Your pet rabbit needs a proper diet to stay healthy and live long. A well-balanced diet includes a good assortment of hay, vegetables, pellets, and occasionally a few good healthy treats.
Steps
Step 1. Give your rabbit plenty of hay
Hay is the main part of its diet, as it provides a lot of fiber, which aids in digestion. Herbal hay must always be available, allowing the rabbit to eat as much as he wants. You can add various other types of hay to encourage him to eat more. A good blend can be created by mixing grasses, rye, fescue, fruit and grains. Alfalfa can be offered as a vice for adult rabbits, while it must be the main type of hay given to puppies.
Step 2. Give him green leafy vegetables often
Look for dark-colored vegetables, such as dandelion, chicory, parsley, romaine lettuce, and cilantro. Always buy organic lettuce. Wash the vegetables very well before feeding them to the rabbit. Depending on your rabbit's needs, sometimes it is only necessary to give vegetables once a week, but most rabbits like to eat lettuce or other vegetables as one of their two daily meals. The other meal must consist of pellets (do not forget that hay must always be available).
Step 3. Supplement the rabbit's diet with good quality pellets
Contrary to popular belief, pellets are in fact the smallest part of a healthy rabbit's diet. Note: If you decide to change the type of pellets to a healthier type, do it gradually anyway, mixing more and more new food with the old one for a month or more. This prevents even severe digestive disorders. Give adult rabbits a daily dose of pellets equal to about 1/4 cup for every 2.5 kg of body weight. Puppies that are weaned need to have plenty of alfalfa pellets because alfalfa contains more calories.
Step 4. Make sure your rabbit always has fresh water available
Like all animals, rabbits need fresh water. You can use a heavy bowl or a drinking bottle. Some rabbits prefer to have both, one on top of the other. The water in the drinking bottle should be changed less frequently than the water in the bowl, which can collect hair or other dirt. However, both should be changed and cleaned regularly. A blocked nozzle or a crack in the drinking bottle often goes unnoticed. Check the drinking bottle every day. Pressing on the nozzle with your fingers will let you know if it works well.
Step 5. Give the rabbit small healthy treats from time to time
Slices of carrot, banana, apple or some cereal are suitable treats. A couple of grapes are another welcome snack. Rewards should only make up a small part of the rabbit's diet. For rabbits with hypersensitive digestive systems, use mint, basil, and rosemary as healthy, sugar-free treats. Other suitable treats are small amounts of carrot (unlike Bugs Bunny, real rabbits get very sick if they eat a lot of carrots), dried banana slices, fresh banana, apple, blueberries, strawberries, wild strawberries (best from your own garden) and sprigs of wild cherry (not the type of tree that cherries are typically harvested from). Again, remember not to give your rabbit too many of these foods, otherwise he may have health problems! All of the foods listed here should be given occasionally, except the wild cherry twigs, which are suitable for getting teeth (giving the rabbit toilet paper carton is also a good idea, if it doesn't contain too much glue, and it's also a good idea. way to recycle).
Advice
- Rabbits are very fond of receiving a few good treats as a reward, but these too must be healthy.
- Some suitable vegetables are green salad, red salad, romaine salad, mustard leaves, kale, parsley, dandelion leaves and strong cabbage.
- Look for hay at pet food stores. It is often less expensive and of better quality than what you find in large chains. If you have a place to keep it, you can buy a hay bale - it's a very cheap solution and will last for quite some time. You can keep hay for up to a year if you keep it in a cool, dry and dark place. The hay has to get some air to stay cool. Do not store it in sealed plastic bags or bags. A cardboard box is fine, as it allows you to get enough air and prevents mold growth.
- Coriander leaves are one of the favorite foods for rabbits.
- Consult a veterinarian with experience in rabbit care before changing your rabbit's diet.
- Rabbits eat ALL the time, so if you see it stop, call your vet.
- Small pieces of wood dipped in apple juice are great fun for your rabbit.
- If you give the rabbit dandelion, be prepared to find a lot of poop afterwards.
Warnings
- If you give rabbit lettuce, don't overdo the quantity: it must be moderate.
- Avoid pellets mixed with nuts, seeds, and colored bits. It is unhealthy food for rabbits and can cause serious health problems.
- Try to avoid giving industrial rabbit products as rewards, as they can be very harmful to your health. Use fruit instead, such as cantaloupe.
- Talk to your vet if you have any questions about your rabbit's diet or if you notice any changes in his eating habits.
- Rabbits are very fond of cherry or other fruit tree twigs and bamboo leaves.
- Stay away from light, very watery vegetables, such as iceberg lettuce. They can cause the rabbit to lose stool and digestive diseases.
- Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value for rabbits, so give it some romaine lettuce, which is equally easy to find and nutritious.
- Giving the rabbit plenty of grapes or fiber foods can cause diarrhea.
- Make sure the rabbit eats only 1/4 cup of pellets for every 2.5kg of body weight.
