my rabbit dosen't eat its pellets. is it bad? and i have a small rabbit but he won't eat cabbage i think it is because it is to hard for him. he's like a few weeks old, i think a month. but he will eat bread and grass
2006-10-11 14:17:01 · 9 answers · asked by sweet2karina 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
If your bunny isn't eating pellets, then that's perfectly fine, because pellets can actually be bad for bunnies, adding extra weight and calories, not giving them full nutritional benefits, and not letting them use their teeth in the right way.
Bunnies aren't supposed to have that many pellets anyway (mine only gets 20g of pellets morning and night, and the vet says that even THAT is too much). Rabbits' diets should consist of (above all) timothy hay (and lots of it), and veggies/greens. Fruits are an exceptional treat.
Here are a bunch of WONDERFUL sites, when it comes to rabbit diets, you should really look at them, because they help a LOT:
http://www.hopperhome.com/vegetables.htm
http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/diet/foods.html
http://www.carrotcafe.com
http://www.rabbit.org/care/index.html (the whole "diet" section)
2006-10-11 14:23:31 · answer #1 · answered by Eloise 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lots of grass hay like timothy, brome, orchard grass or oat hay. Give unlimited hay. Did you gradually switch from the old food to the new food? How long have you had the rabbit and how long has it been on the new food? A new rabbit in a new place may not eat a lot. I would give about 1/4 cup or less at a time and see if it does get eaten. Sometimes, if you give too much at a time, you can have a hard time determining if the rabbit is eating. There could be a medical reason for the rabbit not eating. The teeth (usually molars) could be overgrown causing pain and making the rabbit unable to eat. If you rabbit is not eating anything and not pooping, you need to take it to a rabbit savvy vet. A pellet free diet can be done, but it is hard. Your rabbit will need 4-5 (or more) different veggies every day to get the vitamins and minerals your rabbit needs. A pellet free diet is usually only done for rabbits that cannot have pellets due to medical problems.
2016-03-28 05:37:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your rabbit was eating his pellets and has now stopped, it could be that something is wrong. Often not eating pellets is the first sign of dental problems, but probably not the case with a bunny so young. If your bunny is only one month, it should still be with its mother, and you'll want to be very careful with what you feed and making any changes in his diet.
Regarding cabbage, some don't feed it as it can cause gas and bread is a no no for all bunnies - they are not set up to handle starches. Grass can be a problem too as we don't always know if it has been exposed to pesticides and fertilizers.
Here are a couple of links that may help:
Diet advice on what to feed and how that varies with the age of the bunny: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html
and
Is my bunny sick? http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html
Both of those sites have plenty of good information.
2006-10-11 14:40:34 · answer #3 · answered by Martha G 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the rabbit is not eating it's pellets, then change to another pellet diet. It either doesn't like the one you are feeding or there is not enough nutrition in it. It could be out of date also. We do not feed rabbits cabbage. Rabbit feces is supposed to be round hard balls. If it is not, this is an indication something is wrong.
2006-10-11 14:22:26 · answer #4 · answered by kriend 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't feed rabbits carbs like bread. Its not healthy. If you give veggies give a variety and not just cabbage. Maybe he just doesn't like the brand you give him. Try Oxbow products.
2006-10-12 01:26:15 · answer #5 · answered by sugarcarat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feed with pellets only for a few days. They will eat them after this too many vegetables can cause problems because of improper vitamin intake.
2006-10-11 14:23:41 · answer #6 · answered by Teacher 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No cabbage for the young'un.... he'll get diarrhea. Try a different pellet... give bread only as a treat.
2006-10-11 17:36:06 · answer #7 · answered by justmemimi 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My bunny*Charlee* used to dump his pellets out!Try mixing in a variety of pellets so that they smell and taste a variety of food.
Also,try carrots and brocoli lol mine is spoiled.
One more thing,I buy guinea pig food or hamster/gerbil food and mix it in as well now he eats like a pig!
2006-10-11 17:14:18 · answer #8 · answered by Amanda 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
UHH...bunnies shouldnt eat vegetables or any greens for that matter until their AT LEAST 6 months old. it gives them diariaha which can kill them.... and you should change the pellets if they wont eat them..
2006-10-11 16:35:14 · answer #9 · answered by PiMPiN LADYEEE. 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