Feeding Rabbits & Veterinary Care

Most pet rabbits tend to be overweight. Obesity in bunnies or rabbits is caused mainly by poor diet and less pet exercise. Other risk factors associated with this problem are age, sex, and neutering status. What can we do as pet parents to keep our bunnies healthy? Let’s start with a proper and balanced diet combined with some exercise ideas.

Rabbits are fibrevores and their diet should consist of ad libitum good quality grass or hay, small amounts of fresh greens, and some concentrated food. Healthy treats such as apples and carrots should be given in moderation and not more often than twice weekly. Poor diet often includes food too rich in carbohydrates. Selective consumption of cereal mixes and excessive snacks offered by keen owners can easily lead to weight gain. The same can be true for a more healthy diet consisting of pelleted food and treats such as carrots, apples and berries given in excessive amounts. One way for them to digest their foods to the maximum is by the production of cecotropes. Cecotropes are special sticky droppings that the rabbit eats directly from his anus. These droppings are produced by the rabbit’s own caecum and are full of nutrients which ensure that the rabbit gets all the building blocks for a healthy life. Finding these sticky droppings in the rabbit cage often means there is something wrong with the rabbit.

Grass hay, either timothy, meadow, oat, rye, bermuda, or fresh-smelling hay is an important ingredient for rabbits of all ages and has the following advantages. It provides vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fibre. It requires chewing which ensures the wearing down of their ever-growing teeth and prevents them from chewing unwanted objects. As it is bulky, it gives them a full feeling but less calories. Choose grass hay made of a mixture of the above-named grasses as the main diet and only feed the rabbits small parts of legume hay (alfalfa, clover, peas etc.) as it is too rich for a full diet. Straw is not a good replacement for hay, although it is low in calories and high in fibre it is also low in essential nutrients.

Green foods are a needed addition to grass hay as it contains a wider variety of micronutrients and provides a large amount of water intake which is essential for the proper functioning of the rabbit’s gastrointestinal, kidney and bladder function. If rabbits eat more greens, they will drink less as the greens provide a lot of water. Greens should however never be the main diet. If you are not sure your rabbit has ever eaten any green foods, you have to very slowly introduce them otherwise the Cecotrophes formation in the caecum of the rabbit will be disrupted and diarrhea will occur. This can be dangerous to the health of the rabbit. Organic greens are preferred over commercially sold greens. If soft stools occur after feeding a green food, refrain from giving this again, and move to different green food. Provide only small portions and ensure the main food intake if of grass hay or pelleted grass hay. Dark-coloured greens are of better nutritional value.

Fruit, flowers and other vegetables considered as treats are fed in limited quantities. Please ensure they are free of pesticides and that the rabbit not only eats these foods as this will again upset their tummies. As they are highly appreciated, they can be used to train your rabbit. These foods can also be used to see if your rabbit is feeling well as when he/she will not eat its favorite food, this means something is wrong.

It is advisable not to feed any starchy products such as cereal, cakes or cookies to rabbits. To make our life simple, the pet food industry has come up with some excellent commercial rabbit pellets. When buying rabbit pellets consider the following:

• Do not allow the pet pellet feeding to be more than 20% of the rabbit’s diet
• They should have over 18% of fibre
• Less than 2.5% fat
• Less than 16% protein
• Less than 1% calcium
• Buy pellets that only contain grass hays, not with mixed seeds, dried fruits, nuts, or alfalfa hay

Ensure your rabbit always has excess freshwater which is daily changed. When you feed your rabbit correctly as described above, no other supplements or vitamins are recommended. Contact us should you have any questions in relation to the above or other rabbit health and husbandry-related questions.

Updated by Dr David Arnau Perez, ABVC Veterinarian