bunny food diet

[idolstar]

Hello,

Am looking for some help with puting my rabbit bambi on a diet. She has just recoverd from GI but her tummy has become very sensitive.

Right now she is eating wagg and veg. She does not eat alot of hay on little bits and i don't know why that is. She been a very odd rabbit since i got her from the pet shop

By odd> she eats out of bin she takes food from plates she even run of with a chicken leg:shock: she new where everything was when i 1st got her.. I did take the chicken leg off her

I can't seem to get her off the wagg at all she does not eat all the wagg just the bits she likes.. i do have burgess excel light with i gotten from my vet and some good hay BUT she will not eat any of them.. When i give her the burgess she flips her bowel and just stares at me...

Gotten really bad bambi has the run of the house and she knows where i keep her food she will go to there and rip at the bags to get her godly wagg tryed moveing then up high but she just gets mad thumps at me..

Really over the top dream queen

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Need to keep food where she can't get at it. Next, I'd say to start making the choices for her and stick to it. Our vet says a bunnies diet should be hay and veggies and no pellets whatsoever.

 

[idolstar]

Only if it was that easy..

The wagg is now in my room where she does not go.. It's just geting her to eat hay that seems to be hard

 

[LakeCondo]

What is wagg?

 

[LakeCondo]

Re pellets, Lucile Moore's new book, Rabbit Nutrition and Nutritional Healing, says on page 1, "Many of the experts and veterinarians who once endorsed a pelletless diet now acknowledge that some pellets, at least, are necessary to provide needed minerals and other nutrients in the diet of most companion rabbits."

I've ordered the book on Amazon, but won't be getting it until sometime in January. The first few pages are available to look at, though.
:sunshine:

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Yes, what is wagg? I've never heard of it before.

If she is taking food from plates, it actually IS quite easy to stop that behaviour. Sit up at a higher table, and when she comes to beg/snatch food, squirt her with a squirt bottle of water and firmly say "No!".

Maybe you could try a different kind of hay that she would like? What kind are you feeding her right now?

And I think she should be eating some pellets as well too. Even if it's just an oz twice a day or something.

Emily

 

[tamsin]

You the "mum" so it's your job to be the responsible adult and say no to the tasty treats

Restrict the dry food and she's more likely to eat the hay.

If you are introducing a new dry food, gradually mix the old and the new over a couple of weeks, feed an appropriate amount for her age/size and then leave the bowl empty so she only has hay available.

 

[idolstar]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0037XO0...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0037XO0WQ

This wagg ^

I will mixing them see how she gets on.. I have just been adding it in a new bowel

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

The wagg needs to go. That is not healthy for her.

Emily

 

[Kizza]

Hi there, I have a feeling your bunny may be addicted to the excessive amount of sugars that are in the 'Wagg' you are feeding her. The sugars come from all of the starchy foods in there like peas, corn, and so forth ( they have a lot of carbohydrates).

Sorry to say that this wagg stuff isnt giving her anything she needs in her diet, so she may be snatching food and being disobedient because she is malnourished and this is making her think she is hungry as she isnt getting any nutrients. This food may also cause GI stasis as there isnt much fibre and a lot of protein.

I would suggest weening her off this stuff by slowly mixing in pellets made from good hay, not the mixes you can get just basic pellets. do this over a couple of weeks so it doesnt upset her tummy too much.

Second thing is to get some good grass hay (timothy, meadow or oaten) and just have some in her cage even if she doesnt eat it. Put some in her litter tray so she can munch on it when she poops. This way she might get a taste for it and it will also help her go to the toilet as they like to chew when they poop.

Perhaps restrict her 'out of cage' time and have a strict schedule for in and out times and always keep her food in the same spot in her cage. Just like children they need structure and rules to keep their stress levels down and so they feel secure and safe.

I had the same problem with Rocky when I first got him, I was feeding him all the wrong things and he was very naughty. He now eats hay and is very good because I did what I just said above.

Just make sure you dont have too many options for her to eat as this leads to bunnies being very picky. With Rocky at the moment until he starts eating more hay he eats basic pellets, a little bit of hay, grass and bok choy. No treats for now also until he settles properly.

