my rabbit will not eat hay

Question
I have a 3 year old dwarf rabbit. I have had him since he was a baby and I purchased him from a local pet store because I was not very knowledgeable when it comes to rabbits. Now, I a have spoken with many rabbit owners and been to a rabbit seminar, so I am very aware on their proper nutrition and such. My rabbit, however, refuses to eat hay. He has had issues with his back molars and at one point it got so severe that he stopped eating everything. He has been to the vet multiple times to get his teeth filed. My vet says the only way to prevent the teeth from overgrowing again is to make sure he eats his hay. I understand hay is essential for a rabbit. I have tried many different brands and I can get him to eat some of the Oxbow Botanical Hay but not nearly enough that he needs. I have even tried taking away pellets for one day and he will eat a little bit of the hay but that is it. Do you have any idea how to help?

Answer
Hi Courtney,

if it's been awhile since he's had his teeth filed, I'd take him in again to have them checked out.  If it is painful to eat, it will really stop him from eating even when he wants to.

Stick with the Oxbow brand of hay.  Try to see if he also likes their Orchard Grass hay (easier to eat).  Three things make hay attractive to eat:  it has to be green (fresh); it has to not be dusty (not too dry); and it has to smell freshly cut.  If all three are present oyu've got a good bag of hay.

You can also give him hay cubes (timothy hay).  They are bits of hay compressed into block form.  Break off a 1/4-1/2 inch wide section per day as a treat/supplement to regular hay.  It will not take the place of hay but it is better than pellets.  Most rabbits love hay cubes.  I recommend the Kaytee brand.  Get the only the greenest freshest smelling bags of hay cubes.  

It is valid to reduce his pellets to get him to eat more hay.  But since his problem is not totally because he's finicky (his teeth can bother him) I would not reduce them too much.  It is less painful for him to eat food pellets which crush to dust quickly than to eat long fiber hay which requires lots of molar chewing.  

So do the following:

1.  Have the vet double check his teeth and gums for molar spurs and get them filed if needed.

2.  Reduce pellets only a little.

3.  Give the botanical hay and try the orchard grass hay from Oxbow.  Always stick with a brand they like.

4.  Get some kaytee timothy hay cubes for him to nibble on.  They are flavorful and do require some chewing with front and back teeth.

Write back anytime.

Lee