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Forum DIET & CARE name, pics and need more help (Diet Question)

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    • new1bunny
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        Hi everyone, by bunny really like dandelions, and because I think it’s a female my husband and I named her last night. we named her Dandela. It is pronouced Dan-DE-La. we all love that name and it fits her perfect. I have some pics of Dandela and Blaze for you all. also, I may I trouble getting the pellets and hay right now. so I was wondering if the Dandelions stems, and leaves, along with a carrot would be enough food for now also is it ok if they eat the roots (taproot), is that good for them.. If not I need to work something out to get the hay and pellets. but I hope you all like the pics.

        http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af147/kellerangie/?action=view¤t=bunroom.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1002.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faf147%2Fkellerangie%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dbunandpup.jpg

         

        http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af147/kellerangie/?action=view¤t=bunroom.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1002.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faf147%2Fkellerangie%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dbunandpup2.jpg

        for safety reasons of Blaze and Dandela, and the fear of Dandela running off, I kept her in my hands at all times. also will some please tell me how to get pics on my page so I don’t have keep putting these links in here for you like this, I know you have got to be tired of it. I like seeing the pics on my page not links to go to, and I am sure you feel the same.


      • new1bunny
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          oh and the reason I asked about the food thing is that when I was young my mom would get these rabbits and we just let them eat carrots, grass, basic stuff that we did not have to buy and they stayed healthy.


        • Beka27
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            Bunnies must always have access to fresh hay, it is the most important part of their diet. If your rabbit is a baby, he/she should also be getting unlimited pellets until 7-8 months of age. Fresh veggies can be introduced at about 12 weeks (romaine, parsley, collard greens, etc…) Fresh grass and items picked from the yard should be avoided because of the high risk of pesticide. It is very costly to feed rabbits, but it is important that they get the correct diet or else you may be facing expensive vet bills.


          • new1bunny
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              well I know for fact that my dandelions are good. like I said, I go to school for this. I get the good ones with no signs of any pests, and I do not use pesticides. I bring them in and inspect them well then give them a good wash and chop up before feeding. And yes my bunny is only 6wks old. just a baby, but loves the diet she is on now. which is dandies and some carrots. so I need to get the hay and pellets ASAP, Right. oh and by the way, what do you think of her name. did I do a good job naming her.


            • jerseygirl
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                It’s a sweet & original name. Very suitable for a bunny. : )

                Regarding hay and pellets, is it possible to get some of the food from where you got her from? To feed for a while? It’s better for their gut to transistion slowly from one food to another. Do be careful of the amount of dandelions you give. They do have health benefits but too much of a good thing has it’s own hazards. You could give some grasses until you get hold of other food.

                To put the pictures within the post, copy the IMG code on photobucket then use the sun/mountian icon in the post editor to add the code. I remove the [img] that is at the beginning and end of the code. I’m not sure if there is a simpler way…

                I haven’t been able to view your pictures yet because I’m having trouble loading them. Just a slow old computer problem.


              • Tate
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                  Why did you get the rabbit before the food? Just wondering.. She really needs hay right away. Just because you may be studying plants, doesn’t mean you know what bunnies need, nutritionally. I have had my first bunny for about 7 months now and I am still learning every time I get on this site! Also, just because she “likes” her diet right now, doesn’t mean it’s good for her. For example, I LOVE candy, but I really can’t have it has a main staple in my diet, for obvious reasons. Also, because it doesn’t sound like you are giving her any kind of variety, she’s probably just really hungry and will eat what she can.
                  What kind of housing is she in, other than being indoors?
                  She is sooo adorable and if she is indeed a rex, she will be amazingly soft for all of her life. Have you taken her to the vet yet?


                • Boysclub
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                    i would have to agree with tate. gettng a new pet, that is one way of doing it backwards. research, supplies, then pet? to each their own i guess.

                    i like the name, cute. i have a mini rex. looking at pics of her, you cant see indivdual hairs….they are soo fine and soft, she just looks plush and i havent pet anything as soft as ginju. is a pure rex.


