Hello wonderful bunny people!
TLDR; after nearly two months of mystery, change in pellet brand fixed long term stasis in days. Anyone else notice a change with kaytee brand pellets recently?
We’ve been having the awful experience of a bunny on the verge of stasis for like month and a half. Two tooth trims, seen every vet at the practice of about 6 doctors and a big staff (and I still 100% support them as best of the best), lab work, ultrasound, x rays, and everyone was stumped, vets were even emailing and reaching out to friends from their collages. We eventually settled that it was probably a stomach ulcer due to meds long term, and we were due to pick up another compounded ulcer med at the pharmacy tomorrow (which I’ll now likely cancel).
Everyone was baffled, 2 lbs of fluffy mystery. We stuck to a schedule of syringe feeding 3 times a day. Gave him Sherwood recovery appetite restore b-vitamins, gas drops, the works. Got him off his meloxicam, lowered his gaba doses (he has a back injury of unknown origin from pre rescue, but is actually behaving fine and busy without it), but nothing was getting him to eat normal bunny food. He’d eat oats, loop treats, veggies and greens, even the tummy cookies I made myself (oat flour, papaya, banana, tiny bit of ginger, mixed with soaked pellets and baked, about a week ago under vet supervision). But would not eat pellets or hay. Low but not zero activity, would play for oats if prompted. Strong enough to jump over legs and stand on his hind legs to dig on my chest madly about being given more critical care mush (which he hasn’t been strong enough to do in the 3 years he’s been ours).
Now a few days ago, after trying another pellet brands to see if he got better, we tried the select naturals grain free bunny pellets. Suddenly he started eating again! Today he has more poop than the last several days combined! I’m so proud of him! Still no hay but I’ll take what I can get to have a reprieve for both of us. He’s definitely hating being handled so much, I got bit on the boob the other day, and honestly I can’t even be mad (at least about being bitten, I do take some exception about the location lol)
I then offered some to our other rabbit, a healthy 9 year old dutchy who’s rejected every kind of pellets besides kaytee her whole life. She’d rather go on a hunger strike than eat a different brand. She finished the dish and threw the bowl for it daring to be empty!!
I’m definitely permanently switching over, but has anyone else seen their buns change regarding their kaytee pellets lately? Did they up the corn fillers? I know they’re not the best but previously the other brands didn’t seem any better and their vet said it’s fine.
Photo of bun with his fresh pile of poop, a pride only bunny parents can relate to lol
He’s free roam and has two other feeding/ pooping locations, this is not his whole set up.
by Marguerite_Moonstone