Appetite Change

[kjsx988]

Hello! My male bunny is about 2.5 years old and has had a really great appetite, especially in the last few months. It’s almost like he is “food crazed” and he goes nuts whenever he sees my husband or I go into the kitchen or open the fridge. We’re really good about his diet, only feeding him pellets in the morning, his greens during the day and keeping lots of hay in his cage. The only treats we give him are pieces of fruit. He likes running around the house but also spends a lot of time just lounging around in his little cozy places. Pretty normal.

About a week and a half ago I decided I’d try out a bunny snack I saw at the grocery store to see how he’d like it. It was a Bonanza treat stick with fruit, veggies, grains and nuts and was really solid so I thought he’d like to gnaw on it. He liked it right away and ate maybe half of it. Then he wouldn’t touch it again. Then he was suddenly not crazy about his greens (particularly spinach, which he devours!). He’s been eating a TON of hay (when I let him out of his cage in the morning almost all of it’s gone which isn’t particularly normal for him) and it’ll take him most of the day to eat his pellets (when before they’d be gone by lunch time) and he is hardly interested in his greens. They’ll sit in his bowl all day and the only way he eats them all is if I put the leftovers in his cage at night. He’s still pretty active, for the most part. I threw away those treat sticks and limited his other fruit treats hoping to get him back on schedule.

Any reason I should be worried? He seems to be going to the bathroom like normal and he is eating a ton of hay…which I feel is a pretty good sign. I’m just getting annoyed/anxious that it’s a week and a half later and he’s still pretty uninterested in the foods he normally devours on the spot. Before, I’d give him a pile of greens and I’d turn my back for 2 minutes and they’d be gone! Now they sit there all day long. Money is kind of tight and we’re expecting a baby right now, so I’m trying to hold off on contacting a vet unless something was really wrong. Though, let’s be honest, he kinda is like my baby right now…

[Beka27]

You said he has had a great appetite “especially in the last few months”…. Is it possible he has been eating more and now his appetite is returning back to “normal”? They can go through spurts where they eat more or less.

I personally don’t think you have cause for major concern just yet. He is still eating and pooping. If either one stops, that is when he needs to get to the vet. Until then, keep his diet stable…. Pellets, veggies, and lots of hay. Replenish his water often. Cut out treats, including fruit.

Those seed/nut/grain sticks are bunny junk food. They really shouldn’t be fed at all, so you did the right thing getting rid of it. Don’t feel bad, they market these things for bunnies so people think that they’re good for them. I bought them for my first rabbit before I knew they weren’t good. We live and learn… :-\

[Deleted User]

Maybe you could try switching the greens you are giving him? I know that for the first few months mine were with me they adored spinach, and accepted collard greens quite graciously. Then all of a sudden they wouldn’t eat them. They still don’t want the former favourite (spinach) and I have no idea why the change of mind. I can give them collards, provided they aren’t too many and I don’t give them more then two days in a row.

Also, since I know the feeling of having to toss greens that you dipped into your budget to provide in the first place, how about trying to give him a small serving at the regular time, and then refilling the bowl if/when it gets eaten. Should save you some money, and may encourage him to eat more too.

Just a couple of thoughts.
Best of luck!

[Deleted User]

Hey kjsx988, just letting you know I bought ‘bunny brunch bar’s’ for my boy and since found out (after he devoured the 1st one) it’s a huge no no. Anything that contains seeds, nuts and grain should not be fed to your bun (my vet told me when I took him to be neutered) and ended up throwing out the 2nd one, dam! (Hate wasting money – didn’t have the receipt for a refund). Trying to look on the bright side – I didn’t buy a third one???
With the veg, my Henry ate like a little piggy and then for a few nights barely ate half? So I missed a night. Guess what, he’s back into it (probably worried he’ll miss out again???). There could be many reasons why your bun isn’t indulging in his veggies, but if you miss a night and he gets back into it, there’s a good chance nothing is wrong with him – maybe he’s trying to tell you he’s bored with something, or doesn’t like a new take on something? Why I say that…. Kale! I finally came across kale and Henry would throw everything out his veggie dish to get it from the bottom. I then shopped at a supermarket and bought an organic kale. He wouldn’t touch it! and only the organic kale, he ate everything else! Go figure? Fussy rabbits!