                  • new1bunny
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                      well as I mentioned in my other post, that the rabbits my mom used to get. I am not sure what kind they were, they told her they were dwarf rabbits, but they got very, very big, and were very jumpy all the time, also they were always white. but anyway those we just fed carrots and stuff and they did fine. that is why I went on and got the rabbit first. but I am learning a lot here and really liking the site and pics. but please see my new post that will be open in about 5 mins for an update and all. Glad you like the name


                    • Monkeybun
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                        Just because they survived doesn’t mean it was good for them.


                      • LoveChaCha
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                          A lot of people will label rabbits as dwarfs to get them to sell faster.


                        • BinkyBunny
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                            Posted By new1bunny on 04/24/2011 06:09 AM

                            … I was wondering if the Dandelions stems, and leaves, along with a carrot would be enough food for now also is it ok if they eat the roots (taproot), is that good for them.. If not I need to work something out to get the hay and pellets. but I hope you all like the pics.

                             

                            I ditto what others have said in this thread and in another thread about advising against giving greens this early (7 weeks). And so I definitely agree with YOUR own suggestion that if the carrots and Dandelion would not work then “you’d need to work something out to get the hay and pellets.” So, yes, go with your own plan B and get hay and pellets.  

                            You can start introducing greens slowly one at a time at about 12 weeks or so.

                             For guidelines on feeding baby bunnies:

                            http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html#babies

                            http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html (discusses introducing greens at about 2 months)

                            Baby rabbits are still forming the right balance within their gi tract. It is still pretty frail in a sense. That is why many experts suggest waiting to feed greens until at least 12 weeks. Can some rabbits survive just fine not following these guidelines. Sure, but I certainly would not test it out. You said you were new to bunnies and so it certainly would not hurt to be open to what many are advising so that your bunny has the best chance possible

                             

                            THIS THREAD WILL BE MOVED TO THE DIET  & CARE SECTION SOON


                          • BinkyBunny
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                               I just read in your other post that you did get hay and pellets today. That’s great.   For everyone’s convenience here is what was posted in another thread about it

                               Pasted from other postI got her some alflfa hay (baby bunnies need), the best pellets in the world (did not come from walmart) instead it came from a pet shop. pellets at walmart have to many additives, that decreases nutrion but increases flavor. also next in the pic is the timathoy Hay chunks for her to chew on and last but not least, a nice water bottle for her.

                              source post: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tab…fault.aspx     But avoid posting in that thread about diet, come here to do it).  


                            • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                What brand pellets did you end up getting? I’m still researching that for my bun.


                              • new1bunny
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                                  I put it in another post. I think it is Higgins what I posted. The pellets are from Higgins. And it is the kind that has almost all pellets and just a few orange chunks in it.


                                • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                    Posted By new1bunny on 04/26/2011 04:11 PM
                                    I put it in another post. I think it is Higgins what I posted. The pellets are from Higgins. And it is the kind that has almost all pellets and just a few orange chunks in it.

                                    If it’s the one I’m thinking of, (http://www.petsupplies.com/item/higgins-sunburst-rabbit-food/533646/), that’s not good rabbit food. That’s like Lucky Charms for rabbits, and a baby bunny should only be eating hay and pellets right now, not anything else (treats, fresh vegetables) until he’s at least 6 months old.


                                  • new1bunny
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                                      No that is not the stuff, this stuff is all pellets with maybe 15 orange pieces in it.


                                    • Monkeybun
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                                        your bunny needs a PLAIN pellet. No orange things. Just plain ordinary pellets.


                                      • new1bunny
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                                          OK let me go into detail here, a total of 15 colored pieces in the entire bag, but I (key word) do not feed her those, all she gets is the pellets.


                                        • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                            You might want to change when the bun is about 6 months to oxford or the like, the fat content in the higgins is a little high


                                          • Beka27
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                                              Do you have the nutritional facts on the pellets handy?


                                            • new1bunny
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                                                Posted By OneTwoThree on 04/26/2011 09:03 PM
                                                You might want to change when the bun is about 6 months to oxford or the like, the fat content in the higgins is a little high

                                                Thanks for the info.
                                                 


                                              • new1bunny
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                                                  Posted By Beka27 on 04/27/2011 04:39 AM
                                                  Do you have the nutritional facts on the pellets handy?

