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Forum DIET & CARE Can I switch my rabbit to an all veggie/fruit diet ( no pellets)

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    • Brittinay
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        Hello. I’m just curious if its safe or not to do this for your rabbit. My rabbit is not a while rabbit she is mini rex breed. The more I look up things the more I see veggies which I just started her on dandelion leafs and kale. Im gradually introducing she is still on her pellets but my boyfriends mom suggested not feeding her pellets any more at all and just feed her an all natural veggie diet. This kind of stund me as I believe the pellets have some nutrients that rabbit needs on a daily basis . Correct?


      • Flabebe
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          Yes, pellets have necessary mineral rabbits need as well as some necessary fat. Obviously, overfeeding them too her would not be wise, but stopping altogether is not a good idea either. What kind of pellets is she eating? Alfalfa pellets tend to make rabbits gain weight quicker and is recommended for younger rabbits, but rabbits around 6 months to a year should transition to timothy pellets. Arguably, you could get her a salt lick and mineral-lick tablet thing. But I find it easier just to give my rabbit her daily pellets. Not to mention she thinks of them as treats sometimes! Veggies, plants, and herbs are great when fed along with lots of hay and a few pellets


        • Brittinay
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            Hey again Flabebe!!
            She is eating small world pellets but I am thinking about transitioning to bonanza fortified diet. She eats plenty of hay and lots her greens. I was a little worried as to I thought she was over weight but I believe this look is normal for mini rex full grown I’ll attach a link below to go to google images if you could let me know because your bunny looks like it may have mini rex or some sort of rex this bunny is Identical to her ( the one in the pic )

            http://www.freewebs.com/danddsbunnyhutch/Blue.jpg


          • LBJ10
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              If you’re talking about LM Farms Bonanza pellets, then I wouldn’t recommend that food. It has a bunch of junk in it. You’re going to want a plain, timothy-based pellet for an adult rabbit.

              In theory, you can have a pellet-free rabbit. They would needs lots of hay and a TON of variety in their veggies to make sure they were getting everything they need. It would be more expensive buying all those different kinds of produce. At least where I live it would be. A lot of people feed hay, veggies, and then just have pellets as a small portion (like a supplement). So there are different ways of going about it.


            • Brittinay
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                Thanks I’ll keep her on plain pellets I have a little small container of bonanza bunny mix should I finish it off I dont want to waste it she only eats the green and the orange pieces an the pellets she wont eat pumpkin seeds.


              • LBJ10
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                  You could pick out the junk before giving it to her. If you’re switching food, you’ll want to transition too (mixing old with new).


                • Flabebe
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                    Hello again Like LBJ10 said, transition to the new pellets and go with a plain variety. seeds and bits of stuff mixed with the pellet generally is a sign of a not so good pellet. I like the oxbow brand, but there are other pellets that are just fine!

                    And your bun looks like a good size (and super cute too!) Although rex rabbits tend to have fur closer to their bodies, they still look chubby when they are bunched together. (And maybe because of how the fur is it makes em look chubbier?) I’m not certain of my rabbits breed, but I’m thinking possible mix of a dwarf hotot and english spot, possibly a rex may be in there (Somewhere) she looks chubbier bunched up but I think she has normal fur…. but I’m pretty sure shes molting and I am finding a slew of really shirt black hairs when I groom her.

                    Anywho, I do know that if you look at the national rex site it shows a few chubby looking rex bunnies that are breed standard.


                  • Sarita
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                      Hi Brittinay, I changed your font to black – here is our rule on fonts (I noticed the one in the Tech section that had a strange font/color/size too:

                      FONT STYLE: – Please use our default font, color and size in your forum posts. Members use a variety of devices to access the forum and the style needs to legible on all of them. Though we do have color, font and size options available, they are meant to be used in special cases, like to express celebration such as Happy Birthday or Congratulations. You can use use italics, bolding and underlining sparingly to enhance your text and emphasize important facts. Forum Leaders reserve the right to edit posts for clarity and ease of reading. This includes extreme fontsize (way too big or way too small), non-standard fonts, and colors that are difficult to read.


                    • Sarita
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                        What amount of pellets are you feeding her? Do you have access to Oxbow Pellets – they are usually sold at Petsmart if you have a Petsmart or on-line. I would recommend those.

                        You need so few pellets – those are the smallest part of a rabbits diet anyway.


                      • litheandgraphic
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                          Just reiterating what everyone else has said; definitely don’t go with the Bonanza and pick out the bad stuff (anything that isn’t a plain hay pellet), and find a good brand of Timothy hay pellets such as Oxbow that is high in fiber and low in protein. You may want to cut back on pellets to 1/4-1/8 cup a day, and increase the veggie portion to 1.5-2 cups a day. For now, I would say hold off on cutting pellets out entirely, although it can be done and is often recommended, but it requires some vigilance.

                          A note about veggies: you want to go for the darker, fibrous veggies. Avoid ice berg lettuce altogether. As a general rule, the darker the veggie, the more nutrients it has. Kale and dandelion are fine, but some people report that the high levels of calcium can cause issues on occasion. The most basic veggies are various lettuces: romaine, green leaf, red leaf, and some herbs such as parsley and cilantro. You want to get as many different kinds as you can into your bunny’s salad for variety of nutrients.


                        • longhairmike
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                            dandelion and kale have way too much calcium to be fed as the exclusive greens.. they are also very rich and will lead to gas and sharts.
                            you need to balance it out with more mild greens like romaine


                          • Eepster
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                              Posted By Sarita on 9/04/2014 7:31 AM

                              What amount of pellets are you feeding her? Do you have access to Oxbow Pellets – they are usually sold at Petsmart if you have a Petsmart or on-line. I would recommend those.

                              You need so few pellets – those are the smallest part of a rabbits diet anyway.

                              Where I am neither Petsmart nor Petco carry them.  I have to drive to the Petgoods (passing the Petsmart and Petco along the way .)

                              If you can’t find Oxbow pellets, here the ingredient list and nutritional information, so you can try for something similar.  

                              Premium Ingredients

                              • Timothy Hay = Essential Fiber
                              • Soy Products = Fiber, Balanced Protein, Healthy Fat
                              • Wheat = Ideal Carbohydrate and Energy Source
                                 

                              Ingredients

                              Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Soybean Meal, Cane Molasses, Sodium Bentonite, Soybean Oil, Salt, Lignin Sulfonate, Limestone, Yeast Culture (dehydrated), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

                              Guaranteed Analysis

                              • Crude Protein min 14.00%
                              • Crude Fat min 2.00%
                              • Crude Fiber min 25.00%
                              • Crude Fiber max 29.00%
                              • Moisture max 10.00%
                              • Calcium min 0.35%
                              • Calcium max 0.85%
                              • Phosphorus min 0.25%
                              • Copper (min) 30 ppm
                              • Vitamin A (min) 19,000 IU/kg
                              • Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg
                              • Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg

                              Sorry about the color Sarita, I copied and pasted and it just came that way.  


                            • Sarita
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                                That’s okay Eepster – at least it’s not pink :~) The font is black so it’s easy to read.

                                That’s interesting that Petsmart doesn’t carry it where you are at…I don’t even have a Petgoods store.


                              • Brittinay
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                                  Hello Everyone
                                  Sarita i’m sorry about the font . I just love the color pink and I appreciate you giving me the heads up! Okay thanks for the heads up guys with the dandelion and kale. So here is what was happening I thought she got tired of the small world plain rabbit pellets so I started transitioning to the bunny bonanza which I did not get a large bag I just got one of the 22 oz containers. I am still mixing the two I havent completely taken her off small world. I do have a pet store where I can buy ox bow. As for greens thanks for the list provided above but can someone here please give a list of greens that can be ate on a daily basis for rabbits. I look online but it just says what they can it it doesnt say for portions or i.e you should only give your bunny this twice a week due to …. please and thanks .so far I was giving her a small kale leaf a day and yesterday I started her on two large dandelion leafs she is going to the bathroom fine , I also know with too much calcium their urine color changes (experience with previous bunny ) her urine is yellow as it was when she was a baby too.


                                • litheandgraphic
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                                    Posted By Brittinay on 9/04/2014 12:02 PM

                                    Hello Everyone
                                    Sarita i’m sorry about the font . I just love the color pink and I appreciate you giving me the heads up! Okay thanks for the heads up guys with the dandelion and kale. So here is what was happening I thought she got tired of the small world plain rabbit pellets so I started transitioning to the bunny bonanza which I did not get a large bag I just got one of the 22 oz containers. I am still mixing the two I havent completely taken her off small world. I do have a pet store where I can buy ox bow. As for greens thanks for the list provided above but can someone here please give a list of greens that can be ate on a daily basis for rabbits. I look online but it just says what they can it it doesnt say for portions or i.e you should only give your bunny this twice a week due to …. please and thanks .so far I was giving her a small kale leaf a day and yesterday I started her on two large dandelion leafs she is going to the bathroom fine , I also know with too much calcium their urine color changes (experience with previous bunny ) her urine is yellow as it was when she was a baby too.

