Diet Suggestions For Molar Spurs?

Pipp · Jun 6, 2006

The hunt is on for things Pippcan/willchew and eat that will help hermolar spurs and not compromiseher urinary tract.

She doesn't eat hay (no matter what I try), hay cubes, bunny cookies,grass mats, or those little sponge things, all which wouldbegood for her. Her pellets are a mix of Oxbow BBT, which she hates, aMartin Less Active timothy pellet, and a cheap alfalfa with 1% calcium,which she loves. I can't really tell how hard they allare. (I'll have to get out my hammer and test them out Iguess).

Her release sheet from the vet after her molar spurs surgerysayshay, pellets and 'mixed grains' are better for her teeththan veggies. I don't know what they mean by 'mixed grains'.What in the way of grains are good for bunnies, and what's bad?

The sheet says fresh grass is good, but when I get her a cat grasstray, she eats the seeds and not the grass itself, which I'vebeentold isn't so good.

What about 'hard' veggies? I already give her broccoli and cauliflower stems, etc, anything out there that's more dense?

I also have to balance her bladder issues. I had switched toan almost all-vegie dietbecauseshe seemed tobesludgy, and that cleared it up.

And as an aside (it doesn't impact the spurs or her diet), she loveschewing on cloth (as witness by the holes in my clothes, towels, sheetsand blankets ), but she's not much for sticks, wood and cardboard. Thisis extremely inconvenient, so I'm also open for other ideas here, too.

Thanks!

sas

Spring · Jun 7, 2006

Have you tried bluegrass hay? It smells reallysweet and both my bunnies love it. What about instead of putting theplanter in there, to tear off some of the grass from the planter andgive it to her that way? Maybe have it on top of her veggies?

Have you tried apple branches? Wicker baskets? Flavoured rabbit chewsticks? Squash chews? (they're like these chew toy thingsmade out of squash fibers and Pepsi loves them, from Petsmart).

I'll think about what my rabbits like to see if Pipp might like it.

I wish I could help more

.

naturestee · Jun 7, 2006

What kinds of hay have you tried? Iknow she likes oats, so have you tried oat hay? Mocha wouldsell her soul for oats, and she goes crazy for oat hay!

Or you could do what I'm doing to convince Fey and Sprite that thecurrent box of timothy tastes good. I've been mixing smallamounts of dried nettles (sold at a pet store as a hay mix-in forrabbits) or a tiny bit of alfalfa. Just enough to make itsmell good, because they're really sensitive to protein. Imight try spraying a little apple juice on it too.

Have you tried some of the other timmy pellets like Kaytee or American Pet Diner? Maybe she'd like those better.

I'm not sure what the vet means by mixed grains. I wouldn'twant to give her much, because grains are supposed to be only fed astreats. Like oats. You could feed whole oats, butthose are pointy and might not be a good idea if she has troublechewing them.

Pipp · Jun 7, 2006

Spring wrote:

Have you tried bluegrass hay? It smells really sweet andboth my bunnies love it. What about instead of putting the planter inthere, to tear off some of the grass from the planter and give it toher that way? Maybe have it on top of her veggies?

Have you tried apple branches? Wicker baskets? Flavoured rabbit chewsticks? Squash chews? (they're like these chew toy thingsmade out of squash fibers and Pepsi loves them, from Petsmart).

Thanks Spring, good suggestions. Where do you get your bluegrass hay?

I remember reading that cut grass isn't good for bunnies, but I don't know where I read that, or why it wouldn't be.

Are the squash thingies like holey little sponges?I've got toget more of those. I couldnt' remember what they were madeout of, and I've been getting puzzled looks when I tried to descibethem. Pipp would only nibble on one for a few seconds thennever touch it again, but Dill found one of old ones and chewed itright up.

(And he may not have health issues, but he eatswalls, etc, so anything to keep him otherwise occupied!)

I'm out of apple branches, can't find any close by. That'ssomething else Pipp will only nibble at, but Radar lovesthem.

naturestee wrote:

What kinds of hay have you tried? I know she likesoats, so have you tried oat hay? Mocha would sell her soulfor oats, and she goes crazy for oat hay!

Or you could do what I'm doing to convince Fey and Sprite that thecurrent box of timothy tastes good. I've been mixing smallamounts of dried nettles (sold at a pet store as a hay mix-in forrabbits) or a tiny bit of alfalfa. Just enough to make itsmell good, because they're really sensitive to protein. Imight try spraying a little apple juice on it too.

Have you tried some of the other timmy pellets like Kaytee or American Pet Diner? Maybe she'd like those better.

I'm not sure what the vet means by mixed grains. I wouldn'twant to give her much, because grains are supposed to be only fed astreats. Like oats. You could feed whole oats, butthose are pointy and might not be a good idea if she has troublechewing them.

Hmmm... Oat hay? I thought the cat grass was actually oat grass, but itmay not be the same thing. I've got the (very expensive)Oxford Meadows mixed grasses, but she couldn't care less, although shedoes sniff it for about two seconds longer than the Timothy.

I guess I should try the old apple juice on the hay trickagain. I think she just licked it off, left the hay, so Istarted soaking it. Don't recall all the details, I justremember having asticky bun!:yuck

Anyhoo, I just bought some apple juice and put it in her water, andthat worked.

That makes the urinary tract issuesless of a concern. Might as well try the hay thingagain.

I had her eating the Oxbow BBT pellets, she just wasn't happy aboutit. She stopped when the molar spurs came up, now she's justpicking at the cheap ones. I'm going to try and figure outhow to tell how comparatively hard the other pellets are before I orderanything.

I have to phone the vet re: mixed grains. 'Tis a puzzler. :huh

Thanks guys!

sas

et all :bunnybutt::brownbunny:toastingbuns:bunny24

Spring · Jun 7, 2006

Yes they are holey..

I think they're calledsquash rings? They go on those metal little hangy toys? Nexttime I'm near petsmart, I'll stop in and get the name for you if you'restill looking for it.

Iusually give Pepsi cut grass just so she doesn't chew thecontainer or eat too much oat grass if I'm not watchingwhileshe eats it. Maybe where you read was referring to grass cut with thelawnmower because it hasgasoline on it? They just chew itfrom the planter anyways

.

I've only found bluegrass hay at Newmac Feed store.. it's in Cloverdaleif that helps. It's $2.99 for an average size bag (usually last me..two weeks a bag). The bags come from bales and is always fresh. But I'msure if you went to a place that sells hay you'd find it. It's reallysoft feeling and is a blue-ish colour. Maybe just phone around?

Yup, cat grass is oat hay. I'm pretty sure.

You could also try dipping the hay in water, Pepsi loves wet hay because it reminds her of grass.

Silly stubborn girl doesn't know what's good for her!

Hey.. this was my 800th post

naturestee · Jun 7, 2006

I know what those are! I have them formy buns. Every once in a while they get really obsessed withthem, then leave them alone. I couldn't find the normalcircles on Petsmart, but this is made from the same type of stuff:
http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...ao=12&In=Small+Pet&N=2026395&Ne=2

They have a couple of different shapes of this stuff now, including abigger size of the original circular ones for larger rabbits.This stuff is one of the few Superpet toys that is actually worth themoney.