                                                  I will get them to you ASAP. I am in school right now.

                                                   


                                                • LoveChaCha
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                                                    Is this it? I found the website for the higgins food and only saw this pelleted food for rabbits:

                                                    Guaranteed Analysis – Crude Protein (Min.)….17.0%, Crude Fat (Min.)….2.5%, Crude Fiber (Max.)….18.0%, Moisture (Max.)….12.0%.


                                                  • new1bunny
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                                                      that is not it, but all nutrition facts are the same except for the fiber max on mine is 16.0%. And it has something else in it that is higher than other pellets. I can’t remember what it was.


                                                    • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                                        Posted By new1bunny on 04/27/2011 01:55 PM
                                                        that is not it, but all nutrition facts are the same except for the fiber max on mine is 16.0%. And it has something else in it that is higher than other pellets. I can’t remember what it was.

                                                        Fat.

                                                        Higgins only has 2 brands, the Vita Seed, shown above in ChaChas pic, and the sunburst. Neither are ideal for rabbits.

                                                        http://www.higginspremium.com/SmlAnml_Main.htm


                                                      • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                                          Recommended Nutrional Value: (Compare these against yours)

                                                          Fiber 18% minimum (20 -25% best)
                                                          Fat 1 – 2% max,
                                                          Protein 12 – 14% max (long-haired breeds,angoras, need higher)
                                                          Calcium 1% max

                                                          Higgins Vita Seed-Guaranteed Analysis – Crude Protein (Min.)….17.0%, Crude Fat (Min.)….2.5%, Crude Fiber (Max.)….18.0%, Moisture (Max.)….12.0%

                                                          Higgins Sunburst- Guaranteed Analysis – Crude Protein (Min.)….16.0%, Crude Fat (Min.)….2.5%, Crude Fiber (Max.)….15.0%, Moisture (Max.)….12.0%.

                                                          So it is the sunburst if it has 16% fiber. That is too low, and the fat is too high.

                                                           


                                                        • new1bunny
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                                                            OK, it is not sunburst.

                                                            it is Higgins vita guinea pig diet.


                                                          • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                                              …But you have a rabbit, not a guinea pig, right?


                                                            • new1bunny
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                                                                True, but they use it because it is better.


                                                              • LoveChaCha
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                                                                  Says who?
                                                                  Guinea pig food is formulated for guinea pigs.


                                                                • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                                                    You know whats even better than guinea pig food? Rabbit pellets.


                                                                  • LoveChaCha
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                                                                      http://www.mybunny.org/info/rabbit_nutrition.htm

                                                                      Do not feed your rabbit any of the many commercial pellet mixes that contain seeds, dried fruit or colored cereals. These commercial treat foods are geared to look pleasing to us humans, but they are definitely not in the best health interests of your pet rabbit. Rabbits are not seed, fruit or cereal eaters by nature and these types of junk foods are high in sugars and carbohydrates, which as we talked about earlier can lead to an overgrowth of bad bacteria.”


                                                                    • mossling
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                                                                        who is “they”? obviously, “they” can’t be trusted to give you the correct information, if “they” cannot even tell the difference between a rabbit and a guinea pig, or recognize that the two species have different nutritional needs. it’s like saying i feed my cat dog food, because it’s better. not only is that wrong, it is dangerous.


                                                                      • new1bunny
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                                                                          OK, “They” fed this to their own bunnies and they turn out better using this pellet than the others, so “They” know from personal experience. My pellets don’t have any seeds. Just pellets and a few orange chunks, which I told you I don’t feed her those. Just pellets, timothy hay chunks and alfalfa hay. That is her diet for now.


                                                                        • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                                                            Posted By new1bunny on 04/27/2011 04:13 PM
                                                                            OK, “They” fed this to their own bunnies and they turn out better using this pellet than the others, so “They” know from personal experience. My pellets don’t have any seeds. Just pellets and a few orange chunks, which I told you I don’t feed her those. Just pellets, timothy hay chunks and alfalfa hay. That is her diet for now.

