Rabbits are herbivorous animals, which means they should only eat plant based matter. Their digestive tract is complex and extremely efficient at processing food, so they have very specific dietary needs.
Diet is one of the most important aspects for a rabbit’s correct development!
It is essential that rabbits can eat a balanced and adequate diet that suits their needs.
Rabbits should have a daily diet consisting mainly of hay, a smaller portion of fresh vegetables, and a limited amount of good quality pellets.
- Did you know that rabbits’ teeth are continuously growing? And that their gastrointestinal tract requires a significant fiber intake?
Hay is the most important part of a rabbit’s daily diet. A balanced diet is based on hay. Good-quality hay, such as timothy hay, should make up the majority of a rabbit’s diet. It is rich in fiber, which is critical to maintain a rabbit’s healthy digestive tract, preventing from problems like diarrhea or hypomotility.
In addition to contributing to good digestive health, hay is a great help to the natural and necessary dental wear of rabbits’ teeth, thus preventing tooth overgrowth and various consequent health problems.
Even though young rabbits can eat any type of hay, alfalfa hay is not recommended for adult rabbits, as it is too rich in calcium.
Young animals, less than one year of age, pregnant, lactating or sick animals benefit from ingesting alfalfa hay in addition to timothy hay. Apart from such situations, alfalfa should only be offered occasionally as a treat, given its high calcium levels, sometimes associated with urinary tract diseases (such as urinary sediment, which can lead to the formation of bladder and kidney stones) in adult rabbits.
- Is the rabbit’s diet only based on hay?
No! Although this is the basis its diet and should always be available daily.
Vegetables should also be part of a rabbit’s diet plan, in which can be offered daily, in quite a variety of ways. At a young stage of life, vegetables should be presented gradually, so the rabbit gets used to each vegetable without gastrointestinal discomfort.
Vegetables are also a good source of fiber for your rabbit!
Variety is important. Introduce new vegetables slowly and in small amounts, while paying attention to the appearance of the faeces and general condition your rabbit.
Vary between different vegetables, so that as an adult, it can be presented to a nutritionally varied salad.
The frequency of consumption of vegetables can vary depending on the taste and habits of each rabbit and the tutor’s availability. It can be given daily or two to three times a week.
You can and should use a wide range of vegetables available for your own consumption (cabbage, broccoli, celery, parsley, coriander, watercress, etc…)
Some green leafs, such as kale, dandelion, parsley, chard and endive should be offered in controlled amounts, as they are very rich in calcium, which can contribute to the development of urinary tract disease, like the alfafa hay.
The offer of lettuce should be avoided, because it is very rich in water and nutritionally not very rich, often leading to soft stools.
Carrots should only be seen as prize or a treat, because they are too rich in carbohydrates and can affect the intestinal microbiome.
- Are pellets fundamental to a rabbit’s diet?
No! It is just a supplement.
Being just a dietary supplement, pellets should be offered in small amounts daily or even every once in a while.
We should choose good quality pellets, which are rich in fiber, ideally in the form of a homogeneous granule.
In adult rabbits, a high amount of pellets in their diet is a very common cause of obesity and loose stools (duo to an overgrowth of abnormal bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract), because in general, pellets are poor in fiber and rich in carbohydrates.
Another peculiarity of pellets is that it doesn’t promote tooth wear as efficiently as hay, so it should not be the basis of the rabbit’s diet.
Young rabbits, less that 7 to 8 months old, should be fed with rich in alfafa hay pellets and timothy hay, as sources of extra calcium and protein for a proper development.
- How often should I feed my rabbit?
Rabbits must be fed and provided with fresh water daily. Hay should always be available.
Remember:
Rabbits need to chew to maintain good oral health with continued and good tooth wear. Chewable toys made of hard wood and cardboard are best and should be available.
Rabbits do cropophagy, which means they eat their own faeces – the cecotrophs, different from those that we normally see. Rabbits excrete them mostly at night or early in the morning, so tutors may not see this behavior very often. Cecotrophs are smaller, moister and darker stools, with a more intense smell. These are a rich source of nutrients for the rabbit, specifically protein and vitamins B and K. So, if you see your rabbit eat its own faeces, remember that it is a normal and necessary behavior for its health.