Rolled oats for tummy issues?

[ancoal7]

Is it okay to used rolled oats in place of pellets to correct stomach upset. Some other forums suggested this but I wanted to cross reference and see what others here had to say before I try this.

Thank you!

 

[missyscove]

Personally I would just push hay rather than introducing something new, particularly if that something is a grain.

 

[Imbrium]

I've heard of very small amounts of rolled oats as a treat or to help an underweight bunny gain weight, but I definitely wouldn't feed them instead of pellets for any reason - they don't have the same nutrients and bunnies should have very limited amounts of carbohydrates. as far as a cure for tummy troubles... if anything, I think they might make it worse.

 

[Blue eyes]

I've also wondered about this. Many years ago, a rescue suggested feeding oats as a treat. Later I read that oats are a big no-no. Then I read that it's good for tummy troubles. All this is so contradictory so I've just avoided oats altogether.

I know that one rabbit I had absolutely loved them.

This is from http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

Don't feed your rabbit cookies, crackers, nuts, seeds, breakfast cereals (including oatmeal) or "high fiber" cereals. They may be high fiber for you, but not for your herbivorous rabbit, who's far better able to completely digest celluose ("dietary fiber") than you are. Fed to a rabbit, the high fat and simple carbohydrate content of "naughty foods" may contribute to fatty liver disease, cecal dysbiosis, obesity, and otherwise cause health problems.

But I've seen often on this forum that oats can be a good idea in certain circumstances.
:anyone:

 

[majorv]

You can userolled oats to help a rabbit gain weight. You can also use it to try and jumpstart a rabbit eating again that has stopped. We've used it for both purposes but we don't give them out as a treat very often.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

My rabbits love rolled oats. I have not had any trouble with feeding them.

 

[Mariah]

My bunnies also love rolled oats but only as a treat

 

[Geoff]

Rolled oats are extremely high in carbohydrates are not recommended as a part of rabbit diet ever. I know many people feed their bunnies this junk and many rabbits have not necessarily had a problem yet, but many will. It would be the very last thing I would recommend for a stomach problem, too, as carbs like oats are one of the primary causes of rabbit digestive problems. Feeding oats or grain of any kind to a rabbit and having them like it, so it must be OK, is like saying its OK to smoke and eat large amounts of fatty fast food since you like it

 

[tamsin]

Hay only for digestive issues, oats would be as bad as or worse than pellets.

I would rec rolled oats to a digestively healthy rabbit that needed to gain weight - as then their propensity to put weight on a rabbit is a good thing rather than bad.

 

[Ape337]

Hello again
One thing I neglected to mention in my post on your other thread is that I strongly suggest you seek a second opinion from a different vet. Advice from bunny owners is helpful and useful, but a you can see the opinions vary widely and often are in contradiction to each other (not to say it's wrong). You have a very unique and specific problem with your rabbit that really does require vet supervision. Your case sounds just as complicated as mine does, and I consulted 2 vets for mine. Fortunately my regular vet recognized and admitted that my case warranted a second opinion and sent me to a specialist (which I consider the mark of a true professional). An exotics vet specialist is someone that is proficient in their craft and has spent years going to school to earn a PHD. Their course of study is just as intense as a human doctor. If the one you have doesn't suit you, please find another. The experienced owners on here are knowledgable in rabbits, but when treating their own bunnies they are physically present to treat and monitor their cases. Here they all only know what you can tell them and you can be missing subtle signs that a more experienced owner might be able to see if present. I'm not trying to worry you in any way, I just noticed that you seem to be receiving advice from several threads and other forums. I wanted to caution you that when your entire story is not all in one thread you may get information that can potentially be very bad advice because the person trying to be helpful doesn't know your situation (may not have read the other threads).
Good luck and I hope Stella feels better very soon :biggrin:

 

[Geoff]

Not sure if this makes a difference in your interpreting my comment, but I am a veterinarian and have been treating rabbits for over 25 years. However, I do not have a PhD, and not too many other veterinarians have one either. We have DVMs, a doctoral degree, but not involving any research per se (like one definitely needs to get a PhD). Also I do not call myself an expert in rabbit medicine.. just very experienced and (I hope) current (keep up with my rabbit continuing education). There are veterinarians that have an advanced degree in small exotic animal medicine and those are indeed the true specialists. So if you really want a good informed second opinion, that might be the best person to seek out. Dr.s Susan Brown and Karen Rosenthal are two of the specialists I have learned most of my rabbit medicine from, but there are lots of others to seek out.

 

[Ape337]

Geoff wrote:

Not sure if this makes a difference in your interpreting my comment, but I am a veterinarian and have been treating rabbits for over 25 years. However, I do not have a PhD, and not too many other veterinarians have one either. We have DVMs, a doctoral degree, but not involving any research per se (like one definitely needs to get a PhD). Also I do not call myself an expert in rabbit medicine.. just very experienced and (I hope) current (keep up with my rabbit continuing education). There are veterinarians that have an advanced degree in small exotic animal medicine and those are indeed the true specialists. So if you really want a good informed second opinion, that might be the best person to seek out. Dr.s Susan Brown and Karen Rosenthal are two of the specialists I have learned most of my rabbit medicine from, but there are lots of others to seek out.

Nice to see a vet on the forum. Thanks for setting me straight on the PhD/DVM info :biggrin2: