Picky chin - food dilemma!

[rach_leigh]

I have a problem! Kunya will only eat his Kaytee Timothy Complete food and picks out the Oxbow. He throws it around like he is telling me..."I refuse to eat this food," like a lil kid eating veggies! I have tried everything. He is eating is hay and drinking water. But he will only eat the Kaytee food. So I just caved and give him what he wants! (Bad I know, but I want him to eat!)

So should I try another food like Mazuri? And what is PANR? I have seen it mentioned here and I am not sure what kind of food that is.

Thanks!!

 

[Cuddlebug]

If he is picking out the old food, I would just do a cold turkey switch on him. Just be sure to sprinkle some acidophilus over his food to help keep away tummy troubles.

I would keep trying the Oxbow since it is one of the good feeds. PANR is Purina Advance Nutrition Rabbit Food. Many people on here swear by it.

 

[Chinnies]

I agree. Either do a cold turkey switch or jump to there only being 1/4 Kaytee, 3/4 Oxbow. You can TRY Mazuri, but he likely will do the same thing, since Kaytee is what he is used to. Two of mine did the same exact thing when I would swithc them off their old pellets and on to new. They love their Oxbow now, though.

 

[Rickman]

Might try sprinkling a little LifeLine on it from chocolatechinchillas.com - haven't found a chin yet that didn't love it! They might think it's the food, and gobble it up, too!
Sometimes ya gotta be sneaky with these little critters!!

 

[BaxterJoy]

Absolutely switch him - cold turkey if necessary. He will eat what is there when he's hungry and will come to like it. My chin did the exact same thing- literally "throwing" out the pellets. He was a bit of a heifer when we got him so ultimately I knew it was the best thing, both for his weight and his overall health, to give him the pellets straight up. I did try to do it gradually. I just put less and less and less of the Kaytee stuff in the pellets so that if he finished off the stuff he wanted and was still hungry he would have to eat the pellets. By the time he was almost totally switched I was putting like, two pieces of the Kaytee stuff in his bowl and he would move on to the pellets. Now he's all pellets and has never boycotted them once. Although, now I'm thinking about switching from Mazuri to Oxbow because his poops are unusually dark and I read somewhere on here that means he's getting TOO much protein. So stick with the Oxbow. I've never heard anything negative about it.

 

[starleomach]

I would switch him cold turkey too then. It is like having a piece of cake or lettuce in front of you. The lettuce is much better for you but your going to eat the unhealthy cake. Take away the choice. As owners we have to make decisions for our pets

 

[rach_leigh]

It is like having a piece of cake or lettuce in front of you. The lettuce is much better for you but your going to eat the unhealthy cake. Take away the choice. As owners we have to make decisions for our pets

That is true... I didn't think of it that way. So if I take the Kaytee away and just put the Oxbow in, he WILL eat it? My boyfriend said the same thing, he will eat the Oxbow if he is hungry. I just want him to eat the healthy food instead...but he's soooo stubborn! But cold turkey must be the way to go then, so he eats what I want him to. :thumbsup:

 

[rach_leigh]

well here's an update: I switched Kunya cold-turkey to Nutrena, about a week ago and he really likes it! So he's happy and so am I!

 

[Essentia]

If he is picking out the old food, I would just do a cold turkey switch on him. Just be sure to sprinkle some acidophilus over his food to help keep away tummy troubles.

I would keep trying the Oxbow since it is one of the good feeds. PANR is Purina Advance Nutrition Rabbit Food. Many people on here swear by it.

I know I do! PANR has yet to do me wrong. If you want, I am willing to send you a bit for free, as long as you pay for shipping. I can fit 3 lbs. into a flat rate shipping envelope for $4.95. With 3 lbs. you would know for sure if it's something he will eat. I have yet to find a chin (the rescues I take in included) that wouldn't take to the PANR.

Edit: Never mind, just saw that you had switched him to Nutrena. I also had problems with my chins eating Oxbow. They just want nothing to do with it for whatever reason.

 

[rach_leigh]

I know I do! PANR has yet to do me wrong. If you want, I am willing to send you a bit for free, as long as you pay for shipping. I can fit 3 lbs. into a flat rate shipping envelope for $4.95. With 3 lbs. you would know for sure if it's something he will eat. I have yet to find a chin (the rescues I take in included) that wouldn't take to the PANR.

Edit: Never mind, just saw that you had switched him to Nutrena. I also had problems with my chins eating Oxbow. They just want nothing to do with it for whatever reason.

Thanks, Essentia, you are so sweet! He seems to really like the Nutrena, so I think we have a winner after all! :thumbsup: