Teekachin
Well-known member
I have a diet/age question. And, I could use some fresh ideas. Here's the story:
When I took my girls to the vet last year, she told me that she now considers them to be middle-aged! They are 9 and 8 years old - it just hadn't occurred to me! They don't know they're middle-aged & they definitely don't act like it!!
Anyway, the vet mentioned that I might want to shift them from Mazuri to a pellet with less calcium in it, particularly a timothy-based pellet. She said that doing so would help to keep them from developing any stones. She also said there would be less protein, which she said they don't need as much of any more. Sounded okay to me, what about you all?
Since the girls had been less interested in their pellets anyway, I slowly switched them to Oxbow's timothy-based rabbit pellets. Despite my girls suddenly loving loose timothy hay for the last few years, apparently putting it in a pellet is NOT acceptable! Once there was no Mazuri, they stopped eating pellets all together :hmm:
So, I switched to Oxbow chin pellets. Alfalfa based, but less Ca/Protein than Mazuri (course now I've read threads on here that say it has the same amount of protein as Mazuri!). The girls seemed to be happy - eating a more normal, 2tbs per day each.
A few months after that, I slowly began switching them to cubed timothy hay for reasons to do with me. They liked it, especially Star. I did and still do give them some loose hay 1-2 times a week (orchard & a botanical/timothy mix, alternately).
Over the last month, they have been eating less pellets. Not throwing them on the floor, just barely eating them. And now, in the last week, they seem uninterested in the cubed hay! :wacko:
Despite all of this, everything else about them is totally normal! Normal poops, normal energy levels, normal body weights, normal water intake. Trinity even seems happier (she's usually a bit cranky, but my love bug), likely partially due to a new, larger cage. But, they beg for treats like crazy! Don't worry, I'm not giving in and spoiling them with treats.
When they first got less interested in the Oxbow chin pellets, I bought a pound of Mazuri to see if they want that again... They acted like it was a treat! So, I used it as such and then also as a supplement every few days. That went well. So yesterday, as I was getting a little Mazuri ready for them, I decided I should just switch them back to that... However, this time they weren't too interested in it!! :hair:
Thanks for reading all this! I welcome your ideas. Just remember, they are very healthy, happy and playful. The vet said they were in great shape.
Maybe they just enjoy messing with me :clown:
After rereading this, it sounds like a LOT of changes... But it was over about 15 months and I did it all slowly & properly. I went extremely slow with the new cage especially.
Let me know what you think.
When I took my girls to the vet last year, she told me that she now considers them to be middle-aged! They are 9 and 8 years old - it just hadn't occurred to me! They don't know they're middle-aged & they definitely don't act like it!!
Anyway, the vet mentioned that I might want to shift them from Mazuri to a pellet with less calcium in it, particularly a timothy-based pellet. She said that doing so would help to keep them from developing any stones. She also said there would be less protein, which she said they don't need as much of any more. Sounded okay to me, what about you all?
Since the girls had been less interested in their pellets anyway, I slowly switched them to Oxbow's timothy-based rabbit pellets. Despite my girls suddenly loving loose timothy hay for the last few years, apparently putting it in a pellet is NOT acceptable! Once there was no Mazuri, they stopped eating pellets all together :hmm:
So, I switched to Oxbow chin pellets. Alfalfa based, but less Ca/Protein than Mazuri (course now I've read threads on here that say it has the same amount of protein as Mazuri!). The girls seemed to be happy - eating a more normal, 2tbs per day each.
A few months after that, I slowly began switching them to cubed timothy hay for reasons to do with me. They liked it, especially Star. I did and still do give them some loose hay 1-2 times a week (orchard & a botanical/timothy mix, alternately).
Over the last month, they have been eating less pellets. Not throwing them on the floor, just barely eating them. And now, in the last week, they seem uninterested in the cubed hay! :wacko:
Despite all of this, everything else about them is totally normal! Normal poops, normal energy levels, normal body weights, normal water intake. Trinity even seems happier (she's usually a bit cranky, but my love bug), likely partially due to a new, larger cage. But, they beg for treats like crazy! Don't worry, I'm not giving in and spoiling them with treats.
When they first got less interested in the Oxbow chin pellets, I bought a pound of Mazuri to see if they want that again... They acted like it was a treat! So, I used it as such and then also as a supplement every few days. That went well. So yesterday, as I was getting a little Mazuri ready for them, I decided I should just switch them back to that... However, this time they weren't too interested in it!! :hair:
Thanks for reading all this! I welcome your ideas. Just remember, they are very healthy, happy and playful. The vet said they were in great shape.
Maybe they just enjoy messing with me :clown:
After rereading this, it sounds like a LOT of changes... But it was over about 15 months and I did it all slowly & properly. I went extremely slow with the new cage especially.
Let me know what you think.
ops2:
