WHAT DO I FEED MY RABBIT?
By Zoe Forward, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (canine/feline)

Rabbits are wonderful pets, but they have special diet requirements that you may not be able to find out at the pet store. In general a rabbit’s diet should consist of four things:

1)      HAY- Most of a rabbit’s diet (70-80%) should be a high quality GRASS hay such as Timothy, available for the rabbit to eat 24 hours a day.  The hay needs to smell fresh and have a green color.  Don't feed moldy or dusty hay.   Don't feed large quantities of alfalfa hay because it is too high in calcium for a rabbit.

2)      PELLETS –  A lower percentage (10-20%) of the diet should consist of rabbit pellets that contain a minimum of 18-20% fiber and a maximum of 14-16% protein.  Do not buy rabbit food that contains seeds, nuts or starch-rich cereal kibble mixed in (fiesta mixes). You want food that just has green pellets(e.g., Oxbow Bunny Basic, Kaytee Forti-Diet).  Feed approximately ¼ cup of pellets per 4 pounds of body weight of rabbit per day.  Pellets should be fresh.  Do not purchase more than 6 weeks worth of pellets at a time because it may spoil.  Make sure the expiration date on the rabbit pellet bag is still valid or the pellets may not have enough vitamin content remaining. 

3)      FRESH FOODS – The rest of the diet should consist of fresh, well washed, dark green and yellow vegetables such as parsley, kale, carrot tops, etc. (see list of recommended vegetables below).  Feed 1 cup of mixed greens daily.   Avoid beans and rhubarb. 

4)      WATER – Water is an extremely important part of your rabbit’s diet.  Without a constant clean, fresh source of water, your rabbit can die.  Sipper water bottles are ideal for rabbits because they do not spill and the rabbits cannot soil the water.

Feeding this diet rather than an all pellet diet or fiesta mix diet reduces the likelihood of hairballs, diarrhea, kidney disease and obesity.  Occasional grains, cereals or breads can be offered, but be aware that these foods in excess are associated with fatal diarrheas.

Select at least three kinds of vegetables daily. A variety is necessary in order to obtain the necessary nutrients, with one each day that contains Vitamin A.


Recommended vegetable choices:
                Alfalfa, radish and clover sprouts                                                     Green peppers
                Basil                                                                                                        Kale*♠
                Beet greens (tops)*                                                                             Mint
                Bok choy                                                                                                Mustard greens*
                Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*                                                       Parsley*
                Brussel sprouts                                                                                     Peppermint leaves
                Carrot and carrot tops*                                                                      Radicchio
                Celery (leaves/stem)                                                                           Radish tops
                Clover                                                                                                    Raspberry leaves
                Collar greens*                                                                                      Romaine lettuce (No iceberg or
                Dandelion greens & flowers (no pesticides)*                                                                 light colored leaf lettuce)
                Endive                                                                                                    Spinach*♠
                Escarole                                                                                                 Watercress*
                Pea pods (the flat edible kind: snow pea or sugar snap pea)*    Wheat grass
                Gai long                                                                                                  Yu Choy
                Dwarf choy sum
               
*= Contains vitamin A. Vitamin A is a dietary necessity. Choose one each day from the list that
      contains Vitamin A.
                ♠ = Use sparingly.  Healthy, but high in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxin in
                      accumulated quantities over a period of time.

 

Recommended fruit choices:
                                Apple                                                     Pear
                                Blueberries                                           Pineapple
                                Melon                                                    Plums
                                Orange                                                   Raspberries
                                Papaya                                                   Strawberries
                                Peach                                    

               

Food Supplements?  In addition to the above recommended foods, the addition of one papaya enzyme extract tablet (e.g. Oxbow Papaya tablet) daily is recommended to help prevent hairballs.

                Supplementation with digestive enzymes (proteases, amylases), acidophilus, or vitamins on a daily basis is unnecessary, if you feed the recommended diet items.  There is no evidence that healthy rabbits produce insufficient levels of these enzymes or require probiotic supplements on a regular basis. 

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