Not eating pellets, but eating hay and veggies

[Deanna]

Hi all! I’m a new member and a relatively new bunny mama, but I found binkybunny threads really helpful when I first got my bun so I thought I’d try turning to this community for some more specific advice.

Maka is a nine month old lionhead, we’ve had her for about five months now.

She’s stopped eating her pellets entirely, but she’s still eating plenty of hay and vegetables. 

This started while we were trying to change her food.I mixed the old and the new, but she refused to eat any of it. I thought she was just being picky so I went back to giving her only the pellets she was used to, but now she won’t touch those either. She’s drinking water normally, behaving normally otherwise and eating her hay and veg like I mentioned before,  so I guess my question is – should I be worried? Is a vet visit in order or could it be that she’s just decided she doesn’t like pellets anymore? 

[Megabunny]

I should have such problems!! There are people on here who don’t feed any pellets. They are too harsh on my bun’s tummy, so I have to feed them sparingly and she’s been pretty darned hungry. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to still offer them sometimes, but a diet like that sounds really good. The others will know better than I if you should add something. Enjoy!!

[Deanna]

That’s reasurring! I just wasn’t sure what to think about a change like that. 

[Beka27]

Has she had a vet examination yet? Sudden changes in diet like that can be an indication of dental problems. If you hand feed her a pellet like a treat, will she take it from you and eat it, or does she take it and then drop it or spit it out?

[BlueMoods]

If the vet gives her the all clear, she may simply not like pellets, or they are upsetting her digestive system and she knows it. Two of mine can’t have pellets but, they get plenty of alfalfa hay, grass hay and fresh foods and are fine that way. They just ignore the pellets that are out for the other rabbits. They know it upsets them to eat those and, don’t eat them.

[Deanna]

Neither. If I try to hand feed one to her she just sniffs it but won’t take it at all.

 And no vet visit yet. 

[Beka27]

In that case, I think a vet visit for a thorough exam is the first step. Hopefully, she’s totally fine and she’s just being picky or doesn’t like the pellets like BlueMoods said! But I think teeth need to be ruled out first. (It’s recommended that a new rabbit have a vet exam anyways. You want to have a baseline and this way the vet will be familiar with her in case an illness arises.)

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