Papaya tablets

[stephiemarie78]

Snoopy is multing an he's not a big hay eater so i need something to feed him to help with the hair. i've noticed that his poop is strung together. I was wanting to find something that i can give him everyday. I have read that papaya tablets might help. has anyone used them? or have any other suggestions. remember this is something that i want to add to his diet, so it will need to be ok to eat daily

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Pet_Bunny gives them to Pebbles. I'm sure he'll be along to tell you all about it.

You may also want to take your bun and remove loose fur with your hands every other day or so, so it's much less hair ingested. Removing it with your hands I have found to be very effective, better than a brush. I go outside to do that though, I set them in my lap and just gently pull and pull. It's hard to believe all the hair that comes off:shock:.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

Yes, I give them to Pebbles daily, moulting or not. She looks forward in receiving them as treats. Spoiled Bunny!
At times I gave her as much a three tablets a day, and never had a problem.

If it helps with moulting or passing of hair, it is still unknown.

The best is to eat hay. Try a different type of hay, as some bunnies might prefer one type over another. I use Alfalfa hayif Pebbles doesn't eat. At least that is better than nothing at all.

Rainbows!

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hi these are the Papaya tablets we give to ours, they get 3 a day as pet the vet. I buy them at Bulk Barn much cheaper there.

Susan:bunnydance:

 

[pamnock]

Papaya doesn't dissolve fur (common myth) or help it move through the intestinal tract - however, it doesn't hurt anything.

Try offering some other sources ofroughage such as dark, leafy greens, fruit tree or willow tree sticks, and limited veggies.

Pam

 

[doodle]

Personally, I'm convinced that papaya tablets help to prevent blockages because neither of my buns has had GI stasis since I started giving them. Even though it does not dissolve the hair, maybe it helps dissolve/digest some of the stuff that can form around the hairs? I don't know...I know it isn't proven to help, and maybe it's only a coincidence that my bunnies had stasis several times before, but none after I started feeding them papaya tablets. But I'm going to keep giving them because it certainly doesn't hurt, and it's a healthy treat that they LOVE. They get 1 or 2 a day most of the time, and occasionally if they're molting heavily, they might get 3.

I like the Oxbow ones because they have both papaya and pineapple enzymes, and no added sugar. They are a good price on drsfosterandsmith.com.

Having said all that...I still agree w/what Pam said that roughage from hay and leafy greens is the best prevention. If you wash the greens and feed them wet, it also helps keep the gut hydrated.

 

[pamnock]

doodle wrote:

Even though it does not dissolve the hair, maybe it helps dissolve/digest some of the stuff that can form around the hairs?

It has also been found thatenzymes don't dissolve the mucous surrounding the blockage. A vet had documented an experiment he did on attempts to dissolve blockages removed surgically from rabbits.

I've also experiemented with different enzymes in an attempt to breakdown hair and mucous covered cecals - to no avail. It's rather difficult to break the chemical bonds of hair - it takes very caustic chemicals like those in bleach or drano :?

I have a friend who fed her rabbits paypaya on a regular basis and some still developed GI stasis. Paypaya does not prevent intestinal blockages, which can often be brought on by a viral infection.



Pam

 

[HoneyPot]

Well, this might sound gross, but Papaya enzyme tablets are meant for us humans. When I bought them in the nutrition store, the guy there said it's great for helping with digestion. So... my sister and I both started taking them along with the buns to see what would happen.

I don't know what happens in the bunnies, but it made both my sister and I very "regular" and um.. was like if you ate a lot of bran. So we had to stop taking them after a week because it was too much.

I figure if it does that in ME, then it does something in the buns as well.

*shrug*

I give it to them anyway as a treat.

Nadia

 

[Nelson_is_mine]

There's a rabbit being boarded at my work who takes them. That doesn't help any, though. He does love them, though, when he hears you opening he jar, he gets so excited and he litterally grabs them from your hand.

 

[naturestee]

If you're looking for something to help during molting, try 100% canned pumpkin. A few tablespoons a day as a treat usually helps clear up my buns' small poops and/or strung-together poops. Fiber + fluids, and my vet considers it a minor but useful laxative.

That, and tons of hay, plus regular plucking and brushing are all I do.

 

[pamnock]

HoneyPot wrote:

I don't know what happens in the bunnies, but it made both my sister and I very "regular" and um.. was like if you ate a lot of bran. So we had to stop taking them after a week because it was too much.

I figure if it does that in ME, then it does something in the buns as well.


Nadia

The primary ingredients in the papaya tablets are sugars such as corn syrup, fructose and maltodextrin. Eating a couple tablespoons of refined sugar will have the same effect in moving things alongand it's cheaper.

Much better to go with natural roughage.



Pam

 

[HoneyPot]

pamnock wrote:

HoneyPot wrote:

I don't know what happens in the bunnies, but it made both my sister and I very "regular" and um.. was like if you ate a lot of bran. So we had to stop taking them after a week because it was too much.

I figure if it does that in ME, then it does something in the buns as well.


Nadia

The primary ingredients in the papaya tablets are sugars such as corn syrup, fructose and maltodextrin. Eating a couple tablespoons of refined sugar will have the same effect in moving things alongand it's cheaper.

Much better to go with natural roughage.



Pam

heheee. Ah ok.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

SOOOSKA wrote:

I buy them at Bulk Barn much cheaper there.

I get the same type as Soooska but in the largest size, the 500 tablet bottle. It's cheaper if you can buy in large quantities.
Then I get a discount from my cousin who works atthe health food store.

Rainbows!

 

[stephiemarie78]

I do give him different types of hay, i'll try both. He is just so picky.

 

[pamnock]

Fruits and greens as well as fruit tree leaves offer roughage. Papaya tables are basically "sugar tablets" and not the best choice for a healthy diet.

Pam

 

[stephiemarie78]

Well Snoppy getts 1/4cup of pellets lots of veggies and unlimted hay and water everyday. thanks for all the ideas. i'm giving him a little bit of pumkin to help him out.

 

[JimD]

pamnock wrote:

The primary ingredients in the papaya tablets are sugars such as corn syrup, fructose and maltodextrin. Eating a couple tablespoons of refined sugar will have the same effect in moving things alongand it's cheaper.

Pam

:laugh:....so true though!



I give mine a little dried papaya a couple of time a week...all natural....no sugar added.
Don't know if it helps with anything....'cept happy bunnie mouths!

~Jim

 

[doodle]

The humans ones are the ones that have sugar. The Oxbow ones that are made specifically for herbivores don't have any sugar.

 

[pamnock]

doodle wrote:

The humans ones are the ones that have sugar. The Oxbow ones that are made specifically for herbivores don't have any sugar.

Fructose is a natural sugar in fruits. So although there are no "added" sugars in Oxbow paypaya, the tablets still do contain sugar (fructose) according to some Oxbow sites.



Pam

 

[Bunnicula]

I have the Oxbow papaya tabs. The bunnies get 1 each night as a treat. Like JimD, I don't know if it helps anything...but the bunnies love them. And since I feed them high quality pellets, hay, and lots of fresh greens I figure that tiny bit of fructose should not harm them.

In fact, the bunnies get soooooooo excited about the tabs I tried one the other night. Really didn't seem sweet to me at all. I found myself wondering what they get so excited about. Probably just the attention of being hand-fed anything. :bunnydance: