rabbit eating habbits

Question
I have a Netherland dwarf rabbit that is approximately 3 years old. I bought him a food 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

Answer
Dear Nancy,

You have a smart bunny!  Rabbit pellets should never contain the "junk food" bits you describe, as they are extremely unhealthy for rabbits.  It might also be that the food was old/rancid, especially if you bought it at the supermarket, where it might have been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long...

The best pellets are those made by reputable companies such as Oxbow Hay Company (www.oxbowhay.com), American Pet Diner (www.americanpetdiner.com), Purina, Kaytee (NOT Fiesta!  That's garbage.  But their Kaytee Exact pellets are fine), or Manna Pro.  You can read all about a healthy rabbit diet here:

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

Getting him on the right diet, including unlimited grass hay, plenty of fresh, wet greens, and lots of fresh, clean drinking water should go a long way to making him better.

If his poop situation does not improve soon, however, you may be facing GI tract slowdown due to some other cryptic health problem.  Please see:

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

and because dental problems are one of the most common causes of GI tract slowdown, please also read:

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

You can find a good rabbit vet to help you here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope this helps.

Dana