From the vet’s…

On 22nd June 2010, I brought 3 bun-buns to the vet -Tugs, Doughnut & Blueberry.

Tugs isn’t eating nor drinking. Seems to be possible parasites. Didn’t have stuff in the first aid kit for him. *Sighs*

Doughnut’s teeth need trimming. It’s affecting her eating. Worse, she needs to be sedated. If that doesn’t work, she’ll have to undergo GA to get her teeth done. She’s also got sore hocks from all that stamping. Seriously, she needs to be less spoilt. She’s always wanting her way.

Blueberry’s cancer is back. It is in her lung this time. We can only apply treatment to help manage but not cure her. My poor girl… I don’t know how long she’ll live or how fast the cells will spread. X-ray was part of her routine check-up to monitor the situation which has been clear and stable so far. It’s not affecting her yet but it doesn’t mean that it’ll be like that forever.

Doughnut’s Teeth!

I was clipping Doughnut’s nails today when I realised that one of her teeth is broken! For Doughnut, I usually flip her over on her back and she’ll lie on her back and allow me to clip her nails. As she lay on her back, she got comfy and tilted her head further and further back. That’s when I saw the teeth. They didn’t look quite aligned. So I took a closer look. That’s when I found out that one of her teeth is broken.

Hay Consumption

On the back of Oxbow Timothy Hay’s packaging is a guideline on how much hay a bunny should eat. It says that a 2lbs bunny should finish the 40oz bag in 3 weeks (21days).

Based on that premise, my bun-buns aren’t eating enough hay.

Here’s how it goes.

This is their weight:-
Blueberry: 1.35kg (47.62oz)
Caramel: 1.55kg (54.675oz)
Doughnut: 2.16kg (76oz)
Funshine: 1.5kg (52.911oz)
Hugs: 1kg (35.274oz)
Latte: 2.1kg (74.075oz)
Soufflé: 2.03kg (71.5oz)
Toffee: 1.8kg (63.483oz)
Tugs: 1.4kg (49.384oz)
Twinkers: 1.15kg (40.565oz)
Wish: 1.28kg (45.151oz)

Their total weekly intake of hay should be 7.18kg (or 253.28oz). Currently, they’re only eating 4kg (141.1oz). So I’m wondering if they are really eating enough fibre.

The Rabbits’ Vet

Some people ask which vet they should go to if their bunny needs to visit a vet. I always tell them to visit a rabbit-savvy vet. It doesn’t matter how much you have to travel but bunnies have special needs that rabbit-savvy vets will know and understand.

There’s an article written about Rabbit-Savvy Vets: The Importance of Having One @
http://www.petschannel.com/article/?a=77.

Caramel’s High Class Preference of Fresh Vegetables

Caramel’s atas (Malay: high class). Her choice of fresh vegetables are the more pricey ones. She’ll attack the Wild Rocket (Arrugula) [cost: approx $4.90/100gm], Thai Basil and Sage. Shessh.

She’ll turn down brocolli if it’s was kept for one day in the fridge. Shessh. Can you imagine?! She’ll eat other veggies but the rate of her finishing those veggies isn’t like those that was mentioned earlier.

She has also ever turned her nose up at a whiff of certain pellets. Gee… She’s really one of a kind in our household. :b

Hay!

Now that we’ve got 11 bun-buns, we’ve been sourcing for places which sells fresh hay for a reasonable prices.

We now buy our pet supplies from these two pet shops:
1. http://thepetemporium.com.sg/ (You can visit their estore @ http://thepetemporium.com.sg/catalog/)

2. http://www.doggyfriend.com/

Both sell stuff at very reasonable prices and both do delivery.

The Pet Emporium has grooming services as well. The best part is that they do bunny grooming as well as boarding!

Okay, back to the hay part. I buy hay by the bales because my bunnies really eat quite a lot of hay.

Here’s the calculation:
11 of them finish 4kg (4 kilograms = 8.818 490 487 4 lb, lbs) per week.
Generally, 3 months is about 13 weeks (some months have 5 weeks).
So, in 13 weeks, I’ll need 52kg (52 kilogram = 114.640 376 34 lb, lbs) of hay.

Each Oxbow bale of hay is 50lbs. So if I were to order hay by the bales every three months, I’ll need 2 bales and some smaller packs.

