Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition Formula: What Does It Do To Your Rabbit?

Taking care of rabbits is a responsibility that every pet owner needs to do, most especially if their rabbit becomes ill. Rabbits can get easily upset and sick because of their vulnerability. That is why you must know what to do if your pet is unwell.

One of them is providing nutritional care. Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition Formula is food that will offer your rabbit assistance when it comes to their health. If the rabbit loses its appetite, many complications can occur. So it is crucial that you give them proper nutrition to regain their willingness to eat and be healthy again.

According to Oxbow Animal Health, this nutrition formula is specifically made to help sick rabbits during their recovery stage. If you want to know more about Oxbow Critical Care Formula, keep reading this article.

Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition Formula

Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition Formula is a food made especially for herbivores. When your pet is sick, they need to eat to regain strength and health. But what if they refuse to eat the meal you are offering them? Or the rabbit cannot just physically eat because of some circumstances? That is why some food formulas are created to help pet owners give their rabbits the same nutrients even if their pet is sick.

Veterinarians mostly recommend a nutritional formula like Oxbow critical care if your pet cannot normally eat because of an illness or surgery. It comprises high-quality ingredients that aim to boost health and improve digestion. Ensuring that proper nourishment is still given to your pet.

Reasons Why Rabbit is Not Eating

Rabbit Undergoes Surgery Operation

Rabbits can undergo surgery in different situations, such as infection, illness, and neutering. Although the surgical operation is critical for rabbits, aftercare is also important. That is because it depends on the aftercare whether the surgery is successful or not.

In some cases, rabbits will not eat after the operation just because, physically, they don’t have the strength to munch on food offered to them. But according to the House Rabbit of Society, getting your rabbit to eat food after surgery is important. This will help the rabbit regain their strength and to recover fast.

Although some rabbits will eat foods like pellets and hays after surgery, others will refuse. That is why the Oxbow Critical Care Formula is ideal for rabbits that don’t want to eat after surgery.

Rabbit has Digestive Problems

Your rabbit’s digestive system works differently than most animals. That is because they are herbivore species that fodder mostly in plant-based food. Most plants contain a high amount of fiber that helps improve your rabbit’s digestion. That is why the recommended diet of doctors’ rabbits is fiber-rich food.

Now, if your pet has digestive problems, most likely, they will refuse to eat even if it’s their favorite food. As stated by the Veterinary Centers of America (VCA Animal Hospital), gastrointestinal stasis, or G. statis, is a common digestive issue in rabbits. Rabbits lose their appetite because of the discomfort and pain in their abdominal area.

Ironically, digestive problems can happen to rabbits because of eating too much. Improper nutrition, such as carbohydrates, starch, and sugar, are the leading nutrients that disrupt your pet’s gastrointestinal. In severe cases of digestive problems, it results in organ failure and death.

That is why early treatment is important to rabbits. If you suspect your rabbit is not eating for a day, kindly visit the doctor immediately for assessment and possible treatment.

Rabbit has a Parasitic Infestation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one of the symptoms of parasitic infection is a lack of appetite. So if your rabbit has not been eating their food for several days now, it probably has some parasite inside its body.

Parasites and bacteria are bad for your rabbit. That is because they are a pest that snatches on the important nutrients inside the body of animals. Most of the parasite attacks rabbits’ digestive system because it is where nutrients break down. And when you are not treating the infestation, it can cause complications in the rabbit’s body.

If you bring your pet to the veterinarian clinic due to the lack of appetite, one of the tests they will conduct is parasite infection. They will know this through the testing of discharge of your pet, such as poop and urine. The microscopic device will tell the doctor if parasites like worms or bacteria have been living inside your pet’s body.

The treatment for this type of infestation is through oral suspensions like deworming or anti-parasitic medication. They will also give prescriptions like nutritional formulas such as Oxbow Care to assist in regaining the strength of your rabbit and boosting its appetite.

Rabbit is Dehydrated

Another reason why rabbits are not eating is that they are dehydrated. Dehydration depends not only on the amount of water and liquid inside your pet’s body. But also the food and nutrition that they are eating. That is why if your rabbit begins to feel sick, their body is also susceptible to dehydration; hence, it will not eat because they are too weak to eat much food.

