Cinnabun won’t eat pellets, just hey and lettuce

[Cinna]

Hi!

About two weeks ago, I bought a bunny from a pet store that had previously been “housed.”  She’s a little anti social and it’s been difficult trying to figure her out, but one thing I do know: she loves her timothy hey and hates her pellets. She won’t even touch them.  I’m a bit worried.  Does she need to eat pellets?  What should I try?  Are garden vegetables and hey enough?  Are there any recommendations for pellet types (I have a PetCo near me)?

 Cinnabun, according to the vet, is about a year old, female, unspayed, and a mini satin (the pet shop could only tell me that she was a “satin”).  Oh, she also loves to drink water.  I don’t know if that helps.

 Any advice would be welcome.

 Thanks in advance!

A

[tanlover14]

Have you tried a different brand of pellets? Which ones have you tried so far? My favorite is Oxbow but my PetCo doesn’t sell Oxbow. Here is a GREAT chart made by one of our forum leaders on another post:

“Recommended Nutritional Value (Adult Rabbits)
Fiber 18% minimum (20 -25% best)
Fat 1 – 2% max
Protein 12 – 14% max (long-haired breeds may need higher)
Calcium 1% max

(Source: BinkyBunny.com Diet Info Page)

The brands that I’ve looked into that fall within this are:
– Oxbow Adult Rabbit
– Oxbow Organic Rabbit BeneTera
– Kaytee Timothy Complete
– Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Rabbit (Adult)
– Zupreem Nature’s Promise
– Zupreem Timothy Naturals
– Sweet Meadow Timothy Pellets”

Here post is on this thread if you’re interested in reading the whole thing. It will give you some good ideas on different kinds to try!
https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/126514/Default.aspx

Has she had a wellness check-up since you got her? I would be worried about the possibility of teeth issues if she’s refusing to eat the pellets. I have heard of others kind of fluffing the pellets up with droplets of water to help them eat the pellets IF it is teeth issues. If you can’t get into a vet right away I would try this and see if she seems to be more interested. When having problems with teeth, those hard pellets can be very difficult to chew. If she doesn’t take right away you can also mix a tablespoon of pumpkin (I use the Libbys brand but make sure it’s ONLY pumpkin, with no added fillers – I find it in the baking aisle at my grocery store) and a little bit of carrot juice.

Do you plan on spaying her in the future? You could discuss this with your vet when you take her for a check-up but it’s very important for the female buns. They have a VERY high chance of developing uterine cancer if not spayed by the age of four. I believe it’s 85-90% chance of getting cancer without the spay. You WILL need to find a rabbit-savvy vet though who has experience with spaying rabbits! The House Rabbit Society has a wonderful site for checking out rabbit-savvy vets in different areas:
http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

[Zombie-Sue]

Rabbits are very hardy animals that can subsist on a variety of diets, so don’t trick yourself into thinking this is necessarily an emergency.

However, I do think it is in her best interest for you to try different pellets to get her to eat some of them. They are high in nutrition (however, rabbits also thrive on roughage as you know :p)

The brands that tanlover already recommended are pretty popular, but if you can’t find any at the petco, you can find some online. If you’re more rural, you could also try a more agrarian feed store. I often buy big bags from a feed store for my rabbits.

[MoveDiagonally]

Haha, I don’t’ have much to add to TL’s advice.

Pellets are kind of like a nutritional supplement if you’re feeding by the HRS guidelines (most of us here do). Not eating a lot or everyday won’t likely hurt a rabbit BUT not eating any pellets without making up for the loss of nutrition can have negative long term effects and cause unhealthy weight loss. Pellet free diets can be healthy but you have to feed larger quantities and variety when it comes to veggies. I believe one of our members here who feeds pellet free successfully feeds about 60% more veggies (than what is recommended for rabbits that eat pellets) and 15-20 types each day.

Definitely look into her teeth as that could be an issue and maybe look into trying a different type of pellets.

Best of luck and welcome to BB!

[Cinna]

Thanks, everyone!

I do have a feed store as well as a Petco near here, so I’ll definitely check it out.  Cinnabun does have good teeth according to the vet, but I’ll give them a once over.  I know from her biting (she came to me as a rescue and is unsocialized, poor thing) that they’re strong and seem straight, but you never know.

Thanks again!

A

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