New Dutch

[bunny525]

Hello everyone. I posted in the introduction thread about a month ago asking questions about maybe getting a bunny. Well, we got one yesterday! We were planning on waiting more until spring, but a Dutch (I think that is what she is) popped up at our humane society. After visiting her, we decided to adopt her!

She seems to be adjusting well. She's very curious and is very eager to get out of her dog crate cage (we are waiting for an x-pen to be delivered). I'm also very excited that she is using her little box like a champ! We named her Liz Lemon from a character on 30 Rock.

I plan on making a check-up appointment with a vet, but I do have a few question that I thought I'd ask now.

1) This morning, I noticed sort of a runny poop on newspaper in her box (not cecal poop). I'm hoping this is just maybe due to stress? She is eating pellets and romaine lettuce, but I don't know how much of her timothy hay she is actually eating.

2) Since I think she is a Dutch, what kind of brushing should I do? Is weekly enough?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bville]

She is soooo cute! She looks like a very curious and happy bunny. You could try stopping the romaine lettuce and see if the runny poop goes away. It may be from stress though. I know one of my rabbits had that the first couple of days after we got him.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Very cute. Definitely cut down on the romaine. We had one that couldn't tolerate the alfalfa in the pellets so we changed to a timothy only pellet and timothy cubes and also went with orchard grass over timothy hay as they seem to like it better and eat more--also, they only get a small amount of pellet so they have to eat grass. Might want to give more greenery than just romaine too.

 

[bunny525]

Thanks for the replies. Vet check went well, but vet said she was just a little bit hefty. Poop situation has been normal so I assume it's just stress. I am trying to see how I can get her to eat more hay--I have timothy and I think orchard grass. She doesn't tear into nearly as much as the few pellets I give her twice a day and the veggies (bok choy, kale, cilantro). We love her though!

 

[Bville]

She may take some time to come around to the hay. My bunny Pepper didn't eat hay at first,but after a few months she started eating it and now goes crazy for it. I tried different hays too, but her favorite is the Timothy I get from a local farm. Refresh the hay a couple of times a day to get her interested by adding a little more or fluffing up what she has.