One thing that I’m very glad is that hay is a staple food for bunnies and my bunnies are happily eating the hay. That’s really good because hay is indeed good for their health. =)

There are a few places in Singapore where you can buy hay by the bale (although it may not be oxbow hay and the size can differ). They are:
1. http://thepetemporium.com.sg/ (You can visit their estore @ http://thepetemporium.com.sg/catalog/)
The Green@Spectra
272 Upper Bukit Timah Road
#02-13/14
Singapore 588212
Phone: + 65 63142250
Mobile: (+65) 91760038
Email: info@thepetemporium.com.sg

2. http://www.doggyfriend.com/
Corporate mailing address is:
Vbox 881550 Singapore 919191
Email: isabelle@doggyfriend.com
Phone: 98228451
Fax: (+65) 65125414

3. Pets Kampong
Great World City, #03-23/24/25, 67347089
Novena Square Shopping Mall, #03-18, 62539190
Valley Point, #01-14A, 67341909
They have a new branch at Yew Tee

4. Pets Village
3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall
#B1-002,
Singapore 038983

5. House of Chinchilla
Blk 154 Serangoon North Ave 1
Singapore 550154
#01-406
Tel : 62849621 / 9858 1711

Blk 154 Serangoon North Ave 1
Singapore 550154
#01-422
Tel : 63430154 / 9858 1711

About their food…

I’ve been adding different brands to the usual staple Marukan pellets for the bunnies.

Well, I’m just concerned that there might be a time where one particular brand of food is out of stock because the shipment has not yet reached the shores of sunny Singapore. Hence, two brands.

In general, I find that Marukan really does help to control pee odour really well. That’s the thing I like about that brand.

For the readers who have been reading this blog, I’ll be trying to update more frequently as well.

Their Menu

I figured out that one good thing to share would be the bun-buns’ menu. Not that they really get to choose what to eat everyday, but in general. I’ll try to update this as and when. Hopefully, I get to write up some product reviews (with pictures too!) and post here.

Serving per day:
Hay – Two 15cm Diameter balls of hay (topped up when finished)
Pellets – Two Tablespoon twice a day for every 2kg of body weight
Veggies – 500g to 700g per day
Water – 600ml to 1 litre per day (since the last visit)

Most of the time (on a rotational basis, about 5 times a week for each type):
Celery Sticks
Romaine Lettuce
Pepper (Green, Yellow & Red)
Wheat grass
Xiao Bai Cai
Chye Sim
Arrugula (rocket)
Zucchini (Green & Yellow)
Squash
Asparagus
Snow Peas
Belgium Endives
Fennel

Sometimes (Once a week or once every two weeks):
Brocooli
Cauliflower
Buk Choy
Butterhead Lettuce
Baby Spinach
Alfalfa Sprouts

Occasional Veggies (Once a month):
Kai Lan
Baby Tomatoes
Carrots

Herbs:
Rosemary (homegrown)
Mint
Coriander
Chinese Parsley
English Parsley
Dill
Sage (Starting to try to grow this)
Thai Basil

Fruit (usually once or twice a week):
Raspberries
Blueberies
Strawberries
Blackberries
Apple
Papaya
Pear
Peach
Pineapple
Grapes
Banana
Mango
Guava

Homemade Treats (Once a week):
Dried Pear Slices
Dried Apple Slices
Dried Banana Slices
Dried Mango Slices
Dried Pineapple Slices
Dried Cherry tomatoes
Dried Strawberries
Dried Blueberries
Dried Red Peppers (or capsicum)
Dried Green Peppers (or capsicum)

Flowers (only if available):
Organic Sunflower

Pellets :

Marukan Rabbit Dinner (MR-541)

Marukan Pro Series Natural Diet Maintainence (MRP-801)
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein: 13.0% min
Fat: 1.9% max
Fibre: 22.5% max
Ash: 9.9% max
Calcium: 0.6% min
Phosphorus: 0.3% min
Moisture: 10.0% max
Energy: 304kcal/100g

Oxbow Bunny Basics 15/23
Premium Ingredients

• Alfalfa Hay = Beneficial Fiber and Protein
• Soy Products = Fiber, Balanced Protein, Healthy Fat
• Wheat = Ideal Carbohydrate and Energy Source

Ingredients

Alfalfa Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Soybean Meal, Limestone, Salt, Cane Molasses, Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (tocopherol), Vitamin C Supplement (Ascorbic Acid), Colloidal Silica, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (vitamin K), Riboflavin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Pyrodoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Magnesium Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Mineral Oil, Calcium Iodate, Potassium Chloride

