Pet Rabbit Treats
I'll be honest, rabbit treats make me nervous. They can be very dangerous and even life threatening. I'm sure that sounds overly dramatic to you, but at The Nature Trail Rabbitry, I hear far too often about rabbits that are literally killed by treats.
Let me back up a bit. A rabbit can live healthily for years on a diet of rabbit pellets, hay and water. That's all they need to thrive. That statement is based on the pellets being of high quality, of course.
Pet rabbits have on occasion been fed diets of just carrots and lettuce. Then when the pet rabbit dies, the owner is totally surprised. Carrots are high in sugar content and lettuce totally fails to provide the high fiber a rabbit requires. Let me explain why that is significant.
A rabbit has a fairly complicated digestive system. It is built to handle a diet very high in fiber, very low in carbohydrate , and relatively low in protein (I feed 17% protein, which is a bit on the high side for rabbits). When the fiber gets too low, or the protein or carbohydrates get too high, this delicate balance is damaged or destroyed. And a pet rabbit can die within 24 hours once that happens.
If you feed your rabbit a treat, make sure that it is a small one and only once daily. I occasionally feed a few spoon-sized shredded wheat as a treat. I use to feed 1 tsp. of old-fashioned oats, but I have dropped that from my feeding program and have seen fewer deaths among my young rabbits as a result. A 2-inch slice of banana makes a nice treat. I've fed a baby carrot or 2-inch chunk of carrot as a treat with success. My adult rabbits have enjoyed a small chunk of watermelon, on a rare occasion.
Some less problematic treats are parsley, cilantro, raspberry leaves, taragon, carrot tops, kale (1 leaf), pumpkin, and other juicy herbs (no chives). I call these treats because of the rabbits' reactions to them. In fact, these can be given as part of the regular diet (reduce pellets accordingly) and then one of the sweeter treats (fruit or whole grain) can be given in addition, if you choose.
Anytime you add a new food to your rabbit's diet, that should be the only change made during that day. You should observe your rabbit for any changes, especially loose stool or excessive cecal matter (that's the softer, smellier excrement that looks like tiny clusters). Rabbits are like people in that they have different levels of tolerance. I've heard of some folks who feed their rabbits M & M's and they reportedly do fine on them. That would not be a recommended treat and it could have turned out much differently than it has so far.
So, with all of the care that must be taken to feed treats, why bother? First, feeding treats fosters your relationship with your rabbit. Giving your rabbit a desired treat will be something you and your pet rabbit will both look forward to. Believe me, your pet rabbit will be very responsive to a favorite treat!
Second, rabbits have curious minds and need stimulation and different experiences to be happy. A bit of variation in the diet is one way to provide that stimulation.
So feed treats, but do so in moderation. Choose the higher fiber, lower carbohydate treats most often and use the sweeter treats in moderation.
Laurie Stroupe
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
Let me back up a bit. A rabbit can live healthily for years on a diet of rabbit pellets, hay and water. That's all they need to thrive. That statement is based on the pellets being of high quality, of course.
Pet rabbits have on occasion been fed diets of just carrots and lettuce. Then when the pet rabbit dies, the owner is totally surprised. Carrots are high in sugar content and lettuce totally fails to provide the high fiber a rabbit requires. Let me explain why that is significant.
A rabbit has a fairly complicated digestive system. It is built to handle a diet very high in fiber, very low in carbohydrate , and relatively low in protein (I feed 17% protein, which is a bit on the high side for rabbits). When the fiber gets too low, or the protein or carbohydrates get too high, this delicate balance is damaged or destroyed. And a pet rabbit can die within 24 hours once that happens.
If you feed your rabbit a treat, make sure that it is a small one and only once daily. I occasionally feed a few spoon-sized shredded wheat as a treat. I use to feed 1 tsp. of old-fashioned oats, but I have dropped that from my feeding program and have seen fewer deaths among my young rabbits as a result. A 2-inch slice of banana makes a nice treat. I've fed a baby carrot or 2-inch chunk of carrot as a treat with success. My adult rabbits have enjoyed a small chunk of watermelon, on a rare occasion.
Some less problematic treats are parsley, cilantro, raspberry leaves, taragon, carrot tops, kale (1 leaf), pumpkin, and other juicy herbs (no chives). I call these treats because of the rabbits' reactions to them. In fact, these can be given as part of the regular diet (reduce pellets accordingly) and then one of the sweeter treats (fruit or whole grain) can be given in addition, if you choose.
Anytime you add a new food to your rabbit's diet, that should be the only change made during that day. You should observe your rabbit for any changes, especially loose stool or excessive cecal matter (that's the softer, smellier excrement that looks like tiny clusters). Rabbits are like people in that they have different levels of tolerance. I've heard of some folks who feed their rabbits M & M's and they reportedly do fine on them. That would not be a recommended treat and it could have turned out much differently than it has so far.
So, with all of the care that must be taken to feed treats, why bother? First, feeding treats fosters your relationship with your rabbit. Giving your rabbit a desired treat will be something you and your pet rabbit will both look forward to. Believe me, your pet rabbit will be very responsive to a favorite treat!
Second, rabbits have curious minds and need stimulation and different experiences to be happy. A bit of variation in the diet is one way to provide that stimulation.
So feed treats, but do so in moderation. Choose the higher fiber, lower carbohydate treats most often and use the sweeter treats in moderation.
Laurie Stroupe
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
posted by Laurie Stroupe at 10:15 AM
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