This is a specific conversation about Rabbit food and hay — getting the diet right — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Your vet flagging early molar wear is worth taking seriously — the good news is that the right hay can genuinely slow that progression. Hay should make up around 80% of a rabbit's diet, and it's not just about nutrition: the long lateral chewing motion required to break down coarse hay fibres is the primary mechanism that keeps molars worn evenly and prevents spurs. Pellets should be a small supplement only — a tablespoon or two per day at most. Before I point you toward a specific hay, a couple of quick questions: what is your rabbit currently eating day-to-day, and is the vet monitoring the molar situation with follow-up appointments?
She's mostly been on pellets with a bit of meadow hay on the side. The vet said to reverse that ratio urgently and suggested looking into coarser hay varieties. We have a check-up booked in three months.
inparticular.ai
That's exactly the right direction from your vet. Meadow hay is fine as a supplement but it tends to be softer and less consistent in stem length, which means less grinding work per mouthful. For a rabbit with early molar wear, you want something with longer, coarser stems that forces proper lateral jaw movement. Can I ask — does she currently eat hay willingly when it's available, or does she tend to ignore it in favour of the pellets?
She mostly ignores it if the pellets are there. I've already cut the pellets right down this week so she's starting to eat more hay out of necessity.
inparticular.ai
That's the right move and it will work — hunger is the most effective hay transition tool there is. Once pellets drop, most rabbits come around to hay within a week or two. Given the molar wear concern, I'd move her onto a high-quality Timothy hay rather than meadow hay as her primary source. Timothy has longer, more fibrous stems with a higher silica content, and the coarser texture genuinely delivers more grinding action per chewing session compared to softer meadow blends. The product I'd recommend is Burgess Excel Timothy Hay — it's consistently cut long, dust-extracted, and widely available. It's what many rabbit-savvy vets suggest specifically when dental wear is a concern. Offer it ad-lib in a rack or hayrack so she always has access, and keep pellets to no more than a tablespoon daily at her age.
Is there anything to add alongside it, or just the Timothy hay?
inparticular.ai
Keep it simple for now — Timothy hay as the 80% base, a small handful of fresh leafy greens daily (romaine, herbs, dark leafy veg), and the reduced pellets. Once she's reliably eating the Timothy well, you could rotate in occasional oat hay as a treat variety — it's also coarse and fibrous, and the change in texture keeps things interesting. But don't overcomplicate it before your three-month check-up. The vet will be able to tell from the molar condition whether the diet shift is making a difference.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll order the Burgess Excel Timothy Hay today.
inparticular.ai
Good — you're doing the right thing catching this early. Stick with it consistently for the next few weeks and she should be munching through it properly before long. Make sure it's always topped up and never let the rack run empty, because rabbits are more likely to return to it habitually when it's always present. Good luck at the three-month check-up.