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein min 15.00%
Crude Fat min 2.00%
Crude Fiber min 22.00%, max 25.00%
Moisture max 10.0%
Calcium min 0.50%, max 1.00%
Phosphorus min 0.25%
Salt min 0.50%, max 1.00%
Vitamin A IU/KG 10,000
Vitamin D IU/KG 400
Vitamin E IU/KG 140
Copper mg/kg 13

Timmy Rabbit Pellets

Ingredients

Sun Cured Timothy Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Whole Pressed Safflower Seed Meal, Dehulled soybean Meal, Canola Meal, Yeast Culture (Diamond V “XP”), Salt, Sodium Lignosulfonate, Mono-Sodium Phosphate, Mold Inhibitor (Propionic Acid, Acetic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Ammonium Hydroxide), Yeast Cell Wall Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Flavoring, Magnesium Oxide, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed tocopherils, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Silicon Dioxide (carrier for liquid antioxidants), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Choline Chloride, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K activity), Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyidoxine Hydrochloride, K-Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ethylene Diamine Dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Sodium Selenite.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein (not less than) 14.50%
Crude Fat (not less than) 2.00%
Crude Fiber (not less than) 22.00%
Crude Fiber (not more than) 30.00%
Ash (not more than) 11.00%
Calcium (not less than) 0.50%
Calcium (not more than) 1.00%
Phosphorus (not less than) 0.40%
Sodium (not more than) 0.75%

Hay (unlimited):
Oxbow Western Timothy Hay
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein min 7.00%
Crude Fat min 1.50%
Crude Fiber max 32.00%
Moisture max 15.00%

American Pet Diner (APD) Timothy High Fiber Hay
Crude Protein not less than 8%
Crude Fat not less than 2.4%
Crude Fiber not more than 30%
Moisture not more than 12%
Calcium not more than 0.5%

APD Timothy Gold
Crude Protein not less than 13%
Crude Fat not less than 1.5%
Crude Fiber not more than 30%
Moisture not more than 12%
Calcium not more than 0.75%

Bunny Selection Timothy Hay
Protein Avg. 8.5%
Fat Avg 2.5%
Fibre Avg 36.0%
Phosphorus: Avg 0.2%
Calcium: Avg 0.5%

Hay Treats:
Oxbow Alfalfa Hay
Crude Protein min 16.00%
Crude Fat min 1.50%
Crude Fiber max 32.00%
Moisture max 15.00%

Oxbow Orchard Grass
Crude Protein min 7.00%
Crude Fat min 1.50%
Crude Fiber max 32.00%
Moisture max 15.00%

APD Mountain Hay
Crude Protein not less than 12%
Crude Fat not less than 2%
Crude Fiber not more than 31%
Moisture not more than 12%
Calcium not more than 1%

APD Alffy Alfalfa Hay
Crude Protein not less than 15.0%
Crude Fat not less than 1.0%
Crude Fiber not more than 26%
Moisture not more than 12%
Calcium not more than 3%

Ooops!

I admit, it’s been a while since I updated this blog. Am really busy and got caught up with heaps of stuff. :S

So what’s new?

Well, Souffle and Latte got sterilised. YAY~ The procedure was done on 16 March. We’re approaching the 3 week mark soon. Can’t wait seriously. Latte had a little problem because even though the vet used as hypoallergenic materials as possible for the sutures, he still had a reaction which cause inflammation to his left testicle. Under antibiotics and painkillers, it’s not so swollen anymore which is good!

I had to force feed Souffle for about a day or two because he wasn’t. Apparently, it happens in bigger/fatter rabbits because the anethesia is still in them and it takes time to get out of their system.

Anyhow, Souffle is okay now. Healing nicely. Latte too. Latte is separated from Toffee because he may get her to chew the affected area but they need to be close together, so they’re just separated by a grill. They get to smell each other and see each other everyday.

Latte is eating more and more. I think soon, he’ll go beyond his 2.03kg mark. Oh yes, I also forgot to mention, Souffle is 2.21kg. Wow! Bunny boy is certainly becoming more and more cuddly. Hee!

Tugs is eating well again

Tugs is eating pretty well again. He’s actually finished 3 handfuls of pellets during the night. It’s like “wow!” I mean, when he was sick, he didn’t even want to eat the pellets. Now I’ve just got to change him over to oxbow. LOL.

Have to reconsistute the pellets for him over the weekend. Not to mention to order more pellets and to check when the bale of hay is arriving. I still have to clear their cages over the weekend as well. Hee~