You can treat dehydration early by feeding your pet with balanced nutrition. You can also add booster powder like Oxbow Nutrition to help your rabbit rehydrate their body. Letting your rabbit drink water is also important in treating dehydration.

One of the common mistakes of some owners is that they overlook their pet’s dehydration, which is why it leads to serious complications in the rabbit’s health. In severe cases of dehydration, the doctor will put IV fluids in your pet to provide nourishment and avoid health risks or early death.

Read More about Rabbit’s Health: Definitive Guide to Your Rabbit’s Health

Advantages of Using Oxbow Critical Care Nutritional Formula

Oxbow is in Powder Form

If your rabbit loses its appetite, one thing that you should consider when serving them food is the size. Some rabbits do not eat food because they cannot chew well, especially weak and sick rabbits. Hard pellets and hays are only ideal food if your pet is healthy. Although they provide animal nutrition, you should consider their inability to fodder on food.

The easiest way to provide nutrition for them is through powder mixing. That is why one of the advantages of using the Oxbow Critical Care formula is the variety of food forms it produces.

The powder is simple to use at mealtime for your rabbit. You can add this to any food or water of your pet. Then mix according to your desired consistency. If you think your rabbit cannot eat solid food, make it like a portion of wet food, but if the rabbit can eat pieces of pellets, just sprinkle it on the top for additional nutrition.

Oxbow is a versatile product.

Since the product is in powder form, you can use this as an advantage when feeding your rabbit. The versatility of this product lets pet owners use it in their desire, such as syringe feeding in rabbits. To do this, prepare wet food for your rabbit and mix the oxbow powder into the meal. Then after thoroughly mixing, you can feed the rabbit through a syringe or tube.

On the other hand, even if your rabbit is not sick and can regularly eat their meal, you can still add oxbows as a topper or side in their diet. This is ideal for your pet, especially in balancing their diet. Also, this will serve as an additional nourishment in their daily meal.

However, before adding oxbows to your rabbit food, ask your vet for advice if it’s okay for them to intake. Remember that excessive nutrition consumption is bad for your pet’s digestive system.

Oxbow is Rich in Fiber

One of the advantages of using oxbow nutrition in your rabbit is the product’s nutritional content. Oxbow Animal Health stated that their critical care formula products are developed with veterinarian approval. They also made these with expert animal people like exotics, vet doctors, and nutritionists. This ensures that the oxbow will provide small animals, especially if they are sick.

One of the nutrients that you should take into consideration when choosing a product is fiber. Fiber is important in rabbits’ digestive health because it breaks down the nourishment throughout their body. Hence their body function will work efficiently. Oxbow is rich in fiber because it is made from timothy grass hay, which is one of the important diets for your pet.

Oxbow is low in carbohydrates and sugar

Carbohydrates and sugar are needed in your rabbit’s body. However, remember that too many nutrients can also lead to several complications. According to reports, some of the common nutrients that cause digestive problems in rabbits are carbohydrates and sugar. That is because the body of a rabbit cannot take too much of this type of content. And when they accidentally eat foods high in unwanted nutrition, they will begin to feel sick.

When giving oxbow nutrition to your rabbit, you do not need to worry about the nutritional content because this product is low in carbohydrates and sugar. Oxbow is developing a formula that suits small animals’ bodies.

To guide you better, here are the foods with unwanted nutrients you should avoid giving your rabbit.

If you want to know more about Rabbit foods, Click and Read this Article: The Definitive Guide To What Foods Rabbits Can & Cannot Eat

Types of Oxbow Critical Care Products for Rabbits

Critical Care Herbivore Anise

This oxbow product is the standard formula you can give your rabbits. These are developed with nutrients that have the same value as a balanced diet for regular meals for your pet. That is why you can give them the Critical Care Herbivore Anise when your pet is lethargic or undergoes a simple surgery. Remember, before using this, ask for a veterinarian’s advice.

https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/product/critical-care-herbivore-anise/

Critical Care Herbivore-Apple-Banana

If you want a flavored care formula, you can choose the Oxbow Critical Care Herbivore-Apple-Banana flavored. This product is also for small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, iguanas, and other herbivore animals. You can add the oxbow-flavored product to your rabbit if you think they are not eating to boost their appetite.

