Feeding to little?

[kmaben]

Shya and Teddy get about two cups of fresh veggies morning and night.
They get a snack at lunch time ( a little bit of herbs, or celery, or some lettuce)
They have unlimited hay.
They get maybe a half a cup of pellets twice a week.

Is this two much/to little?

I've read about two of cups of veggies per 6 pounds of rabbit

Teddy is 5.3 pounds

Shya is about 2. I think she's is losing weight (can't confirm as I dont have a scale small enough for her yet) and she always acts hungry.
Vet has checked up on her and she's had blood work done recently and all was normal

Then again my husband is a bottomless pit.

Just paranoid?:lookaround (that happens alot with them too)

 

[mrbunny]

General rule of thumb: approx. one cup per 4lbs of bunny weight.

There's a table of a suggested guideline on the amount of greens to feed your bunny.
http://www.coloradohrs.org/forms_pdf/flier_veggies.pdf

 

[mrbunny]

*one cup per 2lbs

 

[toyabrooke]

That sounds like A LOT more than I feed my Poe so maybe I am the one that should be worried

Poe gets his hay, his guinea pig/bunny mix with dried fruits and things in it, and oats. Those stay there until he has eaten most of it (takes him a few days just to get through a tiny little bit as they are big cups that hang off the wire in his cage, so I usually chuck out a lot of food when I clean his cage and fill up the cups with new food). He gets veggies once every 3 or so days to prevent the runs as we have had bad experiences with giving too many veggies to our rabbits. He also gets bamboo as a treat when he is out with me and crackers as training treats.

So maybe I should be asking if I am starving my bunny!? He doesn't seem starved at all and if anything doesn't eat that much! He is only 1kg though so he is quite small. I can feel his spine though when he is hunched over and I pet him - Is that not normal? He is only about 5 months old.

T

 

[LakeCondo]

They need more pellets & every day, at least a cup each, spread out over the 7 days. And reduce the veggies as you increase the pellets. Usually we'd give the smaller rabbit less than a bigger one, but you've reported that she's much more active than he.
A good way to tell if their weight is about right is to pay attention to how they feel. If the bones are very prominent she probably needs to gain weight. Feeding them separately may be necessary.

 

[mrbunny]

What LakeCondo said. More alfalfa pellets, fewer greens.

It's a learning experience, and everyone is learning as well. From what I have been reading on your Poe (do correct me if I'm wrong), you only have had him for about a month. Perhaps Poe is getting the runs because he may feel that greens have been introduced to him too quickly (since he is only 5 months old)?

Personally, I would only offer either fruit or oats, not both. I would also limit it further to once a week since it's a treat for a young bun.

Monitor his poops and adjust accordingly.

As always, you are the best judge for your bun. You will learn in time what is best for Poe.

 

[toyabrooke]

Thanks so much for the advice! Yes you are right, we have had him a month and he is only 5 months old. Sometimes I do forget how young he is though the way he acts

He always has oats on a bowl, so should I just not give him fruit or when I do give him fruit (sometimes he gets a bit of apple), take away the oats? He seems to LOVE his oats, I am always watching him hop inside his crate to nibble on some.

I know he got Bok Choy with the breeder and a few other things, but you are probably right with it being a bit of a shock with new things for him. He doesn't get much when I do give him veggies just so he can get used to the new things. He seems to love Zucchini, Basil, Snow Peas, Bok Choy and a little bit of apple but isn't keen on Carrot (bye bye stereotype!).

In theory I probably shouldn't have given him any veggies for the first 2 weeks of having him, but I did (naughty me), but only about once or twice a week for the first 2 weeks always with some Bok Choy and now its about 2-3. I will limit that now to once a week. I just felt so bad leaving him when I go out to uni or out at night and hes in his little crate with not much to do (he does have has a billion toys... but nothing as good as being able to roam), so would give him some veggies to keep him company and entertained while I'm gone

Thanks again for all the feedback. My little Poe is getting some great help from everyone. God help him if it was just me making the decisions

T

 

[kmaben]

I love this forum

 

[mrbunny]

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

Continue with the bok choy in smaller amounts, and increase your alfalfa pellets for your bun daily.

