Rabbit feeding habbits again

Question
I think you misunderstood my question. Please read carefully again. The pellets do not contain that stuff it is a food mixture.
I have a Netherland dwarf rabbit that is approximately 3 years old. I bought him a food mix that contains pellets and some dried fruits, vegetables etc. Since then he has stopped eating any pellets at all, and does not eat much except I guess his favorite stuff out of the dish. His stool has become about the size of B.B.'s. I have tried only putting the pellets in for him to eat but then he does not eat anything and then stops drinking also. How can I get him to start eating his rabbit pellets again. Thank You, Nancy

Answer
Dear Nancy,

No, I did not misunderstand your question.  I am all too familiar with the type of pellet mix product you are describing.  All of these pellet mixes, filled with seeds, dried fruit, nuts, etc. are extremely unhealthy for a rabbit, a strict herbivore.  Those mixes look good to a primate buyer who might mistakenly think that a rabbit should be fed the way a rodent should be fed.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  Rabbits are not rodents, and a rabbit diet should be more like that of a horse:  vegetable matter only, with NO fruits, seeds, etc. except as very rare treats.  Feeding a diet high in starch will result in cecal dysbiosis:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

which, in turn, can cause more serious health problems.

Please replace the pellet mix with a solid green, alfalfa- or timothy-based pellet from one of the companies I mentioned before.  It's actually a *good* thing that your bunny is not eating the bits of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc., in the pellet mix, as these can cause dangerous health problems such as fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis) and general obesity.  Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

Pellets are actually the least important item in the diet, and should be strictly limited.  Fresh grass hay and fresh greens are better for longevity and overall health.  Until you can get some good pellets, concentrate on getting him to eat his grass hay and fresh greens, as described in the article above.

One other thought:

If your bunny is a Netherland dwarf, it's important to consider the very good likelihood that he is beginning to suffer from molar problems, such as spurs.  These will make a bunny into a picky eater who selects only favorite bits of food because anything else is just too painful to manage.  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

Short-faced breeds are especially prone to these problems, particularly if they have not been fed a correct diet including unlimited grass hay and fresh, dark, leafy greens.

You can find a good rabbit vet to check his teeth here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps.

Dana