secrets to having age old buns?

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Flash Gordon

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Jun 10, 2010
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HipHop, Arizona, USA
i am on a few rabbit forums and i see alot of buns that are always sick and end up dying at a very young age...
i love my buns so much and i want to do whatever i can to keep them as healthy as possible so they live to a ripe old age..
i wanna hear from people who manage on keeping their bunnies around for quite a few years,(5+ years) i wanna know what you feed them and i wanna know how uve kept them around for so long...i dont want this to be a debate thread ,if someone says they only feed their bunny yada yada yada...i dont want somebody else saying how wrong it is..obviously for their bunny it has worked...thanks guys i appreciate all ur time.:)
 
ours are rescues so we don't have an exact age, but some of our have made it past the ten year mark. We feed a small amount of Timothy Complete pellets, unlimited Timothy hay, and fresh veggies twice a day. They also get a treat in the morning and evening--Carrott Slims, Raviolo, yogurt drop, or Crunchy Bits.
 
My Sparky and Scooter are both 6 1/2 years. I have always fed them American Pet Diner Timothy pellets, timothy hay (I now feed Kleenmama's) and they get a salad in the morning. Treats are banana chips and craising in a limited amount (I try, but hubby sometimes is a bit generous) and they get one Nibble Ring every morning. They have been exceptionally healthy all of their lives.
 
I had a Dutchie that lived to be 16-1/2 and it's all about care, food, vet and genetics. I fed my bunnies Oxbow hay and pellets, veggies and lots of exercise and lots of love. I think you have to be a bit lucky too and know your bunny when he's off. That's great you want to take the best care of your bunnies for a long life with you.
 
It seems to me like a lot of early deaths are related to digestive upsets, and seem to be coincidentally more common in pets who are on green or veggie diets. This is an observation I've made after being involved in both the companion pet and breeding worlds.

So because of that, I choose to keep my rabbits on a pellet and hay diet only. I feed 1/2 cup alfalfa pellets per lb. of body weight and a handful of hay daily, with oats sprinkled on top of the food. Occasionally (very occasionally) a sprig of parsley.

I have 3 pet bunnies currently, ages 8, 7, and 6. All healthy and doing well. And I have my breeding herd, ages 10 weeks to 4 years, all doing well on the same diet.

With the exception of one doe I lost to a rough pregnancy early on in my bunny days, I have never lost a rabbit over 2 weeks old. (Under two weeks were all genetic issues). So it has worked well for me and that is what I personally suggest. But there are many other opinions as well!
 
Miss Hoppy lived to be 11, she never had pellets, after we brought her home at about 8 weeks. We bought the same pellets she was fed at the store, and the first time we fed them to her, she dumped over the dish and refused to eat them at all. I had done some research already, so we gave her Alfalfa hay, and I went to the store and bought her some parsley and other veggies.

Spaying is important for females' longevity, Miss Hoppy was spayed at 6 months of age.

She was healthy for most of her life, having hay and veggies. I was watchful, and she was picky about her choice of veggies - Bok choy, the adult variety, was refused immediately, but she adored Jr. Baby bok choy from the produce market near us. Parsley was great - the flat stuff only. Carrots were a treasure - she would eat most of one, but save the last inch until we put down a fresh one. But she didn't like those pre-peeled baby carrots, or a carrot anyone else peeled. Once, when the stores had no fat parsley, I bought some cilantro - it LOOKS similar - but was soundly rejected!

She had a thymoma when she was ten, she had been sniffly for a couple months, and and exam and ultrasound found that. We opted for radiation, instead of surgery, as per the vet's recommendation, and they shurnk it, and she got so much of her energy back afterwards that a formerly safe plant (it's pot was very high off the floor) was doomed, she could hop up into the pot. RIP plant!

She did great until the following May, and then, over the course of a week, just slowed down more and more, and passed away one Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I had wondered how we would know when she was nearing her end, as she didn't get grey hair like my dogs did, but she just slowed over that week and passed away.
 
16 1/2 ???? WOWZA!!..that is crazy Flash!~! thanks for all the input guys!!,, I was hoping everybodies answers would be the same but its never that easy when it comes to our bunnies is it?...i guess key is really being observant of their behaviour changes..as much as they tend to try and hide their illnesses ..i can always tell right away when one of my buns is not acting right.

patti whats a nibble ring?
pet of the day..i cant believe ur bun had no pellets her whole life and did fine..u mustve done really well with dif veggies to give her the nutrition she needed.
Julie ..considering how many bunnies im sure uve had ,not losing a bunny over the age of 2 weeks is awesome!!
Larry what are carrot slims?..
Flash was ur dutchie a male or female and was he/she fixed?
 
