Another chewing question...

[maherwoman]

Sorry to ask this question again...I kinda wanted to bump it, add to it, and am getting more worried about her tooth length because she won't chew on anything but her hay (note: she is eating, but not chewing on anything).

Ok...I've given Bunny just about anything I can think of for her to chew, and she just doesn't like any of it. Here's a list of what I've tried:

-cardboard (including toilet paper cardboard roll, cardboard box)
-wooden chew toy (that infamous orange wedge)
-Kaytee Timothy Hay (which is the one thing she has even given the time of day, and she LOVES)
-book of yellow pages
-bedding (CareFresh brand regular bedding, not white, which she likes to nibble on every now and then)
-and we haven't given, but she tries to chew on...carpet. It's a no-no in our house, of course, so we discourage it.

Is it ok and will her teeth be healthy if she's solely wanting to chew on her hay? I renew her supply daily, so she always has plenty, and she chews her alfalfa pellets (which I understand doesn't necessarily aid in keeping tooth length down, but she's eating, which is good). (We also give her leaf lettuce, which she LOVES, every other day. We've offered carrot, but she definitely prefers the lettuce.)

She seemed to be searching for something more to chew last night and stopped by regularly to try to eat my jeans...does that mean she would like a towel to chew on? How can I tell if she's ingesting it? Would that even help with her tooth length?

Do you guys have any ideas of things I could give her? I read somewhere that bunnies like pinecones...what do I need to make sure of when I give her things like that (also including twigs and the likes)?? Could I give her things we find in the park, or do we have to purchase them special from the pet store?

The problem I run into is the fact that I've given her lots of different types of things to chew, and she's snubbed them all so far (except for the Timothy Hay), so I'm wondering if there's something I've missed that she would prefer. I want to be sure she doesn't wind up with mallocussion (excuse my spelling).

I just want to make sure my baby is healthy, and I'm doing the right things...I feel a bit paranoid sometimes, but there are so many things that could go wrong, ya know?

 

[naturestee]

It usually takes a bit of trial and error to find chew toys that each bun will like. Have you tried untreated wicker? I've found untreated wicker baskets for $1-2 at Walmart and craft stores. I also get wicker balls from Pier 1 for $1.50. I know you can give her fresh apple, maple, and aspen twigs to chew on. Don't take them from trees near busy roads, and wash them well. I haven't tried pinecones yet (I keep forgetting to collect them before the snow falls) but they are safe, just dry them in the oven first on the lowest setting. I think you are suppost to go for an hour? I've never done it.

I've found that petstore chew toys aren't always very popular. There are some small veggie-shaped scented ones that my buns like if they haven't seen them for a few weeks. I rotate toys to make them more interesting. They also like wicker ball-shaped hamster nests, and some of the bigger wooden logs and such made for hamsters.

 

[maherwoman]

Oh, great idea about the wicker! I'll try that...

Ok, great, about the fact that I can gather twigs from parks...I'll be sure to watch that I'm not gathering them from places with cars nearby, and that I wash them good.

Thank you so much!!

naturestee wrote:

It usually takes a bit of trial and error to find chew toys that each bun will like. Have you tried untreated wicker? I've found untreated wicker baskets for $1-2 at Walmart and craft stores. I also get wicker balls from Pier 1 for $1.50. I know you can give her fresh apple, maple, and aspen twigs to chew on. Don't take them from trees near busy roads, and wash them well. I haven't tried pinecones yet (I keep forgetting to collect them before the snow falls) but they are safe, just dry them in the oven first on the lowest setting. I think you are suppost to go for an hour? I've never done it.

I've found that petstore chew toys aren't always very popular. There are some small veggie-shaped scented ones that my buns like if they haven't seen them for a few weeks. I rotate toys to make them more interesting. They also like wicker ball-shaped hamster nests, and some of the bigger wooden logs and such made for hamsters.