.

 

[Stephanie]

Do you not have a SuperPet near you? I'm inCanada also and that's pretty much the biggest chain here. They have adecent selection of hay and other rabbit essentials. Of course, theyalso have adorable bunny babies everytime we go in there too...so justwatch out for that!

Chompers has gone through the not eating phase before with me. It'salways been after something big, such as when I rescued him, when Imade the mistake of changing his litter, when I moved up to Canada.

Ok, I just tried the Super Pet website and apparently they're redoingit. I was going to try to find some near you and put up a link.Figures, huh?

 

[Norton&Mcafee]

I will try the rolled outs I have them on hand. Thanks





I have a petcetera and a Petland. Petland is outrageouslyexpensive for everything they carry. Petcetera isn't badprice wise but never has goodquality feedAND iworked there for about six months and I refuse to spend any moneythere. I have a westernfeeds which sounds to meabout the equivalent to the oxbow products. I am going tocheck them out to see what they offer for feed quality and price.