If you would like to introduce vegetables to Poe, do so slowly and one-by-one. Monitor his poop for 3-7 days for that one type of veggie. (ie. New veggie is lettuce. Give a tiny leaf, watch for any adverse reactions in his poop for next 3-7 days. If nothing, it's okay and you can a tiny bit more. If not, limit. I keep a chart posted on my buns' wall of what works and what doesn't.)

Pellets should be unlimited for the time-being, but you should plan for the transition into a timothy-based pellet in the next few months. If the pellet you feed is already timothy, it shouldn't be a biggie.

What I meant earlier, in terms of fruit and oats, is to feed that either one of those (fruit or oats) once a week. But that's just my opinion. If you like to feed it daily, limit it to the smallest (miniscule) of portions.

Here are some references in addition to the library on RO, which also make reference to these websites that may be helpful:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html
http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

 

[toyabrooke]

Ahhh okay thanks so much! I use a Guinea Pig/Rabbit mix of pellets but it isn't just plain stuff it includes some dried fruits in it and interesting things that he likes - Should I change that to just plain pellets? They are a 'Tropical 'Blend' that I got from the Pet Store.

Okay so each time I try a new veggie I will just do it once and then monitor how he is the next week and if there is no reaction I can tick that as an okay veggie. So far there haven't been any seriously reactions - Yes the slightly squishy poop but that only happens sometimes and most of the time they are nice and hard and normal.

He dropped a few cecotropes today though that he didn't touch - Aren't they only suppose to happen at night? Are they suppose to be eaten too? Poe didn't touch them (probably because they were a bit soft and not nice ).

Also, are oats not good for them? We have always had oats as a stable part of Dudley's diet and that's why we are using them with Poe Oops!

Sorry for all the questions... I worry if something goes wrong it will all be my fault! I just don't want to do the wrong thing by Poe and want him to live a long and happy life with us.

T

 

[LakeCondo]

I would suggest getting plain alfalfa pellets [Oxbow is a good brand] & slowly mix them in with the tropical stuff. Or pick out more & more of the treats & save them for later. I give treat-like things only after Honey's eaten enough of non-treats to deserve one.

Even a few squishy poops are a reason to find out why & fix the problem. I have had Honey for over 3 months & there has not been a single poop that was different from the others.

I'd have to disagree with Mr Bunny about oats. Their only problem is that they have a lot of calcium for an adult rabbit, so I've been mixing Honey's with twice as much wheat germ as rolled oats.

Cecotrophs are passed about 8 hours after the food they were made from was eaten, so it can happen at any time.

And I hope it's clear that introducing a new veggie one at a time means feeding just a small piece twice a day for a few days before deciding to increase the amount or eliminate it. Don't drop a veggie that's ok, just so you can try another one instead.

 

[toyabrooke]

Thanks for all the advice - Poe certainly is in good hands with all of these experienced bunny lovers to help!

Everything seems very normal today because he has been getting lots of grass at night instead of veggies. My mum brought over a huge bucket full of beautiful long green grass so he has been loving that at night and throughout the day. Grass doesn't count as a vegetable does it?

I will give him some Bok Choy in a few nights (once the grass runs out) with one other vegetable and see how that goes for a few days before I decide to keep or leave it. I will probably see soft poos the next morning if the veggie is fed over night, so it shouldn't take too long to see which vegetable is making him a bit off. When I do find one that is fine I should then ADD to that (so grow from Bok Choy and one other thing to Bok Choy and 2 others), and then if he is off I can immediately take away the 1 other veggie? Sounds simple enough!

I will also take your advice and pick out the bits of treats and then maybe give them too him every time I clean his cage or something. He seems to love the mix though Our other bunny hates it though and just gets the normal mix of pellets.

