Kirby's disinterest in his veggies

[kirbyultra]

I noticed that in the recent weeks Kirby has been less interested in his plate of lettuce and parsley. It started a while ago and I have been ignoring it because it didn't seem like a big deal. All of these things have been happening recently:

- He has been eating a lot more hay lately. He'd eat a big hay basket full of hay (Kleenmama's 3rd cut is his fave) every single day. Sometimes in half a day!

- He went to the vet around Thanksgiving and he got a full workup. No dental issues as of then. In fact, he had some pointy teeth in the past and during that visit, the pointiness was worn down to a safe level already

- Kirby's been enjoying his out time a lot lately. He used to kinda mope around, sniffing stuff and quickly go home to his condo, where he feels safe. Now he runs around a lot, binkies, and loves to hang out outside of his pen.

- In the last week I've been letting him out at night, so of course he's been having a blast running around the place (bunny proofed), and not spending much time in his pen where his veggies are

...he's pooping fine. His mood is great. He eats his pellets too. He'd sometimes leave half or more of his veggies on the plate leftby the time of his next feeding. Does his increased hay intake really account for his decreased intake of fresh veggies? :?I feel like I'm wasting perfectly good vegetables when he just leaves them there on the plate, and they get all limp, so then he really won't eat them!

 

[pocketsizedrhino]

Sometimes my Kirby snubs veggies that she is bored with. I've been giving her spinach a lot lately because I eat it and she is showing me it is now her least favorite by staring at it while she waits for me to put something tastier in the cage. If I don't give it to her for a few weeks she will usually be excited about it all over again. She hasn't had celery leaves in a while and she is going nuts over them right now. Kale is new to her and she is loving that even more.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

kirbyultra wrote:

I noticed that in the recent weeks Kirby has been less interested in his plate of lettuce and parsley. It started a while ago and I have been ignoring it because it didn't seem like a big deal. All of these things have been happening recently:

- He has been eating a lot more hay lately. He'd eat a big hay basket full of hay (Kleenmama's 3rd cut is his fave) every single day. Sometimes in half a day!

- He went to the vet around Thanksgiving and he got a full workup. No dental issues as of then. In fact, he had some pointy teeth in the past and during that visit, the pointiness was worn down to a safe level already

- Kirby's been enjoying his out time a lot lately. He used to kinda mope around, sniffing stuff and quickly go home to his condo, where he feels safe. Now he runs around a lot, binkies, and loves to hang out outside of his pen.

- In the last week I've been letting him out at night, so of course he's been having a blast running around the place (bunny proofed), and not spending much time in his pen where his veggies are

...he's pooping fine. His mood is great. He eats his pellets too. He'd sometimes leave half or more of his veggies on the plate leftby the time of his next feeding. Does his increased hay intake really account for his decreased intake of fresh veggies? :?I feel like I'm wasting perfectly good vegetables when he just leaves them there on the plate, and they get all limp, so then he really won't eat them!

hi,,-helen/,how are those little darlings...yes we can spend alot of money on perishable goods,..the simpler the diet-the better,,the vegys are digestible fiber and make up only a small portion of the diet,,quality hay-non digestible fiber makes up 70% of the diet,,rabbits are rear gut fermenters-the gitract flora do a fine balancing act,,..-if the ratio is reversed-ie.more digestible fiber/verses/non digestible the rabbits well being is in jepordy...so,yes kirby got filled up on much needed hay,,,and a small amount of quality/lowfat/pellets for nutrition,vitamins,,sincerely james waller...:wave:ink iris::bunnydance:inkbouce:

 

[hln917]

I think as long as he's eating hay he should be ok. Baci is very picky with his greens. I bought the spring mix b/c it was on sale and he reluctantly eat it. So now it's back to the baby lettuce. Perhaps try switching to another type? Also when both him or Shades have molar problems they will not touch the hay. At least Kirby is woofing that down.

 

[missyscove]

Since it's been over a few weeks, I presume you've bought new stuff in the meantime, right? Sometimes the buns notice something off about their veggies that we might not and just won't eat them.

I'd try switching to something different and see if that changes things up.

 

[kirbyultra]

Romaine, green lettuce and parsley are the core of his salads. Always have been. We buy the greens from various places, but in the last week it's been Andy boy brand from costco. The behavior started way before costco and we do buy Andy boy brand elsewhere (just happens that costco is cheaper!!). Doesn't seem to be hat he is eating.

Some days he won't touch his pellets for hours after I put them in his crock. He'll eat everything, pellets and vegs if given enough time, but he doesn't eat everything shortly after giving it to him whih was mostly the case previously. Also, the veggies take over half a day to really eat most of it. I used to feed him every 12 hrs. Now he doesn't keep up. I give the real nice green pieces leftover to Toby, who will chomp them down, an give Kirby a new plate. It's weird. Maybe he's just not that hungry since he loves his hay so much.

 

[Pipp]

He could just finally be confident that he WILL be fed, nobody will steal it and he can afford to be more picky.

Sometimes it takes my guys a year or more to figure that out. (And then there's the previously leisurely eaters who end up living with a pig of a mate and THAT changes their habits pretty darn fast).

Pipp is an all-day eater (except for pellets) and does get bored with veggies easily, and there are certain brands/seasons where she likes some more than others, even though they look the same to me.

Cut down on any treats and pellets and see how he likes his veggies then. And try for some veggie variety.

How is his weight?


sas :bunnydance:

 

[kirbyultra]

I think what James and sas say here are quite true. To sas' point, Kirby did used to snarlf down any and all food he was given when I adopted him. I got him softer hay at some pt later and he ate more hay, and became less excited about salad but ate pellets with passion. Now I changed to an even more green and lush hay and he eats even more hay. Now he's like, ehhh... Pellets, greens... Could eat em, could eat em later. He definitely has a comfort level that was earned with time, and his preferences have changed.

In my time with Kirby so far he has gained almost a pound of weight. He is solid, kinda pudgey in a cute bunny way but not overweight. I control his otherwise steady weight gain with his pellet intake and very limited treats now. I expected during his last vet visit for his weight to have gone down but he still went up a small fraction of a lb. He exercises an runs around more now though. Could be muscles. I guess I always expected him to prefer his veggies over other things. He really used to go gaga over them, then his pellets, then hay.

 

[Pipp]

I'd actually mix up his hay a bit, too. Probably healthier getting variety there as well. The stemmy stuff may not seem as palatable (although my guys often like stems and brown bits more than the green), but its higher in fiber and wears their teeth down.

I get farm hay and try for two different cuts as well as something other than Timothy.

The odd tray of wheatgrass is great, too. (Grass clippings aren't so good, but live grass is great).

I'm sure you'll be keeping an eye on him.


sas :bunnydance: