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Forum DIET & CARE Kale everyday? Picky bunny

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    • bunnyfriend
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        Wilbur is so picky about veggies and even when she likes them she doesn’t each much. So even though she weighs 3 pounds, the vet has me giving her 1/4 cup of pellets a day. She won’t touch any kind of lettuce other than a couple bites once in a while, which is fine by me, lettuce scares me anyways. Finally I found some veggies her highness loves and will eat a lot of: kale, spinach, parsley, dandelion greens (sometimes). I cannot feed spinach often because it is high in calcium. She loves kale the most by far. So what I am wondering is if it would be safe to give kale as the main part of the veggies daily? Is there a similar veggie to kale that she might like? 


      • Monkeybun
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          Lettuce scares you? O.o

          Have you tried cilantro, or curly endive? My buns have taken a liking to the endive, and they have always adored cilantro.


        • Mandyyy
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            I bought them some kale today while getting them veggies, they haven’t had kale in a while and usually it takes minutes for their veggies go, but they were afraid to touch it at first… then Nava realized it was nommy. Now it’s gone. Haha.

            Ice burg lettuce is mostly water, but not all lettuce is bad for them…


          • LizzieKnittyBun
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              I would definitely not give kale everyday… it’s one of those vegetables that is infamous for giving buns the runs and other digestive issues. 

              Ours eat bok choy, celery, cilantro and a small carrot every night.  

              Here’s a really good list for what veggies are best and how often they should be given.  Each vegetable with an asterix should really only be given 1-3 times a week, because those are the vegetables known for giving bunnies gas or digestive problems.  Kale is sadly one of those, even though I hear it’s a big bun favorite.

              Good luck!

               

              http://www.rabbit.org/graphics/homepage/bunnyshoppinglist.jpg


            • FrankieFlash
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                @LizzieKnittyBun thank you for posting that list.
                I myself have been having a hard time figuring out what vegetables are good and which are to be limited. Every book and website says different stuff so it’s hard to chose which to believe. My bun though, happens to be the opposite of Wilbur and he eats almost everything I put in front of him (except fresh fruit). His favorite is romaine lettuce and I read somewhere that that has vitamin A in it which is important for Buns to have so he usually gets two leafs a day plus a carrot (with the top). And I spread them out throughout the day. But after seeing that list I think I’ll be grocery shopping in the new future to give him something from the 2x day side of the list.


              • kinggoblin
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                  I’ve read not to give kale often because it is high in oxalates which isn’t good for bunnies, I only buy it once a month. Mine is always picky when I offer him new veggies, but if I spread a little benebac on it he will taste them and then eat them all up.

                  Mine eats radishes & their tops, carrots & their tops, bok choy, brussel sprouts, the flat snow peas, mint, parsley, cilantro, basil, romaine, red, green, endive lettuce, green peppers, watercress on the regular. He only gets kale, mustard, or collard greens once in awhile.

                  Although, I think the only vegetable he refuses to eat is celery! He wants NONE of that.


                • Sam and Lady's Human
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                    Kale is fine everyday if your bunny can tolerate it. And you’d know if they can’t with mushy poos


                  • Stickerbunny
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                      Actually, spinach is high in oxalates, not kale. Kale is high in calcium though and has one of the highest calcium absorption rates of any veggie. I wouldn’t feed kale every day due to the calcium content.

                      An example of the calcium content / absorption:
                      • Milk contains 300 mg calcium/cup x 32% absorbed = 96 mg calcium absorbed
                      • Kale contains 197 mg calcium/cup raw x 42% absorbed = 83 mg absorbed

                      Calcium content in spinach isn’t that big a deal since it has a very LOW absorption rate, the body can only absorb about 5% of the calcium in spinach because the high oxalates bind with the calcium and prevent absorption. But, since it’s so high in oxalates it can cause kidney stones etc in humans, so probably also in rabbits.

                      What is wrong with lettuce? It’s lower in nutrients, but romaine or other dark leafy green lettuces are still good for them. I would try bok choy, basil, etc and see if she’ll eat those.


                    • Sarita
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                        I think the jury is still out on the calcium amount with rabbits. They don’t really know if calcium is the reason for bladder stones/sludge, etc…and as for calcium content, alfalfa hay and pellets are higher in calcium than kale. That’s very interesting stickerbunny, thanks for posting that info!

                        I have had many rabbits all of who get the same diet as far as greens and some get sludge and some don’t. I think it’s more hereditary and also sludge can be a problem in a disabled rabbit who is not able to posture correctly when they urinate. It’s not just one thing. Most vets err on the side of caution for those rabbits who may be predisposed to sludge/stones but they don’t really know the causes either.


                      • bunnyfriend
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                          Thank you everyone, all of your posts are really helpful

                          I always thought that lettuces could only be fed a few days of the week because it can cause GI stasis (and iceberg lettuce never of course)… Either way, she won’t eat any kind of lettuce I try. I had no idea kale was so high in calcium and oxalates!

                          Stickerbunny, I have heard that calcium can only be absorbed with vitamin D. Is that true? I had no idea spinach could cause kidney stones, I eat it almost every day!!

                          I will try some of the other veggies you guys mentioned that I haven’t given Wilbur yet! Maybe she’ll like bok choy or endive.

                          Frankie_Flash: Weird! Haha most buns are sugar crazy

                          LizzieKnittyBun: That chart is great! Thanks!

                          Sarita: I didn’t know that sludge was hereditary, is it common?


                        • tobyluv
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                            I have fed kale to my rabbits every day for years and never had any problems with it. Along with kale, they get about 5 different other veggies each day.

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                        Forum DIET & CARE Kale everyday? Picky bunny