Hello there Cole's mommy

[colebunbun]

Hello!

My name is Melissa and I am the proud mommy of a 6 month old jet black and gorgeous black rex mix (according to the vet). He is around 6 months old but seemed to have been very much people orietned as he has no aggressive tendencies. For all his used to people attitude however, he seems terribly skittish he comes up to sniff me and my husband but won't be petted much is this just a time thing? We have had him less than a week.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

It usually takes a bit of time for them to get comfortable with you. Some will remain skittish, and some don't like to be handled--varies from bun to bun. Patience and treats help out.

 

[colebunbun]

how often should I give him treats? I am terrified of giving him gastric stasis so I worry about that.

 

[Aki]

I don't give them at all. I don't think they do any good and the idea to give the equivalent of sweets to an animal sounds like anthropomorphism to me - your rabbit is better off eating hay, most treats will only fatten him up without bringing him any useful nutriment and make him less hungry for the hay he should be eating. You can buy really nice hay as a treat! (no seriously, some hays are really expensive and I actually keep some as a special treat) The only extra thing I give are fresh apple / hazelnut tree branches once in a while because it keeps them occupied for a long time and it's mostly fibers. But if you really want to give treats, a thin slice of apple every other day won't kill him. Don't buy any commercial treats, they often contain molasses / sugar / dairy products / grains and other things rabbits shouldn't be eating. If you ever notice signs of slowing guts (darker / smaller / 'hairy' poops) stop giving anything sugary (including fruits) because it indeed doesn't help.

 

[colebunbun]

I give him red pepper and orange pepper, and a carrot a few times a week, but now I don't even do that

 

[Blue eyes]

I give him red pepper and orange pepper, and a carrot a few times a week, but now I don't even do that

Are greens part of his daily diet? If so, and if you are concerned about overdoing the treats, then a favorite green can be a treat.

To help him to warm up to you, you can hold single sprigs of cilantro (for example) and let him take them from your hand. Because you are holding it, that makes it a treat.

The good thing about using greens as a treat is that you don't need to worry about the "get-to-know-you" session ending too quickly. If you were to use raisins, the session would have to end after a few raisins since treats have to be so limited (to prevent GI issues). With the greens, you can offer over a dozen cilantro sprigs -- one at a time -- and stretch that session out.

Each rabbit tolerates treats differently. If you do wish to offer an actual treat (fresh fruit or carrot), just keep it to no more than 1-2 tbsp per day total (or 1" of a carrot). If his poos change, then back off. If the treats are offered in such a small amount per day, you will be able to see if there are any issues before anything serious occurs. A real problem isn't likely to occur unless a large amount is given all at once. That sugar overload is what can cause problems.

You can even limit treats to once or twice per week (still keeping to the same max amount). :eats:

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Cilantro is the topper here--I had 2 that would walk on their back legs while nibbling it. Doesn't have to be sugary crap.

 

[Aki]

I give him red pepper and orange pepper, and a carrot a few times a week, but now I don't even do that

When I talk about treats, I don't talk about vegetables! Pepper is good, carrot too even if you shouldn't give too much of it because it's a bit fattening. Greens, especially leafy greens, should be given everyday and make for the second most important part of your rabbit's diet. When people talk about treats here, it's mostly things like dried or fresh fruits (I think most people here know better than to buy petshop treats).

 

[Sandee]

I use cilantro and parsely for treats. also give KayTee baked timothy hay and apple "cookies". They are hard and good for grinding the teeth. Echinacea and dandelion leaves are also healthy treats that they love.

 

[Blue eyes]

They are hard and good for grinding the teeth. .

Contrary to what is commonly thought, rabbits teeth are not ground down by chewing on hard things. It is the chewing of long strands of hay or grass that makes a rabbit move it's jaw in a figure 8 motion. It is that motion of the teeth grinding against each other that properly wears down their teeth.

Might want to take a second look at that long list of (scary?) ingredients on those 'cookies.' As an alternative, Kaytee makes timothy blocks that are about the same size and rabbits seem to love them. Check that they are the ones where the only listed ingredient is timothy hay. I'd feel better about offering those as a "treat" instead.

 

[JBun]

Contrary to what is commonly thought, rabbits teeth are not ground down by chewing on hard things. It is the chewing of long strands of hay or grass that makes a rabbit move it's jaw in a figure 8 motion. It is that motion of the teeth grinding against each other that properly wears down their teeth.

While the jaw motion of chewing hay is important to tooth wear, it's actually the silica content found in grass that has the biggest effect on grinding down the tooth surface. The silica is abrasive, so essentially sands down the tooth surface as the rabbit chews the grass. The silica content in the different grasses varies, so some types might be more abrasive and beneficial for tooth wear than others. Something like orchard grass with high amounts of silica, can be a beneficial hay to feed for better tooth wear, and especially for buns more prone to developing tooth spurs. This article explains silica's effect on tooth wear really well.

 

[Blue eyes]

While the jaw motion of chewing hay is important to tooth wear, it's actually the silica content found in grass that has the biggest effect on grinding down the tooth surface. The silica is abrasive, so essentially sands down the tooth surface as the rabbit chews the grass. The silica content in the different grasses varies, so some types might be more abrasive and beneficial for tooth wear than others. Something like orchard grass with high amounts of silica, can be a beneficial hay to feed for better tooth wear, and especially for buns more prone to developing tooth spurs. This article explains silica's effect on tooth wear really well.

Thank you for the good info!

 

[colebunbun]

these suggestions are great! it helps me to know how much to give if I choose to give carrots, but he is getting to where my husband and I can pet him. he puts his head down and closes his eyes in contentment. When we stop petting him he will come up to our hands and start nibbling on our forearm. So that makes me feel like that works! he loves celery, but I could try cilantro I haven't tried that yet.

 

[colebunbun]

well update Cole is now licking mommy and daddy, he comes up to us and lays down his head for pets, I have had him JUST long enough to notice quirks such as he loves to shred, he loves to toss his toys in the water, he DOES like cords, so those are hidden, he likes some greens but I am trying some others, we shall see what type of bun he turns out to be