I hope this helps, here is a link that explains diet, it is from a rabbit specialist in Sydney, this is a great guide:

http://www.davidvella.com.au/RabbitFeed_dvella.pdf

Let us know how you go

 

[Kizza]

There is also a thread about bunny diets in the Nutrition and Behavior section of the forums

 

[idolstar]

Would premium rabbit muesli be better for her then the wagg thats only thing bar wagg she will eat

i do have excel herbage timothy Hay and supa forage excel natural grass.. She eats the grass fine try what everyone said see how it goes

 

[LakeCondo]

When it's the PM feeding or whenever I'm home long enough I feed greens first, then when Honey finishes them I refresh her timothy hay. About an hour after that I put her pellets in the egg-serciser ball. They have been her only 'treat' for at least a week now. [other than paper & cardboard to tear] She stands up when they're on the way & keeps rolling the ball & stopping to eat the pellet that comes out, until she finishes them. If I gave them first who knows when she'd get around to the greens & the hay.

 

[idolstar]

Right now she has eaten all the wagg and i have left her with out any and given her new clean hay and a little of the burgess excel light just a hand full..

Does anyone know if premium rabbit muesli is good?

I do have 3 rabbit and bambi the only one that is really picky when it cames to eating.. My 2 rabbits eat all there hay and then go for pellets

 

[Kizza]

What is in the rabbit muesli? I have a feeling it has seeds and stuff in it which is really no good.

Your other bunnies sound like they are eating fine, I think you should just encourage her to eat the hay and pellets and no rabbit mixes with seeds and legumes and stuff in it. and if she is eating grass that is really good also.

Some bunnies can be frustrating but if you re persistent you can change their diet. What kind of hay is it also?

 

[idolstar]

Thay all get timothy hay..

This is the muesli
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/premium-rabbit-muesli-by-pets-at-home-58399

She seems to be eating little bits of her hay now..I have left her with out wagg for a night

 

[Kizza]

It's good that it has timothy hay in it but the carrot, maize (corn), peas and beans arent good.

It is good that she is eating a little more hay maybe because she doesnt have the other stuff she is going for it.

How is her stomach now has it changed at all? Is there a pet produce store anywhere near you? You might be able to get a basic hay based pellet there that will be better for her.

When changing her foods, ween her off one onto another slowly over a couple of weeks so that it doesnt upset her tummy too much. I had a look at this site and a lot of it looks like it has bad stuff in it so hopefully there is a pet/horse produce store near you

 

[idolstar]

only pet store is pets at home and thay sell alot of diffrent type of foods :/

I have been mixing wagg with burgess excel light.

Burgess excel is the only rabbit food i know of thats all the same bits not like the wagg

Her tummy has been on and off thats why now am trying to get her off this stuff.. She has had little bit of soft poo and bits of diarrhea.. Whats worry me is that she cant clean her bum i have been doing it for her. she is a over overweight thx to me being stupid and the wagg

I have had her for 2years :/ now just understanding the rabbit diet

 

[Kizza]

Dont be hard on yourself, you are getting her on the right track now Maybe ask your vet if they know a good place to get some hay based pellets. Keep encouraging her to eat more hay and to drink water. If she has diarrhea you should take her into the vet.

Burgess isnt the best either. All I can really suggest is take her to the vet and they can help you with her diet as I am sure they will know where to get some good food. Just make sure she is eating enough also. I live in Australia so feed is a completely different ball park over here. Sorry I couldnt be more help.

 

[pamnock]

LakeCondo wrote:

Re pellets, Lucile Moore's new book, Rabbit Nutrition and Nutritional Healing, says on page 1, "Many of the experts and veterinarians who once endorsed a pelletless diet now acknowledge that some pellets, at least, are necessary to provide needed minerals and other nutrients in the diet of most companion rabbits."

I've ordered the book on Amazon, but won't be getting it until sometime in January. The first few pages are available to look at, though.
:sunshine:

I agree - minerals/fats/proteins may be dificient in a diet that is stictly hay/veggies. People equate the hay/veggie diet with a "natural" diet that a rabbit would eat in the wild - which it is not.