[Lightchick]

Seeds and nuts are very high in fat, and discourage other healthier food choices. I feel like I’ve heard that spinach is not great for bunnies, either..anyone else know anything about this?

[Deleted User]

There is nothing wrong with spinach. It does have a naturally occuring substance (the name of which is presently alluding me) which if consumed in Massive quantities can be harmful. At least six other greens comminly fed to rabbits (including Swiss Char, parsley and beat leaves) also contain this. The HRS recommends using only one of these greens in a mix of at least three greens at a time, but does say the likelihood of a harmful quantity being ingested is improbable. You can read more in the article on this page:
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

[MimzMum]

High oxalates are the concern in spinach and kale, Lightchick, and until recently I thought they shouldn’t be fed often to bunnies also. But there appears to be some debate now about this. I give Mimzy a bit of kale each day when I can get some nice stuff in.

kjsx988, your bun may have become sensitized to vegetables, I have a bunny who cannot eat them anymore, but he had severe stomach distress that stopped me feeding them to him. It is possible that the seeds or nuts on the treat stick have caused some disturbance in his bowel, hopefully more hay and time will help clear him up. But definitely if anything further seems off, it’s better to get him to the vet. I agree with Beka, stop the fruit for now, it is adding too much sugar to your bunny’s stomach and that will unbalance the gut flora.
When I first got my Mimzy, I used to feed him those Yogies bunny treats. It wasn’t till almost a year later I realized it was like feeding him a side of bacon for the fat content. 0_0 The marketing is sly and those big brown eyes waiting for their treats are the hardest to say no to!

Hope your bunny is feeling better and back to eating veggies soon.

[kjsx988]

Thanks for the feedback! As soon I as noticed there was a change in his appetite, I threw those awful bars away! He’s back to eating his pellets like normal and is devouring his hay still. I cleaned his litter box yesterday and this morning he seems to be going to the bathroom as usual. Makes me feel better. I try to switch up his greens a bit, alternating between spinach, curly parsley and romaine lettuce and sometimes we’ll try some other leafy greens, because I read it’s not good to give him the same things all the time? (This is my first bunny, we got him in April). He’s started eating them again, just not as much and not in a rush. So I think I’m just going to give him a little at a time until he finishes it all and then try more. It seemed to work yesterday.

That will be the first and last time I try to give him a different, “special” snack. No more of that! I know someone who feeds their bunny yogurt treats and that’s all the bunny will eat now. I’m not even tempted to try those, no matter how crazy or cute they get about them. I’m content with his binkies for bits of apple

[Deleted User]

I’m glad he is still seeming well. As others have mentioned hay is the vital part of the diet and it sounds as though he is taking the best care of himself possible, eating lots of what will help him to digest normally.

Yogourt and those treats are very unhealthy for rabbits so happy to hear you are not giving him those drops.

I think you may want to take a look at this article: http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/ It has a lot of information on what are the best quantities and combinations of food to give to your rabbit, and explains the thinking behind the advice. The article is important and helpful, and the lists of vegetables is a good reference to have. Hope they help.

Good luck and give the little one a head rub for me.

[MoveDiagonally]

Generally you want to feed at least 3 types of veggies a day. When you introduce something new you want to do it slowly, one at a time, so you can make sure it’s not going to cause a bad reaction (poop issue).

The article Grey Dove linked is awesome and I would definitely give it a read.

Spinach and Parsley are high in oxalic acid and only one of those should be fed a day (either Spinach or Parsley but not both in the same day). Kale is low in oxalic acid and it’s alright to be fed everyday and alongside any other veggies. As is Romaine and many other good veggies (check out that link/list )

[kjsx988]

Thanks! Great article!

[Author]

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