Question about certain brands of timothy hay

[MimzMum]

I don’t know how many of you here are familiar with the Kaytee brand of timothy hay. I used to use it all the time when I first got Mimzy because it was really the only one I could find at my local market.

The hay is very much like dried blades of lawn grass. No seedheads and relatively dust free, unless of course it begins to crumble (which mine is doing because I have about 30% humidity in this house) and last night I was thinking of soemthing that might be happening when he eats it….

If it goes straight down his throat and gets lodged in a crook or cranny, it would make him probably try to sneeze to get it out since they don’t have a gag reflex, right? (You know how it feels to have something stuck in your throat or at the back of your mouth that is wedged in between your tonsils and you can’t even get a drink of water down there?) Last night, my daughter and I were having a late chat and I noticed suddenly that Mimzy was swallowing rather hard, like he couldn’t get something down. Then he sneezed a few times and seemed to be okay. I have to wonder if this is what’s happening with him.

Plus if a hay is dusty (like most other’s I’ve tried) then that will start him sneezing after he eats it too. Has anyone else had experience with hay getting stuck in a bunny’s throat though?

[jerseygirl]

Sadly, I don’t think I could say I’ve experienced hay going down Jerseys throat normally. She just won’t eat the stuff!!! Grr…..well she nibbles but that’s it.

Anyway, I’m responding because that last Qu you asked reminds me of something I read. It was about molar spurs – even the beginnings of one that would snag food, hay or stringy veggie on it’s way down. It would hang just down the thraot and irritate the heck out of the rabbit.
If I recall where I read it, I’ll post link back here.

[Sarita]

I’m sure that could happen – I’ve heard of rabbits gagging.

I really don’t know that if it is relative to the brands of hay or not – even timothy hays can come from different parts of the country and can be different in texture, quality, etc…and it’s possible that some brands are from the same farm. I think it’s more a matter of freshness rather than brand.

[bunnytowne]

Hmm teeth could be an issue.    I remember there were 2 cases of buns gagging and  the way to dislodge whatever it is is to

lie the bun across your arm and hold him on his back too and swing him and the problem should be disgorged shortly.

There were 2 seperate posts on 2 seperate buns this happened to on bb here.

You may check in search and put gagging it may help you find those 2 post               in case that ever happens and you need to help bun out.

[jerseygirl]

Gagging! That’s the key word I needed. This answer Dana Krempels gave someone is similar to what I read but not the one I was thinking of.

Answer
Dear Jo Ann,

Your vet is correct that rabbits cannot vomit. However, they can gag if they have severe molar spurs or if some hair is caught on a rear tooth and causing a partial obstruction of the throat. I know of some vets who have seen this, and it’s pretty gross! One vet (in NJ) had a “choking” bunny under anesthesia, opened the mouth up wide and saw nothing unusual…except a thin, dark band around the base of one molar. He picked at it with a forceps and pulled–and up came a huge wad of hair and food that had been stuck there just by a thin “rope” of ingested fur. Please see:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

Since your bunny is a long-haired breed, you might want to share this story with your vet and see if she can have a look deep into the mouth for molar spurs or other physical problem that could be causing coughing/gagging.

It’s normal for the GI tract of a rabbit to always have food and ingested hair in it. But again, because your bunny is long-haired, it might not hurt to ask the vet about a few days’ course of twice daily lactulose (an osmotic laxative) to hydrate any hair masses in the intestine (they’re almost always mixed with food, so they do hydrate pretty well, and make them easier to pass. Simethicone and a tiny bit of laxative-grade mineral oil might also help the masses pass, *once they are hydrated*. I would not use mineral oil if there’s a chance the intestinal contents are desiccated, since it could coat the mass and prevent hydration.

I hope this helps.

Dana

[MimzMum]

Thanks Jerz, I really appreciate it. ^_^ I had the vet check his teeth when we were last in there and he was gassed down for xrays, and she told me they were fine. I suppose I can have her look again, I just hate the idea of having two episodes of anesthesia in one month for him, I don’t think it’s the best idea.

Anyway, last night he blew some really nasty looking stuff out of his nose, so I’m putting a bet down on post nasal drip at this point and they are all going in on Wednesday for the once over and nail trims. I can’t bear this sneezing/hard swallowing any longer and want her to make sure I don’t need more severe treatment for him.

I got some Orchard grass yesterday at PETCO, which he seemed to like and then realized it looks just like the timothy I’ve been feeding him…so I wonder if they may be the same thing, just packaged differently.

Either way, we’re going to get to the bottom of this. I am so stressed at this point I just want to cry.

[Author]

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