Underweight bun…

[seasidesky]

My bun, Spica, is underweight and really needs to gain weight. 

He visited the vet today for a checkup and the vet said he seems alright aside from weight but I’m a little worried because his partner Cinnamon recently died from a liver failure because he wasn’t absorbing the nutrients right 

He’s not denying all food but he doesn’t want to eat as much as usual and while he’s still pooping, I’m worried that it’s not as much as it should be

He’s 5 years old so I guess these kinds of things are starting to get to a point where they’re to be expected 

I’m trying to up his pellet diet and stuff, but I was wondering if it would be okay to mix in some alfalfa hay or alfalfa based pellets to a timothy hay based diet?? I’ve heard mixed responses on this due to the calcium level but I’m really desperate, I don’t want to lose him too

Thank you for your time!

[Azerane]

5 years is still young enough that he shouldn’t be seeing age related issues. I think you would be ok to add a little bit of alfalfa pellets to his daily pellet amount, but be aware that he may start to refuse his timothy pellets.

What is his diet like? What foods and amounts of them are you feeding every day? He may not be eating as much because he may be grieving for his friend.

[tobyluv]

As Azerane said, you could add in a few alfalfa pellets to his diet. Or you could sprinkle a little alfalfa hay over his regular hay. You could also try some different grass hays if he is only getting timothy now. Maybe some new flavors or textures of hay would entice him to eat more. If he still isn’t eating well and keeps losing weight, you could try mixing up some Critical Care, even adding a tiny bit of canned pumpkin or baby food, and see if he would eat that out of a dish.

Did the vet check his teeth? They normally can’t get a good look at the back teeth unless the rabbit has been anesthetized.

[seasidesky]

I’m going to add some alfalfa pellets or hay to his regular diet as well as considering switching to another grass hay gradually to see if it works.
The vet said his teeth were fine and gave me some Nutri-Cal to give him a little bit sometimes
I’ll keep the pumpkin in mind if he needs it in the future
Thankfully though he seems to be starting to eat a little more now slowly, I just worry a lot and need to keep an eye on him

[LittlePuffyTail]

My recommended feeding several TBSP of Critical Care every day to help put weight on. My bun is a senior, however. Not sure if this would be the recommendation for a younger bun. And the downside of this is the cost.

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