pellets, bedding, etc?

[nat1234]

I recently started volunteering at a rabbit rescue, the woman who runs it has told me the oxbow garden select brand is bad and to switch to essentials, but i'm very reluctant to switch as i prefer the ingredients in garden select. she says the oat hulls in the pellet is bad for rabbits and swears by essentials, but i can't find any studies online touching on the dangers of oat hulls.

Another thing, she told me pine pellets are dangerous bc of the same issues pine shavings bring, but pretty much everyone i know uses or recommends pine pellets

and lastly she wants me to get my oldest rabbit fixed but i'm scared he'll pass during surgery bc he's 8 years old and only a 3Ib bun. she said he's not too old and she just fixed an 8 year old bun. i don't think i'd be comfortable doing it unless maybe he was already getting surgery for something else

if anyone has any links or just input it would be appreciated, she's just kinda making me feel like a bad rabbit owner even though i'm fairly certain these claims are untrue

 

[Blue eyes]

Oxbow Essentials does not have oats, but it does have both soy and wheat middlings. The Oxbow Garden Select is soy and wheat free.

According to Dr. Sherwood,
"the protein in wheat middlings is a very poor source of many essential amino acids and is not balanced for small herbivores like rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. This also contributes to the ammonia smell of the litter box. Also, too much starch found in wheat middlings can cause diarrhea, bloat, or stasis. "
and...
"Soybean hulls are a cheap by-product used to boost the fiber level of the food It is a lot cheaper than using timothy hay and actually contains more fiber than timothy hay. However it usually contains dust and other possible contaminants while providing little nutritional value. Ironically most brands of pellets contain just slightly less soybean hulls than timothy meal just to make timothy first on the list of ingredients. It would be far better to skip on the soybean hulls and just add in 2x more hay! "

So one would need to make a determination as to which they think is the lesser of 2 evils -- the oat hulls (am not aware of whether her claim is valid or not) versus the soy and wheat. If anyone else knows what dangers oat hulls may cause, I'd like to know. I could not find anything in a quick search. As it is, I'd be more inclined to go with a food that is soy and wheat free.

Pine shavings only emit toxic phenols if they are not kiln-dried. The process of making the pellets -- grinding the pine into dust and compressing them -- removes the phenols. The following article from the HRS compares different litter/bedding options. There are no known dangers of wood pellets.
https://rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html
If your bun is already 8 years old and you have no intention of trying to bond him with another rabbit, then what would be the reason for having him neutered? There is no health advantage for doing so. The only reason to consider it would be if you intend to find a bondmate for him.

 

[nat1234]

Oxbow Essentials does not have oats, but it does have both soy and wheat middlings. The Oxbow Garden Select is soy and wheat free.

According to Dr. Sherwood,
"the protein in wheat middlings is a very poor source of many essential amino acids and is not balanced for small herbivores like rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. This also contributes to the ammonia smell of the litter box. Also, too much starch found in wheat middlings can cause diarrhea, bloat, or stasis. "
and...
"Soybean hulls are a cheap by-product used to boost the fiber level of the food It is a lot cheaper than using timothy hay and actually contains more fiber than timothy hay. However it usually contains dust and other possible contaminants while providing little nutritional value. Ironically most brands of pellets contain just slightly less soybean hulls than timothy meal just to make timothy first on the list of ingredients. It would be far better to skip on the soybean hulls and just add in 2x more hay! "

So one would need to make a determination as to which they think is the lesser of 2 evils -- the oat hulls (am not aware of whether her claim is valid or not) versus the soy and wheat. If anyone else knows what dangers oat hulls may cause, I'd like to know. I could not find anything in a quick search. As it is, I'd be more inclined to go with a food that is soy and wheat free.

Pine shavings only emit toxic phenols if they are not kiln-dried. The process of making the pellets -- grinding the pine into dust and compressing them -- removes the phenols. The following article from the HRS compares different litter/bedding options. There are no known dangers of wood pellets.
https://rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html
If your bun is already 8 years old and you have no intention of trying to bond him with another rabbit, then what would be the reason for having him neutered? There is no health advantage for doing so. The only reason to consider it would be if you intend to find a bondmate for him.

thank you! no i have another male so i doubt a bond would work, apparently he has a very high risk of testicular cancer, which i have never heard of, i get there's a chance but it's not high
she's still great and all ig it's ok to be on the side of caution but they're more opinion based than factual