                                    Yep, you want to avoid greens high in calcium and oxalic acid because high levels of these things can lead to bladder sludge, gas, kidney stones and other complications. c:

                                    This site actually has an excellent list of great greens you should feed your bunny on a daily basis, which can be found and viewed here. That list will provide you with information on which greens are too high in oxalic acid and which are high in vitamin A. You want to look for greens that are Classification II. Be aware that things like spinach, kale, spinach, and collards are too high in calcium to give on the daily.

                                    It’s best to just go for the things we know are mild and safe for bunnies. Here’s an example of what I give Theodore (who weighs 4 lbs) every morning:

                                    2 cups of mixed:

                                    – Romaine
                                    – Green leaf lettuce
                                    – Red leaf lettuce
                                    – Parsley
                                    – Cilantro


                                  • Sarita
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                                      I recommend you read this article on suggested veggies by an experienced rabbit vet:

                                      http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

                                      You will see she has a very different take on the kale and any other veggie that may cause gas because rabbits aren’t made like humans…


                                    • LBJ10
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                                        Kale and spinach are fine to feed. I wouldn’t feed them exclusively, but as part of the variety. Like I buy the spring mix that has tons of stuff in it. There are some spinach leaves in there and its fine since it is just a few mixed in with a ton of other stuff. Of course, you will want to introduce everything that is in the mix before just straight up feeding it. If you decide to go that route, that is.


                                      • Brittinay
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                                          Alright I have bought her some green lettuce and some parsley to give her daily I went to the link and it said they can be fed them both often. However I didnt give her any kale or dandelion yesterday but this morning I mixed all four in a big salad( 1 cup) my bun is 5-51/2 lbs. Is that okay?


                                        • Deleted User
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                                            Was curious and read your thread Brittinay – I loved reading what everyone had to say…..
                                            Seeing I’m here, I may as well throw in what I feed Henry ‘every’ day and have done for well over a year now with not one health issue, though I do respect that some bunnies tolerate some food’s differently……

                                            Henry is a mini lop weighing 2 kilo’s and gets 1/8 cup of Oxbow pellets daily for breakfast along with 2 cups of veggies each night to supplement his hay.
                                            His veggies consist of….

                                            Lettuce – I buy a different variety every week.
                                            Cabbage! Henry LOVES his cabbage.
                                            Broccoli – if we have to eat it, so does Henry! Lol!
                                            Carrot – about 2 inches sliced.
                                            Parsley
                                            Kale! If the shop runs out of Kale, we go back the next day to buy it for Henry – he would never forgive us! He always gets a full leaf of Kale every night.

                                            Then if I buy something for us that is Henry friendly, he gets a bit of that too. I also indulge in bok choy and spinach on occasion for Henry when it’s on special cause we rarely eat it ourselves. As long as it’s bunny friendly – go for it! For example, I never give Henry ‘white’ potato, but I always give him sweet potato and pumpkin (but NO pumpkin seeds).

                                            And I’ll just add, I always give Henry his pellets – I like the peace of mind that if he misses a nutrient in his veggie diet, the pellets compensate for it. Keeps it nice and easy. And yep – mix it up! A bit of ‘everything’ makes the world go round.


                                          • Eepster
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                                              Lettuce isn’t a single thing. There are good varieties and not good ones. Romaine is full of vitamins and nutritional value, but Iceburg is empty of them. It’s important to specify variety.


                                            • Deleted User
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                                                Ooops – not sure if that was meant for me??? But for lettuce I buy a different variety each week to mix it up for Henry. So one week, red leaf lettuce, then butter lettuce and following that with cos lettuce. Actually, depending on what is available (the above mentioned are always available) I pretty much try and buy everything except iceberg lettuce. I used to buy iceberg lettuce for myself all the time, but since having Henry I don’t think I’ve bought it for myself once??? LOL!


                                              • JackRabbit
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                                                  Catching up on this thread … . from LHM’s post . … sharts? Is that what I think it is? Cause if it is, that would explain a few Moshi things.


                                                • Deleted User
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                                                    Yes JR, ‘sharts’ are what you think they are! (Giggle!).


                                                  • JackRabbit
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                                                      I was afraid of that, but thought bunnies . . . couldn’t! And here I thought those stains on the fleece were where he had gotten a little messy with his cecals. Ugh!


                                                    • Deleted User
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                                                        If I remember right JR there was a thread where quite a few member’s argued whether a bunny could – well, you know (giggle again – ha ha ha!).
                                                        Some were defiant and said yes! Other’s disagreed with an adamant NO! I (personally) think they can – I’m sure I have smelled Henry??? YUCK! (especially after he ate a peanut off my drum stick!)  

                                                        Lol…..

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                                                    Forum DIET & CARE Can I switch my rabbit to an all veggie/fruit diet ( no pellets)