Rabbits’ Diet
Rabbits’ Diet: Is Your Rabbit Eating Right?
Typically, rabbits’ diet consists of hay, water, fresh vegetables and pellets. Other treats and fruits are usually given in moderate quantities as they could cause obesity. Rabbits need to be provided with fresh water at all times as they tend to dehydrate very quickly.
Several sources suggest that a rabbit should mainly be fed with grass hay. If a rabbit is given too many vegetables, then it may cause digestive problems and diarrhoea.
Pellets – generally, rabbits are fed with pellets available at pet stores, farm supplies and supermarkets. Originally, pellets were designed for the rabbit breeders so that vitamins food energy can be provided inexpensively. Rabbits’ diet on pellets is optimal only when they are being bred due to experimentation or food.
Adolescent and pre-adolescent rabbits can be fed with pellets based on how much they can consume, but feeding additional vegetables is preferable. Older rabbits (those over 6 years) should be given more amounts of pellets if they are unable to maintain constant body weight. Alfalfa pellets are best suited for growing, young rabbits and for older rabbits that are under-weight. Timothy hay pellets are best suited for rabbits that have surpassed the growing age.
Hay – Hay is an important part of rabbits’ diet. Hay should be supplied steadily for rabbits in order to prevent digestive tract illnesses in rabbits. In addition to this, hey also provides many essential minerals and vitamins. Rabbits love chewing up hay, and constant availability of hey reduces the tendency of the rabbit chewing on other things. Timothy hey is said to the healthiest. A steady diet of alfalfa hay could cause obesity in rabbits.
Treats – Treats will prove to be unhealthy for rabbits if given in large amounts. However, the best and the healthiest treat that can be given to rabbits is fruit. Fruits such as orange, berries, kiwi, apple, peach, pineapple and banana come under acceptable fruits for rabbits. It is advisable to give treats and fruits in moderation. If given in excess, rabbits may suffer from over-weight issues and other health-problems. Fresh fruits should never be given to baby rabbits under 4 months as it leads to enteritis which causes sudden death. The universal myth is that rabbits should be fed with lettuce. This is not true as lettuce has little nutritional value a rabbit.
Caecal pellets – rabbits’ faeces are known as caecal pellets. The caecal pellets are an essential part of rabbits’ diet. By providing the mentioned feed, a rabbit can live healthily.
