Feeding issues with a 4 month old flemish doe

[TinysMom]

I am not putting this in the infirmary because it isn't an immediate emergency. I am also wondering if I stumbled on the solution a few minutes ago while thinking about how to post this - but I'll share it anyway.

I have a doe I want to keep from one of the litters - she is four months old tomorrow. She has nice type - or WOULD have nice type - if she would EAT. She picks at her food - isn't eating nearly enough - and while she is gaining a tiny bit of weight - she definitely needs to eat more.

I used to use Manna Pro mixed in with three others because I was paranoid about rabbits getting a bad batch of one brand. Since going to the state show and seeing how many rabbits were doing (and talking to many breeders) - I've switched to mainly Purina for the show rabbits.

So...here is how my feeding is set up:

Holland Lops, my polish doe and Truly (a pet) - all get Purina blue bag

Flemish Giants all get Purina Gray bag (Professional)

Lionheads get "Wendlands" - a brand that is made here in Texas - and they're doing great on it (plus it is cheaper)

I've tried feeding this doe - Purina green bag (I had some left), Purina blue bag, Purina gray bag and now the Wendlands - which she did just eat a small portion of.

When I give her the bowl of food she looks at it much the same way I look at beef stew when Art concocts it (thinking, "Can I just make a sandwich instead?").

I've had her pee on her food to avoid eating it.

She will eat some food (maybe 1 tablespoon or two at most) - and she'll eat her oatmeal (which I have withheld sometimes) and her sunflower seeds.

She does love hay and will eat a bunch of that when she has it (I offer it to her daily and it is almost always gone).

The only other thing I can think of is to buy a bag of Manna Pro and see if she'll go for that - she probably remembers it from what she used to get.

Any suggestions? Do I just take a hard stance of "When you get hungry enough - you'll eat"?

I honestly don't mind giving her something else if she'll eat it. But I won't give her just oatmeal and sunflower seeds - I want her eating something that is good for her.

By the way - she loves to chew on toys and stuff too - so I don't think it is her teeth.

I'm wondering if there is something about this age or something that she's going through an "I don't want to eat right now" phase which might before a growth spurt?

And of course - she is the MOST PROMISING doe out of the litter...

 

[massie777]

She sounds like rabbits that come into my rescue eating rabbit food that has all the colored junk and seeds in it. I try to feed them my pellets that have nothing in it and they look at it like "really you want me to eat that?" And then if i give them some of the food they where eating they just pick out the junk food and seeds.

So it might be a little hard to get her to eat the pellets since she likes the oatmeal and seeds better. But i think in time if you stop giving her the oatmeal and seeds she will learn she has to eat the pellets.
My rescuers always learn after a couple of days that that is all they are getting fed.

 

[polly]

What happens if you mix her seeds and oats through her feed will she just pick out those bits? Sometimes it can be a way to get them to eat a bit more. She reminds me of my bev does when they are pregnant they live on hay and dried grass! I have to admit after stressing a lot about them not eating I give in to it and just feed unlimited hay and grass supplemented with veggies which might be worth a try though if she is eating that little in pellets.
I see no reason why you don't try her back on the mana pro instead of the usual feed especially if she is the best in the litter she may just be fussy!!

 

[TinysMom]

polly wrote:

What happens if you mix her seeds and oats through her feed will she just pick out those bits? Sometimes it can be a way to get them to eat a bit more. She reminds me of my bev does when they are pregnant they live on hay and dried grass! I have to admit after stressing a lot about them not eating I give in to it and just feed unlimited hay and grass supplemented with veggies which might be worth a try though if she is eating that little in pellets.
I see no reason why you don't try her back on the mana pro instead of the usual feed especially if she is the best in the litter she may just be fussy!!

She's a digger so mixing her food doesn't work.

I went out and bought her manna pro today and we swore we could see her smile when she smelled it. She's already eaten about a tablespoon of it and seemed quite happy to eat it.

Last night I had her out of her cage and running around for a bit - when I checked her food this morning - she'd eaten almost half of it. I think the exercise helped her want to eat more also.

I'm going to treat her for worms also this weekend and see if that helps her put on more weight.

Sometimes I think she is depressed because she is not living with her littermates anymore - but it was time to separate them.

 

[SilverBirchRabbitry]

Best of luck putting weight on her Peg

 

[TinysMom]

I realized tonight that she has cocci....I'm NOT a happy camper.

She's been treated - her cage has been thoroughly cleaned - her water has been treated and now I'm trying to get her to eat.

I think I'm out of Nutrical so I'll pick some up tomorrow.

 

[polly]

Nightmare peg. That wouldn't help her much. Hope she is better soon x

 

[MyRabbits]

How is she doing? One way I have gotten our Flemish Giant rabbits to eat pellets when they aren't feeling well is to dissolve them in water and then mix them in with ground pumpkin and water. The pumpkin is a good fiber for them to have when they are not feeling well and many of them are attracted by the aroma. You might try getting some in her that way.

 

[TinysMom]

She ate a full box yesterday of "Herb Mix" salad mix...along with 1 1/2 bananas. She also ate some of her pumpkin - and - joy of all joy - she ate about 3/4 of her pellets.

As I type this right now - she's eating more greens.

I'm still worried about her - she really feels bony. But I know once we're through this- I can get more weight on her.

 

[wabbitmom12]

Poor baby! She just didn't feel so good.

What you said about being away from her littermates...I could definitely see that contributing to not eating enough. Buns are such creatures of habit, they can get quitedepressed when there are changes. We have certain buns that get VERY upset if we give them new "neighbors". It's funny how they bond with each other, even if their only real interaction is visual. And littermates...or their mama...that's a REALLY hard separation.

 

[TinysMom]

She ate about 1/4 of her pellets last night and I think she now has SBS (spoiled bunny syndrome) as she' watching me a lot and I swear she's waiting for some greens and banana this morning.

It was hilarious - I opened a banana last night and she immediately pressed her nose through the cage to get it (even though it was going to be MY banana).

 

[TinysMom]

I just weighed her - she put on 1/2 ounce...she feels like skin and bones though (for a flemmie).

 

[pamnock]

I would cut out the hay - if she's filling up on that, it'll be harder to get weight on her. Nutrical is high in calories and has appetite stimulators (complex B vitamins). Steam rolled oats as well as some sunflower seed will also help. I'd also look for a feed high in fat content. A little corn oil on the oats will also help her put on some flesh.

However, if she genetically lacks good muscle, then nothing may help. You want to genetically perpetuate a line that eats and puts on flesh well.

 

[TinysMom]

Thanks Pam. Genetically - she had great muscle and was in fact the pick of the litter up until this happened. She was at almost 7 pounds if I remember right and I was looking forward to showing her because she was very solid and I was pleased with her. That is why this is tearing me up so much.

She also used to eat very well - she'd clean her food up every night and then eat more in the morning.

I am pleased the she is back to firm poops - smaller than they had been - but normal.

I'm still planning on keeping her - at least for now. I'm thinking once she's back to feeling her best - she may get that muscle back up to what it was.

She went about a week or longer with picking at her food - and not eating in the mornings. I kept trying different food thinking she was tired of what she had - it was when she got the smelly diaherrea that I realized what she probably had.

I bought nutrical so I'm going to try that with her later today.

 

[wabbitmom12]

TinysMom wrote:

She ate about 1/4 of her pellets last night and I think she now has SBS (spoiled bunny syndrome) as she' watching me a lot and I swear she's waiting for some greens and banana this morning.

It was hilarious - I opened a banana last night and she immediately pressed her nose through the cage to get it (even though it was going to be MY banana).

LOL..doesn't take long for that to happen, does it?