Do bunnies need pellets ?

[Kiki]

Hello there,

I am new to the house rabbit scene.  I have had 2 outdoor bunnies before, but I have had Indie for a couple months now.  I just started introducing greens into her diet because she just turned 5 months old.  I have noticed that the past few days I have been doing this that she isn’t eating hardly any pellets.  Is that normal? Should I be concerned? Initially she ate hay and pellets strictly, until I knew it was safe for her to start trying fruits and veggies.  I’m new and a kind of paranoid pet parent.  

Thanks for any input

[Kylebunny]

She might have an upset stomach to the greens you gave her. Or maybe she doesn’t need as much pellets because the greens are good enough. This might be gross to say but check where she usually goes to the bathroom to see if her droppings look normal. These are just some things that I would do. But I’m not a rabbit expert so I would also get other peoples opinions to. Hope this helped.

[Kiki]

Hi,

Thanks for responding.  I have been monitoring her droppings and all looks normal.  I was worried maybe the food was stale or something.  I know they can be fussy pains in the butt sometimes.  She is going to the vet on monday to be spayed so if it continues I plan on checking in with her. 

[tobyluv]

Rabbits do get vitamins and minerals from their pellets. At 5 months of age, you can start limiting pellets and feed them in amounts according to her weight. A medium sized rabbit (5 – 7 pounds) should only get around 1/4 cup of pellets a day. Some people do eliminate pellets from an adult rabbit’s diet or only give them a tablespoon of pellets a day, but to make up for a pelletless diet, one is supposed to give a rabbit a variety of 15 different greens/veggies a day, which could be difficult.

It’s very possible that with the greens in her diet, she doesn’t want the pellets as much. But any time a rabbit stops or limits eating of a certain food, you need to keep a watch on them and make sure that they aren’t having any dental issues. Keep an eye on her. If you see any other signs of possible dental issues – drooling, food falling out of her mouth, then take her to the vet. It’s likely that the new greens are keeping her happy and full and the reason why she is eating less pellets, but just keep a watch on her.

[Bunny House]

I do have to say that buns don’t need pellets, they get all their nutrition from hay and veggies. A sick bun might benefit from pellets but it’s usually only a thing for growing buns since they need all the nutrients they can get. Now, you don’t need to feed a lot of different veggies as no one possible can. Regular romaine, Green leaf, celery and some other veggies have what they need. But as always you should seek your rabbit savvy vet as they can determine the proper diet and see if there are nutrient deficiencies as it is easy to tell on physical testing.

The veggies are probably making her feel full and with all the water in them she will probably not drink as much water. As with any diet change, you should always transition them slowly and introduce one veggie at a time to see if anything doesn’t agree with them and monitor droppings

[Author]

Messages