Rabbit Care Tips
- 1. Rabbit Care
- 2. 5 Tips for Saving Money on Rabbit Care
- 3. Top 10 Basics for Rabbit Adopters
- 4. How to Meet a Rabbit's Basic Needs
- 5. Rabbit Feeding Basics
- 6. Rabbit Housing
- 7. How to Care for Domestic Rabbits
- 8. Help! My rabbit is sick and I can't reach my vet!
- 9. Designing a Rabbit Playground
Rabbit Feeding Basics
Cat McIntire
Proper nutrition is essential for good health & longevity. Rabbits need hay, a good high fiber pellet (free of nuts/seeds/dyed bits), fresh vegetables, and clean water. If your rabbit is allowed to go without food for too long, a serious condition called enteritis can occur. This is a shutdown of the intestinal tract caused by lack of food to digest.
HAY
Your rabbit should have a generous
amount of hay available at all times. It's nutritious and a vital
source of fiber. You can make a big hay "nest" in bunny's
literbox and he'll be happy as a clam. This will also encourage
good potty habits and minimize hay mess. Don't worry - bunny
won't eat anything he's soiled! Commonly found hays are timothy,
oat, oat/barley, and alfalfa. Alfalfa is good for growing buns up
to one year of age, but is too high in calcium and fats for adult
buns. You can often find fresher and cheaper hay at a feed and
tack store that carries it by the bale. Ask if they sell it "by
the flake" which is a good-sized chunk cut from a bale. You can
also inquire at exotic vet's offices, they sometimes carry hay
for sale. Keep it cool and dry in a trash can or storage
container stored where it won't get wet or moldy. Never feed
moldy hay to a rabbit, it can sicken them and even cause
death.
PELLETS
Avoid bargain pellets and "fiesta
blends" containing corn/nuts/seeds/etc. The rabbit physiology
isn't built to process the high doses of fats and proteins
contained in these mixes. These foods lack the proper nutrients
needed by your rabbit and over the years can cause serious health
problems resulting in obesity, compromised organ function, and
subsequently a shortened lifespan. It's the health equivalent of
raising your child on a diet of nothing but fast food. (Be aware
that some pet foods contain a preservative called ethoxyquin, (or
BHT) which is a known cancer-causing agent.) A good pellet has a
minimum fiber content of 25% and a maxmimum protein content of
14%. Pellets should be fed in limited measured amounts daily,
varying by the weight of your rabbit, it's breed, or health
issues. Oxbow Brand makes an excellent pellet with formulas
specialized by age. (Bunny Basics T for adults and Bunny Basics
15/23 for juveniles.) Two other widely used formulas are Purina
Lab Rabbit and American Pet Diner. (APD also has 2 pellets:
timothy and alfalfa). Brown's brand is o.k. too.
FRESH GREENS
A daily serving of fresh
veggies rounds out bunny's nutritional needs. Always rinse
produce before feeding, even if it's organic. Start slowly, one
small serving of one veggie at a time, adding more over a period
of weeks. This will not only lessen the chances of loose stools
from the introduction of fresh food to the diet, but will also
tell you what your rabbit prefers and what might upset his tummy.
Current guidelines suggest three different veggies per day,
alternating combinations weekly to ensure a good coverage of
vitamins. Opinions differ on carrots and fruits as they contain a
lot of sugar. I view them as a snack food, to be given
occasionally and in moderation. (one carrot, a slice or two of
banana/apple/etc.) Your local Farmer's Market is a great source
for rabbit (and human!) veggies. It's fresh picked so it lasts
longer, and it's usually a fraction of grocery store prices. My
rabbits have eaten the following:
Cilantro/ Italian parsley/ Curly parsley/ Basil/ Mint/ Carrot
tops/ Alfalfa /radish /clover /snow pea sprouts/ Wheat grass
(especially when sick)/ Brussels sprouts/ Endive/ Red/ green/
romaine lettuce/ Radishes w/tops/ Spinach/ Watercress/ Tomatoes
(remove ALL greens!)/ Collard/ mustard/ dandelion/ turnip greens/
Celery/ Beet tops/ Chard/ Kale/ Bok choy/ Broccoli/ Pea pods (the
flat kind)/ Radicchio/ Gourmet baby greens mix.
NO ICEBERG OR OTHER LIGHT-LEAF LETTUCE, POTATO OR POTATO PEELS,
RHUBARB, RAW BEANS OR CORN, OR ANYTHING OLD/SPOILED/MOLDY. A good
feeding rule is: if you wouldn't eat it, don't feed it to your
rabbit!
WATER
Always clean, always cool, always
available. Use a heavy untippable crock or a sipper bottle - or
both in case bunny manages to tip the "untippable" crock! Never
allow your bun to drink water with algae in it. Check the sipper
bottle each time you refill it to make sure it's delivering.
(Sometimes the little ball gets stuck and water can't come
out).
FRUIT
Banana/ Mango/ Pineapple/ Peach/
Apple/ Cherries/ Kiwi/ Watermelon/ Cantaloupe/ Berries/ Orange
and other citrus/ Papaya. NO SEEDS OR PITS. Pineapple, mango, and
papaya all contain a natural enxyme called Papain which is
thought to break down/prevent hairballs. ALL FRUITS
SHOULD BE GIVEN IN MODERATION.
TREAT FOODS
Most treat foods sold for
rabbits are largely sugars and fats and should be avoided. Yogurt
drops, seed/nut bars, corncobs, wafer snacks etc. are garbage
foods. Stick to dried fruits devoid of extra sugar or sulfites.
Carefresh has a dried apple treat. Brown's has a crunchy alfalfa
heart-shaped bisquit. We sell dried strawberries and bananas
called "Just Fruit" at www.rabbitshop.com. Moderation is the key for
any snack food.
Cat McIntire - Volunteer, Education & Adoptions
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