Cutting out greens to help with tummy upset?

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ancoal

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Hi everyone, I posted yesterday about my rabbit (Stella) -- see post gi-tummy-issues-every-few-weeks-please-help-depserate-t10424.html
I have decided to cut out her pellets at the recommendation of a lot of you and see if that helps. Stella is pooping fine now and eating (after a scare yesterday morning where she became a bit sluggish and stopped eating/pooping for a few hours), but now she is still not eating as much as I would like (which indicates tummy upset to me).

My question is about cutting out greens -- many of you suggested I cut out both greens and pellets and then slowly re-introduce greens to see how Stella does, as it seems she has a reoccurring tummy issue (see my original post). However, I just wanted to ask if this is definitely okay to do. If Stella is ONLY eating hay won't she become deficient in nutrients? I am new to bunny ownership, but everything I have read indicates that the reason for leafy greens is for nutrients. So, I just want to verify with you more experienced owners that it is, in fact, safe for me to cut greens out for a week or so and only give her hay, and then to slowly re-introduce the greens.

Thank you all again for your help, this forum has been so amazingly helpful! :bunnyhop:
 
ancoal":351e9w0l said:
So, I just want to verify with you more experienced owners that it is, in fact, safe for me to cut greens out for a week or so and only give her hay, and then to slowly re-introduce the greens.

Yes, and when you DO introduce leafy greens, make sure it is not just the store bought kind. Dandelion, plantain, and other yard weeds are better "leafy greens" options than stuff from the store. Also, get some probiotic paste and give her 2gms daily for a week to jump start her gut flora.
 
Yes, it is safe to feed only hay for up to a week. :)

You probably don't need to go to only hay; like Mary Ann, I'd feed her hay and Old Fashioned oatmeal every day for a week, and probably give her a probiotic as well.

Then I would slowly replace the oatmeal with good quality pellets over several days.

With hay and a good quality pellet, rabbits actually don't need greens or anything else at all except water.

After a few months have passed with her on hay and pellets, and no tummy issues, then you can start again to offer her small amounts of greens to see if she will tolerate them well. Introduce them very slowly. Be very careful with any of the brassicas, as they can cause gas, which can actually be deadly for rabbits. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica

Some bunnies just don't do well with greens or treats like apple and carrot, which is a shame.
 
plantain broad leaf is wonderful for helping with tummy upset/Diarrhea in Rabbits. It saved a more sensitive doe of mine more than once. I hope your changes in diet help with your bunny.
 
The whole subject of greens is tricky. Most pet owners think of lettuce, cabbage, kale etc. but these greens can definitely cause issues in sensitive rabbits like Stella. There are certain weeds that actually help the rabbit's digestion, acting as regulators. They help stop diarrhea but will not constipate. It would be a very good idea for you to pot up or dry some of these plants now in case you need them over the winter.

Leaves of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry.
Lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weedguid/shepherd.htm
 
The main reason to withhold certain greens is when there is diarrhea. I glanced back at your prior post, and see no mention of her having that problem, but rather that her gut motility is down. :?

There are others more experienced with feeding greens than I, and they will (hopefully!) correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think it is necessary to withhold greens in the case of low motility. I would think that damp greens would help by increasing the water content in her gut and help move things along. Do avoid brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard greens, etc.), as Miss M advised.

Parsley is often given as an appetite stimulant, so a sprig or two may be helpful.

I would be cautious and feed small amounts of greens initially, preferably offering them after she has fed on hay and oats for about twenty minutes so she does not gobble them down on an empty stomach.
 
Read both threads, got lots of good information already.

Regarding greens, have you ever heard of wheat grass? Really easy to grow and when my Neville was on antibiotics, it helped stimulate his appetite, plus kept his gut flora going. Didn't need probiotics. Also with wool block, since I have Lion heads, who are wooly, I feed unlimited hay and give papaya, plus lots of wheat grass. Especially to my Luna, who pulled so much fur for her babies. I've had no gut issues with them. The wheat grass stimulated her appetite and she ate lots of hay, which helped move any hair she ingested.

I don't do cabbage, but do arugula, kale (very small amounts) and parsley. Grow all of it myself. With fruits, it's just a taste once in a while. Apples or watermelon rinds. Definitely stay away from the store bought treats. True junk food for rabbits.

A good pellet with hay can be a very good diet for a pet rabbit. Greens are good, but I would stick with wheat grass, clover, dandelions and parsley. Cabbage family does give gas, but also too much grass could also give your rabbit the bloats.

Have to agree regarding the Vet, there are lots of Vets out there that have no clue how to treat a rabbit. I found a Rabbit Savvy Vet who knows what to look for and how to treat my rabbits.

Hoping your Stella is feeling better.

Karen
 
some rabbits have gut issues. It's just part of who they are. Query...is this rabbit a charlie? (white with just a bit of colour?)

Fighting to stabilize them is the initial challenge.

My recommendation:
Hay and oats for one week. Get some probiotics into them.
Then reintroduce a GOOD QUALITY PELLET. Just make sure its a good pellet without additives in it (like sunflowers, corn, pretty coloured bits).

I would not feed greens to a rabbit with poor gut issues until they have gone for a good month without any type of issues.
AND THEN if I chose to give greens I would only use the safe ones, and feed them with hay.

Parsley, carrot tops, dandelions, basil and such like.
Don't mess around with much else simply because you want to maintain a healthy gut.

I would have no qualms about adding probiotics to the feed on occasion especially during the first month. Probiotics can come in a variety of forms from a paste you can shoot in their mouth, to dry probiotics you can sprinkle on their food or mix with something. See what works. :) I use both as they have pros/cons.
 

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