rabbit not eating his hay anymore

Question
Not sure why 1 year old bunny stopped eating his hay. I know how important it is.I switched brand to Oxbow thinking that that he was bored of his old hay or it was stale. Can you advise why?

Answer
Hi Deb,

There could be several answers here.  And I am so glad to see you realize how important hay is.  It is vital to the function of that delicate GI....but most people don't know that it's the primary way the teeth are worn down.  So I applaud you on your knowledge.

Some rabbits are just picky.  We have certain brands of hay that our rabbits won't touch.  Different cuts of hay taste and feel different...timothy hay can have up to three cuts and all are different.  You might offer a "buffet" of different type of hay.  We offer several types of timothy, orchard grass, brome and oat...and even some alfalfa.  If you are in the eastern US...you might look into using Sweet Meadow Farm (located in New England).  Sweet Meadow is our buns' favorite hay.  Bunny Bale (grown in the mountains of Virginia) is also an excellent choice.  In the western US, Kleenmama Hayloft has some of the best hay available.  And I hear very positive comments about American Pet Diner.

My other concern here would be a possible dental problem.  Since hay is difficult to chew, if it causes pain to chew it...your rabbit isn't going to eat it.  Watch his eating habits with other foods.  Many times with dental issues, they will approach food and then back off.  Many will stop eating hay.  They may drop pellets from their mouth.  They may drool....a condition called "the slobbers".  Watch very closely how your rabbit eats.  A rabbit will chew from side to side.  Watch to see if he drops pellets.  Does he eagerly eat greens but balks at harder foods?

If he does appear to be having trouble crushing the pellets or hay, I would get him to a rabbit savvy vet for a physical exam.  Rabbits have open rooted teeth and they always grow.  If something happens that they don't line up correctly, they will overgrow (a condition called malocclusion).  That will make eating difficult and painful.  Hay is usually the first food they stop eating since it is the most difficult (and possibly painful) food to eat.  The front six incisors (four on the top and two on the bottom) are easy to check.  The molars really require an x-ray.  With the molars, you are looking for either being overgrown (molar spurs) or root impaction (abscess).  It might be necessary to sedate your rabbit for this procedure.  We have seen ulcers under the tongue (usually seen with an improper diet....I doubt this to be the case here).  It might be as something as simple as a piece of hay stuck between his teeth (like popcorn does to us).

I would offer him the buffet of hay and closely monitor him while he is eating.  Look for any sign of difficulty in chewing.  And I would really consider a vet visit just to take a look at those teeth.  Good luck.