Do you think older buns U/D Confused :(

Just don't eat the same?

I really don't think this is a vet issue. Thumper is still eating. Much improved following her recent dental. But her pellets seem to sit in the bowl longer than they used to. (Im talking over the last year or so) I've been slowly trying to increase it, just a little at a time so she hopefully wont even notice, but it seems like all the extra bits I put in just sit in the bowl longer.

She will take endless amounts of grass, mange tout and carrots but I just can't get her to eat more pellets!

I need to try and fatten her up a bit. The vet agrees that she's on the skinny side.

Could you try soaking them so they are softer and easier to eat? I usually did this when any of the buns were a bit reluctant to eat and if they had a bit of a sore mouth pre-vet treatment, soft pellets really helped.

Do you feed the mature food? Bruce has selective mature and loves it, but he does not like the excel mature at all! As I put on another thread the vets gave me a free sample of the new Supreme vetcare plus food which includes one for digestive health. Both buns seem to quite like it and it says it include ingredients that stimulate appetite so might be worth a try, although it is quite expensive.

Clawed reached the grand old age of 10. She was a standard Chincilla (size/age thing seems to aply to buns as to dogs), she began to "age" at around 8 and those last couple of years of her life she was not a good eater. Using a probiotic helped a lot.
Does Thumper eat hay as well? That's a big help no matter what age they are. And for a bun with dental issues really good.
Lil Loll is four and a half now, he's a Silver Fox... what is the average life expectancy of this breed, anyone know? (Gotta start planning how to get a peek at his will!)

when I was at the vets the other week and was talking about changing over to pellets, and that I tried to give them a little amount and that they left them, the vet said if they are out grazing all day that will be filling them out and pellets should just be used to fill them out if they havent got enough to graze on and they should have unlimited amounts of timathy hay. Mine is out all day and when I put them away at night I fill the bowl and its gone in minutes, I only fill a cat bown for 4 in one hutch 3 in another and the babies have as much as they like as the are stuck in they nursary atm and are limited to certain amount of grass, but loads of hay. Our Rosemary is about 6 and she eats for everyone although Roman is a good eater but dont eat the propper stuff lol he tries to scoff the bread I throw out for the birds so i have to make sure its gone before i let them out, maybe yours are filling them selves out with hay and grass??

Think they eat more pellets now cos all the grass is gone hehe

NickieM wrote:Could you try soaking them so they are softer and easier to eat? I usually did this when any of the buns were a bit reluctant to eat and if they had a bit of a sore mouth pre-vet treatment, soft pellets really helped.

I did try this, she ate a little bit and clearly decided it is rank!

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:Do you feed the mature food? Bruce has selective mature and loves it, but he does not like the excel mature at all! As I put on another thread the vets gave me a free sample of the new Supreme vetcare plus food which includes one for digestive health. Both buns seem to quite like it and it says it include ingredients that stimulate appetite so might be worth a try, although it is quite expensive.

Thumper eats P@H nuggets. The stuff you mention sounds good, I'm scared to rock the boat while sh is still eating it but I will give it some serous thought

Although, I've never seen it before

woodwench wrote:Clawed reached the grand old age of 10. She was a standard Chincilla (size/age thing seems to aply to buns as to dogs), she began to "age" at around 8 and those last couple of years of her life she was not a good eater. Using a probiotic helped a lot.
Does Thumper eat hay as well? That's a big help no matter what age they are. And for a bun with dental issues really good.
Lil Loll is four and a half now, he's a Silver Fox... what is the average life expectancy of this breed, anyone know? (Gotta start planning how to get a peek at his will!)

Thumper does not eat hay. Never has really. She's an odd bun

She's not too bad on the dental front really, I've had her for ten years and she's only had 3 dentals. Even then, one was done for good measure because she was under GA anyway.

I've been really lucky on the dental front considering she doesn't eat hay

4390evans wrote:when I was at the vets the other week and was talking about changing over to pellets, and that I tried to give them a little amount and that they left them, the vet said if they are out grazing all day that will be filling them out and pellets should just be used to fill them out if they havent got enough to graze on and they should have unlimited amounts of timathy hay. Mine is out all day and when I put them away at night I fill the bowl and its gone in minutes, I only fill a cat bown for 4 in one hutch 3 in another and the babies have as much as they like as the are stuck in they nursary atm and are limited to certain amount of grass, but loads of hay. Our Rosemary is about 6 and she eats for everyone although Roman is a good eater but dont eat the propper stuff lol he tries to scoff the bread I throw out for the birds so i have to make sure its gone before i let them out, maybe yours are filling them selves out with hay and grass??