This is also recommended on animals that undergo simple surgery and experience common illnesses like fever and lethargy. But take note to let your pet’s doctor decide what formula care you should use in your rabbit.

https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/product/critical-care-herbivore-apple-banana/

Critical Herbivore Fine Grind Papaya

In some cases, rabbits should be fed with nutrition through force-feeding using a syringe and tube. That is because their ability to chew on a solid meal is not recommended. This can happen to animals if they undergo critical surgery or have severe health issues.

That is why oxbow created a more refined formula than the other products. This is the Critical Herbivore Fine Grind Papaya. This oxbow product is easier to mix on wet food for rabbits and small animals because it has a size as small as 5 fr. So when you try to syringe feed your rabbit, the nutrition will be mixed well. Hence, the rabbit can intake good nourishment to make their body regain straight and health.

https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/product/critical-care-herbivore-fine-grind-papaya/

Preparing Oxbow Critical Care Nutritional Formula

Preparing Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition Formula is easy and simple. You can buy this product in a sachet. According to the direction of Oxbow, the ideal mixture of a single sachet is equivalent to two tablespoons of warm water. Mix this well and give it to your pet at room or warmer temperatures.

Remember to feed your pet right after mixing the formula to ensure fresh nutrition. If there are leftovers or you made excessive formula mix, it’s best to keep it refrigerated to avoid spoiling. But the prepared mixture will take only up to 24 hours. Do not feed it to your rabbit if it’s already been in the fridge for more than two days.

If the consistency is very thick, you may add water until you get the ideal consistency. Suppose you increase the water to prepare Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition Formula. In that case, you will also have to increase the volume of meals to ensure that the animal’s energy and nutrient levels are achieved.

However, this can all depend on how severe the nutrition that your rabbit needs. Ask your veterinarian’s advice to ensure the right amount of oxbow and foods your pet needs daily. It is also recommended to provide your rabbit with unlimited access to water to keep them hydrated every after a meal.

Amount of Oxbow Critical Care Nutritional Formula for Rabbits

As a rabbit owner, you need to know that each rabbit is different. According to a report, dietary needs are sometimes improvised because of different conditions. Meaning rabbits’ nutrition, diet, and other types of activity will vary. That is because you need to consider factors like age, weight, breed, and the overall health condition of their body.

Giving a nutritional formula like oxbow animals does not have the same mixture measurement for every rabbit. The amount to be given daily must be adjusted according to your vet’s advice.

The ideal amount for any herbivore must be 3 tablespoons of the dry Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition Formula product or 50ml of the mixed formula per kilogram of weight. The formula must be given in frequent small feedings for weak animals that cannot eat independently.

If your rabbit is new to this type of nourishment, keep an eye on them for the first few days. This ensures that your pet will not experience any adverse effects after oxbow nutrition intake.

But if you notice symptoms like vomiting, rabbit’s becoming weaker, or diarrhea. Kindly remove the formula from their meal immediately. Schedule a visit with your doctor to ask if the formula is unsuitable for your rabbit. The doctor will probably give other types of formula that will help your pet’s body.

Key Takeaways

Oxbow Critical Care Nutrition is a food product formula that helps assist the nutritional needs of small animals like rabbits. Especially to rabbits that lose their appetite and feel sick.
If rabbits become ill, one important thing to do is to regain their strength and ensure that they eat. One reason is that rabbits’ energy source mostly comes from the food nutrients they fodder .
A rabbit that refuses to eat can indicate something’s wrong with its body. Although there are many reasons rabbits lose their appetite, you must know the root cause of it to provide proper treatment.
Rabbits will sometimes refuse to eat after they undergo a surgical operation. That is a normal result of post-operation, but feeding them is still important. That is why giving oxbow nutrients is one of the solutions that most pet owners do.
Other reasons why rabbits are not eating are because of digestive problems, parasitic infestation, and body dehydration.
Here are the advantages of using Oxbow Critical Care; the formula is in powdered solution for easy mix, is a versatile product, rich in fiber, and low in carbohydrates and sugar.
The recommended mixture of a single sachet of oxbow should be equivalent to two parts of warm water. Feed it to your rabbit after or consume it within 24 hours. But it can vary depending on the veterinarian’s suggested measurements.