How to Find the "Right" Pellets?

[Jenk]

My boy bunhas been off of pellets and greens for nearly a week now, whilehis digestive tract calms down.

I'd taken him off greens even earlier, then slowly fed him pellets again (1/8 C. per day of a 1:4 [alfalfa:timothy] pellet ratio). And he still became very gassy by day three. :?

He can't continue without pellets; I can already feel that he's lost some weight. But I don't know how to proceed, if his gut won't accept timothy-based pellets. And, truthfully, I can't afford to buy every pellet brand on the market to try.

Any suggestions at this point? I'm lost....

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[Happi Bun]

onder: Have you tried Oxbow? Purina? Those are the two brands the rescue I volunteer at use and we have some seriously sensitive rabbits. Also, canned Pumpkin seems to really be keeping the problem bunnies regular.

 

[Jenk]

Happi Bun wrote:

onder: Have you tried Oxbow? Purina? Those are the two brands the rescue I volunteer at use and we have some seriously sensitive rabbits. Also, canned Pumpkin seems to really be keeping the problem bunnies regular.

Oxbow BB/T is the brand to which I was trying to convert him (from Purina, no less, which gave him some bladder sludge). So Purina's alfalfa-based pellets aren't an option, and Oxbow's BB/T seems to be the culprit in terms of his gas.

The first time that his gas got very noticeable (gurgly tummy/cecum), I let it go to see what would happen. By day four or five, he was less active; I resorted to giving him three Simethicone doses and removed the pellets for three full days'; his tummy quieted down, and I could feel less gas in him.

I again went back to the 1:4 pellet ratio that he was on previously, but started slowly (1/8 C. per day). As I've said, that lasted three days' before his tummy/cecum got very loud again, and I could feel his bloating/gassiness.

Throughout all of this, though, his fecals have remained pretty constant (in size, shape and quantity).

Last night, I gave him a tiny taste of parsley; I gave him a larger quantity tonight. I'll do this for several days' to see if he gets gas from it (before even trying to move him on to something else).