Problem with foods

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Shang

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Okay, Gumdrop isn't the first rabbit my family has ever had but he is the first that just won't eat normal rabbit stuff. We have tried since we got him to get him to eat normal foods like veggies along with the pellets, but he won't touch the veggies. He also won't touch grass or hay or salt licks or anything of the like--he also won't chew on wood for his teeth and instead uses the side of his cage.

Is there anyway to try to get him to eat better? I've been trying, especially since he's older and I want him to be at his best, and I'm at a loss of what to do.
 
It would help to know what you are feeding him and what he will eat. Be specific with the brand of pellet, type of hay and what veggies you have tried.

Some rabbits eat more hay than others and some prefer pellets or even veggies. Each rabbit is different, so you can't base what one rabbit may eat as what your rabbit should eat.

Keep offering him hay and veggies. Limit the pellets so he can't be eating them all day. Hopefully, if he is hungry enough and the hay is there, he should eat it.
You can try hiding the pellets in the hay. Make a pile of hay and sprinkle the pellets in it. Getting him to see you do it can help so he knows they are there. While looking for and eating the pellets, he may eat some hay and discover that it is good.

Try different veggies and hay. Some just don't like certain ones, but will eat others. If you feed timothy hay, try brome, orchard grass or even a bit of alfalfa. For veggies, try ones that smell good, but only give a small amount at a time.

Exercise could help. He may be more willing to eat other foods when he is tired from running around. This could also help with the cage chewing. Giving him toys in the cage can help too.

A vet check would be a good idea as well. There is a difference between won't eat hay and can't eat hay. He could have some dental issues that you can't see.

Be persistent. If you give in by giving him more pellets, he won't have to eat the hay. Give a set amount of pellets per day and that is all he gets. If he eats them all at once, that is his problem and he can eat hay if he wants.
 
Right now he's on "Nutritionbase: Rabbit Formula" because the store no longer carries the food that he normally eats (I forget the brand, but it's a fiesta mix). I also had to switch him because he refused to eat the pellets and only the other bits, which was leading him to gain weight despite him being a very active rabbit. He's now back at his proper size and he's still really active, and still picky as can be.

We've tried timothy hay and a timothy-hay/alfalfa mix but he refused to touch it even if he ran out of pellets. Every since he was a baby he wouldn't touch hay of any sort--which we found odd because our other rabbit loved hay.

I had a toy in there with him and he would just shake it and toss it in the air before going back to using the cage as a tooth grinder.

He does get a set amount of pellets a day, and he knows it. And he'll completely ignore all else.

Recently I've tried introducing carrots to him, but he ignore them even when he ran out of pellets. I know we've tried other vegetables, but I keep forgetting which ones.
 
cut back on his pellets and he will eat more of the other...he will turn up his nose for awhile but u gotta stay strong and give it time..,its tough i know i had to do it to 1 of my buns and i swear i thought he would die of starvation but he finally caved in and now eats more hay then anything else..

 
Try pure alfalfa hay. my grandma fed it to all her rabbits for many years. she had over 100 head never any problems. I feed it with no problems. try hiding his pellets in his hay and mix in some vegies and a little bit of fruit. the fruit is sweet so not alot but the sweetness may prompt him to eat some of the other food. You could also not feed pallets for a day or so and feed hay and vegies only. beleive me when he does not get his pellets for a day or so he will eat the hay and vegies. then you can put the pellets back in. this is what my grandmother did with ones that wouldn't eat hay or vegies. I haven't had to do it as of yet all my babies love hay and vegies.

good luck

crystal
 
when we first got Peter, he would not eat hay at all, only treats and pellets. We cut way back on those two and after a day he was eating hay no problem and still does. Vegetables will probably need to be introduced slowly. What we do is give a small amount of pellets at night and pick it up in the morning. They have hay 24/7 and get veggies in the morning and night.
 

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