                                                                            I’m having a real difficult time understanding your complete disregard for the health of your pet. Even if you go through the trouble of picking out the candy, it is still the WRONG kind of PELLET. Would you feed your child cat food? If someone told you, I raised my child on cat food and they turned out good, would you do it too? Or would you research, and listen to your peers about what is actually best?


                                                                          • LoveChaCha
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                                                                              I’m guessing that pet store owner, because a vet would be out of their mind to recommend guinea pig food for a rabbit.


                                                                            • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                                                                Posted By LoveChaCha on 04/27/2011 04:29 PM
                                                                                I’m guessing that pet store owner, because a vet would be out of their mind to recommend guinea pig food for a rabbit.

                                                                                I’m guessing thats why she hypothetically lost her hypothetical license?


                                                                              • new1bunny
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                                                                                  who said she lost them, and with my ferrets it was recommended by a vet to not give ferret food because most of it does not have enough protein in it. He told me to give him kitten food, with min protein 30%. It states that kitten food is for kittens, and says nothing about ferrets, but that did not mean I could not feed my ferret kitten food. It did not say “DO NOT FEED TO FERRETS, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR VET SAYS”.
                                                                                  I care dearly for my bunny, and want nothing but the best for her. That’s all.


                                                                                • Michelle&Lolli
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                                                                                    Ok…..here is why you don’t feed guinea pig food or treats to rabbits. Guinea pigs have to be fed extra vitamin C for their health. Their food and treats contain this extra vitamin C. Because the food is formulated for GUINEA PIGS it could make rabbits severely malnourished or they could even suffer from vitamin poisoning from too much of a certain vitamin.


                                                                                  • KatnipCrzy
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                                                                                      Just because some has feed their rabbits just dandelions or decided to feed guinea pig pellets and the rabbits SURVIVED- does not mean the rabbit did well on them. If the owner perceived good health- can you imagine how healthy and what improved quality of life the bunny would have had with a proper diet? How long did these bunnies “do good” (aka SURVIVE) on these diets that the owners were too indifferent about to research and properly feed their bunnies?
                                                                                      I would not consider taking any more advice from someone that clearly is not invested in actually doing what is right for their bunnies. You want a definitive answer on if you should feed your bunny guinea pig pellets- call the company and ask them? Guaranteed they will tell you to feed rabbit pellets.
                                                                                      Ask yourself this- where do rabbits come from and where do guinea pigs come from? They may be close in size for a small, furry pet- but their natual habitats are NO WHERE near similiar. And that right there is a huge clue that they have different nutritional requirements.


                                                                                    • new1bunny
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                                                                                        There is really no need to worry. I have contacted Higgins and going to the vet tomorrow. we Don’t have any 24hr vets here so I have to wait, but am going to get it checked out.


                                                                                      • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                                                                          You should post more pics, I love pics


                                                                                        • LizzyBunny
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                                                                                            Why did you contact Higgins? What are you expecting them to tell you? These people here are long time rabbit and some guinea pig owners who are giving you their experience with rabbits and their vets advice. If you are going to a licensed, active vet; they will tell you the same thing these kind people are telling you but you don’t seem to be taking their advice. If they are worrying about your bunnies health, telling them not to worry won’t change that until you have spoken to an actual vet. Good luck with your bunny and please post more pictures, we love pictures


                                                                                          • new1bunny
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                                                                                              I will post more pics soon, and I contacted Higgins because I could not find the brand and all, it has to be new or something. I just asked if it was safe for young bunnies, but I am taking all information and feed with to the vet when I get out of school @ 12. I promise more pics tomorrow.


                                                                                            • Helenor
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                                                                                                If you can, you should take Dandela to a rabbit vet, not just any vet for dogs and cats. Exotics need their own vet that keeps up with current practices. Have you checked out the house rabbit society for a list of recommended vets in your area? It’s here: http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

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                                                                                            Forum DIET & CARE name, pics and need more help (Diet Question)