Flash was a male and he was neutered. I miss terribly he was the sweetest bunny and went everywhere with me. He loved being carried in my arms.

Funny how your bunny is named Flash Gordon since Flash had a previous owner and they named him that cuz of his blaze sometimes shaped into a lightning bolt.

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OakRidgeRabbits wrote:
It seems to me like a lot of early deaths are related to digestive upsets, and seem to be coincidentally more common in pets who are on green or veggie diets.
Just out of interest (because I honestly don't know- I've never done any research into it) where did you get this info? If there is enough evidence and statistics to this then this might cause me to consider a diet change (for my buns not me lol)!!

Jen :)

 
Aw I thought I hit reply...I'll retype my message!

My oldest bunny passed away a few months after his 15th birthday. He was a really healthy rabbit and I don't think he was ever sick a day in his life. My parents got him for me when I was only like 5, so they took care of him mostly until I was old enough too. I do think a lot of it has to do with weather or not they luck out genetically. Because I care for all of my rabbits pretty much the same way - Nibbles lived to be 15, but Zeus passed away when he was only 2 (he had cancer).

But as far as care goes, I give my rabbits small amounts of pellets in the morning, salads at night, and unlimited amounts of mixed grass hays (I don't give them just one type - I mix the types of hay). Fresh clean water at all times, and plenty of love and attention and play time!
 
jcottonl02 wrote:
OakRidgeRabbits wrote:
It seems to me like a lot of early deaths are related to digestive upsets, and seem to be coincidentally more common in pets who are on green or veggie diets.
Just out of interest (because I honestly don't know- I've never done any research into it) where did you get this info? If there is enough evidence and statistics to this then this might cause me to consider a diet change (for my buns not me lol)!!

Jen :)
For me, this is just personal observation. For the first 4-5 years of my "rabbit life", I had pet rabbits and belonged to several pet rabbit forums. A lot of the owners there supported green/veggie diets because they liked that these diets more closely matched the natural diet of wild rabbits. The health sections of the forums I belonged to were often filled with posts about digestive upset (stasis, diarreah, not eating, gas, blockages, etc.) and although there were many rabbits who lived into older age on these diets, there also seemed to be an alarming amount lost when they got sick.:(

As time went on and I got more involved in the rabbits, I entered into the show/breeding world where most people used just a plain pellet and water with occasional hay. The health problems discussed within this community differed greatly and centered more around solving genetic complications or contagious illness, with very very few posts about digestive health.

Now, I do have to say that I personally believe hay is VERY important in a rabbit's diet, so although I just feed a pellet/hay diet, they do recieve hay daily. Not all breeder's do that. So the diet that my rabbits are on could be considered a happy medium between both communities. But considering the amount of rabbits that I (and other friends from the show world) had had over the years while working to improve our breeds, compared to the very small number of digestive illnesses just speaks to me personally. I realize that others may have varying opinions and ways to feed their rabbits, and that is certainly okay as well! I have just developed my feeding regime after being involved in both sides of the story, and tend to gravitate towards a dry pellet/hay and occasional treat diet myself.:)
 
I agree with Julie's observations.
My Pippin lived to roughly 11 years old on a pellet/hay diet with zero stomach issues what-so-ever.
I think free feeding hay helps with that a lot.
While veggies are definitely good for buns, I think they should only be an occasional thing. And not a large portion of the diet.
 
I think diet is a very individual thing. There is no "perfect" diet that will work well for 100% of the animals in a species, in my opinion.

I know some rabbits that just don't tolerate a lot of greens well - maybe a small amount here and there, but anything more and they'll get diarrhea. But my Nibbles ate greens every single day of his 15 + year life, and never suffered from a single GI issue. My three rabbits that I have now also get a salad every single night, and none of them have ever had GI issues because of it.

I know pet owners who feed pellet free diets and feed just a wide variety of fresh foods and hay, and have very healthy rabbits. I know some who tried pellet free, and it just didn't work for them. Some rabbits do well on certain types of pellets while others do best on others...etc etc etc.

I think finding the perfect diet for you pet, means being flexible and just finding out what works best for them, as an individual. Just because some rabbits don't handle greens well, doesn't mean they all don't. If yours is one of the ones who can't, then by all means amend the diet. But that doesn't mean that all rabbits you come across will be the same way.

