Rabbits of every age should have access to unlimited grass hay. A lack of hay can result in the dreaded GI stasis. It’s essential for keeping their digestive system working correctly. Not to mention, hay provides valuable dietary fiber. If your rabbit isn’t eating enough hay, it’ll have to have its teeth filed down by a veterinarian. Grazing on hay helps to keep their teeth short. There’s no such thing as a rabbit eating too much hay. Alfalfa hay should be avoided for rabbits older than 6 months. You can also feed rabbits oat, wheat, and barley hay. It may vary in nutritional value and can be slightly lower in quality. This is a generic term for a blend of different grass hays. It has similar nutritional values as timothy hay. Orchard hay: Made from dried orchard grass, otherwise known as cat grass.Timothy hay: Made from dried timothy-grass.Always provide unlimited grass hay for your rabbits to eat. It provides all the same nutritional benefits, and can be bought in bulk. While you can grow grass for your rabbit to eat, hay is the easier alternative.
They make their homes in meadows and grasslands, with unlimited access to their primary food source.ĭomestic rabbits, however, should be kept indoors most of the time. In the wild, rabbits spend the majority of their waking life eating grass. If anything looks amiss, remove the cardboard and take your rabbit to a vet. Keep an eye on your rabbit’s consumption and toilet habits. However, they should not be filling up on cardboard and turning their nose up at hay. It won’t do your rabbit any harm, as long as the cardboard doesn’t have any ink or a plastic coating. It’s great for helping to grind down their teeth, and it provides mental stimulation.Ĭardboard contains a high amount of cellulose (plant fiber), which is why rabbits recognize it as a food source. Rabbits love to shred, chew on, and eat cardboard. If you’re uncertain which kinds are safe, it’s best to stay away from lettuce altogether. Some lettuces, such as iceberg, also contain a compound called lactucarium which is poisonous to rabbits. Light-colored lettuce is high in water content and has little nutritional value. Rabbits should only eat dark green lettuce, such as romaine lettuce. But what many owners don’t realize is that certain kinds of lettuce are bad for rabbits. When you imagine “rabbit food,” lettuce springs to mind. Cloudy or chalky-looking urine (“bladder sludge”) is often the first sign of a urinary tract infection. UTI’s can develop if a rabbit’s diet is too high in calcium. If the balance is wrong, their risk of GI stasis is dramatically increased. Rabbits need a fine balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fiber. This is a life-threatening condition where the rabbit’s digestive system completely shuts down. This can result from overeating foods high in sugar, such as blueberries and apples. This is caused by consuming too much sugar or fermented foods. They can also develop other cardiovascular problems, such as atherosclerosis (plaque in the arteries). According to the Journal of Small Animal Practice, rabbits can develop congestive heart failure which can be fatal. Obesity can make it harder for rabbits to hop around and groom themselves. If rabbits consume too many calories, they’ll get fat. These are the most common problems that will arise: If rabbits are given the opportunity to overeat, various things could happen.
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