You might be on to something here. Not so much with the grass (she can't eat mine yet because it's new turf) but I'll admit I am letting her snack.

You guys may think I'm being irresponsible but I'm at the point where I'm thinking 'she's over 10 years old, she's got a hernia, she's got a tumor the vets won't do anything about, she's obviously under weight, if she wants something, let her have it'

So if she's crying at my feet for something tasty, I'm letting her have it. Not in huge amounts, in fact I didn't think it would be enough to have an impact on meal times, but maybe you are right.

Thumper2001 wrote:

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:Do you feed the mature food? Bruce has selective mature and loves it, but he does not like the excel mature at all! As I put on another thread the vets gave me a free sample of the new Supreme vetcare plus food which includes one for digestive health. Both buns seem to quite like it and it says it include ingredients that stimulate appetite so might be worth a try, although it is quite expensive.

Thumper eats P@H nuggets. The stuff you mention sounds good, I'm scared to rock the boat while sh is still eating it but I will give it some serous thought

Although, I've never seen it before

The Vetcare plus I think is going to be available via vets but you can get it online from vetuk. The excel mature is available from PAH and selective mature is available from many independent pet shops. I have recently discovered that my local pet shop don't stock it but will order it in for me no problems. Also the Hay experts sell both.

Thanks for that. Come to think of it, she did used to eat excel stuff, the vets put her on the excel light a long time ago because she was a bit of a chubber

But then she lost too much weight and they told me to change back. (Slowly of course!)

Sorry if I'm asking a stupid question, but do you know what the difference is between the regular food and mature food?

Thank you

Lower protein, higher fibre, omega oils and herbal appetite and gut stimulants I think.

Thank you. It's top of my shopping list tomorrow

All I could get was burgess excel mature with cranberry and ginseng. It's all they had

But I've noticed that it says it has a reduced calorie content. This isn't going to be any help with fattening her up is it?

I'm confused

It depends whether she will eat more of it. I think the calorie reduction with mature foods is because elderly guts have trouble coping with the richer adult food. The main ingredient that I spot as being different between the 2 is that the molasses is missing from the mature. Molasses being a type of sugar. I would guess that is where the calories have gone. If that is worrying you continue to feed the 2 types of pellet side by side longer term and see if you get the advantages of both. But the mature foods offer many of the same benefits as the fibreplex without the fuss of syringe feeding.

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:It depends whether she will eat more of it. I think the calorie reduction with mature foods is because elderly guts have trouble coping with the richer adult food. The main ingredient that I spot as being different between the 2 is that the molasses is missing from the mature. Molasses being a type of sugar. I would guess that is where the calories have gone. If that is worrying you continue to feed the 2 types of pellet side by side longer term and see if you get the advantages of both. But the mature foods offer many of the same benefits as the fibreplex without the fuss of syringe feeding.

Thank you for clarity on this. We will give it a go and if she doesn't like it I can buy the science stuff from an eBay shop.

Ur input throughout this saga has been much appreciated x

Paris eats the mature excel nuggies. As far as I am aware it is only available in cranberry & ginseng but she just loves them, she gets excited when she sees the bag.

Im sorry I cant help with this hun. I know this must be a worry for you.

Sending Thumper so "fattening up" vibes, and lots of love for you both x .

Velvet.Tears wrote:Paris eats the mature excel nuggies. As far as I am aware it is only available in cranberry & ginseng but she just loves them, she gets excited when she sees the bag.

It's good to know that she loves them, I have some hope now! She's such a fussy madam!

Thanks for the vibes Katie

Well.... I tried her with a bit. And she took it!!

She even came looking for another bit!

I was astounded!!

I've measured her food out for the next few days. Fingers crossed for no iffy tummys

Just a question but how old does a bun need to be to go onto the mature food?

Josie wrote:Just a question but how old does a bun need to be to go onto the mature food?

This bag of excel I have says 5 years plus.

Not sure how big a deal it is though as she's 10 and this is the first time I've tried it and vets have never told me to use it.

Saying that, our fellow hoppers have recommended I try it because thumpers losing weight so maybe I should have done it earlier....

Do you have older buns?

Selective says from 4yrs. I have fed it to both my buns mixed in with excel light from when Bruce was 5, he is now 7. Partially because Bruce suits a lower protein higher fibre food and having compared the ingredients to the light food and found similarities I thought it wouldn't do Flo, any harm to eat it.

Thanks

Am going to do a separate thread about my Flopsy as i dont want to hog this one