Just my opinion. I am very picky in choosing what I feed all of my pets, not just my rabbits. I put a lot of time into researching their foods and do my best to do what I feel is best for them. I've been told by different people that this is best or that is best, but their recommendations just straight out don't always work well for every animal 100% of the time. I think the important thing is that you take the time to find out what is best for your individual pet, whatever that may end up being.
 
That's quite interesting Julie- thanks for that :). I'm no breeder- I just have my two bubs so can only really go on a)what I am told or what I read or b)through my limited experience. I really would love to see some statistics though because there are so many varying views. Because my Benji is only just over 4 years old, and Pippin 3 and a half, so I don't know whether by now I should be seeing the 'consequences' of their diet, or whether these digestive upsets would happen at an older age. I am assuming as neither have had any problems so far that my diet of few pellets, lots of hay and lots of veggies and greens obviously works very well for them.

I too have also wondered about the secret to age old buns. I really wish for mine to live another 10 years or more! That would be a dream come true.

Jen
 
jen im with you on being curious about which diet works ...im telling u if i had enough proof that feeding my buns escargo and fillet mignon to keep em healthy and live long..id freakin do it...but like Chelle said there is no perfect diet.
Julie i tried the only pellets diet (measured amounts for their weight)and my buns were laying around and lazy and they tired out really easy..was that just a coincidence on maybe me doin this during the weather change (hot temps in arizona) altho they are indoor buns .i still dont crank the air up too high...i only tested out that diet with my buns for a short while i didnt see an improvement or anything positive so i slowly went back to their previous diet...what do u think Julie?
 
Flash ive ran across ur blog in the past before i even signed up on rabbitsonline and read all about ur love for ur Flash..it broke my heart to read it ..and when i signed up here i saw that u were on here too and thought "i wonder if my bunnies name brings back a little pain from you losing ur Flash".its got to a little bit but i wish it didnt..i know the pain from losing ur heart bunny ,ive been thru it ..it sux...ur Flash was an awesome lookin little dude! and he had to have ROCKED !! i mean he has the best name and look at that bandana!!! he was such a stinkin cutie.!!
 
Flash Gordon wrote:
i only tested out that diet with my buns for a short while i didnt see an improvement or anything positive so i slowly went back to their previous diet...what do u think Julie?
I don't think you'd notice a general change in health from one diet to another, as both can keep rabbits healthy if offered correctly. I was just saying that for an overall lifetime over a pretty large sampling of rabbits, I've seen better results in rabbits on a basic dry diet as opposed to a fresher diet. I have seen rabbits live long, healthy lives on both diets. That result just seems to be more consistent in rabbits on a basic pellet/hay/water/occasional treat diet from what I have observed.

I am assuming it gets pretty hot for you in Arizona, so a fresher diet during the hotter months may help with extra hydration, as opposed to a dry diet. So greens or veggies may be more beneficial to your buns than mine.:)
 
darnit Julie i was hoping that diet would work for my buns...hehe....fresh greens take alot more time and effort...yes their worth it but man oh man do i buy alot of greens...i even have a few slices on my hands from cutting up veggies for them..im not real careful first thing in the morning,..but Flashie makes up for it cuz hes a maniac in the morning and he does a little "Jig" for his greens...
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Flash Gordon wrote:
darnit Julie i was hoping that diet would work for my buns...hehe....fresh greens take alot more time and effort...yes their worth it but man oh man do i buy alot of greens

And everyone in the produce departments at local stores knew me by name - or at least knew I was "the bunny lady" - as I would sometimes send one back to look for fresh FLAT parsley, and the first time I did, I had to explain - "because Miss Hoppy does not regard the curly kind as food, that's why!"

And yes, we made sure to keep some variety, a good balance of vitamins and paid careful attention when giving her something new.

She was an opinionated little girl, but we loved her, so put up with it!
 
LOL! Flash, if you would rather stick to a dry diet, you're more than welcome to. I just didn't want to come off as saying, "This is the ONLY way you should do it!" The dry diet does work well for me but if your experience is that your rabbits do better on a fresh diet, it may be because the climate you live in is more condusive to that.

Another thing you could try if you'd like to limit veggies is to feed the general pellet/hay diet. And then offer your rabbit a small salad every other day or every couple days just as a treat and for some variety. :) That way, you don't have to totally eliminate it but it makes things a little simpler on you.
 

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