Help!! No more greens or alfalfa pellets!?

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

So my one rabbit has kidney stones we found out today. We took her to a rabbit savvy vet and there’s no more luckily. But the vet said no more greens for her including romaine lettuce which we feed as her evening meal. I already feed her the maximum amount of pellets for her weight... but they’re alfalfa pellets and she said no more alfalfa but her pellets are alfalfa pellets (I’ve tried all Timothy hay pellets and she hates them). And she hardly eats half of the pellets she likes as it is. She eats hay pretty well but I’m sure she needs the nutrients in pellets. Any ideas on what else I could feed her or if I should giver her more pellets for her evening meal (as I said she hardly eats them so I doubt she’ll appreciate that)? Also she hates pellet mash and critical care or anything like that. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

https://www.rabbitcaretips.com/how-...t-pellets/#Convincing_a_Rabbit_to_Eat_Pellets
Add herbs to it maybe ?

 

[zuppa]

Hi, is that the same rabbit as previously or you have more rabbits?
Can you give more information what is her age, breed, weight/size, what pellets (brand, name, ingredients, percentage for fibre, protein, calcium from the bag), how much per day in grams or show us her bowl size, what is her full diet like, what and how much greens you feed her daily, what hay and how much, a few pics perhaps?

Also, what timothy pellets did you try and she didn't like, did you try mixing them with her alfalfa pellets to transfer her gradually over a couple weeks or just gave her a bowl of new pellets and she didn't like them?

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

Hi, is that the same rabbit as previously or you have more rabbits?
Can you give more information what is her age, breed, weight/size, what pellets (brand, name, ingredients, percentage for fibre, protein, calcium from the bag), how much per day in grams or show us her bowl size, what is her full diet like, what and how much greens you feed her daily, what hay and how much, a few pics perhaps?

Also, what timothy pellets did you try and she didn't like, did you try mixing them with her alfalfa pellets to transfer her gradually over a couple weeks or just gave her a bowl of new pellets and she didn't like them?

This is Snowball, the one making the noises which sounded like a wheeze but actually was a squeak/grunt caused by her kidney stone. She is a 4 year old (not spayed due to a heart murmur) lion head rabbit, she weighs 5lbs (2.27 kg). The pellets we were feeding her are called Blue seal Bunny 16 rabbit pellets.


We feed her around 32 grams a day but she doesn’t eat all of them. We also feed her one dried apple slice with probiotic on it as the vet said she needed that. We give her hay on the ground and in a hay net and refill, as needed. At night, we’d give her some romaine lettuce, about one big handful. For hay, we feed her Dumor small animal all natural Timothy hay. We did gradually mix the Timothy pellets in however she ate around the Timothy ones and after a few weeks, we just gave her Timothy pellets and she hardly touched them. The Timothy pellets are Kaytee Timothy Complete and it says on the package alfalfa free. That brand was the only one we could fund that was all Timothy.

don’t mind her eye, we already have been to multiple vets multiple times and they think her one eye is just watery.

 

[zuppa]

Your pellets have 16% protein (max needed 13%) and 14% fibre (min needed 19%), also calcium is too high they would suit the babies under 5 months or nursing mother or other rabbits in need of rich diet, for 4 year old they are definitely too rich and I would try to transfer her to other pellets, look at min 19% fibre and max 13% protein, and without alfalfa or where alfalfa is not first ingredient.
I've never tried Kaytee myself but read mixed opinions on it I think many people are happy feeding their adult rabbits with Sherwood or Oxbow adult pellets. You did good mixing her pellets for transition but maybe she needed more time or maybe try starting with a smaller amount of new pellets mixed into her old, also limit her portions and you can also feed half in the morning and half in the evening.
How about her cecotropes? Some rabbits are missing cecotropes when their diet is too rich.

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

https://www.rabbitcaretips.com/how-...t-pellets/#Convincing_a_Rabbit_to_Eat_Pellets
Add herbs to it maybe ?

That’s a good idea! Do herbs count as greens or no?

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

That’s a good idea! Do herbs count as greens or no?

I have no idea (probably)
You could perhaps ask your vet if you want

 

[Mariam+Theo]

What brand Timothy pellets did you try? Theo hated his at first, but has learned to love them! Now he will walk on his hind legs just to get the pellets

Herbs do count as greens! You can give 2 handfuls of basil, cilantro, peppermint, lemon balm, etc. every day. Just make sure you introduce the herbs slowly so that you don't hurt her stomach.

Btw- she is so pretty!

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

Your pellets have 16% protein (max needed 13%) and 14% fibre (min needed 19%), also calcium is too high they would suit the babies under 5 months or nursing mother or other rabbits in need of rich diet, for 4 year old they are definitely too rich and I would try to transfer her to other pellets, look at min 19% fibre and max 13% protein, and without alfalfa or where alfalfa is not first ingredient.
I've never tried Kaytee myself but read mixed opinions on it I think many people are happy feeding their adult rabbits with Sherwood or Oxbow adult pellets. You did good mixing her pellets for transition but maybe she needed more time or maybe try starting with a smaller amount of new pellets mixed into her old, also limit her portions and you can also feed half in the morning and half in the evening.
How about her cecotropes? Some rabbits are missing cecotropes when their diet is too rich.