When they are adults (which will what.. be around 1 year?), do you only give them their food at 1 point in the day? So every night they get their bowls of dried food and veggies, but then in the mornings they get taken away and they only have hay?

T

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Ours get orchard grass on a continual basis--it's a natural food and helps to wear down their teeth too. Our vet told us that once they are old enough that they don't need pellets as long as they get veggies and all the hay that they can eat.

 

[toyabrooke]

That's fantastic news because he has been getting A LOT of grass since I got a giant bucket full of it! I have tried to make a few games out of it in his cage too by hanging it and tying it up etc. so he doesn't just sit there bored and munch non stop

When are they classed as an adult - One year?

 

[toyabrooke]

P.S I have definitely hijacked this post... Sorry!
:threadhijacked:

T

 

[LakeCondo]

Nancy McClelland wrote:

Our vet told us that once they are old enough that they don't need pellets as long as they get veggies and all the hay that they can eat.

That theory has less & less support in the past few years. As Rabbit Nutrition explains, it is virtually impossible to provide the nutrients a pet rabbit needs without pellets.

 

[ZRabbits]

LakeCondo wrote:

Nancy McClelland wrote:

Our vet told us that once they are old enough that they don't need pellets as long as they get veggies and all the hay that they can eat.

That theory has less & less support in the past few years. As Rabbit Nutrition explains, it is virtually impossible to provide the nutrients a pet rabbit needs without pellets.

100% agree. My Rabbit Vet stated I only needed pellets and hay for the same reasoning that Lake stated. That veggies and fruit for a rabbit should be given as a treat. There are some valuable nutrients in veggies, but with how popular the rabbit is becoming and more and more research has been done, the pellets have come a long way.

Adult rabbits need those nutrients in the pellets throughout their life, but in smaller quantity.

K

 

[BunMommaD]

There seems to be SO many different opinions on this subject... Our rabbit savvy vet, told us that veggies were not just a treat but a huge very important part of a rabbits diet. Cookie gets a huge bowl of 4/5 different kids of dark leafy greens everyday and pellets... And unlimited hay and fresh water 24/7... Our vet told us that he has seen a vast difference in the life spans of the rabbits in his care over the years between those that were feed just pellets and those that got lots of dark leafys everyday... We also make sure Mr.C's veggies vary everyday... We keep a log on the fridge to make sure he doesnt get to much of anything that has too much calcium or vit A...etc allat once...Never the same 2days in a row! And yes our fridge look like a forest LOL And so far he is thriving!
Anyway... Just our experience!

 

[ZRabbits]

BunMommaD wrote:

There seems to be SO many different opinions on this subject... Our rabbit savvy vet, told us that veggies were not just a treat but a huge very important part of a rabbits diet. Cookie gets a huge bowl of 4/5 different kids of dark leafy greens everyday and pellets... And unlimited hay and fresh water 24/7... Our vet told us that he has seen a vast difference in the life spans of the rabbits in his care over the years between those that were feed just pellets and those that got lots of dark leafys everyday... We also make sure Mr.C's veggies vary everyday... We keep a log on the fridge to make sure he doesnt get to much of anything that has too much calcium or vit A...etc allat once...Never the same 2days in a row! And yes our fridge look like a forest LOL And so far he is thriving!
Anyway... Just our experience!

I can understand what your Rabbit Vet is saying regarding the vast differences. You need to watch the amount of pellets that are given to an adult rabbit. Just like your log on the fridge, mine is in my computer. I know exactly how much I'm feeding and when to start to gradually reduce the pellets and introduce veggies and fruits. I have found a balance between both worlds. lol

I think there are so many different opinions on the rabbit diet because rabbits are so new.

K

 

[BunMommaD]

Agree! I know someone who had a bun that never had a pellet past 6 months and lived to 11 years old... And then another who every time it has veg it's stomach gets upset... It really depends on the bun, I think.