Ok thanks I’ll look into the other brands. I’m sorry what are cecotropes? Thanks so much for replying. Do you know of anyways to make pellets more appealing to her because I’m nervous she won’t be getting enough to eat if she doesn’t eat them. But at the same time I don’t want to cut out hay because it was a battle to get her to eat that and I heard it’s the most important in their diet. Thanks again!

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

so this is what a rabbit looks like when they're eating them

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

What brand Timothy pellets did you try? Theo hated his at first, but has learned to love them! Now he will walk on his hind legs just to get the pellets

Herbs do count as greens! You can give 2 handfuls of basil, cilantro, peppermint, lemon balm, etc. every day. Just make sure you introduce the herbs slowly so that you don't hurt her stomach.

Btw- she is so pretty!

We tried Kaytee but I’ll be looking into different brands later. I suppose I can’t do the herbs then since she can’t have greens anymore (which I don’t understand but I wasn’t allowed in the vet due to covid so I can’t really ask questions). I’m glad your rabbit was the same way at first. My other rabbit will do anything for any food especially Timothy pellets (once she tried to eat cinnamon Cheerios ). How did you get your rabbit to eat the Timothy pellets? Thanks so much for replying!

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

 

[zuppa]

Ok thanks I’ll look into the other brands. I’m sorry what are cecotropes? Thanks so much for replying. Do you know of anyways to make pellets more appealing to her because I’m nervous she won’t be getting enough to eat if she doesn’t eat them. But at the same time I don’t want to cut out hay because it was a battle to get her to eat that and I heard it’s the most important in their diet. Thanks again!

You don't need to cut out hay! She can and must have hay unlimited!
You can reduce pellets, they are too rich for her, especially she had problems with kidneys.
Cecotropes are soft pellets rabbits produce in their cecum and they need to eat them so normally you should never see them around, but if their diet is too rich they are missing them
Here's some info about cecotropes

>>Monitoring Your Rabbit's Droppings

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

so this is what a rabbit looks like when they're eating them View attachment 50037

Hers are mostly like juvenile poop (which is weird because she’s 4.. but she’s unspayed maybe that has to do with it?) and sometimes I see poop ornaments maybe once a week. She possibly has the cecotropes I’m pretty sure they’re more smooshy and she sits on her poop and we see smooshed poop at least once a day, typically in the morning.

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

View attachment 50038

I see her do this sometimes.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

We tried Kaytee but I’ll be looking into different brands later. I suppose I can’t do the herbs then since she can’t have greens anymore (which I don’t understand but I wasn’t allowed in the vet due to covid so I can’t really ask questions). I’m glad your rabbit was the same way at first. My other rabbit will do anything for any food especially Timothy pellets (once she tried to eat cinnamon Cheerios ). How did you get your rabbit to eat the Timothy pellets? Thanks so much for replying!

Since they said no greens I wouldn't give her any herbs.
I suggest Small Pet Selects brand of timothy pellets: Amazon. I get mine from Amazon because of Prime Shipping.
I started leaving 1/8th cup of pellets out for Theo and he eventually tried them and learned to love them! You can also make a toilet paper tube ball toy and put the pellets in there so they are more interesting.

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

You don't need to cut out hay! She can and must have hay unlimited!
You can reduce pellets, they are too rich for her, especially she had problems with kidneys.
Cecotropes are soft pellets rabbits produce in their cecum and they need to eat them so normally you should never see them around, but if their diet is too rich they are missing them
Here's some info about cecotropes

>>Monitoring Your Rabbit's Droppings

So if I’m clear, I should be looking for a food with more fiber, less calcium and doesn’t contain alfalfa? I can’t really reduce the pellet intake as she doesn’t really eat much of them anyways. But if she doesn’t eat pellets, all she can eat is hay as she can’t have greens. Is there anything else I could feed her besides greens (which she can’t have) and pellets? Or should I just keep encouraging the pellets. Also should I slowly introduce the new pellets like I did last time or not since she can’t have alfalfa anymore and it seems like the pellets were the cause of the kidney stone? Thanks!

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

Since they said no greens I wouldn't give her any herbs.
I suggest Small Pet Selects brand of timothy pellets: Amazon. I get mine from Amazon because of Prime Shipping.
I started leaving 1/8th cup of pellets out for Theo and he eventually tried them and learned to love them! You can also make a toilet paper tube ball toy and put the pellets in there so they are more interesting.

Thanks I’ll have to give this a try. Did you slowly introduce the Timothy pellets or since he wasn’t eating them just give him them one day?

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

I would slowly introduce just to be on the safe side

 

[Auggie+Snowball+Belle]

I would slowly introduce just to be on the safe side

Thanks! Until the new pellets get here, what should I do about the pellets that are bad for her? Just stop giving it to her, reduce the amount or continue giving the same amount to her?